Loved this book. Not a romance girlie but I think I might have found my space in what to look for if I am in the mood for it.

3.75 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4 for GR) for Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee

Legend of the White Snake is a beautiful story based on a Chinese Folktale. A MM romance between a snake spirit turned man and the unsuspecting prince. I loved the easy flow of Sher Lee’s writing style. The love story was sweet, and the twists and turns had me gasping a few times. I loved how Zhen and Xian’s fates were woven so closely. The magic was easy to understand, but a little too convenient at times, which took away from the emotion to me. This was a quick and easy book packed with plenty of action and romance.
Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee came out October 15, 2024 so you can get your copy today!

Thank you #netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books/Quill Tree for the opportunity to read this arc.

I'd like to thank the author for providing me the e-arc of this marvelous book.

i went in fully blind. i love sher lee's first book and i simply needed to read this one too. and let me say, it did not disappoint AT ALL. it left me hooked up on every page, even though the beginning was a bit slow paced (in comparison to the rest of the book)

speaking of pace, I really saw the potential for one or even two more books. the story was filled with many events and they really would have carried a duology even better than a stand alone book.

i LOVED the characters, they are really well written and they all left a bit of them in my heart.

the story is amazing, which is also why i would have loved to read more of it, and it really kept my attention high throughout the whole book. the setting was actually new to me but i loved it and the author made sure to explain everything so that even someone who knows almost nothing about imperial china culture and traditions could enjoy and i really appreciated it.

the writing was really good in my opinion. having already read fake dates and mooncakes i expect a certain style and that was what i found in this book. at the same time it felt (rightfully) a whole new different thing and i think this isn't something so obvious.

overall i just wanted to say that i wouldn't mind if sher lee decided to write some more of their story (just saying)

Thank you to netgalley, Sher Lee and the Harper Collins for the eARC!

3.5 stars for me. If you're a fan of queer retellings of Chinese mythology with xianxia vibes, this is for you! I would rate it higher but I think the world building could be more developed. Besides that, I enjoyed the story and I like the characters. I'm not familiar with the original legend of the white snake so I cannot compare. The romance was a bit too insta-love/lust for me. But I still enjoyed the story overall. It's fast-paced story with lovable characters in a really beautiful setting. I'm so happy to have the opportunity to read this early.

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee is out now! Happy publication day 🤍🐍

This is such a beautiful 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 book!! Xian and Zhen’s #epiclovestory is one that will stay with me for a long time. I loved this queer retelling of a folktale that transported me to a new land and stole my heart.

Legend of the White Snake
By Sher Lee
Happy publication day to Sher Lee! LEGEND OF THE WHITE SNAKE is here! 🐍

As some of you know, I am not a big YA reader, but this one is targeted toward an older YA audience, and it’s just lovely and even a bit spicy! 🌶️

White snake is a powerful figure in Chinese lore, and the legend (as shared in this queer re-telling) is that the snake stole a magic pearl from a young boy, thus preventing the boy - a prince - from using it to heal his ill mother (whom the white snake had bitten). Seven years later, the white snake, on the run with his sister and taking human form as Zhen, infiltrates the palace and meets the earnest and passionate prince, Xian, and their fated connection sparks and grows. The prince does not initially know of Zhen’s history and actions, and is trying to track down the pearl he had lost to Zhen in order to heal his mother. But then he learns of the terrible story, and his walls go up. Zhen, trying to figure out how to do the right thing, is devastated and then captured and fated (temporarily, as it turns out) to a long and agonizing torture by the secretly, doubly-evil palace scientist, who has been experimenting with snakes, ostensibly to find the cure for the queen. But, alas, no, it’s been to accrue his own dark power. 👿

This is the story of an heroic prince and a loving servant (a spirit snake in the form of a commoner), drawn together by a tragedy not truly of their own making. It is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-and-finally-back-to-lovers story. It’s an epic tale of the power of love and family and trust and understanding and healing. ♥️

The side characters are also beautifully drawn: the kind mother, the powerful father, the evil step-brother, the prince’s best friend, the prince’s loyal but suspicious guard, the two-faced evil scientist, the snake-boy’s sister, their protector, and more. 👸🏻

Ultimately, this a story about love and betrayal and honor and magic and one of my favorite tropes of all time - soulmates. Or, as it’s referenced here, zhi ji. 💞

In LOTWS, Sher Lee has undertaken deep and revealing research into Chinese history and lore and language and culture. It was amazing to read and learn along the way. 🧧

Thanks to the author and HarperCollins Children for the digital egalley! I can’t wait to get this gorgeous book - look at it! - in my hands! ✨

I’ve never actually watched the Cdramas based on the original legend of the white snake but I was always excited to know more about the story, and it was natural that I gravitated towards this retelling. And this felt so easy to read that I didn’t even realize that I finished it so quickly.

The writing just flowed beautifully and I felt carried away by the prose. It’s also a very simple tale of love - familial, platonic, romantic and more - made heartbreaking and angsty by the little twists of fate, destiny playing with the hearts of our beloved characters. The romance between our leads might come across a tad bit instalovey but it’s also a fated connection, so it’s not too unbelievable. I also adored the way the author depicted friendships in this book, full of trust and genuine affection for each other.

The characters are also very easy to love - Xian the dutiful prince who just wants to save his mother, Zhen the snake spirit who wants to experience a human existence and also save his adopted sister, Qing who will do anything to protect Zhen, and Feng the ever dutiful bodyguard who is equal parts exasperated and fond of his prince’s antics. They all make for a great story, making me smile and blush and cry at various times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this queer retelling of a famous legend and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I spent the last 15% of this book SOBBING my eyes out, I was grabbing tissues left and right and the tears are still coming even though I'm done. I loved this book so much.

It's super easy to read, and I think even if you aren't familiar with the legend this book is a retelling of, you'll have no problems getting into the story.

I really liked the pacing, there was a good balance between getting to know the characters, and working on moving the plot along. But we could've used some more pages to stretch the ending events out a bit.

Character wise, I loveeeeed everyone, but especially Qing, who was the funniest. I'd love to see her and Feng in their own spinoff at some point. Generally speaking though, everything was wrapped up nicely, so I'm not sure if there's a need for a sequel. But again, if we get it, I'm reading it.

At the start, I related a lot more to Zhen than to Xian, but I was won over by the latter somewhere along the way. I couldn't help but smile at their romantic scenes, they were so cute, and had so much tension from the moment they met. That's so hard to do!

As a retelling, this works well. I actually used to rewatch different adaptations of this legend religiously, so if I'm happy with this book, you will be too. Sher Lee did it justice.

And that extremely vivid worldbuilding?? I swear, I was THERE, experiencing every single moment with the characters. I'd give five stars just for that.

Now that (stressful!!) ending...I fear I'll be needing a few business days to recover. So much happened and I swear I was holding my breath in the entire time.

The amount of pain I went through while reading this is something I wasn't expecting, but I'm so glad Legend of the White Snake managed to hurt me so much. It earned its place on my ultimate favourite books shelf.

This is also my very first book by this author, but definitely not my last. I'll be going back to read her debut, and I'm seated for whatever she puts out next.

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Always a fan of retellings (in general but specifically) of the classic Chinese folktale of The White Snake, Sher Lee’s tale was an absolutely delightful new addition!

Lee’s queer-normative approach brought a fresh perspective with tender insightfulness to the love story aspect. One couldn’t help but to be quickly wrapped up in its enticingly descriptive coils! And the adventure! The mystery! Truly shocking serpentine plot twists! This book was 100% pure magic! A captivating must read for fans of several genres (LGBTQIA+/fantasy/AAPI).

Much appreciation goes out to author, Sher Lee, and Quill Tree Books (HarperCollins) for the opportunity to experience Legend of the White Snake in advance of its October 15th, 2024 release.

This one has a zillion reviews already, so I don't really want to add more verbiage to the river. Basically, it's a workmanlike treatment of an otherwise rich wonderful Chinese myth that has been retold many times, in many ways. This one is a queer retelling, which I thought an interesting idea, but the boys fall into insta-lust. Which is fair, given teenage boys, but I hoped for better characterization. A slow simmer, and more period detail than we found would have made this reader happier.

Thank you so much to Sher Lee for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for a review!!

I greatly enjoyed this book and the approach which Sher Lee took with it. While it is a YA book, because of the time frame and society, there are many adult themes throughout. I find that Lee consistently does really well with pacing, and I enjoyed that this book never went too fast or felt rushed. The characters are very different from one another, but you can also see how they compliment each other, and how the love is able to blossom between them.

From the retelling perspective, I think it was done so, so well. When this book is described as lush, it absolutely is. It's hard not to actually envision the story as you read because of Lee's descriptions. There are moments of high emotion all around, and it has me all the more excited to see more from Sher Lee in the future!

“Do you believe in destiny?”
↳ “I believe destiny is an excuse people give not to fight for what they really want in life.”
“Will you fight for what you want?”
↳“Always.”

mini synopsis:
Prince Xian lost his only chance to heal his dying mother when a white snake swallowed the spirit pearl meant to cure her. Seven years later, he is still desperately searching for a way to save his mother. Along his journey he finds himself crossing paths with a boy named Zhen, who he can’t help but feel drawn to. Anddd the story takes off from there 😆

review:
The way that I was not expecting to FREAKING CRY from this book. I don’t know what I was expecting, especially going into this book blind, but a face wet full of tears WAS NOT IT. I am surprised in the best way, and I always feel like that a novel truly did its job well if it’s able to pull these emotions out of me. I was straight giggling, to worried and nervous, to full on tears.

Prince Xian and Zhen were everything to me. I loved the angst, the dynamic, the torture and internal conflict they both had throughout their relationship. I apologize if my review sounds vague, but I always find it so much more enjoyable to go into books blind. I felt like I was reading a Chinese historical angsty insta-love drama, and I LOVED IT. I am not usually one who enjoys when the characters are immediately attracted to each other, but I have to say the author did an amazing job. I felt like their relationship grew so perfectly in such a short amount of time, and I was screaming and rooting for them!!!

Overall, this was a fun time. It was fast paced, but in the best way. I cried, my eyes are still a little poofy from the tears, and I absolutely adored the heck out of these two silly boys, or maybe one who is not exactly entirely a boy? (hehe) I was delightfully surprised, and so happy that I was given the opportunity to read this early.

Thank you HarperCollins and netgalley for this e-arc.

First of all, let me thank @sherleeauthor for giving me an eARC of her latest book!

After loving "Fake Dates and Mooncakes" I must admit that I had high expectations for this book

Here the author gives us a queer retelling of a Chinese legend, the legend of the white snake, and yes, it exceeded all expectations.

I must admit that at first I was a little confused, especially because the author brings us some Chinese expressions and I didn't know this legend that well.

But after the first 3 chapters I was just asking for more and more! Sher Lee knew perfectly well how to make me fall in love with Xian and Zhen, and how to break my heart for the same reason.

Xian does everything to try to save his mother, at the same time that he falls madly in love with Zhen and discovers that he will have to sacrifice one love in exchange for another.

Honestly, I lost count of how many times tears came to my eyes while reading this book. Maybe it was a very sentimental day, but the truth is that when we reached the middle of the story, it was suffering after suffering.

The author leaves us in pieces with the ending to add a patch of hope with the epilogue.

But you know, as much as I suffered with this book, now when writing about it the only thing I think about doing is re-reading it.

The best advice I give is... read this book!

A retelling of the classic chinese myth of the White Snake with queer romance?? I need it immediately. The story follows Prince Xian who has been trying to find a cure for his mother's sickness, a pearl from a white snake.... but when another snake snatches it from him when he was a boy he has been desperate to find another. Now years later he has traveled to an oracle to help him find and capture a white snake. Then there is Zhen, a white snake... or rather the white snake who consumed the spirit pearl that Xian had and now has the ability to turn into a human. Zhen has always wanted to be a human and when he encounters Xian they become immediately drawn together... but with Xian hunting down Zhen, and Zhen hiding who and what he really is... when the secrets come out will they still want to be with one another? I love the classic story of the White Snake and couldn't pass up the chance to read a queer retelling of it. I adore Sher Lee's previous book and couldn't wait to read this one. It's definitely a unique take on the classic story and the relationship definitely had a lot of ups and downs from both characters. It just didn't really hit the mark for me but I do think if you like queer fantasy mythology inspired books, I would say give this one a go.

Release Date: October 15,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Xian is the prince who meets a snake spirit named Zhen, who he later decides he wants to be his concubine. Xian is after a spirit pearl that has magical abilities that can help heal his mother’s sickness. Zhen tries to keep his true identity a secret from Xian once he finds out that he’s the exact snake spirit the prince is looking for. i enjoyed this more than i thought i would but the romance between these two boys was so sweet and i loved how Xian never made Zhen feel pressured to do anything he didn’t want to. i also like the side characters and the plot kept my attention with no problems. the magic was interesting and the ending is sort of bittersweet but it was just so endearing to see the lengths they’d go to in order to be together.

*I received a digital ARC from the author and Quill Tree Books (imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5 stars

Legend of the White Snake is a YA fantasy romance and a queer retelling of a Chinese folktale of the same name.

We follow Xian, son of the king and his consort, whose mother fell ill when she was bitten by a white snake. It was rumoured that she could be cured by the essence of a spirit pearl, or an antidote from a white snake itself. But the only time a pearl was in his grasp, Xian nearly drowned. His life was saved by a white snake, but the snake also took the pearl.

Seven years later, Xian’s mother is dying. He’s still carrying the burden of his failure, and has been hunting snakes in hopes of finding a cure. When his father’s advisor tells of news from the oracle that a white snake will be found in Changle, he makes a point to go there himself to make things right. But it needs to be in secret, so he visits Changle under the guise of a diplomatic visit.

Zhen, a snake spirit, was gifted human form the day he swallowed the spirit pearl. He is now living in Changle with his sister Qing, working in the palace stables. He does not know what happened to the boy he saved seven years ago. But he still remembers.

This story is essentially about two people whose lives and fates are entwined. But it’s not a sweeping epic, although we do get glimpses of the bigger world and the influences of spirit powers and the gods.

It’s a romance, one that is mostly able to happen because of Xian’s privilege as a prince. But the first time he meets Zhen in the stables, he pretends to be a horse keeper and flirts with him without either knowing who the other really is. It’s actually really sweet, and the only time when we get to see Xian without the heaviness of his status and purpose.

But that heaviness does catch up to him, and as he and Zhen develop feelings for each other, the reality of their situation gets revealed, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

I really appreciated how the story was woven together, and how the fantasy elements were incorporated in a way that it seemed possible. I found the writing to be clear and direct – less sweeping scenic descriptions than other fantasy novels I’ve read, but was enough to paint the picture of the scenes without distracting me.

I loved Qing and Feng as side characters, and felt that they helped to ground Zhen and Xian as still being young and figuring out what love is, and who they want to be. There is a lot in this story about choosing to be the person who does the right thing. I feel that there are likely a lot of values from Chinese culture embedded within the story that would explain each of their decisions throughout the novel, but as a reader who is less aware of these influences, I still felt like I understood where each character was coming from. I also liked that some parts of the story surprised me, and made me question who the real villain was.

I really enjoyed this story and will definitely read it again!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee is a third person dual-POV MM historical fantasy romance retelling of the Legend of the White Snake set in Imperial China. Prince Xian has been looking for years for the white snake that stole the pearl meant to save his mother. During his search, he meets Zhen, a young man working in the stables and picks him to be his courtesan for the duration of Xian’s stay. Only Zhen isn’t just a stable boy—he’s the same white snake that ate the pearl to become human.

This retelling does a couple of things different as most versions of the Legend of the White Snake don’t involve royalty or court politics and the white snake often tries to find ways to enhance her husband’s wealth. The green snake, known here as Qing, is sometimes an antagonist, particularly in later versions, but is more of a positive character in Zhen’s life in this version. A reader wouldn’t get a strict retelling and some might even say that this veers closer to reimagining territory because of what has been changed, but I felt many of the beats, while occasionally shifted, were mostly met.

I really liked the relationship between Xian and Zhen, particularly how understanding and forgiving Zhen is and how politically-minded but also kind Xian is. The pair learn from each other and grow as people through witnessing each other’s choices, especially Xian picking up mercy when it comes to punishment from Zhen. I always want romantic couples to actively choose each other and to change for and because of their partner and I definitely got that here.

One thing that I thought was really cool was the worldbuilding. It is pretty grounded in the Imperial China setting (it takes place after the Jin dynasty, but I’m not sure exactly when) and delves into different kinds of tea, snakes, and different kingdoms of what we now call East Asia. It helps make the world feel real and lived in instead of window dressing while also highlighting what Zhen and Xian would have learned due to their very different upbringings. Xian teaching Zhen about pu’er tea and even demonstrating how to prepare it was a small moment that added a lot to their relationship arc and the setting.

I would recommend this to fans of Queer Romantasy how prefer more historical or grounded settings, readers of Chinese-inspired fantasy who want something more romantic, and those looking for a Queer retelling that includes court politics

I think romantic retelling of folktales but make them gay is my new favorite genre. It worked perfectly for this Chinese folktale retelling. We’ve got a snake spirit turned human and a prince searching for a white snake which he thinks will lead to a cure for his mother’s terminal illness. Only the white snake he’s searching for is actually the guy who the prince chose as his personal assistant. Their feelings develop and it leaves me on the edge of my seat the whole way to see what will happen. Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for approving me for this ARC in exchange for my honest and genuine review.

Following the complicated love story of Xian and Zhen was an emotional roller coaster for me. I tend to enjoy retellings in historical settings, and this story did not disappoint. I loved the characters even though the dialog seemed modern, which did not fit the setting. That did not deter me from finishing this book; I'm glad I did. I typically don't gravitate toward YA stories, but this one pulled me in and did not let go.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

A charming and well-paced story! I liked seeing how Zhen and Xian grew in their relationship. I can't comment on the faithfulness of the retelling as I'm not familiar with the original story. The writing style was pretty straightforward, but I think it worked since this is a folktale.