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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ai Ling can do anything, May 21, 2009
It's possible I'm being more harsh on this book than I would have been if I hadn't read such glowing reviews before hand. Maybe my expectations were too high, so take everything I write in this review with a grain of salt.
The Awesome:
Excellent world-building.
Without giving away a major plot point, I'll just say that reading this book really made me want to hear the story of the Silver Phoenix.
The lead is a kick-butt female with a cool power.
The Not-Perfect:
Throughout the entire book, I didn't really get a sense of who the villain was and what the motivations for attacking Ai Ling throughout the book were; I didn't really feel like we got to know the villain(s) well enough to fear them. I know it's explicitly spelled out for us near the end, but that seemed too late. I think it could have helped tie together some of the events of the book so they seemed less like a series of episodes and more like a complete story.
Ai Ling's power seems to work a little too well for someone who is making it up as she goes along.
The Up-To-Personal-Taste:
I wouldn't call this story romantic in any way. I read reviews that mentioned romance, and so was disappointed to find that though there are two people who have feelings for each other, that relationship is not really explored, and it's left unresolved at the end. I don't hold it against the book that it wasn't romantic, more against the reviews that mentioned a romance that isn't really a *romance.* Unresolved sexual tension? Yes. Romance? No.
All that being said, if a prequel is ever written about the Silver Phoenix I will definitely read it. If more is written about Ai Ling, I'll probably read that too. This book was a nice change of pace from the more euro-centric fantasies I generally read.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, April 28, 2009
Gold Star Award Winner!
From the beginning, Ai Ling has lived life differently from most young women in Xia. Born of parents who married for love, she is a cherished only child in a society that prizes sons, educated by her scholarly father and, as she comes of age, the ability to sense the thoughts of those around her.
When her father is called to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams expecting to be away no longer than two months, he leave his daughter with two things: a green jade pendant carved with the character "spirit" and the reminder that she is special beyond the belief held by a doting father.
A woman traveling alone is a dangerous undertaking, but more than three months pass and an opportunistic merchant tries to force her into an unwanted marriage, and Ai Ling knows that she must journey to the Palace herself and bring her father home. Attack by an unknown, dark force brings rescue and a traveling companion in the form of nineteen-year-old Chen Yong, a young man also searching for his father.
It is only after another attack, the counsel of Master Tan, and a glimpse at The Book of The Dead, that Ai Ling truly begins to grasp the enormity of her power and the menace she faces. Joined by Chen Wong's brother, the outrageously flirtatious Li Rong, the three teenagers embark on a pilgrimage that will lead to the gods themselves...and eventually to a confrontation with an evil sorcerer Ai Ling has (unknowingly) faced before.
Where do I start with all the things I love about Cindy Pon's debut fantasy SILVER PHOENIX? Finally, a novel based on Chinese legends and myth rather than the same, tired rehash of Celtic and other western European folklore. I relished Ms. Pon's vividly rendered portraits of both Ai Ling's normal and paranormal "worlds," from the quiet tranquility of her family's home, to the lush splendor of the Golden Palace, or the frightening grotesqueness of The Chief and The Anatomist.
Ms. Pon exhibits a deft ability in characterization, giving us multidimensional humans, appropriately removed deities, and viciously single-minded evil entities. Even Zhong Ye boasts enough shading and nuance to become more than the stereotypical archvillain. Ai Ling is a compelling protagonist and, though some might say it's unusual for a young woman in her position to so easily overstep society's boundaries (even to save a beloved parent), Ms. Pon has already established that Ai Ling is unaccustomed to those restraints. My only complaint in this area is that while Chong Ye is clearly the odds-on favorite for Ai Ling's romantic interest, he falls flat in the presence of Li Rong's flare and charm.
And while the continued reference to characters packing and unloading their knapsacks (did knapsacks even exist in ancient China?) kept jarring me out of the story, I loved everything about SILVER PHOENIX.
This is one of those rare books that has made my "keeper" shelf.
Reviewed by: Cat
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Silver Phoniex, May 17, 2009
Silver Phoenix definitely was a fantasy read. The way it was written made me think of an RPG (role-playing game). Granted I have not played a single video game in my entire life but I like to watch others play. It was set up as a fight monster A, talk to townspeople, fight monster B, eat and rest, and so forth until you fight final boss. And let me tell you, they ate quite frequently and was told in great detail. After a while even I started to get hungry, mostly because I have eaten many of the food described so I can imagine it, and ended skimming through those scenes. And there was many of those scenes skimmed...Kill final boss, gigantic scene where spirits and sparkly lights come out of said boss's mouth. Heroes or heroine in this case goes back home after completing her goal.
Cindy Pon had a never ending supply of mystical creatures! Some were interesting, others disturbing, but they were all, how should I say this, unique. But some scenes had me twitching like a rabid bunny.
"The Life Seeker can easily be distinguished by the extra breast on her sternum. The tips are dark blue, as her tongue and womanhood. Legend has it that the extra breast was given to replace the heart she does not have..." This is also a creature that wears a sheer top so you really cannot miss the other "thing" sticking out...Thankfully that is about the worst of the demons.
Another twitching scene: `"Don't worry, Ai Ling. My manhood may be sitting in a jar, but I can still satisfy you in every way..." I may not be a guy, but this still makes me cringe and uncomfortable. Speaking of awkwardness, this book talks about rape and sex so if are not comfortable or allowed to read about such topics, then I suggest ask permission or skip those scenes. It is only a few short scenes, but a disclaimer can never hurt anyone.
This was a fast-paced book that took you all over the lands! From country side to country side, to the heavens and below, the reader embarks on the journey with Ai Ling. The tales were riveting and the details and explanations were exceptionally acute. Sometimes being more of the focal point than the actual plot.
Ai Ling and the rest of the characters took some time to get used to. She was a bit stubborn and naïve but later learned to...tolerate?
What I would have wished for the more details of Silver Phoenix, Ai Ling is the reincarnation of her. I think it would be a great idea if she wrote a sequel/prequel type of book told in Silver Phoenix's point of view. It would clear up a lot of questions as well as provide another fascinating read.
Also this may be an ARC issue of not, but towards the end, Ai Ling's father talks about Chen Yong's past. There is a sudden shift of point of views that took a while to figure out and by the time I did, it went back to third person. You know, with the he's/she's instead of I's, either the editors missed some quotations marked or they did notice this fumble.
Overall: I hope to see some type of sequel to this gorgeously written novel.
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