Silver Phoenix

This novel has good things and not so good things. Quite a strong first novel but with the flaws that comes with it.

One of the really, really good thing: the world building is wonderful. I loved Xia, I loved the Immortals lands, the landscapes. I especially loved that both Ai Ling and Chen Yong knew these mythological, magical and sometimes evils beings, places from books. I even thought for a while that they came to life from Ai Ling's mind. Which would have been a nice twist.

Most of the characters are trying to find there footing but are likable even the really evil ones.

One of the really no so good things is the way the danger for Ai Ling comes almost exclusively from men and is all but some form of sexual assault. I know the period show more the author set up the novel implies that women were propriety but it became even more a thing I have problems with when the origin of all the assault was found.

A mix bag for me. Loved some parts a lot and I mean a lot. Others I just loathed. For a YA book, targeted for young women I do have problems with it has an adult. A teenager might not have those problems.

YMMV show less

Loved this. It's very clearly a first novel, and uses the "and then, and then and then" structure a little heavily, but that's okay. It's a lovely story, vivid and engaging; I loved Ai Ling, I loved that she did not have a happily-ever-after with Chen Yong at the end, I loved the attention paid to food throughout.

Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com

From the beginning, Ai Ling has lived life differently from most young women in Xia. Born of parents who married for love, she is a cherished only child in a society that prizes sons, educated by her scholarly father and, as she comes of age, the ability to sense the thoughts of those around her.

When her father is called to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams expecting to be away no longer than two months, he leave his daughter with two things: a green jade pendant carved with the character "spirit" and the reminder that she is special beyond the belief held by a doting father.

A woman traveling alone is a dangerous undertaking, but more than three months pass and an opportunistic merchant tries to force her show more into an unwanted marriage, and Ai Ling knows that she must journey to the Palace herself and bring her father home. Attack by an unknown, dark force brings rescue and a traveling companion in the form of nineteen-year-old Chen Yong, a young man also searching for his father.

It is only after another attack, the counsel of Master Tan, and a glimpse at The Book of The Dead, that Ai Ling truly begins to grasp the enormity of her power and the menace she faces. Joined by Chen Wong's brother, the outrageously flirtatious Li Rong, the three teenagers embark on a pilgrimage that will lead to the gods themselves...and eventually to a confrontation with an evil sorcerer Ai Ling has (unknowingly) faced before.

Where do I start with all the things I love about Cindy Pon's debut fantasy SILVER PHOENIX? Finally, a novel based on Chinese legends and myth rather than the same, tired rehash of Celtic and other western European folklore. I relished Ms. Pon's vividly rendered portraits of both Ai Ling's normal and paranormal "worlds," from the quiet tranquility of her family's home, to the lush splendor of the Golden Palace, or the frightening grotesqueness of The Chief and The Anatomist.

Ms. Pon exhibits a deft ability in characterization, giving us multidimensional humans, appropriately removed deities, and viciously single-minded evil entities. Even Zhong Ye boasts enough shading and nuance to become more than the stereotypical archvillain. Ai Ling is a compelling protagonist and, though some might say it's unusual for a young woman in her position to so easily overstep society's boundaries (even to save a beloved parent), Ms. Pon has already established that Ai Ling is unaccustomed to those restraints. My only complaint in this area is that while Chong Ye is clearly the odds-on favorite for Ai Ling's romantic interest, he falls flat in the presence of Li Rong's flare and charm.

And while the continued reference to characters packing and unloading their knapsacks (did knapsacks even exist in ancient China?) kept jarring me out of the story, I loved everything about SILVER PHOENIX.

This is one of those rare books that has made my "keeper" shelf. show less

Synopsis:
Ai Ling is a young girl who is raised differently from most girls. Her father had been a respected member of the Emperor's court and given his daughter the best education possible. Not only can Ai Ling read and write with a beautiful hand, she is familiar with the most sacred texts. Despite her education and skills, Ai Ling is still subject to society's rules and finds herself betrothed to a well positioned young man whom she has not met.

At the betrothal meeting, Ai Ling finds that she has the ability to hear people's thoughts. She hides her gift, but Ai Ling is considered an unsuitable match and is humiliated. Her bad fortune does not end there. As her parents search for a replacement match for Ai Ling, her father must show more suddenly journey to the Emperor's court. Before he leaves, he bestows on his daughter a special pendant to keep her safe. When he fails to return, Ai Ling and her mother have no one to turn to. Ai Ling is unable to solve their problems in the village and undertakes a quest to find her father and bring him home safely.

During this journey, Ai Ling befriends Chen Yong, a half Xian and half Western young man who is on a quest to learn more about his parents, and Li Rong, Chen Yong's adoptive brother. Together the friends encounters mythical beasts and dangerous enemies and must face challenges that they had not imagined and could not have prepared for.

Set in the Kingdom of Xia, the tale appears to takes place in a mythical world similar to the era of the 16 Kingdoms of China between 407 AD to 431 AD.

Review:
To be honest, I had been very excited about the book even before I had the chance to read it. A young adult fantasy novel set in Ancient China with a young, smart and brave Chinese heroine on a quest to save her father from an evil presence in the Emperor's Court!? Count me in, I thought! Growing up, I hadn't read that many books that were set in Asia or had strong women heroines. I had read The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, but the heroine there is worlds apart for Ai Ling.

While reading the book, I was very conscious that it had a young heroine whose family helped her develop her intellect and strength. Ai Ling was strong and had confidence in her abilities - this helps her through the trials ahead. I also got a kick out of how much the book reflected the flora, fauna, food and possibly myths of China so naturally in its references to images, scents and atmosphere. For instance, Ai Ling's betrothed was "a bamboo of a boy, the barely green type, with large almond eyes in a pale face." I'd be the first to admit that it's a bit silly to be happy that Ai Ling had dried mangoes and dried squid in her traveling pack and that she craved pork buns, hand pulled noodles, dumplings, and duck, but I was! I couldn't help but notice that even the scents and jewelry were Asian, from Ai Ling's mother's the gardenia oil and jade hairpin to the peonies that inspired Ai Ling to paint. Food and smells evoke memories and location in my mind and have appeared effectively in many of my favorite novels, so these descriptions resonated with me and was just another reason for me to chuckle while reading Silver Phoenix.

But putting aside my excitement to have an Asian heroine, I enjoyed the book for many other reasons. The writing was so clear and effective without being overdone. The characters were well established, seemed so natural and were so simpatico that I was on their side from the start. The kingdom of Xia was unique and well developed as a whole new world inhabited by demons and fantasy creatures that were different from the usual fantasy mold. Plus, the journey was action packed - I found myself constantly waiting for the next phase in their adventure to see how Ai Ling, Chen Yong and Li Rong would respond.

I highly recommend Silver Phoenix to anyone that likes adventure and fantasy stories. It's a book that I intend to give to my niece and friends' kids once they get older. It's a keeper! show less

Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia, by Cindy Pon

I can't really do justice to the magic of "Silver Phoenix" - it is an absolutely beautifully crafted book, with an engrossing story and heroine. I couldn't put it down once starting.

Ai Ling is a rarity - unmarried at seventeen, spoiled by her parents, educated. Most young Xian girls are betrothed at birth or soon after, and married after becoming women. But Ai Ling has not been accepted as a bride, so she continues to live at home. Thus she has a very close relationship with her parents, and when her father doesn't come home after a trip to the palace, she sneaks out on her own in an attempt to rescue him.

Pon perfectly captures the essence of a father-daughter relationship, show more reminding me of my own close relationship with my father; Ai Ling is someone I was able to identify with and I wanted to follow her on her journey. And when her story mingles with elements of the fantastic, the author makes it so seamless that it's easy to believe.

For Xia is in the grip of an evil entity, a man that has lived long past his normal lifetime by stealing the souls of others. Ai Ling's destiny is entwined with his, and with that of Chen Yong, a half Xian-half foreigner young man Ai Ling meets on her travels.

There's a little of everything in "Silver Phoenix:" great worldbuilding, an intriguing story, nice mythology and beasts, a strong but believable heroine, and just the tiniest bit of romance, all told with beautiful language and descriptions. The words felt like they flowed across the page.

It's a little hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I'm eager to read the continuation of Ai Ling's tale. "Silver Phoenix" is nicely summed up at the end, so you aren't waiting months for a conclusion, but Pon also leaves some threads for the sequel.

5/5. show less

Silver Phoenix has many pleasures. The descriptions are vivid and clear; Ai Ling is real, neither "feisty" (although one person calls her that) nor constantly heroic. She is not a trained warrior; she is, however, slowly growing in mindreading (a very mixed blessing), and carrying a knife blessed by a monk. She's no Mary Sue -- she is not strikingly lovely, she has a temper, and she sometimes abuses her mindreading powers. The world itself is a treasure for me: Ai Ling's alt!China contains Chinese demons and gods, Chinese clothing and architecture, and Chinese mythology. I really enjoyed encountering all these things for the first time, as well as envying Ai Ling's lovingly-described meals. Along the way, Ai Ling suffers genuine losses; show more in the final battle against the ultimate evil, she fights and wins alone, but not at all in the way I was expecting. Furthermore, at the end of the book, she decides to keep wandering. I wish I could have read this book when I was sixteen. show less

I absolutely loved the beginning (amazing first few chapters!!) and the end (the bad guy was simply fascinating!), but had trouble with much of the middle (somehow an exciting plot including riding a dragon was made not-so-exciting by the slow writing). I actually liked the love interest a lot more than the main character and sort of wished the book had been partially told from his point-of-view.
There are a lot of delicious food descriptions, so be warned--do not start reading if you don't have access to a good Chinese restaurant. :)