Fury of the Phoenix

Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon 2011 (ARC) Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins

Rating: 5/5!

IQ "I would fast for you, Li Chen Yong." Ai Ling pg. 310

*No spoilers for Silver Phoenix (well 1 tiny spoiler about relationships and a big one about a death) or Fury of the Phoenix are in this review*

Oh my goodness if you've read Silver Phoenix (and if not WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GO!) then you understand the significance and awww factor that line has. And I rarely aw, especially not out loud, but that line made my heart melt a bit. But things aren't purely sweet for Ai Ling and Chen Yong. Chen Yong has decided to go search for his birth father, to do so he will need to set sail from Xia, heading for Jiang Dao. Ai Ling has a dream that Chen Yong will be in danger on the voyage so she decides to follow him by sneaking on board. Hopefully she won't be discovered until after the ship sets sail and hopefully she will be able to save Chen Yong. But it's Ai Ling who may end up needing to be saved as well....

There's less action in this book but still plenty of excitement leaping off the pages! Everything is described in meticulous detail from the food, clothes, Jiang Dao, the ship, and of course, the mythical creatures that terrorize Ai Ling and Chen Yong. While I was both delighted and disturbed by the new creatures and fantasy elements we were introduced to (the Sea Shifters, learning more about reincarnation, etc) I was even more pleased by the character development. You all remember Zhong Ye, the villain from Silver Phoenix right? He was evil, eviillllll! Well not quite. I didn't think Cindy Pon could make me care about him, but to my complete astonishment (and I'm not exaggerating) Zhong Ye's story tugged at my heartstrings. While he starts off ambitious, he wasn't always power mad and there's a lot of talk about the sacrifices made by an eunuch. In a way the process of being an eunuch is like genital mutilation and rarely does anyone voluntarily go through that. So to think that Zhong Ye willing gave up such a delicate body part. *winces* I still don't like him but I understand how he was driven to do what he did in the previous book.

And for those who like some romance with their fantasy, be prepared because there is a A LOT of sexual tension and it's intense, smoldering. I was equally annoyed, happy, or heartbroken because of Ai Ling and Chen Yong not being able to pull themselves together. Everyone else can see that they need each other, they complement each other perfectly. Why can't they??? There's lots of teasing, stolen glances, misunderstanding and awkward moments (awkward for the characters, not the reader ;) There is also the romance between Zhong Ye and Silver Phoenix and it actually borders on sweet, again, the author makes you start to care about Zhong Ye. There are a few new characters introduced in this book and they move the plot along, adding significant intrigue. *SPOILER: highlight to read* Not that I ever seriously though Chen Yong would marry Ah Na, but I did wonder if he would want to stay in Jiang Dao.*End of Spoiler* The afterlife is explored and I don't want to give much away but it's absolutely spellbinding and I wanted to stay in that afterworld for a little longer, to learn more about how it works (the Mirror of Retribution!)

Fury of the Phoenix is a seducing, irresistible tale. I loved this book even more than the first. The worldbuilding is just as wonderful as in the first, but we also get to see further character development and while in the first book I wanted more character interaction I felt thoroughly satisfied in this sequel. At first I was sad to leave the action-packed world of Xia behind, but it was a nice change of pace to slow down and really observe (and smile knowingly) at Ai Ling and Chen Yong's relationship. Life in Jiang Dao seemed slower in general and while Xia reminds me a bit of China (says the girl whose never been), Jiang Dao reminded me more of a Western European country (loosely based of course). The ending was satisfactory, although I did think that a certain relationship was a bit too perfect (not between Ai Ling and Chen Yong but another significant relationship). A discerning attention to detail, smooth transitions from present to past, fabulous wordbuilding and great, fully-realized characters.

Disclosure: Received from publisher. THANK YOU!

And guess what? Cindy Pon is coming to Chicago on May 10th so I can get Fury of the Phoenix signed! YES (hasn't yet been officially announced).

PS while I didn't know what the Chinese characters meant, I thought they were a lovely touch. Such a talented and well rounded author is Ms. Pon ;D

REview: Silver Phoenix

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon 2009 ARC
Greenwillow Books/Harper Collins

IQ "How do I tell them that the feel of dragon sales beneath my hands is more real to me than the embroidery I'm working on?" Ai Ling pg. 331

REviews (imagine some guy yelling REMIX! at the top of their lungs, now replace that with some guy yelling REview! ahaha). A REview is when I re-review a book. I'm re-reviewing books I reviewed early on in my blogging 'career'. My original review

Ai Ling doesn't have any suitors and she doesn't mind, she's not ready to be married. Besides she has more important things on her mind, like her father's disappearance. Her father left to go to the Emperor's Palace and it's been weeks since Ai Ling and her mother have heard from him. Ai Ling decides that she must find him and on her journey she must tackle many frightening obstacles, creatures she thought existed only in books. Her journey will be perilous but with the help of some new friends and her jade pendent along with her courage, she just might rescue her father and bring them both back home.

This book needs a warning label "DO NOT READ WHILE HUNGRY." Actually "DO NOT READ WHILE NOT EATING CHINESE FOOD." seems to be more apt. All the mentions of food are both good and bad. Besides the obvious hunger pains, all the descriptions of food can get tiresome but at the same time, the attention to detail in the book is exquisite. It's a double edged sword (chopstick? heehee. Ok I'll stop). I did however love that Ai Ling loved to eat. It may be a cultural thing (Xia is loosely based on ancient China) since I think Americans are overly obsessed with losing weight, but I found it refreshing to read about a protagonist who doesn't mention her weight. She is unafraid to show her love of food, even around guys and I admire her for it. Ai Ling overall is a great character. She's brave and a food lover, what's not to love? I admired her courage so much, even while I sometimes cursed her stubbornness (which is the pot calling the kettle black in my case). My only other complaint was the nonstop action. There is so much going on, so many creatures and monsters that Ai Ling needs to save herself and her companions from, there was a lot going on. I wanted a little more interaction between the characters and to see more growth.

All that being said the world building in Silver Phoenix is one of the best (in my humble opinion). The author describes every single thing in the world of Xia, giving the reader a vivd idea as to what the world is like. You can see the food, the palaces, the beautiful scenery and even the monsters in your mind's eye. Cindy Pon has a wonderful imagination and one of my favorite parts of the whole book is the description of the Golden Palace and its gardens. The Observant Tree is creepy (eyes hanging from branches, watching your every move!) and the Love Lost Tree was a sad, yet fascinating idea. The Love Lost Tree is described thus "The sound of a hundred heartbeats thudded against Ai Ling's ears each pulsing to its own story of loss." (pg. 159) I love the main characters in this novel. Ai Ling is amazing but I have a special place in my heart for Li Rong. He was born in the wrong time period, since it wouldn't be proper for any lady to respond to his jokes and flirtations at the time he's living in ;) Li Rong is bold, sometimes foolishly so, honest, caring and such a fun character. He's not just there for comic relief however, he adds to the story of Chen Yong (his half brother). I do wish that we had learned more about Li Rong though because he didn't seem to have his own story. Chen Yong is a great character as well, reserved, brave and fiercely loyal. His feelings and experiences relating to his mixed background is one that many biracial and multi ethnic people can understand.

Silver Phoenix is an action packed story that is hard to put down. Not only will you keep reading to find out what happens next, you will also want to stay in Xia and mentally savor all the food ;) The story is enthralling and well developed, the author does not reveal the villain right away which keeps the reader guessing. I do wish the novel had slowed down at some point and more character interaction occurred. An excellent China inspired fantasy (with a lovely cover!) that people should read if only to visit Xia and meet the hilarious Li Rong, brave Ai Ling and loyal Chen Yong. My only regret is reading this book in July and having to wait till March for the sequel!

Disclosure: Received from author. Thank you so much Cindy!

PS Have you written your letter to Borders/Barnes & Noble yet? My letter will go up August 1.

Guess What This Post is About?

Hardcover (top left) Paperback (middle) Hardcover sequel (immediate left)

I've been getting a ton of emails asking for my thoughts on Cindy Pon's new covers (I'll respond soon). I saw them last night (well technically today because I saw them around midnight) and many people have already posted about the whitewashing of the covers. I've been silent. Why? Because this feels more personal. I became friends with Justine Larbalestier during the Liar controversy and before I read her book. I still haven't read Magic Under Glass (I promise it will be soon!) but I've been in contact with Jaclyn Dolamore and she's very sweet. However, we only started talking during the MUG cover fail. This time it's different. Cindy Pon has been a huge supporter of Reading in Color from the very beginning. She donated 3 ARCs of Silver Phoenix for me to give away, along with sending me an autographed ARC (I'm pretty sure it was my first one). Yet another book I have that I will treasure always. She's a wonderful person and so nice (I am especially in awe of her kindness in light of my cringe-worthy review of Silver Phoenix, which I really liked but it's not the most eloquent of reviews. Good thing I'm re-reviewing it). Therefore I didn't really want to post about this. However, I'm also drained. But I realized that whitewashing controversies don't hurt the authors (who knows, they might even help) and this is too important not to post about.

The beautiful Silver Phoenix cover has been changed drastically. The paperback version is coming out in February and it is a complete whitewash. I don't like it. The girl on the cover definitely looks white and I think it's rather plain. I did send a Tweet to Cindy Pon that I LOVE the Silver Phoenix hardcover and Fury of the Phoenix has a cool cover. I stand by that. I think the dagger gives it a very cool touch and I'm ambivalent about the half covered face. I don't hate it or love it, I would probably care more if the model on the cover was Asian. Maybe the model is Asian (anyone know?). However, it is most UNCOOL that the publisher feels it has to change the cover for the book to reach more readers. It is UNCOOL that Borders refuses to sell it and that only a few Barnes and Noble stores sell it. I HATE knowing that some readers probably do see the beautiful hardcover Silver Phoenix and walk right on by because they are turned off by 'pretty pink/Asian inspired fantasy'. I do wish the original hardcover showed how action packed the book is (hence the reason why I like the dagger) because I think that could draw in more readers. I HATE that Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix look similar to other YA covers.

Silver Phoenix has a cover that readers could be proud of, especially Asian girls. It's a unique cover that contains a great story. I'm not going to boycott the sequel. I NEED to know what happens next and I don't want anyone else to boycott the book, especially since the publisher did try to have an accurate cover (but then again that could be just as bad since the cover is still being changed). I want Silver Phoenix to find new readers, but I don't want it to alienate its original readers.

Here's what Cindy had to say

i feel so blessed to have gotten the original cover
so wonderfully created by chris borgman. it will
always hold a special place in my heart.
alas, despite its gorgeousness, Silver Phoenix was passed
on by borders and carried in only limited quantities
in select barnes and noble stores. she simply wasn’t
being picked up by readers as much as we’d have liked.

the truth is, Silver Phoenix looks like nothing else
that is being offered on the young adult bookshelves.
on top of that, my story is also “different”. it’s fantasy, which
is very popular right now. but asian-inspired and reads
more like a historical than the more familiar urban.
for every reader that told me s/he’s been waiting so long
for a book like mine to come along, i’ve had another tell
me, i never thought i’d like asian-inspired fantasy, but
really loved Silver Phoenix. (this always makes me so happy!)

i can’t help but wonder how many readers took one
look at my cover, made assumptions (it’s too *this*
or obviously not enough *that*) and decided it
wasn’t for them. i won’t lie. it breaks my heart a little.
the reason that i love fantasy so much is because despite
the fact that an author can take me to an entirely
different world or time, weave epic stories of good
against evil, astound me with mythical creatures, etc, the
fantastic is always grounded in the human experience. [....]

i’m very well aware of recent discussions
about whitewashing young adult covers as well as
#racefail debates, especially within the speculative
fiction genres. most of you know by now that the
author gets very little say in cover design. i was fortunate
enough to be consulted on many aspects for the original
cover. my debut cover couldn’t have been more fierce
or asian! and i’m so grateful to greenwillow books for spending
the time, money and effort to repackage my books.
with the hopes that it will be carried more widely and
perhaps draw a new audience that my original cover didn’t.

because what matters to me the most has always been
the story. i spent two years writing and revising
Silver Phoenix, went through the gut wrenching heartache of
querying 121 agents so ai ling’s tale could be read. and it’s a
dream come true to be published. i never did it for the money,
fame or glory (i laugh at the thought!). but on a personal level,
i want my stories to be read and on a professional level, read
widely enough that more xia fantasy books in the future is
a possibility. i do have other xia tales in me! =)

i would love to see more diversity in all ways being
published in children’s and young adult genres.
i think progress is happening, even if it may seem painfully slow.
especially when we feel passionate about it. but change doesn’t
happen instantly. i believe success can be achieved through many
small triumphs. and it can start simply with a story…

You can read the rest of her post here

So what am I going to do? Well I already had a giveaway planned that will be announced on Sunday, I'll be giving away a hardcover copy of Silver Phoenix. I wish I could afford to give more away. I'm going to make sure my library has it. When I buy the book I'll be giving away, I'll head to Borders and ask for it, just to be difficult ;) I am torn over whether or not I should email the publishing company. Thoughts?

What else is there to say? I've been ranting about this (whitewashing), discussing it and trying to find a solution for months. I honestly feel like I have nothing new to say about this issue. Instead I'll update this page with links to people talking about Silver Phoenix's covers. I still want to discuss this so I'll be visiting as many posts as I can, leaving comments and replying to comments left here. Don't be shy, if you don't think this is a whitewashed cover, say so! I promise I won't bite your head off :) If you think this is horrible beyond belief, share your anger! Tell me what YOU are going to do and link to your posts.

I'm tired of being tired.

Inkstone: I guess I still have one post in me

BookGazing: That Makes Six-Whitewashing Reappears

Jeanette Lin: Sad

Writers of Color 50 Book Challenge: Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix

Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind: Dear Greenwillow Books

Babbling About Books, and More: Special Edition WTFckery

Say It Isn't So: Whitewashing. Who's to blame?

The Rejectionist: Insert Animated .gift of The Rejectionist Jumping Up And Down And Screaming Obscenities ( Short, not at all sweet and expresses my own feelings perfectly)

The Book Smugglers: Smugglers' Stash & News

My Words Ate Me: Racism on Covers

The Compulsive Reader: Reading Rants: Of Historical Fiction, Sarah Dessen and Strong Asian Heroines

PS I also admit that I don't always report on whitewashed covers. I comment on posts that talk about them but honestly it can get really depressing to talk about all the time. For the record, I don't think White Cat was whitewashed, I do think the Mariposa Club was whitewashed. However, I haven't read either book (yet!) so my opinion could change.

Silver Phoenix

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon 2009

Rating: 4/5

IQ "What was the use of being strong in a past life? Would she be strong enough in this one?"

The quotes in this book weren't too incredible, but the book was still good. The beginning was a bit slow for me. It took a little while for me to get interested, but once the action picked up (Chap. 3 or so) it was fine.

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.

But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.

Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.

It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more. Goodreads.com

Ai Ling was one of my favorite characters. She was strong and shy, (but the shyness was more due to the time period in which she was brought up. Proper young ladies were quiet and acquiescing)but her shyness could be frustrating even though it was the way she was supposed to act, it was hard for me as a modern, out-spoken girl to see another girl not always speak up for herself. However, she is very brave in the story, especially when it really matters.

My other favorite character was Li Rong. Li Rong is Chen Yong's brother, and he provides comic relief throughout the whole story. He's funny and very, very flirtatious. "Chen Yong grinned. 'I haven't beaten you enough?' 'The presence of a beautiful woman'-Li Rong bowed toward Ai Ling-'will inspire me to fight harder.' "I loved his mannerisms and his whole storyline.

Silver Phoenix is very action packed and filled with descriptions of places that allow your imagination to run wild. Sometimes, the action got to be a little too much and I wanted to see more details and dialogue given. Certain parts remain unclear, but hopefully some of them will clear up in the sequel (I presume there's a sequel, the ending was definitely left open!). I loved the places Cindy described! Especially the Golden Palace (the Love Lost Tree was my favorite tree, a large tree that had human hearts hanging from it!). Faraway lands with mythical creatures, beautiful scenes of nature and the food. Lots of food in the book and it all sounds so good! For most of the time while I read this, I had a craving for Chinese food :)

I loved the originality of this novel. I'm so frustrated by the lack of fantasy (and sci fi) YA books about people from various cultures/ethnic backgrounds. Silver Phoenix is an excellent contribution to the fantasy category. I highly recommend this book and you don't need to like fantasy to enjoy this book, Silver Phoenix has something for everyone (fantasy, action, comedy, romance). High school and up.

Thanks so much for the book Cindy! And don't forget to enter my contest for Silver Phoenix, it ends Sept. 5 at 11:59 PM CT (tomorrow!).