![]() ![]() A particularly ferocious wave crashes against the hull, knocking her grip loose and sending the hammock swinging. The girl is but eight years old, grinning wide enough to rival yesterday’s shining crescent moon. A chubby hand reaches for the edge of one of the two hammocks whose owners should be sleeping. The storm’s rough waves send all the empty hammocks swinging. The small fishing vessel is not built for this type of onslaught at all, and it tumbles in the rising waves like a child’s toy.Ī shrieking gale knocks open a loose hatch and sends a deluge of rain below deck. The wind howls, screeching as it cuts through the torrential rain, snapping at every item that had the misfortune to be left loose. The wild storm seems to have no end, the heavens above unleashing a relentless torrent as the sea rises and falls in response. Lee – the mother character is supposed to have a dot under the e of Me and I have no idea how to make that happen on my keyboard system) Go get it, and then sit back and enjoy the adventure. If you love the idea of a lesbian retelling set in a gorgeous and interesting time of emperors, pirates and treasure then this is absolutely worth it.Īnd if you, like me, thought that Mulan was one of the greatest Disney films ever made then you will love this book. It’s one of those YA books that I will happily recommend to anyone who loves a good coming of age adventure story or even a great adventure set on the seas. Loads of rollicking adventure and self discovery and a lot of lesbian angst with the “will she like me back” flavour. I am glad I stuck it out though because the information does build and become relevant later, and the last two-thirds of the book are great fun. I am not a massive fan of such slow starts but if you enjoy the kind of book where you take some time to settle into a character’s life then this is a good one. We spend a lot of time in Xiang’s village and her life before the adventure. This is a sweet but slow book when it starts. I found myself stopping every now and then to google an image of a kind of boat or a location so that I could immerse myself even more in the world because it was such a treat to be there. The research that went into it and the history that was peppered in was divine. The description of the places and people were beautifully done. The book was entirely told from Xiang’s point of view which worked well for the coming of age through adventure and striking out on your own story. I really enjoyed Xiang’s journey of self discovery and I loved the adventure parts. ![]() The adventure, though, has just begun as Xiang finds her true self and maybe even a romance as they battle foes and nature alike. ![]() So when Anh returns to give Xiang back her neckless and show her the scroll that is hidden inside it with a map to the legendary treasure of the Dragon Fleet, Xiang runs off with Anh’s ship to retrieve the treasure and hopefully save her mother’s business. Tragedy strikes the tea house when a fire destroys part of the structure leaving Xiang feeling desperate to help fix it or else she may find herself married off. Her precious neckless, the only reminder of her father was taken and Xiang realises that Anh took it. After a day of exploration and a budding attraction between the two Xiang finds herself the victim of a theft. When they arrive in the city Xiang is excited by the sights and sounds and she strikes up a friendship with Anh, a mysterious girl who warns her not to trust anyone. Still, she agrees to bring Xiang with her and mentions that perhaps they can find a favourable marriage match for her daughter even though Xiang is not at all interested in being married and losing her freedom. Her mother is a shrewd businesswomen with interests in a number of ventures and she has little time or patience for her daughter. So when her mother returns briefly to the village Xiang makes a case that she should return with her to the city and learn to run the tea house business. Xiang longs desperately for two things, adventure and her mother’s approval. She grew up listening to stories about the legendary Dragon Fleet of pirates led by the woman known as the Head of the Dragon. It’s 1826 and Xiang has grown up in a small village tucked away from the excitement of the world. Lee is a YA lesbian riff on the classic Treasure Island story and I loved it. ![]()
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