Thank you, C.B. Lee and The Booktalk team for providing me with an e-arc of A Clash Of Steel.
Caution: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own discretion.
Rating: 3.75/5
Thoughts On The Cover:
First of all, the cover of this book is stunning. The color palette works very well with the theme of the book. I love all the details from the birds and moon to the islands and the swords the two characters hold. And you can’t forget about the ships that tie this cover together. The two people, Anh, and Xiang, are great for future reference when I picture them in my head. A Clash Of Steel would be on display for its beautiful cover on my shelf. Overall, the book cover is a 10/10.
General Thoughts On Book:
When it comes to books about pirates, I expect treasure, fighting scenes, anything you can give me that will appease my thirst for pirates and action.
Starting with the first 100 pages of the book felt slow due to the character introductions and then getting to Canton. I am more into fast-paced books while this book was a little slow-paced for my liking. Though I did quickly find myself invested in Xiang and how she viewed different people. For example, when we get introduced to Master Feng, you can tell she is friendly with him by the way they interact. They laugh together, and Xiang is comfortable talking to him. But where she is comfortable talking to Master Feng, she is the opposite of her mother. Xiang tries to always be polite with her mother and needs to restrain herself from doing certain things with her. For instance, hugging and being overly excited.
One of the many things I love about this book is the description. Every page has enough background details to help me imagine the setting. Each time we’d pass by a person or an area, we’d get a description of it. Personally, those background details were helpful. But I’d find myself a little bored at times.
Once Anh came into the book, I found myself more intrigued. Anh added a spark of excitement. Out of all the characters in this book, Anh was my favorite. I could relate to her. And she had lots to say.
The last 200 pages of A Clash Of Steel hooked me. Was Xiang’s father a pirate? What treasure hides on the island? What is going to happen between Xiang and Anh? To find out, you’ll have to read A Clash Of Steel By C.B. Lee.
Thoughts On Main Characters:
The characters in this book had depth to them. Surprisingly I found myself able to emphasize with even the characters I didn’t like much. For example, Xiang’s Mother acts cold though I understood her thinking at times on Xiang’s future.
The traits the main character has can make or break a book. Xiang is curious, a common trait in many main characters. Curiosity is not so subtle in her. A man from Canton even comments on how she must be born in the year of the rabbit. He goes on to say that she is a curious and exploratory rabbit.
I’d be insane not to talk about Master Feng. Master Feng was so many things. Kind, clever, and a great father figure for Xiang. He was also a great tutor. Master Feng was an all-around kind spirit and probably my favorite character after Anh.
And last but certainly not least, Anh. I adore Anh. From the moment Anh was first introduced into the book, I knew I would love her. When Anh and Xiang first meet, she is friendly, joyful and brings Xiang out of her shell. I see lots of side characters like Anh but we need more main characters like Anh. It is refreshing to see a character like Anh as the main character. Hopefully, other authors will catch on.
Overall, I liked the characters and would give them a 6.5/10
My Thought After Reading A Clash Of Steel:
A Clash Of Steel is a magnificent re-telling rich with culture and adventure. I am so glad I got to read it before the release date. Once again, Thanks to C.B. Lee and The Booktalk team for giving me an arc.
Caution: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own discretion.
Rating: 3.75/5
Thoughts On The Cover:
First of all, the cover of this book is stunning. The color palette works very well with the theme of the book. I love all the details from the birds and moon to the islands and the swords the two characters hold. And you can’t forget about the ships that tie this cover together. The two people, Anh, and Xiang, are great for future reference when I picture them in my head. A Clash Of Steel would be on display for its beautiful cover on my shelf. Overall, the book cover is a 10/10.
General Thoughts On Book:
When it comes to books about pirates, I expect treasure, fighting scenes, anything you can give me that will appease my thirst for pirates and action.
Starting with the first 100 pages of the book felt slow due to the character introductions and then getting to Canton. I am more into fast-paced books while this book was a little slow-paced for my liking. Though I did quickly find myself invested in Xiang and how she viewed different people. For example, when we get introduced to Master Feng, you can tell she is friendly with him by the way they interact. They laugh together, and Xiang is comfortable talking to him. But where she is comfortable talking to Master Feng, she is the opposite of her mother. Xiang tries to always be polite with her mother and needs to restrain herself from doing certain things with her. For instance, hugging and being overly excited.
One of the many things I love about this book is the description. Every page has enough background details to help me imagine the setting. Each time we’d pass by a person or an area, we’d get a description of it. Personally, those background details were helpful. But I’d find myself a little bored at times.
Once Anh came into the book, I found myself more intrigued. Anh added a spark of excitement. Out of all the characters in this book, Anh was my favorite. I could relate to her. And she had lots to say.
The last 200 pages of A Clash Of Steel hooked me. Was Xiang’s father a pirate? What treasure hides on the island? What is going to happen between Xiang and Anh? To find out, you’ll have to read A Clash Of Steel By C.B. Lee.
Thoughts On Main Characters:
The characters in this book had depth to them. Surprisingly I found myself able to emphasize with even the characters I didn’t like much. For example, Xiang’s Mother acts cold though I understood her thinking at times on Xiang’s future.
The traits the main character has can make or break a book. Xiang is curious, a common trait in many main characters. Curiosity is not so subtle in her. A man from Canton even comments on how she must be born in the year of the rabbit. He goes on to say that she is a curious and exploratory rabbit.
I’d be insane not to talk about Master Feng. Master Feng was so many things. Kind, clever, and a great father figure for Xiang. He was also a great tutor. Master Feng was an all-around kind spirit and probably my favorite character after Anh.
And last but certainly not least, Anh. I adore Anh. From the moment Anh was first introduced into the book, I knew I would love her. When Anh and Xiang first meet, she is friendly, joyful and brings Xiang out of her shell. I see lots of side characters like Anh but we need more main characters like Anh. It is refreshing to see a character like Anh as the main character. Hopefully, other authors will catch on.
Overall, I liked the characters and would give them a 6.5/10
My Thought After Reading A Clash Of Steel:
A Clash Of Steel is a magnificent re-telling rich with culture and adventure. I am so glad I got to read it before the release date. Once again, Thanks to C.B. Lee and The Booktalk team for giving me an arc.