Before I even talk about the book, I want to give props to the cover artist because it's absolutely gorgeous! With that said, I think overall C.B. Lee did a great job writing a story about youth and adventure. Her writing really is enchanting with her consistent use of imagery. I think A Clash of Steel leaned more into the younger side of young adult, bordering middle-grade, so keep that in mind if you usually go for more mature reading.
Where the book fell a bit flat for me was the balance between the plot and the characters. I loved the tense moments of action, but they seemed to be too few and far between. The pacing became somewhat slow and I'd find myself just bored. Because I didn't find the plot all that alluring, I hoped it would be a character focused story. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the lack of depth Anh and Xiang received beyond their relationship. They followed a very generic story arc of one learning to open up and the other to be brave. Where it almost felt childish was these themes being so apparent and straightforward.
Where the book fell a bit flat for me was the balance between the plot and the characters. I loved the tense moments of action, but they seemed to be too few and far between. The pacing became somewhat slow and I'd find myself just bored. Because I didn't find the plot all that alluring, I hoped it would be a character focused story. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the lack of depth Anh and Xiang received beyond their relationship. They followed a very generic story arc of one learning to open up and the other to be brave. Where it almost felt childish was these themes being so apparent and straightforward.