Ultimately, I just couldn’t get into this one, but not by the fault of the book!

The writing was beautiful and the story was well thought out, I just had trouble staying in the prose and not getting distracted by other things that pulled my attention harder. Perhaps at another time I would be fully entranced by the lyrical writing and the beautiful romance, it just wasn’t for me at this point in my life!

Sher Lee has done it again! This time with a YA fantasy that brings to life a Chinese folktale. It's such a treat when an author brings to life a traditional retelling of a story I haven't heard before and puts their own spin on it. This one didn't disappoint and I will seriously follow this author wherever they take me next!

This could not have been more beautifully done. Some of my most favorite books are retellings of folklore and mythology. It takes real talent to make something yours and have the words flow into such a romantic and beautiful new thing.
I wasn't sure with those last pages how I'd end up feeling because I was sure my broken heart would never know the love found between Zhen and Xian...but it was worth all that sadness to finish out those final pages.
I loved the whole premise of this queer romance. You felt the connection between the two fated lovers immediately and with off page love, it didn't detract from the romance of it all. Regardless of how Xian felt about destiny, they were definitely soulmates.

This was an amazing book! I devoured it in 2 days I couldn’t put it down!!
The chemistry and romance were so well done, it absolutely melted my heart! The characters were relatable and wholesome, it was jam-packed with vivid descriptions, the Author did a wonderful job of weaving in the hysterical aspects of the story in with the fantasy.
Definitely for fans of:
Chinese legends
Wholesome queer romances
Soulmates trope
Hidden identities
And adorable witty banter

Legend of the White Snake is an emotional and romantic historical Chinese fantasy--a twist on one of China's four great four great folktales (more specifically, it appears to be based on the Chinese opera version of the tale). It tells the story of a prince (Xian) who falls in love with a snake spirit he believes to be a stable hand (Zhen). Xian and Zhen's potential romance is complicated not just by Zhen's secret that he is a snake spirit, but that Zhen may be the key to saving Xian's mother, who was bitten by a white snake ten years earlier and has been sick ever since.

While in the folktale, the snake spirit is always a woman, here, the snake spirit is a boy. Indeed, Legend of the White Snake takes place in a queer-normative world (the book touches on ancient Chinese history where some emperors were known to have had male consorts). Legend of the White Snake reads like a fairy tale where magic and spirits are real, but clearly contains references to actual Chinese history. For this reason, it felt like a camp fire story, one passed along by oral tradition rather than in the written word. Just to be clear--I enjoyed the style very much. I am not as familiar with Chinese history and folklore, nor do you need to be to enjoy the book. Explanations for words, objects, traditions, etc. are seamlessly woven throughout the story.

At its heart, Legend of the White Snake is a young adult book. Both Xian and Zhen (who are supposed to be around the age of 17) go through a journey of discovery about themselves. There is a definite boy to man character arc for the both (or young snake spirit to young adult snake spirit for Zhen, as it were). It contains a couple of closed-door romantic scenes between the two, but the romance is based more in emotion than physicality. I would recommend Legend of the White Snake for any young adult (or young adult at heart) who has a love for history and folktales.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read the e-arc for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This gave me so many feelings. By the end I was bawling and wondering how the author was going to bring this all to a closure. I will say it went from a 2 star to a 5 star real fast. The characters and plot were well thought out and it didn’t feel like conflict was forced. The progress felt clean and I wasn’t annoyed with how long things took to unfold in the story.
Overall I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’ll be honest: When I first read the pitch line “queer retelling of the legend of the white snake” and saw that the cover illustration was done by St, the artist who’s drawn the English edition covers for Husky and His White Cat Shizun (better known to Danmei fans as Erha) the novel immediately had my attention. But that’s just surface-level admiration. Here’s what I truly enjoyed:
The historical setting/background:
Legend if the White Snake takes place after the collapse of the Tang dynasty when different kings ruled separate kingdoms. Each kingdom generally follows traditional practices as to how its ruler selects their successor (eldest son succeeds the throne) however it was interesting to know that the kingdom of Wuyue was different in this regard. No spoilers here, but I definitely thought Xian’s father’s method for choosing his next successor was something that came about in later dynasties (if it did, then the king of Wuyue was definitely ahead of his time). While I’ve heard of the legend of the white snake, I wasn’t deeply familiar with the tale. Needless to say, that didn’t affect my thorough enjoyment of this novel. The xianxia elements I am well acquainted with, something I owe entirely to reading danmei novels with cultivation elements. I’ve also watched the occasional xianxia/wuxia web drama here and there as well, so previous exposure to the xianxia and danmei genres definitely enhanced my understanding of certain elements of the novel, especially where cultivation and the meaning of the term “cutsleeve” and “zhī jǐ”are concerned. Again, I won’t spoil anything, but I think the author did a stellar job of explaining the cultural terms and phrases used throughout the novel. When the origin of the term cutsleeve was brought up early on in the novel, I couldn’t help but smile and nod to myself sagely. Danmei had taught me well. I found it refreshing that prince Xian viewed being a cutsleeve not as something to be ashamed of. Many emperors across different dynasties had male lovers.
Now on to the characters:
Prince Xian is exactly the strong-willed prince he’s billed as and he has every reason to be so. He was born to a concubine mother of a common background. Though she is Xian’s father’s favorite consort, the king’s heart and his loyalties are divided. He cannot be devoted to his true love alone, not when he has other wives, other children, his kingdom and subjects to look after as well. So yes, very complicated. Xian has had to fend for himself against his elder brother Wang (the crown prince) due to him being his father’s favorite. Luckily, prince Xian had Feng, a Shaolin trained bodyguard and his best friend, to teach him to defend himself. Due to a traumatic ordeal Xian went through when he was a child, it caused him to be on his guard against others, but that event was also when he first crossed paths with Zhen, the titular white snake. What can I say about Zhen? He’s such a sweet and caring person. He may have caused Xian suffering in the past, but he didn’t do so out of spite. He just wanted to experience what it was like to be a human. His relationship with Qing, a fellow snake whose life he saved is very endearing. They are definitely sworn brother and sister. I really liked the way the author tied Zhen and Qing’s personality traits to the type of snake each of them were. It definitely explained why Qing was more impatient and reckless while Zhen was more patient and reserved in his actions and thinking. Zhen’s mentor, a tortoise who also cultivated a human form, really surprised me. Let’s just say I didn’t see that plot twist coming!
The romance aspect of the novel felt very natural. Every scene where Xian and Zhen spent time together and got to know each other (like, really, really well) were well written and so sweet. Xian was really considerate of Zhen and didn’t treat him like a courtesan at all. Instead, he treated Zhen as someone he had come to cherish. This is what made Zhen’s secrets all the more difficult to keep hidden from the prince he’s fallen for. That banquet scene was so heart wrenching. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Xian and Zhen both. Neither deserved to have the truth revealed in such a nefarious way by the person neither least expected. Just when a happy ending seemed in sight for Xian and Zhen, tragedy strikes, not once, but twice. The final outcome of the novel truly surprised me. I wasn’t expecting it at all! All in all, the ending left me feeling very satisfied, if not a little disappointed that a certain person wasn’t punished harshly enough for attempted murder. This is the first novel I’ve read by Sher Lee, and it was an engrossing and entertaining read. It’s perfect for fans of fantasy as well as Danmei.

A modern retelling of a folktale. A lovely tale of romance, family and treachery.
Dual POV
Zhen - a white snack desperate to experience life as a human, he swallows a magical pearl to become a snake spirit.
Xian - the favored son of the king, desperate for the pearl to save his mother's life of pain after a white snake bite

These young men find themselves tethered together - though their goals are at odds with each other. Complex. Vibrant. Romance. Family.

I want to thank NetGalley and my job for both giving me access to advanced copies of this book because this was so good! The Leggend of the White Snake has been told many times, and I've been fortunate enough to see it come to life in multiple formats, and boy did this one do it justice.

One of the biggest things I look for in books with multiple POV's is whether or not the characters can be distinguished from one another, and I can say for certainty that in this book they can. Zhen and Xian are two characters that come from completely opposite worlds that come together in a very unexpected way. Though they have been tied together for much longer than they both expected in the beginning.

I almost wish the story was longer to expand on their relationship and the world around them. It would especially be nice for us to have gotten some more hints as to other characters and their motivation along the way just so the second half didn't feel like I was getting hit in the face with all of the action that happened.

Overall this was a really fun story that kept my attention and made sure to explain some of the cultural differences that other people who aren't as familiar with Chinese mythology and ancient customs as I was. Please go check it out in October when the book is released, you won't be disappointed!

I absolutely adored this one. I’m such a big fan of queer retellings, especially in myths and folklore, so it’s no shock that this would be a new instant favorite! Loved all the rich descriptions of all the food and all the different royal outfits and traditions. And it’s always such a breath of fresh air to read a story set in a queernormative world! So wholesome to see how everyone in the kingdom, including Xian’s own parents, fully and openly respect his choice of lovers…though maybe not so much on board with the fact this latest boy happens to be a literal snake.

Also, speaking of snakes, all of the transformation sequences too are also so top notch, so monstrous in all the best ways. The author did a really good job depicting all of the more animalistic aspects to Zhen as the titular White Snake even when he’s in his human form!

Now I’m not familiar with the original legend so maybe this will be different for others but I was really surprised by how the story and their romance progressed! Very satisfying to see how everyone’s actions had serious consequences. I’d say this is an “enemies to lovers” truly fitting to the name.

I’ve had Sher Lee on my radar for a long time and I’m so thankful to have gotten the ARC for her new release!!

I received an eARC of Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee from NetGalley and publishers Quill Tree Books. Prince Xian’s mother when he was young was bitten by a venomous white snake and has slowly been deteriorating his mother’s health for years. For years, Prince Xian holds a strong amount of guilt due to following into a lake when he was a child and losing a spirit pearl that could have saved his mothers life to a different white snake that also saved him from drowning. Zhen is the spirit snake who saved Prince Xian all those years ago in the lake and also swallowed the spirit pearl Prince Xian so desperately needs. Prince Xian's quest leads him right to Zhen and as they develop a relationship, Zhen’s secrets start to unfold in this traditional Chinese folktale retelling.

Between swooning, blushing, and bawling my eyes out at the developing relationship between Xian and Zhen, this book was a delight to read. Zhen and Xian definitely had the love at first sight, fairytale love, so if you are into slow burn relationships you won’t find that here. I, sometimes, can find slow burn romances to be a bit humdrum so I enjoyed this fast pace book. I found the supporting characters, Feng and Qing, and their relationships to Xian and Zhen endearing. While I sort of knew who the villain was going to be, there was enough of a twist that it did not disengage me from reading or take me out of the story. Additionally, I appreciated the author tremendously for taking the time to describe certain things that may be unknown to most readers, and for the first time I didn’t have to stop reading and look up on Google what certain things meant. Not that is always a bad thing, but I have yet to experience an author who can describe things without it feeling tedious to the storytelling. There are still some questions about some supporting characters, but otherwise a great retelling. 4/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the eARC of Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee. This book had me in an emotional rollercoaster, and I am appreciative I had the opportunity to read this!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee was a good and fun time! I was not familiar with the actual legend of white snake as far as Chinese folklore goes, but I enjoyed this fast-paced, queer retelling. I do want to note that this story relies heavily on the insta-love between the main characters; I usually really don't like insta-love, but the relationship was very soft and endearing so I was able to look past it. The plot moves extremely quickly and you get the reveals a lot quicker than you would think. However, I will say that is seems this is most likely because of the pace that the actual folktale takes in the original telling.

Because of how fast-paced the story moves, I feel like many of the characters lacked depth and made parts of the book hard to get through. Specifically, I wish I could've felt more connection to Xu Xian's mother to really feel how high stakes the situation was.
In the same way, the villain/antagonists lacked the amount of the depth that I think this story requires to really pull everything together. I felt we could've spent more time exploring them and their intentions throughout the story so their part in the story held more weight.

The ending was interesting, I love when stories aren't afraid of consequences! However! The epilogue could've been handled better in my opinion, it really takes away from the feeling you get from the choice for an ending. It was just too convenient. Maybe if more time had passed between the end and the epilogue, the weight of the ending would've hit a bit harder.

Despite the points made above, I still feel that this story was enjoyable and worth the read. The romance was so incredibly sweet and had me attached to our protagonists. I was rooting for them the entire time and really enjoyed them as characters. YA readers will surely get some enjoyment from this book!

3.5/5

Prince Xian follows an oracle’s prediction to Changle where a white snake may reside to cure his mother who has been sick for seven years after getting bit by a white snake and losing a spirit pearl.

Zhen who as a young white snake consumed a spirit pearl allowing him the ability to transform into a human, makes a stop in Changle with his sister, seven years after swallowing the pearl.

One being a hunter, one being the hunted, what will happen when they cross paths and feelings develop?

***

I had a lot of fun reading this. I knew nothing about this book going into it; I only picked it up because the cover is super pretty. I’ve also never read any mythology retellings or know much about Chinese mythology, so I thought it would be a fun introduction to these genres, and I was right. It takes you on a journey of forgiveness, yearning & love and a journey of dangerous stakes & grim circumstances.

Xian, Zhen and Qing were all good MCs. Zhen was my favorite because he had so much empathy, I really felt for him. For being a prince, Xian was not power hungry like I thought he would be, which I loved. Qing was a great companion character. The banter and relationships between them all was super natural to read and only grew more as the story progressed.

I read of people saying it was instalove. Now I haven’t read many standalone fantasy novels, but how much of a slowburn can occur. I mean they didn’t get together until the halfway mark. The “betrayal” between them still had to happen and it needed to occur after the romance started, so I’m not sure how much longer their romance could have been drawn out at the start without the back half of the story not getting enough time. So if anyone is deterred by those reviews, just maybe keep this in mind. (Coming from someone who deeply dislikes instalove).

I loved the way the author took the time to describe the Chinese culture and traditions and I really enjoyed the actual story of the white snake (not the novel, the folktale, like that’s not confusing lol). There was tension that was well constructed based on the characters’ prejudices and past.

Loved the ending, yes I did. 🤍🐍

4.5 it could have used more pages to flesh out the story and relationships a little bit more.

ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Sher Lee's Legend of the White Snake is a charming YA retelling of a Chinese folktale I didn't know about before I read this. I loved following Xian and Zhen as they navigated their circumstances and burgeoning love. With charming characters, a tense plot, and a vibrant world, Legend of the White Snake is a lovely read.

This book was so good! I loved the storyline and all the symbolism in it. I couldn’t help rooting for the two main characters. And honestly the ending shocked me right up until the very end. Absolutely loved reading this book!

🤍 Legend of the White Snake ARC Review 🤍

Thank you so much to Sher Lee and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Legend of the White Snake is a standalone MM historical romance. There’s a legend that the Pearl of the white snakes have immense healing powers. Prince Xian is determined to save his mother, so he undertakes a journey to find one of these pearls. But what happens when the legends are real and he gets more than he bargained for??

This book was such a cute read! I really enjoyed the relationship between Xian and Zhen and how it developed over the story. The world building in this book was wonderful and I really enjoyed this twist on a traditional cultivation story. I do feel like the end was a little rushed, but in general I really enjoyed it

Overall this was a four star read for me! I really loved the characters and the world. This book did have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book did have a romantic subplot but, but YA levels of on-page smut, so overall one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of historical romance with beautiful world building, fun banter and supernatural twists, then absolutely pick this one up!

As a child Prince Xian mother was bitten by a white snake, which has caused her to suffer medically. He then when in search of a spirit pearl that could cure his mother. Cue Zhen, living his snake life. He saves Xian's life and then takes the pear for himself so he can live a snake spirit, both human and snake.

Cue years later Xian learns that the elusive white snake is in the city of Changle and this will be his chance to save his mother. Here he meets Zhen as a human working the stable and there is an instant connection between them. Zhen soon learns he's the white snake Xian is searching for.

This was a very sweet YA of the two falling for each other. The world building is lovely and there are many interesting and well written side characters that round the story out.

Although the story was a tad predictable, but still had a few unexpected twists, it was still entertaining and engaging. I enjoyed the magic of the story and for being a pretty heavy topic the story was still relatively light and fun. There were a few reviewers discussing how the two boys seemed to fall for each other too fast, but in a story that involves magic and snake spirits this didn't bother me.

This was a magical and lovely story. It had a lot of heart and love and was part of a lush, lovely world.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prince Xian of Wuyue, is on a desperate quest to save his dying mother. Bitten by a white snake, the only known cure is a rare spirit pearl or an antidote created from a white snake itself. In the city of Changle, he meets Zhen, a pretty stable boy whom he is instantly attracted to. Unbeknownst to Xian, Zhen is actually a white snake spirit who had gained human form after consuming the coveted spirit pearl. As Zhen soon learns that he is the very creature Xian is hunting for, what will happen to their burgeoning relationship?

The Legend of the White Snake is one of China’s four great folktales and this is an enchanting YA reimagining of this beloved folktale with a delightful BL twist 🤭

I loved that this retelling retains key elements of the original folktale. And I felt so silly that I didn’t realise right off the bat that Xian corresponded to Xu Xian and Zhen to Bai Suzhen 🤦🏻‍♀️ It only hit me when Xian revealed his surname 😂

Sher Lee's writing is as captivating as ever, with a seamless flow and a plot that balances action and romance.

Zhen's character is a standout—too good for the world and, as Qing points out, perhaps even too good for Xian. His kindness and selflessness shine through, not just in his relationship with Xian but with everyone he encounters.

The side couple was so cute and I wished for more of their story! The villain (not spoiling for those who don’t know the folktale), meanwhile, is as nasty as ever—though I did see a kinder version in the 2019 drama starring Ju Jingyi and Yu Menglong.

I loved that Sher introduces readers to rich elements of Chinese culture, explaining concepts like guàn lǐ, different archways and thresholds, the Duanwu Festival, and the origins of lóngjǐng (my favourite tea!).

While I felt that the ending was a little too neat and nice, I was equally grateful that it had avoided the tragic outcome of some adaptations. I would have been very upset lol.

Overall, this was a delightful retelling that stayed true to the heart of the folktale. I look forward to more books from Sher!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read!♥️🫶🏻

“Even a powerful dragon struggles to overcome a snake in its native haunt”

I absolutely loved this Queer retelling of the Chinese Folktale. Amazing world building, loveable characters and absolutely GORGEOUS COVER🤩

Zhen is so so so kind and selfless🥹 I literally wanted to cry every time he put someone else above his own safety. I love how empathetic he is throughout.

Zhen and Xian flirting = top notch. Their pull to each other is magnetic and exquisite. Their attraction to each other was well written and I loved how their relationship developed throughout.

The two sidekick characters were honestly one of the best parts of the book. Qing + Feng forever🥰

I always worry about reading heavy lore in books, but Sher Lee made everything easy to understand without making you feel overloaded with info dumping.

I highly recommend this read!!