'The Taming of Mei Lin' by Jeannie Lin/'Ash' by Malinda Lo

[annwfyn]

'The Taming of Mei Lin' by Jeannie Lin

This isn't really a novel - it's more of a short story - so I feel like a bit of a cheat adding this. However, I'm lazy and therefore willing to do this.

First of all, this story is a bit of a spin off to 'Butterfly Swords' and is the story of Ai Li's grandmother and grandfather, who are mentioned in that novel, and if you're a 'Butterfly Swords' fan, it's probably worth reading for that. If you haven't read 'Butterfly Swords' or didn't enjoy it, I'm not so sure I'd recommend it.

I mean, it's not bad, it just feels a lot more generic. Yes, the setting is still a historical China, which is cool, but I felt that far less effort had gone into creating the texture and flavour that I adored in 'Butterfly Swords'. As well as that, the characters were infinitely less interesting, and I honestly found the hero quite generic. A lone brooding duellist, captured by a spunky young heroine? Really? Goodness, that's original!

I'm being harsh, I know, especially as it is only a short story and there isn't really as much room to build up the setting as there would be in a full length novel. I also suspect that because I enjoyed 'Butterfly Swords' so much, I've set the bar much higher and I probably should be kinder, but I'm a harsh person and don't want to give Jeannie Lin too much of a 'get out of jail free' card, because I know she's capable of so much more.

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'Ash' by Malinda Lo

This novel is the novel that I think proves Father Christmas exists.

No, really. How else could it be that someone could write an awesome young adult lesbian fairytale romance, featuring two kick arse heroines, some fairies, awesome world building and a happy ever after filled with adventure and the promise of more awesome things they can do together? I mean, that doesn't just happen, does it?

I adored Ash from start to finish, and my only sadness about this book is that it wasn't around when I was a teenager. It reminds me a little of a non-hetero Robin McKinley novel - it takes a very traditional fairy story (in this case, Cinderella) and reworks it absolutely beautifully.

I would recommend this absolutely and wholeheartedly, and I am fighting back the urge to say that if you don't like it at all, you are dead inside, have no soul, and I pity you.

Um. Apparently I didn't fight back the urge that well, did I?

Comments

[lab]

I would recommend this absolutely and wholeheartedly, and I am fighting back the urge to say that if you don't like it at all, you are dead inside, have no soul, and I pity you.

Right. I don't think it's cool to judge somebody on their preferences when it comes to books or to call them "dead inside" when those preferences don't align with your own (and I'm saying that as somebody who enjoyed the idea of Ash but found the book somewhat flat in construction and worldbuilding).

[annwfyn]

Sorry - it wasn't meant to be a serious comment - more humorous hyperbole.

[annwfyn]

Hrm - mods - would you prefer it if I took the review down? I don't know what the rules are on taking stuff down once posted? I know some comms frown on it, but obviously I don't want to cause offense?

[oyceter]

Hi,

sanguinity and I have consulted each other and think this falls under the "Leave space in your conversations, tacitly or explicitly, for other members to find or reject value in a given book" part of the insult policy. "Dead inside" may not leave a lot of space, but later clarifications in comments make it fairly clear that it wasn't intended as such and thereby leave more room for disagreement.

So, no need to take the post down. You can always edit if you would like, but it's not required and is completely up to you. And let us know if you have any other questions.

Thanks!
Oyce

[jhameia]

Well I had a lot of feelings about ASH, which really boils down to "I did not like it": I felt the thing going on between the het couple had more chemistry than the lesbian relationship and the first half of the book was way faster than the second half of the book. While I did like the fairytale tone of the book, it didn't really work for me in making either relationship real to me.

Between ASH and TAMING OF MEI LIN, I liked MEI LIN better, because it was all light and fluffy and frou-frou which is all I want from a story like that. I AM a bit bitter, though, that MEI LIN is pretty much the only story and we get no further installments of their obviously fabulous adventures together. (And I thought the heroine did her fair share of brooding. It reminded me a lot of old wuxia romance movies, which is also Jeannie's inspiration for the books as well.)