Dragon Rebellion (The Hidden Warrior)

Fantastic conclusion! Dragon Rebellion by M. Lynn is the final book in The Hidden Warrior duology picking up weeks after the events of Dragon Rising. If you haven’t read book one, there may be spoilers to it in the following review. Read at your own risk. Jian Li has spent the last several weeks at the Minglans’ in Zhouchang waiting for Hua to wake up. After destroying Kanyuan village, killing innocents and soldiers from Piao and Kou alike, the Nagi spared him and took him to the only place she knew that would be safe. While war with the Kou looms on the horizon, Dragon Rebellion looks inward to the war taking place between Hua and the Nagi.

Hua Minglan is trapped inside her own mind, wrestling for control of her body and preventing the Nagi from taking its true dragon form. She is heartsick over what happened in the village. She gave her body over to the dragon thinking she could take her revenge on the Kou, yet the Nagi wants its own revenge against the empire of Piao for its killing of the dragon blooded. Hua is still strong and stubborn in her own rights, and she uses what little control she has over her mind to talk to the Nagi. Hua has one goal, and it is the same goal as when she first disguised herself as Huan and went to war: Protect the people of Piao. Will she have to protect them from herself?

Jian Li is no longer commander of the Piao army. He’s lost his sense of duty, but gained something more. He’s found a family in the Minglan home. He’s fallen for Hua, even while she sleeps. It’s Jian who recognizes the Nagi inside of her, controlling her actions. And it is Jian that will fight to bring her back. I liked Jian in the previous book, but I fell in love with him here. He has found a purpose greater than war and revenge, and he will do whatever it takes to succeed.

The plot revolves around Hua and the Nagi, their struggle to control Hua’s body, and the looming war with the Kou. The Nagi is an interesting twist to this story. It is supposed to be a protector of Piao, but instead it wants its own revenge. While the internal struggle drives Hua’s part of the story, Jian’s story follows him as he searches for Hua and tries to recover the girl he knows.

Overall I enjoyed Dragon Rebellion. The tension and uncertainty of what would happen to Jian and Hua drove the plot, keeping me reading til it was finished. If you are a Mulan fan, a fantasy lover, or just love dragons, I highly recommend it.

DRAGON REBELLION opens up with Jian and Hua taking refuge in Hua's family farm, but she hasn't awoken since she turned into a dragon. With the empire looking for the dragon, Jian has no choice but to leave the war. But when the farm is attacked, he finds himself face-to-face with a close friend. While Jian sits waiting, Hua is fighting for ownership of her body. The Nagi lives within her and will remain there until her mission is complete. Hua fears what havoc the Nagi will cause if she's given free will of her body. But Hua can only hold out for so long before the Nagi takes over.

Soon, it becomes a race against time. The Nagi is trying to get revenge for all those killed with dragon blood. Jian is trying to protect Hua while stopping the Nagi. It's just a matter of who will win in the end and what is truly right and wrong.

DRAGON REBELLION is the last installment of this Mulan retelling with a slow burning romance and lots of action. I love how loyal and dedicated Jian is to both his brother and Hua. I also love the strength Hua has and how she's determined to not give into the Nagi. The relationship between Jian and Hua is strained with the Nagi's existence, but Jian doesn't give up. M. Lynn took me on a whirlwind adventure of emotions and I'm satisfied with the end result.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of retellings, Mulan, fantasy, dragons, strong and lovable characters, and romance.