Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia

Silver Phoenix is the perfect action and adventure book rolled with the right amount of romance set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia. Teen and adult readers will savour the delicate language and deep imagery that set the main character, Ai Ling, on her journey to find her father. Supernatural powers, like those cinematically described in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, leap off the page. Beware Cindy Pon, the author, writes a book so delicious you will be starving for more.

I heard about this great read from an online acquaintance and am SO glad that I did! I usually shy away from debut authors as I am a bit of a snob when it comes to searching out my favorites that I am familiar with...but Cindy Pon is now among them and I am eagerly anticipating her next novel!

I was so pleased to see this book available for teen and adult readers. It's a riveting historical fantasy with a strong and lovable female lead, with the perfect balance of romance, adventure, and magic to lure in readers of Twilight or Harry Potter. It's also nice to see Cindy Pon offering young (and adult) readers a "new" venue and set of mythologies as the backdrop of her fantasy with the setting of ancient China. My hope is that the publication of this fun and engrossing read will encourage other multicultural young adult books in the future.

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 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. Reviewed by: Cat

I received an ARC copy of this book a few months ago and have been waiting to write a review. Ai Ling is a little different than most girls her age. She doesn't want to get married to a man she doesn't love. She doesn't want to conform to the rules of a married wife which would make her subservient to her husband. However, if she does not marry she will bring shame to her family. She doesn't have much time to think about her martial status because she must rescue her father. Not only that but she has to fight demons along the way and vanquish a deadly foe that could destroy the entire Kingdom of Xia. While she is trying to save her kingdom from impending doom she meets Chen Young. She feels as a connection with him, but is unsure of what to do about it. Silver Phoenix is a nice change from your typical fantasy books. The main character is female, and she is strong. She might not always be confident in every choice she makes, but who is? Ai Ling isn't some angry, moody girl running around with a sword out to destroy everyone in her path. She is very human with a lot of emotion. There is a lot of action in the book too. I've heard it said that female authors tend to write more romance than fight sequences when they write fantasy. This is not the case with Silver Phoenix. There is a ton of action sprinkled with a little romance. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and I think teens who enjoy fantasy will like Silver Phoenix. It has action, adventure and romance. Everything is covered in this novel. I look forward to reading Ms. Pon's future novels.