Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan"

This was a really enjoyable Retelling of Mulan full of interesting characters that I enjoyed getting to know. It was nice getting to see Mulan as she grew into the person she was when she decided to take her fathers place. It had been awhile since I last read any of Cameron Dokey's fairy tale retellings and I really enjoyed this book and hope to get to some of her other retellings still on my TBR list sooner than later.

Wild Orchid is part of the YA Romance line of books 'Once Upon a Time' from Simon & Schuster. I've been with this series since the very beginning (The Storyteller's Daughter, Cameron Dokey 2002) and so far only two books have let me down in any great way. Wild Orchid holds a special place for me because in 1998 I fell in love the Disney Animation 'Mulan', and while realizing even then that Disney liked to romanticize their movies a great deal, the story itself fascinated me. To be certain I read the english translation of the originator (Ballad of Mulan) and laughed myself silly over the changes.

I went into the book with similar expectations as that of the Disney counterpart. Its short, just over 199 pages and the first half is almost show more exclusively about Mulan's childhood and how she was different from other girls her own age. I got worried when the next quarter of the book dealt with her father returning home and yet there was still no mention of Mulan running off to war. Her actual time in the army was short, couldn't have been over a month (in the ballad she was in the army for 12 years!) and almost immediately she singles herself out for notice. This portion of the book--that of her army exploits and meeting Prince Jian--seemed very rushed and hurried.

We meet Jian's two older brothers--Ying the oldest and Guang the second oldest--but very little time is given to either one. We are told that Ying is a subtle thinker and less warrior then scholar. We are told and briefly shown that Guang is a manipulative person, very deep in court intrigues and secrets. I would have liked to see the two more, especially Ying since I didn't understand why his brothers respected him enough to halt their bickering.

Then also the romance between Jian and Mulan is quick and almost literally love at first sight for Mulan (then in the guise of Hua Gong-shi). Later when Jian admits he feels as if their hearts beat as one, still believing Mulan is a male foot soldier under his command, I couldn't help but wonder that he didn't seem at all worried by this. Is it so normal then for a commander and foot soldier be so attuned with each other? Over an archery match no less?

Still I enjoyed this novel. It wasn't exactly what I wanted as a retelling of of the Ballad, but it at least built up her background much better then I could have hoped for. Incidentally reports vary about Hua Mulan--her origins, when she fought etc. Some report that she was trained in warfare early on in life, as was normal for daughters of ranking military officiers. The book however makes it clear that its considered unladylike. Also some reports say that Mulan told her father outright her plans. So I wonder at what pieces Dokey took from which sources to make up the fabric of the story. show less

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Mulan's mother died during labor. Her father, a great General in the army, was heartbroken. He's never been home since he heard the news. Thus, Mulan lost both her parents on the same day.

Mulan is not your typical girl. Instead, she climbs trees and despises needlework. She meets the boy next door and the two of them form a friendship. He teaches her archery, how to ride a horse, how to use a sword, and, finally, how to read and write.

When her father comes home, everything changes. First, she must learn how to trust and obey him. Second, she must learn how to love him and her new stepmother. Just when she's finally found herself a new family, the Huns appear on the horizon of China. The show more men are called back to war.

Mulan, unwilling to let her father go with a bad leg and a new family, disguises herself and takes his place instead. Her first day there, she catches the ears of one of the king's sons. He engages her in an archery contest. From then on, Mulan is famous throughout the camp.

With the Huns quickly approaching, all three princes have different ideas on how to defend China. Mulan mistakenly speaks out during a strategizing session. Prince Jian immediately seizes her idea. But will it be enough to save China?

This new ONCE UPON A TIME addition weaves together the wonders of ancient China, a budding romance, a feisty girl, and the true meaning of both friendship and family in a fantastic fairy tale edition. show less

Mulan's mother died in childbirth, leaving her father heart-broken. He can't bring himself to come home from the battlefield and visit the child who cost his beloved wife her life. When he finally does return home after the emperor dismisses him, he finds Mulan a young teen who very much has a mind of her own. She is a brilliant, talented girl. Her best friend Li Po teaches her to read and write and shoot a bow and arrow. Her caretaker teaches her embroidery. Of course there are bumps along the way as Mulan and her father get to know each other for the first time. But when the Emperor summons his men to fight the Huns, Mulan knows that she can't let her injured father go fight as a regular soldier. Those archery lessons just might come show more in handy after all.

This was a decent book, but I have a couple of complaints. I was excited to read a non-Western fairy tale re-telling. And while I did enjoy the story, and I really liked Mulan herself, this book stayed a little too faithful to what I know of the legend from the Disney movie. I enjoy re-tellings that add an unusual twist to the story, or develop characters more fully. I don't really feel like I got that here. Mulan was pretty well-developed, but I can't say the same for any of the other characters. There are two separate love stories, and I have to say that I was surprised by both. Sure, I knew they were going to happen, but it was just sort of like they met and they were in love. There was no buildup to it. Also, the ending felt a bit rushed. I don't know what could have been done to change that, but I read the big crashing climax and was left thinking, "That's it? All this build up for that?"

Those complaints aside, I did like Mulan a lot. I wouldn't call myself a tomboy, but neither can I imagine mindlessly embroidering my life away. I wouldn't have the guts to do what Mulan did though, and I admire her for doing it. It's always fun to read about characters who do what you can only dream of.

I'm being harder on this than I really intended to be. It wasn't bad, I just think that it could have been better. As it is, I'll probably quickly forget that I ever read it. If you don't mind such a straight-forward telling of the story, you will probably enjoy this one. show less

I read this a while ago, but I do remember what my problem with it was. What kept it at three stars instead of four for me. It was the ending. Two thirds, there about, was build up and creating the characters and I liked it. Then suddenly, bim bam boom, she's off to do her thing, there's a fight, it's over, book done. It felt like a lot of build up for not as much return as you'd want, and that left me rather disappointed on the whole.

Mulan is not like most other girls in ancient China. She has grown up without a mother, and rather than spend her days doing ladylike tasks and dreaming of marriage, she has learned to fight using a sword and bow. Her father is somewhat distant and doesn't like to speak of his late wife, and Mulan often wonders if she is a disappointment to him.

When the Emperor forms an army to fight the Huns, every household must send one male to fight. Mulan's aging father has recently remarried, and Mulan remembers well that her own mother died giving birth while her father was away at war. Fearing for her father's safety and not wanting her stepmother to go through what her mother did, Mulan decides to disguise herself as a boy and go in her show more father's place. She becomes close to Prince Jian, the commander of her unit, but telling him that she is really a girl, and her feelings are deeper than friendship, could lead to disaster.

This was an overall enjoyable book from the Once Upon a Time series. I liked that it had a very unusual setting compared to other books in the series, and the story isn't one that has been retold many times. Although this book wasn't among my top favorites, it was a solid, enjoyable read that should appeal to readers who enjoyed other books in this series. show less

I truly, deeply love Cameron's retelling of almost all tales, and this one was another beautiful rendition. I can totally see how this came about. The flowers and the beauty. I've always loved this tale. And this just made it even more so. The mother and the step-mother and her father and best friend. I spent so much of this book smiling while I read it.