A YA Treasure Island Retelling

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A Clash of Steel by C.B. Lee is part historical fiction, part Treasure Island, and part romance. Xiang is a sheltered girl living in a small village. She has always dreamed of something more. When her mother decides it's time for her to marry, Xiang decides it's time to prove to her mother that she doesn't need a man and that she is capable of running Pearl House, her mother's tea house in Canton. During her first time in Canton, Xiang meets Anh an intrepid and vivid girl who is a crew member on a ship docked in Canton. The two have an instant connection, but things go south after Anh steals Xiang's beloved pendant. Xiang soon learns that the pendant holds a long, lost map and embarks with Anh and her crew on a journey to unearth the treasure of the feared Dragon Fleet.

I loved the concept of a Treasure Island retelling. The action and adventures of the high seas and pirates were definitely engaging, but a little too sparse. A Clash of Steel is 400 pages, but the majority of the action occurs in the last 100 pages. I definitely struggled with the pacing. The beginning of the story was atmospheric and provides a clear picture of Xiang, but I would have liked the focus to have been more on the treasure hunt itself. That part of the story seemed to take forever to arrive and then was quickly over. I understand that the character development is necessary in order to set up the relationship between Xiang and her mother and Xiang and Anh, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. Xiang and Anh are both strong women and their relationship is sweet. Overall, it's a solid novel it just didn't have the level of adventure I was expecting.