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K. X. Song
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The Night Ends With Fire: the #1 Sunday Times bestseller Hardcover – 2 July 2024

by K. X. Song (Author)
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**Hidden cover available for limited time only!**

RAISED TO OBEY. DESTINED TO REBEL.

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin's father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry instead - but when she discovers that her husband-to-be is violent and ill-tempered, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father's place.

In the army, Meilin's hard work brings her recognition, friendship - and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner.

But as her kingdom barrels towards destruction, Meilin must decide who to trust: Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; a sea dragon spirit with the power to grant her impossible magic; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew - about her kingdom, her loyalty and her own heart.

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  1. Book 1 of 1
    The Night Ends with Fire
  2. Print length
    432 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Hodderscape
  5. Publication date
    2 July 2024
  6. Dimensions
    15.8 x 4.2 x 23.6 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    1399725254
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1399725255
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

mulan, the night ends with fire, k.x. song, six crimson cranes, elizabeth lim, spin the dawn
the poppy war, r.f. kuang, romance of the three kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong, asian fiction
THEA GUANZON, the hurricane wars, AMÉLIE WEN ZHAO, blood heir, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night

fantasy, dragons, romantasy, asian retelling, eliza chan, shelley parker-chan, the dragon republic

the burning god, daughter of the moon goddess, sue lynn tan

samantha shannon, the priory of the orange tree,

Product description

Review

PRAISE FOR THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE

The Night Ends With Fire is a truly enthralling epic fantasy. I was blown away by how good it was! With an immersive and compelling story led by a seriously fabulous heroine and sparkling with both magic and romance, it's the perfect wuxia drama, and I loved it. Make sure you have plenty of time free when you start reading, because it quickly becomes addictive! ― India Holton, bestselling author of The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love

Sweepingly epic and tenderly romantic, The Night Ends With Fire is a fiercely feminist adventure about a young woman fighting to shape her destiny in a world of lore, magic, and war. One not to miss for fans of Mulan ― Amélie Wen Zhao, NYT bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night

As defiant and courageous as its protagonist, The Night Ends With Fire ushers in a stunning new fantasy world. I couldn't put it down - and I know I'll be thinking about it for some time to come ― Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling series

An awesome, engaging fantasy that takes a hard look at the cost of being true to yourself. Adventure, romance and dragons abound in this fantastic tale ― Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series

Legendary in scope with unforgettable characters, The Night Ends With Fire is an incredible journey that'll set your imagination ablaze. Drawing on classics like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Mulan, the machinations are complex, the vying factions fascinating, and Meilin's struggle for identity utterly gripping as she clashes with those who want to exploit her lixia for their own purposes. K.X. Song is going to set the literary scene on fire with her awesome new novel ― Peter Tieryas, author of the Mecha Samurai Empire series and Narrative Director at Nicalis

The Night Ends with Fire is what blessedly happens when the themes of Hua Mulan's legend are combined with wuxia principles and a powerful new voice in adult fantasy. K.X. Song's soaring, emotive prose takes the reader on an unforgettable adventure in a painstakingly realized world, laced with fascinating characters that effortlessly play off of one another and twists that leave us reeling. I devoured every page of this truly epic tale ― Thea Guanzon, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

The Night Ends with Fire is a cinematic tale of epic proportions, with jaw-dropping twists and a take-no-prisoners heroine yearning for freedom, recognition, and glory. An explosive start to a captivating new series ― Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

A sweepingly epic, emotive and romantic tale with threads of folklore and a deeply courageous heroine who desires more from the life she was born into ― Culturefly

Book Description

A young girl disguises herself as a boy to enlist in her father's place, and is thrown into war and love as she learns to wield tantalizing outlawed magic in this retelling of Mulan.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodderscape (2 July 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1399725254
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1399725255
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.8 x 4.2 x 23.6 cm
  • Customer reviews:

About the author

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K. X. Song

K. X. Song

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K. X. Song is a diaspora writer with roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai. An Echo in the City is her debut novel. Visit her online at kxsong.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
69 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Abbie Toria
4.0 out of 5 stars A fiercely feminist story and solid epic fantasy.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2024
"Never trust a dragon." A novel inspired by Mulan and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms? With a dragon spirit? Yes, please!

A fiercely feminist story and solid epic fantasy. At first, I missed the traditional part of Mulan's character; her noble motivations, care for her father, and sense of duty. However, I came to realise the strength of Meilin's story arc; she's disguising herself as a man because she wants more for herself; to be free, and she's ambitious. Meilin is often referred to as "greedy", which seems so unfair; she just wants what is simply a given for any man! I liked seeing how her inner dialogue began to change about this. The author's notes about these character changes were excellent.

I really liked the storyline of the spirits, it really gave the novel another dimension. I felt so distrustful of Qinglong, who seemed such a devious dragon, whispering in Meilin's ear.

The romance triangle is a really interesting one - friends-to-lovers Prince Sky is fuelled by honour and duty, and seems perfect for Meilin...at first. But then there's enemies-to-lovers Prince Liu - he may be the enemy, but sparks fly, and he understands and supports Meilin's ambition.

The Night Ends With Fire kept me guessing to the very end if it was going to be a standalone or the first in a series. I'm pleased to say that it's to be continued...
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Sophie B
5.0 out of 5 stars Cannot wait for the sequel!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2024
"The Ballad of Mulan" and the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" meet the likes of "The Poppy War" and "Six Crimson Cranes" in this first part of K.X. Song's upcoming duology: “The Night Ends with Fire” is a tale of magic, adventure, war, love, corruption, betrayal, oppression, freedom, feminism, wuxia (martial arts) - and do not forget dragons! This book really ought to spread like wildfire when it comes out because let me tell you: it is deserving of *every* praise it receives!

What an incredible story to read! I could not put it down. Like Meilin’s greed being the driving force behind Qinglong’s powers, my own greed to read and know more propelled me quickly through this book. The pacing was ideal with plenty of description. A few times I laughed, a few times I gasped. The world-building was excellent: K.X. Song has a way of transporting you into this world and exploring aspects of both the spirit realm and reality, as well as providing historical information about the history of the Three Kingdoms.

Split into three parts, there were plenty of twists and turns: some I did not see coming, and others, probably a lot of them, were predictable but enjoyable to see.

I love Meilin, a very well-fleshed-out character, indeed. I can see why some people would find her dull or naïve but I feel that is entirely the point. Meilin is portrayed most realistically, struggling as a woman in a patriarchal society who desires more than to be subservient but also struggles to conceal her magic. Liu Sky is the greenest of green flags! Cao Ming Lei I knew would become my absolute favourite the moment Meilin met him. Out of everyone, I found him the most fascinating. So handsome and charming yet enigmatic and indifferent toward people. He works for everyone yet works for nobody but himself. Sometimes a monster, sometimes misunderstood. Oh yes, I really like the complexity of Lei!
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Martina
4.0 out of 5 stars Power-driven Mulan retelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 July 2024
I had very high expectations of this book and I enjoyed it, but didn't love it quite as much as I had hoped.

The Night Ends With Fire is an interesting retelling of Mulan, where the protagonist Meilin is driven by her desire for freedom, as well as her greed for power and recognition. While I sympathised with her story and her starting motivations, I didn't so much with her growing greed throughout the book. I can understand her wanting to prove that a woman could be powerful and "the best", though. So I was a bit divided on the protagonist 😅 Her relationship with the sea dragon was an interesting one - I liked reading about its complicated development and the intricacies of accepting his power.

Meilin gets quite close to two rival princes - one commanding the battalion she is a part of, and an enemy prince who holds her prisoner but appears to really value her intellect and military skills. The two princes are both quite intriguing characters, at odds with their respective fathers and/or their beliefs. I particularly liked the enemy prince and hope to read more about him in the sequel!

The book was beautifully written and the pacing was quite fast, especially once the dragon "awakened". I got confused a few times by explanations of situations or by who was speaking/acting at some points. However, the book kept me guessing about characters' motives and who would turn out to be trustworthy, so I really liked that!

I'd recommend this to lovers of fantasy and retellings.
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NW
4.0 out of 5 stars A darker and more layered interpretation of Mulan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2024
Mulan fans get yourselves ready for the re-imagining we’ve all been waiting for! It was so magical to be able to relive my favourite movie through this creative retelling from K. X. Song, which takes us on a much darker, and more complex journey than the Disney-fied version of the story. Meilin is skilled in the art of Kung Fu, excels at strategy, and incredibly ambitious. She defies the constraints placed on women, unwilling to be quiet, to be owned, or to accept the fate decided for her. It’s inspirational to watch her journey, her battles with the dragon spirit, and her growth as a character. Her path isn’t a smooth one, and Meilin faces a lot of hurt and injustice, but she’s resilient and powerful, determined to achieve her goals and save her people. As a total romantic, I do think Meilin deserved more from this side of her story, and more from those who have feelings for her. Is the romance realistic? I think it probably is, but my heart wants what it wants! I’d move mountains for this trailblazer and so should her paramour. All in all this is a fantastic book, carefully crafted to offer a complex story that’s well worth a read!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.
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Top reviews from other countries

Jess
3.0 out of 5 stars It was okay ...
Reviewed in Germany on 26 July 2024
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I was super excited to read this. A Mulan retelling? Strong woman? Fighting for her freedom and what is right? Count me in.

But damn this was ... just okay. First of all can we stop with the names like Sky, Sparrow and Winter? It's set in China and while others DO have Chinese Names, these English ones are tripping me out. Second of all there is just too much boredom (?) in the book. Pages upon pages where nothing really happens (Meilin is sleeping in a tent. Meilin is injured and thus sleeping. Meilin is waiting for something to happen). Personally I found the whole story confusing as well. The longer it went on, the more people appeared. Some made no sense whatsoever.

I will probably not continue with the series. It just didn't catch me like that.
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gina thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars Next fantasy favorite
Reviewed in the United States on 7 July 2024
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If you like Mulan and also like fantasy this book does a great job mixing the two together. Please note that this is not a retelling of Mulan but you can tell the author took a lot of inspiration from that story. I enjoyed the characters, the magic, the conflicts the main characters had to go through and the action in the book. The authors writing was very smooth and the book was fast paced. I'm looking forward to her next book.
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Ash
5.0 out of 5 stars my first 5 star of 2024 (july)
Reviewed in the United States on 7 July 2024
Verified Purchase
I picked this up at barnes and quickly realized it as a mulan retelling due to the book blurb. I was immediately intrigued and upon starting the book the following morning, i consumed it before the day was done, only just now.

I never write book reviews because no book before has made me feel the way in which this one does.

The cruelty is real and borders on digestable without writing crimes against women as some kind of plot point, because it should never be a plot point. This book makes you feel as disgusted with the antagonists while all the while comparing them against eachother and deciding which could actually be a protagonist.

But now it is night, and it has ignited a fire inside my soul for the next book.

Thanks for reading.
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