I had previously read, reviewed, and liked Treasure Island. So, I did not wait to spend my points on BookishFirst when I read the preview of Clash of Steel.
There are hallmarks of it being a Treasure Island retelling, but Clash of Steel is its own story. The prologue sucked me in as the reader meets a young Anh and the tale of the legendary Zheng Yi Sao and her Dragon Fleet. This, along with the first few chapters set the backdrop of the rest of the story. Like Treasure Island, the relationships between characters are shown before getting off to the adventure at sea. There is somewhat of a juxtaposition between Xiang and Anh –not only as characters, but also in terms of their lives and families. For example, Xiang vies for her mother’s attention and approval with attempts of formality. Whereas both Anh and her mother, Captain Hoa, have a more familial air between each other and the crew of the Huyen Vu. A familial air that becomes especially clear after Xiang hangs around Anh more. There are many other relationship portrayals that I’d want to get into, but no spoilers from me. There were some things that I hadn’t predicted, and others that I had. Nonetheless, the end still got me very emotional. The pacing was perfect, and I found it to be a page turner.
Over all, Clash of Steel was an exciting read that I had to peel out of my hands. I recommend it if you like Treasure Island and are looking for a YA retelling.
I received this book from BookishFirst and Macmillan for this review.
There are hallmarks of it being a Treasure Island retelling, but Clash of Steel is its own story. The prologue sucked me in as the reader meets a young Anh and the tale of the legendary Zheng Yi Sao and her Dragon Fleet. This, along with the first few chapters set the backdrop of the rest of the story. Like Treasure Island, the relationships between characters are shown before getting off to the adventure at sea. There is somewhat of a juxtaposition between Xiang and Anh –not only as characters, but also in terms of their lives and families. For example, Xiang vies for her mother’s attention and approval with attempts of formality. Whereas both Anh and her mother, Captain Hoa, have a more familial air between each other and the crew of the Huyen Vu. A familial air that becomes especially clear after Xiang hangs around Anh more. There are many other relationship portrayals that I’d want to get into, but no spoilers from me. There were some things that I hadn’t predicted, and others that I had. Nonetheless, the end still got me very emotional. The pacing was perfect, and I found it to be a page turner.
Over all, Clash of Steel was an exciting read that I had to peel out of my hands. I recommend it if you like Treasure Island and are looking for a YA retelling.
I received this book from BookishFirst and Macmillan for this review.