I found the premise of the book intriguing, but found fault in the pacing and lack of plot progression. There were also times while I was reading where I was jolted out of the world the author had created by errors (ex: sentences repeated), but I assume all these will be ironed out before publication. Overall, it was a fun world to dive into.

I have complicated feelings about The Nightblood Prince — as a fantasy, I adored every bit of it. Mulan, vampires, Helen of Troy, it felt like a blend for me specifically. I loved how Fei's actions were guided by - and operated within the limits of - her moral compass. I also love the core theme of defying fate—it's always one of my favorites. However, as a romantasy this book falls flat for me as I didn't really care about either love interest, and was far more interested in all other elements of the plot. I'm a big romantasy reader, so I'm surprised about my thoughts on this book, but I don't think either love interest stood out to me, unfortunately. 3.5 stars and I'll definitely be continuing the series!

This is basically Mulan with vampires and what I think was supposed to be a love triangle. Unfortunately, I lost all interest when both princes turn out to be controlling and disrespectful.

Imagine Mulan x The Trojan War, but add vampires and a love triangle. I haven’t decided yet who I believe is Agamemnon and who is Hector (or perhaps Paris would be a better comparison), but wars are essentially waged over Fei (Helen) though all she herself wants is freedom.

I will not delve too much into the details because this is an ARC review, but I will say, that one thing that stood out to me is Fei. So many romantasy/fantasy books misconstrue a “strong” female character with a “mean” female character. Fei, from the start, is all about taking matters into her own hands, defying fate, and refusing to be chained, but she does so without sacrificing her compassion, her empathy, and her moral compass.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and intend to purchase a copy upon release and also continue the series to see what happens next and how the characters develop. Thank you to all involved in allowing me the opportunity to review this ARC.

I feel like the pacing in this book is off. We spend too much time in certain times and places and not enough in others. And let's be honest, the I'll Make a Man Out of You, she's undercover as a soldier either needed to be more or not be there. BUT, this is fun. Vampires and epic Asian fantasy, lots of fun.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing to to read this as an ARC. As a Chinese drama kind of girl, I enjoyed this storyline. I very much liked the MFC, as she is depicted as smart and determined. Though kind of tragic with her being captive and very much isolated from her family. With prophecy at hand, who will she end up with? I'm not 100% sure, both seem like they could make her happy to some capacity - but they have similar flaws like control, vainness and selfish. They aren't 100% honest with her either. Apart of me hopes she will choose herself. Overall, it was face paced once you got through about 50% of the book. Ultimately the book felt like a build up for wanting to know more about the 3 characters. I'm glad this is an ongoing sequel!

Really liked this story. I thought the 3 main characters were well written. At first I was routing for Fei and Siwang than it became Fei and Yexue. But really i was routing for all the characters to grow and find their happiness.
This story definitely has a bit of a Mulan vibe to it. Mostly when Fei joins the army as a man in place of her father.
I'm excited to see where the second book will take us.

I first started reading Chang with her debut and I’ve been so excited to continue to follow her work, it is just so much fun and I do have a good time

✨I'd like to start with a heartfelt thank you to the author, Molly X. Chang, Random House Children's, and NetGalley for the privilege of being able to read a digital copy of The Nightblood Prince. I will share my review to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads upon release. ✨

From the moment I saw the stunning cover art and sprayed edges, I was captivated and wanted to know more about the book. The illustrations of the characters—each radiating mystery and allure—hints at the complex relationships and magical tension within. The ethereal color palette and intricate design perfectly set the stage for the lush and powerful story inside. And yet, nothing could have prepared me for how thoroughly I’d fall under its spell!

As a lover of romantic fantasy with rich worldbuilding and high-stakes political intrigue, The Nightblood Prince delivered everything I craved—and more. The story follows Fei, a young woman raised as a political pawn, groomed to marry Crown Prince Siwang and fulfill a prophecy. But when she crosses paths with Yexue, the darkly enchanting prince of a rival kingdom, Fei’s carefully scripted destiny unravels.

Fei's decision has consequences further than just her love life - and she must face a choice between her family duty and a predetermined destiny, or a life with more independence but forever burdened with loss. The growth Fei shows throughout was one of the best parts of this novel - we as readers get to watch her transform from a more naive pawn to a woman challenging the power of empires. The love triangle between the main characters kept me intrigued and turning pages, but in the end I was surprised at how well the whole story came together.

There were moments throughout that I felt could've been edited out, as they were repetitive thoughts and not really new material that needed to be added, but minor quibbles in an otherwise addictive, emotionally charged story. Overall, I really, really enjoyed The Nightblood Prince, and I can't wait to read more from Molly X. Chang. If you liked her previous work, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, or if you like Sue Lynn Tan, RF Kuang, or Kylie Lee Baker, you'll probably love this one, and I would totally recommend! Young Adult/Adult reading level/content (ages 16 and older).

Main themes & tropes:
🖤 morally gray love interests
🌠 main character growth
👑 systemic oppression/patriarchal society
🔮 prophecy
⚔️ political tension
🩸vampire magic!
💘enemies to lovers
🔥 single bed/forced proximity
🖋️ set up for sequel!

✨4.2/5 stars!✨

The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang is a fate entwined, ethereal fantasy romance novel with impressive world building, impactful patriarchy, and elaborate Chinese culture.

Fei, our fmc, is a strong willed woman in a world ran by men. She’s prophesied for greatness, but wishes to write her destiny. In the beginning, she’s very naïve to their world of politics and traditional expectations, but as the story grows, so does Fei. She becomes someone willing to do whatever it takes to protect the innocent lives trapped in a senseless war. She’s a very commendable and admirable character.

The Crown Prince, Fei’s betrothed, and our first mmc, Siwang, is someone who loves Fei wholeheartedly. However, it seems he puts duty first always. To be honest, I don’t like him, mostly because he was so cowardly it gives me the ick. But, I am biased, as I have a favorite.

Yuexe, who is a prince from a neighboring land, is so incredibly fascinating to me that I couldn’t help but be drawn to him from the get go. He’s secretive, and when I uncovered some of his secrets, I was practically frothing at the mouth for this man. Literally everything about him is what I look for in a mmc, so I’m definitely in his corner when it comes to Fei’s affections.

Overall, this book teases you just enough to make you desperate for more at the end. I love that Fei was able to help both sides, one way or another, and I really look forward to what happens following the events in The Nightblood Prince. I hope to see more of Yuexe, and I honestly hope that his and Fei’s fates are entwined in the way I am desperate to see. Sksks

Special thanks to Molly X. Chang & team and NetGalley for the review copy!

I flew through this story. I still don't know who the Fei will fall in love with, and I couldn't be happier about it! Fei is the true Hero in this story.

I will say the red bracelet moment has swayed me a bit! Can two irredeemable men be swoony??? Absolutely

Fei is the type of FMC that I love to read about. Courageous but also doubts herself. It makes her more relatable in my opinion.

I've already pre-ordered because that cover is GORGEOUS 😍

This was a super interesting premise that for me ended up with a clunkier execution than I would have liked. Overall it was a nice story for a young adult reader. It was pitched as a love triangle, but it never really delivered on that promise. The writing itself was very heavy handed at times, telling us we like this person now and then we don't. At first I was surprised and disappointed that the Mulan story wasn't mentioned as part of this plot, but then when it became a small part of the middle of the story and almost not important to the plot it gave the explanation for leaving it out of the plot summary. My greatest disappointment was that we had the single bed/room available in an inn trope and then did nothing with it. I wanted to like this more than I ended up, but I still think it would be a fun read for younger readers.

thanks netgalley for the eARC <3 !!!!
i havent read this author's other popular work, but i really enjoyed this one (not to mention the stunning cover). the politics and tension were great; it's a promising book to add to your TBR if youre interested in a chinese fantasy with VAMPIRES and a strong heroine.

This was a great fantasy book! The world building was wonderful and very well thought out. The story was very interesting and fast paced.

This book was so FUN. I am obsessed with how hard Fei works to humble Siwang and Yexue. Fei feels trapped by a prophesy given to her on her birth, seeing it as a curse to forever be tied to a man and have wars waged in her name. Her frustrations with the lack of power and freedom given to women and desire to make a name for herself are woven throughout the story and her stubbornness shines through as she constantly makes decisions to avoid that, regardless of negative outcomes. I greatly enjoyed both Siwang and Yexue and the differences in their mannerisms towards Fei as they both try to get into her good graces.

I felt some parts were a bit rushed and would’ve enjoyed taking a step back to dig in a bit more, though the version of the story I received through Netgalley is a very early draft, so maybe these issues have been fixed in the final version. All in all, I was highly entertained and I love to see men down horrendously for a main character who refuses to fully give in to either one of them. I am excited to see how the story further develops in the next book and hope for more of an exploration into the magic of the story and to learn what it truly means that to be foretold as the empress of all empresses.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

I am praying that in the second book our lead female ends up with neither man and kills one or both of them.

The female was a smart, sad, and determined lady. Labeled the princess of a prophecy in which her uniting with a prince will bring peace and prosperity to a kingdom. She has been kept for 17 years behind the walls of the emperor's palace so that she would eventually marry his son. There is another captive, the prince of a warring kingdom who is rumored to have dark magic / vampiristic qualities.

Her childhood friend / intended seems to be smart, good with combat, and wants peace.
The captive prince wants peace too, cherishes freedom, and wants the female to be herself.

Both men on paper if we focus on the bare bones qualities sound like good matches, but actually they're both controlling people. Both of them have selfish / vain tendencies. Both of them withhold information from her.

Our female lead is trying to figure out the prophecy and her place, and if she has powers, but both princes seem to keep her at arms length and or fail to tell her anything or care to tell her anything. Also, the captive prince shows up at the beginning and then vanishes until 70% into the book. The use of his vampire / demonic powers is at a minimum too, though it gives him a strong advantage.

Sure, it reminded me of Chinese dramas of the xianxia kind... but those had tighter narratives. Since this will have a sequel I expect a lot of info dropping in book two. All in all, slightly better than her previous book but not by much.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC! I was so excited for Chang's sophomore novel after reading TGUWG and The Nightblood Prince did not disappoint! The worldbuilding was incredibly well-done and the plot was well-paced and engaging. Overall I enjoyed this read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC for The Nightblood Prince!

The book follows Fei, a woman who is betrothed to crown Prince Shiwang due to a prophecy on the day of her birth that declares she will be the "empress among empresses". Fei's character and personality definitely borrows from Mulan. Fei feels confined by her fate and her betrothal to Shiwang and desires to hunt a legendary tiger to win a wish from the emperor. Her wish, of course, is the break the betrothal and live a life outside of a gilded cage. On the eve of her hunt, she saves the captive demon prince, Yuxue. Fei gets her wish and the betrothal is dissolved. However, her family is also exiled with her. That is where part two of the novel starts to pick up.

Fei is a delightfully, selfishly flawed female protagonist. She makes selfish choices without considering the consequences for her family...or really anyone else. I know that is something some readers may find frustrating. However, I find it delightfully refreshing that Fei focuses on her wants and needs. After her father is conscripted into the army, predictably, Fei pulls a Mulan and runs away to enlist under the name Li Fei. Through-out the plot, we are introduced to the horrors of war that is plaguing both sides.

The romance is fine. Shiwang and Yuxue both definitely have their flaws and issues. I love how Fei is aware of the flaws and doesn't let herself forgive and forget too easily. Honestly, both men are fine. But they have killed A LOT of people. I think I preferred Yuxue even though there was only every tension between him and Fei. Frankly, I hope this is a series where Fei is allowed to choose herself. (Again, allowing herself to be selfish.)

Overall, the plot is fairly slow in the first half and fast paced in the second half. I loved the visual interplay between the Chinese language and English. The introduction of vampires was interesting, but was not really expanded upon. I'm glad there is going to be a sequel because there are so many plot points that I want to see a full resolution. Especially the prophecy. Overall, this is an incredibly entertaining read! Thank you again to Netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5 stars

This book is sort of like a Mulan-retelling, but with more fantastical elements to it. I didn't quite love this one as much as I did with her "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods", but this was still enjoyable! We follow Fei, who is destined from birth to marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the world. She is promised to be married to one prince, but seems to have growing feelings for another prince (who are enemies). Thus, this book is a love-triangle and perhaps an enemies-to-lovers plot??

I will say, the beginning of the story was a bit repetitive with Fei explaining to three different people why she wanted her independence and freedom. But then afterwards, it got interesting. This book is strong in character development and relationships, but not so much with world building. I had a lot of questions about the Nightblood Prince and his people, but that will likely be explored in the next book. I will also say, this book reads like Young Adult, so if you're looking for some high fantasy novel, you may be a little bored with this book. There are certainly war scenes, but it's not super graphic or violent.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and may pick up the next one!

Thank you so much Random House Childrens and Netgalley!!

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but please judge this book by its cover. Because the outside and inside are both glorious to behold!

I was kicking my feet so much during reading this! This is definitely a romance first and foremost, but the vampires and magical elements fit in so perfectly. Molly is a wonder because the things coming out of these men’s mouth had me swooning!

I absolutely loved the FMC! Fei was smart, kind and driven. Above all she wanted to be in control of her destiny and know that the one she loved, loved her for who she was and not what she could do for them.

This book definitely lives up to comparison of being Helen of Troy meets mulan. Fei is strong and brave to the point of reckless in her attempts to stand up for herself. And the men who love her are filled with such yearning. I need more of Fei’s story and I want to know where they all go from here!