Review Detail

Ai Ling longs to hear from Chen Yong, the young warrior she met on her travel to the Emperor's city. She decides to wait no longer but instead follows him on his own quest. Dressed as a boy, her disguise is quickly discovered. Then her happiness at reuniting with Chen Yong quickly turns to disappointment when she finds out he's bethroned to another. Still Ai Ling stays with him, determined to keep him safe. But the Gods have other things planned for both characters.

I loved this story! I'm a huge fan of multicultural fantasies and Pon's book doesn't disappoint. Her story uses Chinese legends but she makes this world her very own. Ai Ling is a strong heroine who though her heart is aching continues to stay at the side of Chen to help him from the dangers of the Underworld.

I especially loved the other story within this book. It gives us a glimpse into the world of Zhong Ye, the villian Ai Ling faced in book one. Pon pulls back the layers and shows us his own story as a young eunch in the Emperor's palace and his bittersweet love story that turns him into the monster. I always love when authors create multi-layered characters.

I felt as if I'd stepped into a magical world. Each page is painted with rich, lush details that evolve all the senses. I could visualize Ai Ling on her journey and even better feel the pain, heartbreak, and trumiphs. That's a huge plus.

This is a must-read book for fantasy fans.