The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song ~ a Review

by MK French

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Addicted to opium, he plans to marry her off to a man just as violent and vindictive so he can use her dowry. Taking matters into her own hands, Meilin disguises herself as a boy and joins the army. Training hard, she grows close to Sky, a prince who is her training partner. Meilin also begins to have visions of a sea dragon with his own agenda and meets an enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2024; Ace; 978-0593815724
audio, ebook, print (432); fantasy

Inspired by Mulan, this tale is the story of a young woman searching for freedom and glory. War has come between the Three Kingdoms, each vying for dominance, and in Meilin's home, all talk of spirits is strictly punished. They're believed to be evil, and her mother had supposedly gone mad due to spirits when she was little. In training for the war, she not only must dodge superior officers who hate her, she has a jade seal tied to the sea dragon that wants her to use its power to gain dominion over the kingdoms. Sky sees her determination and helps her train, but is ultimately a prince of the realm and follows the duty set down by his warlord father. The enemy she meets is from a different kingdom and has stolen the jade seal for the phoenix, who gains power through the fire of vengeance.

The world here is messy and complicated, especially the farther from home that Meilin gets. At first, it was easy: she wanted to escape her father's household and the abusive man she was being forced to marry. Then it was to be seen as something other than a loser within the training division. Then it was to have power and recognition, something women traditionally don't get in her culture. The dragon is fueled by water, by the fact that she has "greed enough to fill an ocean," just as her counterpart in the spirit realm is fueled by the fire of vengeance for losing his family to war. It's not enough to fight in the army and be seen as a good warrior, she has to make sure her side wins and the other loses. She wants, which is diametrically opposed to the role she is duty-bound to play at birth. Everyone else around her also moves within the confines of duty; even Prince Sky must honor his father and brothers, lead the soldiers, and reinforce the rule over the people.

The second half of the novel begins with a covert mission to recover the lost pieces of the phoenix jade, which can only be destroyed by the person it's bonded to willingly breaking it apart. Between the General and the enemy prince, she has a better understanding of what the seals do and what the dragon might want. Everyone here has their own motives for everything, and Meilin can't tell what they are or even predict what will happen next. She repeatedly puts her trust in others, even when they clearly don't trust her in return. Instead of easy sparring, she faces real combat, deadly enemies, and a real risk to her spirit. Meilin never backs down and continues to fight even when outmatched. I hoped for more in the ending, but it also fits and gives us the feeling that this could have happened. It was an enthralling read from start to finish. 

Buy The Night Ends with Fire at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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