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catie james, January 13, 2010 (view all comments by catie james)
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.

Women traveling alone is a dangerous undertaking, but more than three months pass and an opportunistic merchant tries to force her into an unwanted marriage, Ai Ling knows 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, outrageously flirtatious Li Rong, the three teenagers embark on a pilgrimage that will lead to the gods themselves...and eventually 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 is exhibits a deft ability in characterization, giving us multidimensional humans, appropriately removed deities, and viscously single-minded evil entities. Even Zhong Ye boasts enough shading and nuance to become more than the stereotypical archvillan. 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 while Chong Ye is clearly the odd 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.

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emmejo, July 22, 2009 (view all comments by emmejo)
Ai lIng is secretly pleased not to be betrothed like most girls her age, she has too much she wants to see and learn and do. When her father goes to the imperial palace and doesn't return Ai Ling sets out to try and help him. However she starts encountering strange, terrifying beings she starts to realize that she has unusual powers and that she has a destiny that requires her to learn use them.

I really enjoyed this book. Asian fantasy is far less common then fantasy set in a world based off European type countries. The writing was beautiful and flowing and the characters interesting.

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BookwyrmChrysalis, June 19, 2009 (view all comments by BookwyrmChrysalis)
Silver Phoenix is an exquisite Asian fairytale, something I’ve been hoping for for some time. Of course, my knowledge of ancient China is pretty limited, but it felt very authentic to me, and we can chalk up any problems to the fact that this is fantasy, and not exactly China. I especially loved how Pon stayed true to restrictions and prejudices toward girls, but worked around them in a way that didn’t make me go "But.. but… one girl is not going to change the gender prejudices of a whole nation!!!!!" It was great to see a fairytale style story that is very distinctly set in a non-western country, and one that doesn’t feel like it was just transplanted there without regard for all the little nuanced differences that come between western and eastern societies.

Another element I found well done was the topic of sex. The book opens on Ai Ling pretty much getting a sex ed lesson from her mother, about her duties as a wife, and throughout the book the topic of sex and purity is artfully and realistically woven into the story. Of course that makes me hesitate to say it’s appropriate for kids under 13, without knowing the kid, but I must commend the author on her good usage of the subject. I’m tired of books that use sex as purely a "look, kids, we’ve got smut!" or where girls are constantly threatened with rape ’cause they are girls in a male dominated society. The issues of sex, rape, and purity, though, were of great importance in earlier societies, so I also dislike it when authors glaze over them or pretend "oh, let’s have a medieval society, except everybody is openly promiscuous and the guy totally won’t care if he doesn’t know if he’s the father of the kid." Those kind of social changes take a lot more background history modification. But I’m digressing, and my grand debate about women’s roles in older societies can be left for a different day.

My least favorite thing about the book? The ending. Darn those open endings that need a sequel! It’s always been a pet peeve of mine when I get towards the end of the book and start realizing "wait a sec…. the author wants me to hang around for a sequel before she wraps things up, doesn’t she???" (Un?)fortunately, this was an excellent book and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel to see how things turn out, especially with the unspoken promise of getting to see some other countries in this world. I’m not sure how to feel about the fact that the author told me on Goodreads that the book would have ended there even if there hadn’t been a sequel coming, but I probably would have felt a tad let down. I like my fiction to have what I consider happy endings. Life has enough ambiguity for me.

Read more about this book and more of my reviews at Bookwyrm Chrysalis :: yafantasy.com

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780061730214

Subtitle:

Beyond the Kingdom of Xia

Author:

Pon, Cindy

Publisher:

Greenwillow Books

Subject:

Fathers and daughters

Subject:

History

Subject:

Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic

Subject:

People & Places - Asia

Subject:

Girls & Women

Subject:

Fantasy & Magic

Subject:

Voyages and travels

Copyright:

2009

Publication Date:

May 2009

Binding:

Hardcover

Grade Level:

- Up

Language:

English

Pages:

338

Dimensions:

9.18x6.36x1.23 in. 1.12 lbs.

Age Level:

14-UP