Stunningly original #ownvoices and queer historical adventure
Thank you to Feiwel and BookishFirst for this book in exchange for an honest review!
First off, as a person of Asian descent, I am so excited to support C.B. Lee, who drew on her own experiences while writing this book. There really needs to be more #ownvoices YA books just like this one! This book is set mainly in the seas around the Canton region of 19th century China and features characters of Chinese and Vietnamese descent. As a person who grew up speaking Cantonese, I was so excited to see that language represented in this book, along with hallmarks of my family's culture, like the food. Thank you again to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee is a stunningly original #ownvoices and queer historical adventure that will appeal to fans of Fable and Daughter of the Pirate King. The story revolves around Xiang, a 16 year-old girl who has never left her village in Canton. Xiang never knew her father and only has one memento of him: a pendant necklace. One day, she meets a girl named Anh, who reveals that the necklace contains a map leading to a trove of pirate treasure. Xiang sails away with Anh to find the island where the treasure is located. Will they succeed in finding treasure? Will they become friends or more than friends? And what dangers await them on the seas?
Here's an excerpt from Chapter 1, where Xiang introduces herself and the village she's from:
"I am sixteen, and I have never left the village. I’ve never even been to the bustling metropolis of Canton, despite my family owning another teahouse there—even more successful and busy than the one in the village. Mother has alwayssaid the city is no place for a young girl.
I sigh, dreaming of the stories that the travelers there must tell, the distant places they’ve been, music and foods from other lands. I can only imagine the taste of honeyed dates, the feel of finely spun silks from Siam, the taste of those famed spicy noodles from the Sichuan province, juicy tropical fruits from faraway lands.
I’ve only glimpsed these other worlds beyond my small riverside village in my scrolls and books, precious rare luxuries, stories and poems collected from Master Feng’s collection or gifts from Mother’s travels. These works are my
only window into worlds beyond this quiet village and this lonely mountain."
Overall, A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix is an amazing Asian #remix of a classic book, and I'm sure many YA readers of Asian descent will love to see themselves represented. In addition, it will appeal to any reader who wants to learn more about 19th century China and Vietnam and the languages and cultures that existed at the time One highlight of this book is the immense amount of research that the author did in order to evoke the world in this book. I found the afterword, where she describes the setting and the language choices that she made, to be fascinating. If I had to complain about one thing, though, I would say that I wish there was a tiny bit more "fantasy" involved, instead of being a realistic, historical retelling. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of historical adventures set on the sea, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!
First off, as a person of Asian descent, I am so excited to support C.B. Lee, who drew on her own experiences while writing this book. There really needs to be more #ownvoices YA books just like this one! This book is set mainly in the seas around the Canton region of 19th century China and features characters of Chinese and Vietnamese descent. As a person who grew up speaking Cantonese, I was so excited to see that language represented in this book, along with hallmarks of my family's culture, like the food. Thank you again to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee is a stunningly original #ownvoices and queer historical adventure that will appeal to fans of Fable and Daughter of the Pirate King. The story revolves around Xiang, a 16 year-old girl who has never left her village in Canton. Xiang never knew her father and only has one memento of him: a pendant necklace. One day, she meets a girl named Anh, who reveals that the necklace contains a map leading to a trove of pirate treasure. Xiang sails away with Anh to find the island where the treasure is located. Will they succeed in finding treasure? Will they become friends or more than friends? And what dangers await them on the seas?
Here's an excerpt from Chapter 1, where Xiang introduces herself and the village she's from:
"I am sixteen, and I have never left the village. I’ve never even been to the bustling metropolis of Canton, despite my family owning another teahouse there—even more successful and busy than the one in the village. Mother has alwayssaid the city is no place for a young girl.
I sigh, dreaming of the stories that the travelers there must tell, the distant places they’ve been, music and foods from other lands. I can only imagine the taste of honeyed dates, the feel of finely spun silks from Siam, the taste of those famed spicy noodles from the Sichuan province, juicy tropical fruits from faraway lands.
I’ve only glimpsed these other worlds beyond my small riverside village in my scrolls and books, precious rare luxuries, stories and poems collected from Master Feng’s collection or gifts from Mother’s travels. These works are my
only window into worlds beyond this quiet village and this lonely mountain."
Overall, A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix is an amazing Asian #remix of a classic book, and I'm sure many YA readers of Asian descent will love to see themselves represented. In addition, it will appeal to any reader who wants to learn more about 19th century China and Vietnam and the languages and cultures that existed at the time One highlight of this book is the immense amount of research that the author did in order to evoke the world in this book. I found the afterword, where she describes the setting and the language choices that she made, to be fascinating. If I had to complain about one thing, though, I would say that I wish there was a tiny bit more "fantasy" involved, instead of being a realistic, historical retelling. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of historical adventures set on the sea, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!