thank you to harpercollins and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

bruuuuuUUUUUUHHHSJDKFKAJH just straight SOBBING those last few pages. STILL sobbing as i write this so forgive me if i can’t make any sense right now; my chest actually hurts from crying 😵‍💫

everything about this intrigued me—the synopsis, the MLM, the COVER??? whew it did not disappoint. my only criticism is that it could’ve been like 100 pages LONGER. and i know that’s a hot take and i hardly ever feel that way, but i just wanted more time seeing zhen and xian in love and even more time with them as enemies. as it is, i do think xian got over the “betrayal” fairly easily. i wanted more complex and conflicting emotions from him. but that’s literally it.

i loved that it was fun and romantic and exciting while providing an opportunity to learn a lot about chinese legends and language and culture! can’t wait to buy it on pub day!

Who knew a beating of a heart would be so sexy. In this book, sex is largely left to the imagination, but the heartbeat felt between two lovers is more profound, then anything that you could imagine.

Zhen is a white snake, that has swallowed a magical pearl, and been able to transform into a human. Prince Xian needed that pearl to save his mother from a snake bite that is killing her. He asks the oracle for answers that lead him to Zhen, and they fall in love. Each hiding a secret.

I loved this book. It sounds so straightforward, but there are twists and turns, and loyalties, and betrayals. And who should you trust, and why? The research of this historical fantasy is fantastic, and makes you feel in the middle of the story.

Love the writing. Love the story. I stayed up late to finish this, and of course, all good stories, I was crying towards the end.

All the stars. This book comes out October 15, 2024. Preorder it, you will not regret it.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This was a very mid read. The romantic relationship was quite instalove, and neither Xian nor Zhen were interesting characters.

Grade: A - 4.75 stars, rounded up for NetGalley
This one lost 0.25 stars for me solely because the writing style was a bit on-the-nose YA, but other than that I just loved it. I literally flew through this book because I just had to know what happened next. I really loved Zhen's character in particular, and his relationship with Qing really added to the book.
I also thought the development of Xian and Zhen's relationship maybe started a little fast, but then it made sense why they were drawn to each other and why they kept working to stay together. Also I admit I'm weak for some "protecting each other" which this had in spades.

Thank you HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC!

Legend of the White Snake exceeded all my expectations for a Chinese retelling! Even though I wasn't familiar with the original Legend of the White Snake, this adaptation was beautifully crafted and effortlessly enchanting. The story was easy to follow, with a magical quality in its prose. The main characters were both well-rounded and distinct, and the writing was simply delightful. Not only does LOTWS feature soulmates, but it also incorporates found family and some delightful tropes. The author packed all these elements into a story that I thoroughly enjoyed!

LOTWS is well-paced and accessible, making it enjoyable for everyone, not just fantasy-lovers. The initial spark between our main characters, Zhen and Xian, quickly propels the plot forward, but what really impressed me was how the story expanded beyond their immediate connection. After the halfway point, the plot takes unexpected turns that left me gasping in surprise. There were twists I didn’t foresee and characters who defied my expectations.

One of my favorite aspects was the dual perspectives of Zhen and Xian. Seeing both sides of their love story added depth to their characters and revealed their true feelings. Zhen’s gentle and loving nature complemented Xian’s driven yet conflicted personality perfectly. They felt like they had stepped out of my favorite C-Drama, and their fated connection made their relationship even better!

The secondary characters also played a crucial role, revealing different facets of Zhen and Xian while standing out in their own right. This only deepened my affection for all the characters and made the ending all the more poignant.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience reading LOTWS. The story wove its way into my heart and left a lasting impression. My only regret is not having a physical copy to mark up and annotate to my heart’s content!! When I get a physical copy, it's definitely happening!

First, I would like to express my gratitude to @sherleeauthor for providing me with an E-ARC. It means the world to me that you wanted me to read and review your next title before its release. Sher Lee has once again captivated me with this story! I thoroughly enjoyed Fake Dates and Mooncakes, and this story has surpassed my expectations. It is a beautiful tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption. "Legend of the White Snake" is a retelling of a Chinese folktale of the same name. The story is narrated from a dual point of view. One perspective is from Zhen, the Snake Spirit who has transformed into a boy and must conceal his true identity as he falls in love with the Prince. The other perspective is from Xian, the Prince who is attempting to find a white snake in order to cure his mother, and also falls in love with the boy, who happens to be the very snake he is seeking. As they develop feelings for one another, Xian discovers that Zhen is the white snake he has been searching for. With their deepening emotions for each other, will Zhen's true identity and his role in saving Xian's mother hinder their chances of a long life together?

If you like xianxias, wuxias, and danmeis, you <i>may</i> like this one. It’s still a young adult novel at its core and therefore features the traditional style of the genre, but it still offers a glimpse into a unique take of a Chinese fairy tale with its own twists. As someone who struggles getting into xianxia and wuxia dramas, this was a breath of fresh air reading experience. And while I am not familiar with The Legend of the White Snake at all (I have not seen the drama, either), I don’t think it made an impact on my overall enjoyment. Those a fan of, or familiar with the tale, may appreciate the historical, political, and fantasy elements a bit more, but I still enjoyed it for what it offered and found myself thoroughly entertained.

I haven’t read Sher Lee’s debut novel, [book:Fake Dates and Mooncakes|62794544], and it’s mostly out of fear of not enjoying it after hearing mixed reviews about it, but considering I had a hold at my library for this, I knew I needed to download the ARC when the opportunity came up. And honestly, I enjoyed it. Can’t complain about that.

I normally do not comment on whether I agree or don’t agree with reviewers, but I gotta make an exception here: I agree with others when they say the relationship is insta-love. There’s hardly any development for it, and there is no sign of it being slow burn. I think most of this comes from a couple things, like the stakes at risk, Zhen hiding his real identity from Xian, and, well…they’re both growing boys on the brisk of young adults. Personally, I didn’t mind it, but I completely understand why and how it will not work for others. I think being aware of this may help others have a better and bigger idea of what to expect in terms of romance. As an avid young adult romance reader, this isn’t anything new and shocking to me anymore. I think slow burn YA romance is quite hard to find, if you ask me. Could this have been better had it been a slow burn or the author added more development before feelings were confessed? Oh, 100%. But again, I didn’t care nor mind. And I think common watchers of Chinese dramas may even understand too, considering how dramatic they can be. I found the relationship to be developed well even after the feelings came into consideration quickly. Both boys spend quite some time (although limited) together and are able to see more about each other besides just their physical appearance. I think what helped me appreciate the romance more was that besides it being insta-love, I still found the relationship cute, and that really is enough for me. I’m simple. If a relationship makes me smile and awe in delight, there is a bigger chance of the story being a winner for me, and this one did.

I loved the cultural aspect of this. The xianxia element is strong, as the novel is a retelling of the legend of the white snake, but instead of a female snake spirit falling for a young man, it’s a male snake spirit falling for the Crown Prince. There’s a lot of inspiration from Chinese culture, and I think it’s fair to say there’s a lot to learn about Chinese mythology and philosophy but also cultural customs and traditions.

But unfortunately, this whole story was not the best reading experience. The plot is a bit brinked, and I believe the author could’ve used a couple more pages to develop it more. It felt as if we started the plot a certain way, and mid way, especially as the relationship between Xian and Zhen was developing, it lost its original idea/method. The breaking point happened a little after the middle, around the 60% mark, which left me a bit confused as to how things would unfold. And don’t get me wrong, I think the author did a great job with the timeline and bringing it all together; I just think things were wrapping up too quickly. Most of the book is spent in Changle, which makes sense, considering Xian’s hope of finding the white snake and pearl to heal his mother starts there, but at the same time, it felt like the entire prospect of Changle was forgotten. There was hardly anything really related to the setting and its people, and as a book in the fantasy genre, I think that’s a weak point. I personally love fantasy for world building, but it felt severely lacking here. There was plenty to appreciate about culture, tradition, customs, logic, and language, yet the world building, the people, and everything that made Changle and Wuyue its places were underwhelming. I’m the type of reader who can and likes to envision what she reads, and while this isn’t exactly a problem many people will face, not being able to do so feels a little weak to me.

The characters are a mixed bag for me. I had my issues with both, Xian and Zhen, and I couldn’t bring myself to love them in every scene. Xian, for starters, was a prick at times, and I hated his constant victimization; Zhen, on the other hand, was just a bit too empathetic for my liking. Once again, this won’t be an issue for everyone, but with this being fantasy and xianxia, I was expecting a bit more complexity for the characters. Zhen, especially, felt more one-dimensional for me than Xian. I was not a fan of how humble he came across, and I don’t know if this makes me a bad person, but I needed him to step up for himself a bit. He came off as weak and muted. Throughout the whole story, he has a certain role of his character that does not allow him to have character development. He feels the way throughout the entire story. On the other hand, Xian wasn’t much better. I think Xian had a lot of development, but while I didn’t find him exactly one-dimensional like Zhen, I thought he wasn’t consistent with himself. One moment I liked him, and the next I wanted to strangle him. His personality was unsteady, showing a confusing perspective.

The epilogue was a bit of a let down. As sentimental as I am, and as I can admit I shed a few tears, I am not a fan of the types of epilogues this story has. Either give me the happy ending or the sad one, I don’t care, but something about the whole “___ days/months/years later” endings make me mad.

While I did have some issues, they weren’t too grand and large to affect my enjoyment by a long shot. I still had a good time with this and would definitely recommend it to the right audience. Unfortunately, it did not improve my mixed relationship with wuxias and xianxias, but it did spike some curiosity, so I may give in and try something else at some point.

I sadly did not vibe very well with the two maim characters. The writing was fine, though very info-dumpy and predictable at times. The two mains got together very quickly, and the relationship didn't feel very organic.

A gorgeous and queer retelling that will pull at your heart and make you believe that soulmates exist.

This book is as beautiful as the cover implies, and that is always a hard thing to accomplish - but this book does it with ease. We follow our two main characters - Xian, a prince searching for a cure for his sick mother, and Zhen, the white snake who accidentally stole that very cure 7 years ago. When their paths cross again, there is an instant attraction between them - but can they overcome their differences and betrayals to find love together?

If you were looking for a book with romance, longing, political intrigue, and a connection that might just save everyone they care about, then look no further! This book drew me in from the first page, and once I began reading I wanted to know what would happen next! Just when you think you know where the story is going, I was hit with a plot twist that was so cleverly done it didn’t even occur to me - and yet, in hindsight, it made perfect sense.

Perfect for fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, The Girl With No Reflection, and The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea - The Legend of the White Snake is a beautiful story that will captivate you from the first page.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 ★

“The equilibrium always finds itself.”

I love books that read like Chinese dramas, and that was what first drew me to this book (along with the pretty cover)! Because the title, Legend of the White Snake is a very popular Chinese folktale with several adaptations to it, I knew it would be something I would enjoy reading and hadn’t hesitate to ask the author for an e-arc when the opportunity presented itself.

This book was very fast paced and kept me entertained throughout. Prophecies always trip me up because they’re usually vague, so I never really think twice about them and just let the events unfold without trying to actively guess the outcome. This made the ending and twists especially surprising to me when they seemed obvious in hindsight. Like you think you figured the twist out? No you didn’t!

I loved our main leads, Xian and Zhen, but I think other side characters such as Qing, Feng, and even the villain, could’ve been fleshed out more. We only get to know of the villain’s motivations through the monologuing™, and I think it would’ve made me more sympathetic to the villain’s cause had I seen why their choices were important to them specifically. Like what are the consequences if the villain hadn’t made the choices they did? Maybe showing snippets that hinted at what their life would be like if they didn’t succeed would highlight the importance of their decisions.

Even though the payoff was satisfying, a lot of the action happened near the end, so the story might have felt a little rushed to me. Because of the rushed nature, the characters’ thoughts and feelings aren’t as clear as they don’t have much time to react appropriately to the events unfolded. I do understand that it’s a standalone, so there are limitations like not as much world building and the pacing being much faster than than it would be if there was a sequel, but these things didn’t take away my enjoyment from the story.

I love happy endings, but the epilogue felt a tad too convenient (I can’t say more without spoilers so I’ll leave it at that).

Despite a few things I didn’t like, other things (like the plot, overall story) made up for it and I had a fun time reading this!

Thank you Sher Lee for helping me get an E-ARC of this, and to HarperCollins for sending the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

All in all a sweet, immersive, and riveting read. I do think this could have been a duology. This book started fast and never slowed which isn't a bad thing. At times it bordered on info-dumpy but as someone unfamiliar with the culture I loved all the knowledge I received.

I struggled with rooting for Prince Xian, while I understand his motivations I struggled with some of his decisions and his calousness. He seemed spoiled and uncompromising, I know he is a prince and they are typically spoiled it made it hard for me to love him. If the book had been longer and delved more into the pressure he felt as the prince and son I think I would have been better able to connect with him. I loved Zhen. He was so loving and naive. He made this book worth reading. I understand how some people said it was instalovey but I feel the author did it purposely, after all the characters are supposed to be soulmates. I feel Zhen forgave Xian too easily after everything happened. I enjoyed the side characters Qing was so interesting. Part of the reason I feel this could have been a duology is cause I felt Feng and Qing were underutilized and could had more depth ( although they were still fun).

I liked that the ending was a happy one, although I would have liked to see farther in the future to know if Xian took any other lovers aside from Zhen, cause Zhen deserves to be spoiled and loved wholeheartedly! Sher Lee is fast becoming a favorite author of mine.

The moment I saw that this book was read now on Netgalley I literally ran to grab it and read it that very day in one sitting. And it did not disappoint! For starters, I loved that it was dual POV. For this type of romance it is so important to see each of their thoughts, and we got that done so well in this book. And of course, I loved both the main characters. I adored Xian’s devotion to his mother so much. I also appreciated his care in his relationship with Zhen, trying so hard to put them in a position of equality and not using his title to pressure Zhen. And I loved Zhen so much, with his massive heart and soul and unwavering care and loyalty to those he loves, especially Qing. So in terms of the romance, I thought it was very sweet and cute, but also with a good level of angst. I do wish the plot had been a bit slower paced to allow for more intimate, emotional conversations between Zhen and Xian. The plot also had a lot going on at once, so I think the book could have been longer. But overall I did love it and recommend it.

Sher Lee’s "Legend of the White Snake" offers a fresh and engaging retelling of the beloved Chinese legend. Lee skillfully intertwines rich cultural folklore with contemporary narrative techniques, creating a story that is both timeless and innovative. The novel shines with vibrant descriptions and deeply developed characters, particularly the complex, emotionally resonant protagonist. Lee’s poetic prose and thoughtful exploration of themes such as love, sacrifice, and identity elevate this reimagining to a captivating read. For fans of mythological tales and modern fantasy alike, Sher Lee’s work is a must-read, blending tradition and originality into a compelling literary experience.

There are many fairytales that I've always thought could use a good queer retelling, and the Legend of the White Snake is one of them. The white snake Bai Suzhen in this version is a nice boy named Zhen, and his love Xu Xian is the emperor's favored son.

This was a very sweet story. It was a quick read with easily digestible chapters. The relationship between Xian and Zhen was a bit too instalovey for me though, and most of the characters were a little flat (exceptions being the villain and the courtesan Deng, however briefly he appeared). Some of the prose wasn't the smoothest. There were a few phrases that were repeated, and while I did appreciate the explanation of certain traditions and history (important to have in a YA book for a wide audience), it felt a bit clunky and distracted from the plot. The epilogue also felt tacked on to give us a happy ending. I'm not upset about that really, because I'm just so done with sad queers, but if you skip the epilogue (which I honestly often do because I'm usually disappointed by them), this book has a completely different ending.

Not gonna lie, but this was just boring and predictable to me.

Don't get me wrong, though. Predictability in itself does not mean it's bad. When utilized well, well-expected twists or plot beats can be entertaining or tug on the readers heartstrings.

Legend of the White Snake is not one of those books.

Xian and Zhen are so bland they'd make cardboard look defined and fleshed out. Zhen's backstory was kind of interesting enough to make some potential out of it, but it was very much squandered. It only takes one look from both boys to realize they were in love with the other. Granted, there was some hesitancy due to acknowledged, and enormous, power imbalance between the two. But they still get together so quick I hardly had the time to process it, especially when Xian asked Zhen to move in with him after, like, they slept together. Nothing about this relationship felt natural or organic; the boys are too one-dimensional for me to get fully invested in them.

I don't know the original story, but what I do know it that it's not standard to title your book on the very thing your basing your story on. I don't know if the blame lies with the author or the publisher for doing something this dumb. Either way, that's still a slight from me.

The story was so lacking and beat by beat in the worse way. Of course, there was the inevitable liar/betrayer revealed moment, the forgiveness arc, the big bad guy twist followed by the monologue explaining their evil back story, sacrificing of the self to bring a beloved back to life only to miraculously come back from the dead, too, in the epilogue, I was basically scrolling through the pages just to get through the book quickly to be done with it. I did not care enough for the characters or this world to be wholly invested into it.

The only thing I did like was the tidbits of snake biology sprinkled throughout the story. Sure, they were jarring and took me out of the story, but I liked learning about snakes. It made me want to pick up a snake biology book rather than continue to read this.

All in all, this just wasn't for me. I always hope I'll enjoy whatever book I pick up, but, more often than not, there'll be the ones like this where I won't.

For the readers who loved A Bright Heart and Jade Fire Gold comes this YA, mlm fantasy standalone that is a retelling of the ancient short-story Huang Jiulang or “Cut Sleeve”, originally published in the Qing Dynasty (mid-1600s). A BIPOC author has once again given us a story worth reading!

Legend of The White Snake is Sher Lee’s fantasy debut that follows the timeless beauty of Ancient China. The elegant storytelling narrates a fond tale of unconditional love and devotion between a prince and a snake spirit mixed with court politics, treachery, and unexpected twists leading to a very hopeful finale. Out in shelves on October 15, 2024!

This was a fun book that I would recommend to teen readers, though I’m a little unsure of how to place it age-wise. The adventure and story aspects felt most inviting for a 12-4 audience, while the intimate relationship between the main characters felt more appropriate for older readers.

The ancient Chinese fantasy setting is a delight and I enjoyed the dynamic of the main characters with each other and with the side characters. For me, it felt a bit heavy on the descriptions of visual details, especially during the first half of the book. However, I’ve read and watched plenty of other media that takes place in a similar setting, so this might be very helpful for readers who are new to the genre. Midway through the book I felt like the plot really took off and things started happening, and it was a quick read for me from that point on.

There were some elements of the story that seemed a bit too easy, like they happened because they had to for the next part of the plot, but they came quickly and felt unearned. But this basically a fairy tale retelling, and that’s kind of how these types of stories go sometimes.

Overall, it was a fun read and I zoomed through the book pretty quickly, which is a sign that I enjoyed it. I liked the dynamic the two main POV characters had with each other and with the side characters and I found both of them likable, and appreciated the happy ending as well as the sadness that happened along the way.

Sometimes when you finish a book you love, you turn to the last page and have to take a minute to marvel in everything you just read, and you find yourself wishing you could read it again for the first time. Sometimes when you finish a book you hate you reach the last page, stifle the urge to throw the book, smash the one star button, and prepare to write a long rant about why it sucked. But sometimes when you finish a book the only thing that comes to mind is…ok.

That is how I felt about this book. I wasn’t moved by how amazing it was or annoyed by how terrible it was, it was simply ok. Nothing more, nothing less.

There was never a moment in the story where I was particularly invested in the characters, plot, or the romance. Individually they never went past one dimensional. Their romance never took the time to develop and bordered on insta-love. Because of this, I never felt fully connected to or immersed in any aspect of the story. Ultimately I feel like this just scratched the surface of what it could have been.

Overall, I wasn’t wowed by this and I didn’t hate it, so I’m walking away with no passionate feelings toward it. It’s the kind of book I’ll likely forget I read in about a week or so, but it was a good enough way to pass a couple of hours. I will say though I did appreciate how even terms that I was unfamiliar with were explained simply and effectively. I do think because of that and the great concept that this story will be able to be enjoyed by a wide audience, I’m just not sure how often I would recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

~🄾🅅🄴🅁🄰🄻🄻 🅁🄰🅃🄸🄽🄶: ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰~

thank you Sher Lee for giving me the chance to read this book in advance <3


when I saw the chance to ask the eARC of this book I was so happy bc I loved FDAMC and I was so curious to see what Sher Lee would do with a fantasy (romantasy?) book and I wasn't disappointed!!

I didn't know the white snake legend so I really enjoyed every aspect of the story and I was so caught up in seeing what would happen next and in hoping for a happy ending for Xian and Zhen that have the most amazing chemistry they made me blush.

This story have everything I wished for: slow burn romance with a bit of angst, amazing chemistry, lovely and interesting main characters, the cutest but strong lady viper, amazing friendships, a plot twists I didn't expected.

The only things that made me gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that I found the story a bit rushed and it's such a shame bc the story imo had the potential to cover a duology or even a trilogy

I was really looking forward to this book. The cover and initial blurb drew me in, and the story had a fantastic premise and a strong start. However, I felt that the execution didn't fully live up to its potential.

The characters felt kind of flat and one-dimensional, especially Xian. I wanted to see more character development, especially with the cool backstory of Zhen and Qing, which I thought wasn't used to its full potential.

The romance felt a bit rushed to me, leaning too heavily on instant love. The quick timeline didn't give the characters enough time to grow together, and their relationship relied a lot on fate and destiny.

Some stuff just happened way too conveniently, and some phrases were like, repeated way too much. Also, the ending felt rushed.

Overall, it was an okay read, but I was hoping for a lot more.