Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley/Ace Publishing, and K.X. Song for an e-arc of The Night Ends with Fire in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Asian inspired fantasy is quickly becoming one of my favorite sub-genres of Fantasy, and this was another favorite. The worldbuilding was done really well, and the writing was engaging and had me flying through this read. Meilin is a strong character, and the first person pov gives us great insight into her internal struggles as she navigates a world that is not built for women to be anything other than a wife and mother. This is a Mulan retelling, but definitely has a darker tone than the Disney version, which I really appreciated.

I cannot wait to pick up the sequel when it comes out!

Anyone with a Onyx storm hangover needs to pick up this new romantasy by K X Song!! I am kicking myself for waiting so long to finally give this one a try! It was EXCELLENT on audio read by my fav narrator, Natalie Naudus and was an absolute STANDOUT Mulan retelling. I gobbled this up sooo fast and can't recommend it enough. Now I am just left waiting on pins and needles for the second book in what looks to be a four book series. Highly recommended for fans of Sue Lynn Tan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!! Now to beg for book 2, whose cover is GORGEOUS!!!!

This was my first book by K.X. Song and I enjoyed it! I look forward to the second book in the series!

A fascinating retelling of Mulan - and as KX Song says in her author's note, she wanted to create a character not motivated by filial piety, but one who is motivated by her own desire to experience life. This creates Meilin, constantly checking herself against societal expectations while navigating war as a woman in a man's army. I love how much Song draws from a variety of Mulan inspirations with The Night Ends with Fire, while still creating something contemporary and creative. While listed as adult, this reads as advanced YA to me: Meilin is 18, and the first person POV puts us entirely in her head as she's navigating her circumstances and grappling with her literal inner demons as well as emotions.

Absolutely LOVED this read! If you are wanting Mulan inspired read that is crazy good this is the book! Truly amazing!

Fast-paced and thrilling, K.X. Song’s novel takes inspiration from the legend of Mulan but weaves a tale that is uniquely and fiercely her own, exploring the pursuit of power and the costs of magic. Rather than for duty, Meilin joins the army disguised as a man to escape an arranged marriage and take control of her future. Hungry for recognition and respect, Meilin trains intensely to prove that her abilities can compete with any man’s, catching the eye of her commander, Sky.

This is a single-POV novel and its biggest strength is that Song captures Meilin’s internal struggle so well, especially the notions of women’s roles impressed upon her vs her own ambitions. Though I wasn’t expecting a love triangle, I enjoyed it a lot. I simultaneously love and am devastated by how this book ended, and can’t wait to see what Song has planned for the sequel—I feel like it has the potential to be even better!

Dark, visceral, and heavy hitting - just like the main character you follow - this book was something else. A staggering commentary on gender, power, and social order. A mindf**k in the best sense. I'm sitting here just numb from the ending.

This is a sweeping fantasy in all aspects. Readers looking for romance who are enticed by the Mulan retelling should be weary as romance makes up very little in this book. What you will find, however, is a story about freedom, vengeance, and greed. This book takes the bond of human/immortal fantasy spirit that I've been in books like Fourth Wing and One Dark Window and turns it on its head. I'll be thinking about this world and its dynamics for days to come.

I really wanted more from this book, but it did not grab me. The world building did not feel rich enough.

This was a dark re-imagining of Mulan (a re-imagining of the cartoon Disney version of Mulan, rather than the The Ballad of Mulan, as there are many scenes and that resemble the Disney version).

The story follows Hai Meilin, who is to be married off to an abusive man. Raised by an abusive father, Meilin has had enough and no longer wishes to live under the whim of men for the rest of her life. She saw no other choice but to run away and join the military by disguising as a man for a chance to (literally) fight her way to freedom.

Before joining the army, Meilin is given a jade pendant representing the Azure Dragon which once belonged to her mother. Meilin soon realizes that the pendant gives her access to the spirit of the Azure Dragon who offers her a way to make her dreams come true by using dark magic. As with any fantasy, dark magic comes at a cost and Meilin begins questioning whether she can trust the dragon spirit.

Fighting for a nation that deems any sort of magic as evil and who deems women as inferior, Meilin has many secrets to hide and struggles to find her place in the army and to feel like she belongs.

Unsurprisingly, misogyny and gender roles are a prevalent theme in this book, which sparks Meilin's justified anger towards the unfair societal norms and fuels her desire for power and to prove everyone wrong. Although there are times when Meilin's actions can be deemed reckless and self-serving (and perhaps make her an unlikable character at times), we need to be reminded of the fact that if she were a man, her actions would likely be seen as brave and heroic.

I loved that this book wasn't heavy on the romance and instead, focused on Meilin's desire to prove her worth and to be respected and feared rather than being underestimated and looked down upon. Although there are hints of a love triangle, I (surprisingly) didn't mind it at all as the interactions with the potential love interests were interesting. Both men are flawed in their own ways but only one of them respects Meilin in the way that she desires.... so I know who I'm rooting for and am excited to find out how it plays out in the next book.

Although there were certain parts of the book that felt really repetitive and the ending (view spoiler) didn't hit as hard as intended, I quite enjoyed this re-imagining and am looking forward to reading the next book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for a copy of this book! I really wanted to give this book four stars, but it was a bit of a struggle to read. I love the Disney story of Mulan, and this was only a hint of that. In the end, the Disney story of Mulan is loosely based on a Chinese folk tale, and this was based on something...

Instead of our heroine wishing to serve in the army for honor and duty, we have Meilan who serves for greed and power. She seems to want to be free from a potential arranged marriage and life as a woman, but she cages herself in the life of a soldier and her greedy desires. I was frustrated with the story's progression and often fell asleep. When I finally worked my way through there were some great scenes and action that were engrossing but it was a bit unsatisfying. I finished the book upset and not happy. Meilan was not a heroine I could cheer on after a while and I found myself liking a so-called "villain" way more than here. There is also a magical dragon spirit that barely makes an impression even though they are important. I realize in the end that this book reinforces a valid idea that men will refuse to give women power no matter what they have done and I found that remarkably relevant these days. In the end, Meilan was just toxic and not someone I would give power to anyway.

I’m editing my review as I realize this is going to be a series so maybe there is redemption for her and I would be interested in seeing that.

I was so excited when I saw that this was going to be a reimagining of Mulan. While I could see the inspiration in some places, there were others that I thought were entirely different. However, I will say that the inspiration seems like it comes more from Disney's retelling of Mulan. While the version I would assume most people are familiar with has Mulan running away to protect her father and her family's honor, this reimagining has Mulan running to save herself and her own interests. While some may say it's an act of selfishness, I see it more as self-perseverance. I will say that part of me wishes that story would've gone without a love story. I felt that it took away from the story and the quest Meilin finds herself on.

Mulan is one of my all time favorites so I knew I would be into this one and it didn’t disappoint!

This is a sweeping, epic story and I was all in.

Thank you #berkley and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song is a gripping YA fantasy inspired by Asian mythology. When a young woman flees an arranged marriage by enlisting in the army, she must conceal her identity as she serves under the youngest prince of the realm—the same man who sparked her defiance. With a magical amulet, forbidden feelings, and a growing web of betrayal, she fights not just for survival but for honor, in a war-torn world where prophecies loom and life is anything but fair.

Review:
The Night Ends with Fire delivers a thrilling adventure filled with lush world-building and deeply rooted in Asian mythology. The themes of honor, betrayal, and found family are interwoven with a protagonist driven by defiance and rage. The story explores female resilience and power, with a Mulan-esque twist that keeps readers invested.

The dynamic between the main character and the youngest prince creates palpable tension, with stakes raised by her need to stay hidden within his regiment.

"Life is dispensable. Honor is not" (pg. 47)

While the magical amulets and mythological elements are compelling, the repetitive pacing in some sections slows the otherwise gripping story. Content warnings are necessary, as the book contains war violence, child abuse, drug use, and references to sexual assault, making it a heavier read for some audiences.

Despite its darker moments, the book balances action with emotional depth. A tale centered on identity and perseverance. Fans of fierce heroines and high-stakes fantasy will find The Night Ends with Fire a satisfying read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
🌶️ 1/5
🌈 Light LGBTQ representation
🛑 Content Warnings: war, violence, child abuse, drug use, sexual assault, and other heavy themes

This marvelous adult retelling of Mulan had me glued in my seat.

Merlin is this incredibly strong, hardheaded heroine we never see in books. I loved her jump into a situation where the stakes are sky high to where I feel like the author was told to jump, and they responded with a simple ‘how high?’.

Exhilarating, beautiful. Complex. This book truly has it all along with a refreshing spin on a Disney tale we all know and love.

So what initially brought me to be interested in this book was the amazing title and gorgeous cover. And I always love when the story matches my expectations. This was a really good fantasy that had sweeping lore and great characters. It did slow a bit for me in certain areas, but once the climax hit, it really got so interesting. I'll definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

Mulan-retelling with lots of twists. Meilin is living in a patriarchal society where her opium-addicted abusive father is dodging the draft, the emperor imprisons anyone who believes in magic, and she’s about to be sold off to an abusive husband. Luckily, she’s lacking in womanly curves, so she joins the army instead. There’s tons of action packed into this story as we join the army training camp, start fighting the enemy, and then get influenced by rare spirit magic that only touches a select few people. There are romantic love interests on both sides of the war and lots of political intrigue and maneuvering. This book kept me reading to find out more and to see how Meilin continues to survive her harrowing circumstances. We definitely end on an unresolved note and I’m definitely looking forward to Book 2.

The following review was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024:

Booking a full year of reading

Review by Tom Mayer

If only us readers could just spend our days … reading. What would a year look like? Here, the editors of Home for the Holidays present their yearlong list of books, culled from the past 12 months of reading and reviewing. A few of the titles you’ll immediately recognize, and you’ll likely have more than few in your own library. But just in case you missed a title or two, we’re showcasing the whole year’s worth of books that we’ve read and reviewed, month by month.

Except for the first title, the list is simply a list. To find the reviews of many of these titles, visit our newspaper parent, The (Athens) News Courier at enewscourier.com — with a slight caveat. Our newspaper webmasters are currently working overtime to improve our content management system, the foundation of any website, and while many of our archives are now found there, it may be a few weeks before everything is fully re-uploaded — including the most recent editions of Limestone Life and Home for the Holidays. For now, though, enjoy our literary stroll through 2024.

And about that first title: Not every college professor can make statistical analysis approachable, let along interesting to their students and the general population, but Athens State University emeritus professor of psychology Mark Durm is not every college professor. After spending nearly five decades teaching thousands of students, the “ol’ psychology professor” decided that he’d best get around to writing the one book out of his nearly 100 published pieces that’s he always wanted to write. Call it a legacy piece, but what it really is is a “best of” Durm’s peer-reviewed, book reviews, non-peer reviewed and magazine articles from his 47 years in higher education.

The result is “Professional Publications of an Ol’ Psychology Professor” (Dorrance) with full previously published articles ranging from studies on the effects of glasses on a child’s self-esteem to his ever-popular parapsychology pieces, Durm presents his internationally recognized efforts with a twist.

“It’s a different kind of book because it doesn’t talk about the research, it presents the research,” the professor says from his second-career office at Durm Properties in Athens, about a half-mile from where he first presented that research in person. “I’ve spent hours on all of these articles, especially in the peer-reviewed journal articles.”

And so, articles on divorce, sex, religion and other topics now populate the pages of Durm’s most recent book in an effort to both continue his teaching and satisfy what has been a lifelong wonderment.

“You know, most people don’t understand statistics, so it’s all in there,” Durm said. “What I’m trying to do is a more critical approach to ‘just don’t believe everything you’re told.’ … It’s things that were in my life that I wanted to see if they were so, by using a psychological analysis.”

And like any good professor, Durm didn’t do that research on his own — or take all of the credit. Among the co-authors of many of his articles in the book were students — many of who he’s lost touch with, but all of whom who he credits by name in his acknowledgements and for each of who, if they look up their ol’ mentor, he has a signed book ready to hand over. For the rest of us, you can find the book at any online bookseller — just as you can with the remainder of our list, presented by the month in which the book was published, read and reviewed.

JANUARY

Unbound (Blackstone) by Christy Healy NG/F

The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman NG/ARC

FEBRUARY

Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Amina Akhtar NG

The Chaos Agent (Gray Man 13) (Berkley) by Mark Greaney NG

The Lady in Glass and Other Stories (Ace) by Anne Bishop ARC

A Haunting in the Arctic (Berkley paperback) by C.J. Cooke NG

Ghost Island (Berkley) by Max Seeck

MARCH

Hello, Alabama (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock

The Unquiet Bones (Montlake) by Loreth Anne White

I am Rome: A novel of Julius Caesar (Ballantine Books by Santiago PosteguilloMarch 5: Murder Road (Berkley) by Simone St. James

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson

Ferris (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo

After Annie (Random House, Feb. 27) by Anna Quindlen

Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood (Montag Press) by Bradley Sides The #1 Lawyer (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson, Nancy Allen

Lilith (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad

Life: My Story Through History (Harper One) by Pope Francis

APRIL

Matterhorn (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich

Friends in Napa (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

City in Ruins (William Morrow) by Don Winslow

The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson

For Worse (Blackstone) by L.K. Bowen

A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoini

The Clock Struck Murder (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb

The Book That Broke the World (Ace) by Mark Lawrence

The Forgetters (Heyday Books) by Greg Sarris

Lost to Dune Road (Thomas & Mercer) by Kara Thomas

Warrior on the Mound (Holiday House/Peachtree) by Sandra Headed

Pictures of Time (Silver Street Media) by David AlexanderBare Knuckle (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner

Murder on Demand (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker

Home is Where the Bodies Are (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose

MAY

Matterhorn by Christopher Reich

The Hunter's Daughter (Berkley) by Nicola Solvinic

The House That Horror Built (Berkley) by Christina Henry

In our stars (Berkley) by Jack Campbell

Freeset (book 2) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan

Southern Man (William Morrow) by Greg Iles

Camino Ghosts (Doubleday) by John Grisham

JUNE

Specter of Betrayal by Rick DeStefanis

Lake County (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

Serendipity (Dutton) by Becky Chalsen

Shelterwood (Ballantine) by Lisa Wingate

The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman

Jackpot (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland

The Helper (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil

Winter Lost (Ace) by Patricia Briggs

Shadow Heart (Blackstone) by Meg Gardiner

Lake Country (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

The Out-of-Town Lawyer (Blackstone) by Robert Rotten

Love Letter to a Serial Killer (Berkley) by Tasha Coryell

Sentinel Berkley) by Mark Greaney

JULY

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Redefined Sports and Launched the Modern Olympic Age (Blackstone) by Todd Balf

The Night Ends with Fire (Berkley) by K.X. Song

Echo Road (Montlake) by Melinda Leigh

It’s Elementary (Berkley) by Elise Bryant

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman

Back In Black (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns

The Recruiter (Blackstone) by Gregg Podolski

AUGUST

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman ARC

Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer) by Yasmin Angoe NG

Fatal Intrusion by Jeff Deaver/Isabella Maldonado

Death at Morning House (HARPERTeen) by Maureen Johnson

Fire and Bones (Scribner) by Kathy Reichs

Some Nightmares Are Real (University of Alabama Press) by Kelly Kazoo

The Brothers Kenny (Blackstone) by Adam Mitzner

Blind to Midnight (Blackstone) by Reed Farrel Coleman

The Wayside (Blackstone) by Carolina Wolff

Enemy of the State (Blackstone) by Robert Smartwood

You Will Never Be Me (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (W.W. Norton) by Adam Kirsch

We Love the Nightlife (Berkley) by Rachel Koller Croft

Talking To Strangers (Berkley) by Fiona Barton

An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton possible interview see email

Dungeon Crawler Carl (1 of 6 but see next two months) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

SEPTEMBER

Fatal Intrusion (Thomas & Mercer) by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

When They Last Saw Her (Penguin) by Marcie Rendon

American Ghoul (Blackstone) by Michelle McGill-Vargas

First Do No Harm (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton

A Quiet Life: A Novel (Arcade) by William Cooper and Michael McKinley

One More From the Top (Mariner) by Emily Layden

No Address (Forefront Books) by Ken Abraham.

Tiger’s Tale (Blackstone) by Colleen Houck

An Academy for Liars (Ace) by Alexis Henderson

Rewitched (Berkley) by Lucy Jane Wood

Gaslight (Blackstone) by Sara Shepard and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Counting Miracles (Random House) by Nicholas Sparks

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner

The Hitchcock Hotel (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (2 of 6 see next month also) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

OCTOBER

The Hushed (Blackstone) by K.R. Blair NG

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Berkley) by Maxie Dara

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (Norton) by WSJ Weekend review editor Adam Kirsch

Framed (Doubleday) by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

This Cursed House (Penguin) by Del Sandeen

The Puzzle Box (Random House) by Danielle Trussoni

Two Good Men (Blackstone) by S.E. Redfearn

Dark Space (Blackstone) by Rob Hart and Alex Segura

This Cursed House (Berkley’s open submission)by Del Sandeen

Vindicating Trump (Regnery) by Dinesh D’Souza

The Book of Witching (Berkley) by C.J. Cooke

The World Walk (Skyhorse) by Tom Turcich

The Waiting Game by Michael Connelly  ARC, possible interview see email

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni

Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (3 of 6, with bonus material) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

Frozen Lives (Blackstone) by Jennifer Graeser Fronbush NG

Vincent, Starry Starry Night (Meteor 17 Books) intro by Don McLean

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir (PowerHouse Books) by David Coggins

NOVEMBER

The Waiting (Little, Brown) by Michael Connelly

The Teller of Small Fortunes (Penguin) by Julie Long

Shadow Lab (Blackstone) by Brendan Deneen

Trial by Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

Devil Take It (Heresy Press) by Daniel Debs Nossiter

SerVant of Earth (Ace) by Sarah Hawley

All the other me (Blackstone) by Jody Holford

The Perfect Marriage (Blackstone reissue re-edit) by Jenny Rose

DECEMBER

Trial By Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

The Close-Up (Gallery Books) by Pip Drysdale

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Methos

Leviathan (Lividian Trade HC) by Robert McCammon

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Method

Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer) by Joshua Corin

One example link:
https://enewscourier.com/2024/11/29/in-review-booking-a-full-year-of-reading/

This was intense. The ending was what you thought might happened, but held out hope wouldn't until the last page. I'm so glad to see this might be a series rather than a stand-alone, because that ending was heartbreaking! I do appreciate the willingness to focus on the not so great side of legends/fairytales though. It is always good to see authors resist the temptation to 'Disney-fy' their pieces of work to make such powerful stories. This story is about finding yourself, and trying to navigate a society stacked against you without becoming a villain. It is a powerful book, and well worth the read.

A wonderful and timely retelling of "Mulan". From page one, I was drawn into this world of magic and power. Meilin is a wonderful heroine, passionate and complicated, and I loved reading about her. Song draws on Chinese folklore to create an intriguing magic system, and also manages to create a perfect blend of staying true to the original tale of Mulan, while also adapting elements from the Disney version as well for readers (Mushu, Shang, Mulan's friends, etc.). I thought the book was fantastic, and I loved the element of the love triangle introduced in the second half. This book is perfect for romantasy readers looking to diversify their reading lists, and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

The Night Ends With Fire by KX Song didn't disappoint. I loved everything about it. Thank to you NetGalley for the ARC!