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  • The Magnolia Sword

  • A Ballad of Mulan
  • Written by: Sherry Thomas
  • Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
  • Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (8 ratings)

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The Magnolia Sword cover art

The Magnolia Sword

Written by: Sherry Thomas
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
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Publisher's Summary

China, AD 484.

A warrior in disguise.

All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel.

Then a messenger from the Emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan's father cannot go. Her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword, and joins the army as a man.

A war for a dynasty.

Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling - the royal duke's son, who is also the handsomest man she’s ever seen. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan's life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion...before it's too late.

Inspired by wuxia martial-arts dramas as well as the centuries-old ballad of Mulan, The Magnolia Sword is perfect for fans of Renee Ahdieh, Marie Lu, or Kristin Cashore - a thrilling, romantic, and sharp-edged novel that lives up to its beloved heroine.

©2019 Sherry Thomas (P)2019 Listening Library

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I love Mulan!

I've only ever seen the Disney movie, I didn't even know it was based off an actual mythical legend. This was an interesting version of events, I will definitely be on the lookout for more versions of Mulan!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Read it now, thank me later.

You want light romance with a historical setting? You have it.

You want themes of revenge, regret and forgiveness? You have them.

You want unbelievable feats of martial arts? You have them.

You want beautiful locals and descriptions of delicious food (maybe exotic, maybe nostalgic, depending on your background)? You have them.

In all, it was a much smarter story than I was expecting and I enjoy and appreciate how Sherry Thomas worked to impart historical background to the reader so we could really understand the context - without sounding like a textbook.

I also appreciate how the reader, Emily Woo Zeller, read the Chinese terms. Sometimes, when there was more than one, I would get into the rhythm of it and be caught off-guard a little when she switched back to English. I don't actually speak any Chinese, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of her pronunciation, but I am sure it was consistent and didn't sound like the way an English-speaker would say the words.

This story is strong and nuanced yet light and approachable. It makes great reading for just about everyone.

(And though it only bears a superficial resemblance to the Disney movie based on the same ballad, I am still humming "A Girl Worth Fighting For" and others...)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A must read!

This book was engrossing from beginning to end. I loved the themes of honor, duty, and friendship, as well as the way the author had the character examine the past, point of view, and the morality of what had been done in the name of Empire. My favorite part was the way this book normalized queerness (gay men in particular), challenged toxic masculinity in the way the love interest admits to his fears of near about everything, and showed more than one strong female fighter. This book has so much to love! Emily Woo Zeller, as usual, did a fantastic job narrating.

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