Title: Zhànshì
Series: Sinister Fairytales Collection
Author: Anna Edwards
Genre: Dark Fairytale Retelling
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Lia has known she was different since the age of five when her father taught her the skills of her ancestors. His stories of heroic exploits have fueled her fantasies for years. Little did she know that her expertise would be called upon when two cities, two triads, go to war. Will it be a step too far to think she can hide who she really is?
Jaxon has known his career path since he was a little boy when his father promised his only son to the leader of the Yu Shi triad. Jaxon doesn't mind—it allows him to center his chaotic thoughts and fight his opponents to the death. But when he's partnered with a mysterious new recruit, he begins to question everything he knows. What is the young boy hiding from him?
Zhanzhi is a modern day retelling of the tale of Mulan for the Sinister Fairytales Collection. Warrior Lia must find her inner strength to defeat a deadly enemy, who's been left bitter by his quest for absolute power, while at the same time falling in love when she least expects it. Nothing will be as it seems in this dark triad world where a moment's hesitation can be your downfall.
***4 Stars***
Yes, please! And yes, my mind did automatically go to the animated version first ~ couldn’t help it since I love the movie ~ but I do know about the actual legend, so I was quite curious to see where the author would take us and I have to say, I really enjoyed her vision of “Mulan” and the world she lived in.
I really liked Lia and Jaxon. Both are really good people who live and breathe honor and loyalty, but also find that they don’t quite fit in with the norms of the world they’ve been raised in. Their journey to their HEA was a fun one, kinda insta, a little rushed, but still a fun one when everything was said and done. I loved the way they collided/collected and that when they saw each other for who they were underneath it all, it just all clicked for both of them in the best of ways.
This is my first read by this author (not a surprise when it comes to this collection) and I really enjoyed this book. The writing was engaging, pacing good and I really liked the first person POV’s. I thought she did a great job with the world building, it’s history, the conflict and how she kept bits and pieces of the Mulan story and yet made it her own. Wang was definitely all kinds of baddie goodness, but it was two of the patriarchs that definitely made the story for me, and one I wouldn’t mind getting more of a backstory on because I have no doubt that his story would be kind of epic!
~ Copy provided by EJBP & voluntarily reviewed ~
All I am a British author, from the depths of the rural countryside near London. In a previous life, I was an accountant from the age of twenty-one. I still do that on occasions, but most of my life is now spent intermingling writing while looking after my husband, two children and two cats (probably in the inverse order to the one listed!). When I have some spare time, I can also be found writing poetry, baking cakes (and eating them), or behind a camera snapping like a mad paparazzi.
I'm an avid reader who turned to writing to combat my depression and anxiety. I have a love of travelling and like to bring this to my stories to give them the air of reality.
I like my heroes hot and hunky with a dirty mouth, my heroines demure but with spunk, and my books full of dramatic suspense.
HOSTED BY:
Comments
Post a Comment