Customer Reviews

Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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

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.

I received an ARC copy of this book a few months ago and have been waiting to write a review.

Ai Ling is a little different than most girls her age. She doesn't want to get married to a man she doesn't love. She doesn't want to conform to the rules of a married wife which would make her subservient to her husband. However, if she does not marry she will bring shame to her family.

She doesn't have much time to think about her martial status because she must rescue her father. Not only that but she has to fight demons along the way and vanquish a deadly foe that could destroy the entire Kingdom of Xia. While she is trying to save her kingdom from impending doom she meets Chen Young. She feels as a connection with him, but is unsure of what to do about it.

Silver Phoenix is a nice change from your typical fantasy books. The main character is female, and she is strong. She might not always be confident in every choice she makes, but who is? Ai Ling isn't some angry, moody girl running around with a sword out to destroy everyone in her path. She is very human with a lot of emotion.

There is a lot of action in the book too. I've heard it said that female authors tend to write more romance than fight sequences when they write fantasy. This is not the case with Silver Phoenix. There is a ton of action sprinkled with a little romance.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and I think teens who enjoy fantasy will like Silver Phoenix. It has action, adventure and romance. Everything is covered in this novel.

I look forward to reading Ms. Pon's future novels.

If you want to take a journey across ancient China and through mythical Chinese lands of beauty this book will not disappoint. It is also a wonderful paranormal journey with a beautiful young woman when such things were unheard of for women. Her journey to find her father is met with mythological creatures she only read about in her father's books. She also finds an enigmatic companion who's life becomes entwined with her own. Chen Young and Ai Ling become fast friends and true allies throughout this colorful, mythical adventure.

This book is a wonderful and fun journey much like the art films recently making it's debut on the American culture scene. The main character Ai Ling is very likable and I love the fact that she was a strong character even though she had no defensive training and had lead a sequestered life which was typical within her ranking in society. Sometimes she was frustrating in her rash decisions, but she learned from those decisions as well. I loved that about her character. There was violence and some sexual references which may not be appropriate for very young kids, but I think it was well done and it was within a cultural reference. Older teens will love this book. I gave this book 5 stars and can't wait for the next installment of this series. "The Fury of the Phoenix" should be here in April, 2011.

I picked up Cindy Pon's debut having no idea what to expect, but I'd heard great things about it and the summary sounded promising. I am so glad that I did: Silver Phoenix had a stunning blend of magic, romance, humor, and action!

At first I had a bit of trouble keeping all the characters straight. I'm one of those readers that, until I really get to "know" a character, doesn't really pay all that much attention to names. For example, at the beginning of the book I will not know the main character' name unless it is a name that I come across a lot in everyday life, etc... so Ai Ling wasn't really a name that stuck in my head well. Then add to the mix that all of the characters had traditional Chinese names: I was confused every time I tried to pick out a character by name. It wasn't until I really started to get sense of each character's personality and goals that the names really stuck.

The magical and mythological themes in the novel were really interesting. It seemed like many of the myths and creatures were or easily could be rooted in real Chinese mythology. I really liked how the monsters not only provided a source of action, but also revealed traits and truths about the characters as they battled.

I was pleasantly surprised by the messages of girl power I found in this book. Ai Ling was a strong female lead who, against a myriad of pressures, sets out to save her father. The fact that she wants to marry for love and has her parents as a model couple to look to for inspiration and strength was refreshing. I loved that her parents had a healthy relationship. I definitely don't have a problem with stories that feature single parents, etc, but it was nice to see happy family in novel.

The romantic element of Silver Phoenix was well balanced with the rest of the novel. I liked that it wasn't really a main focus, but it was mixed into to various scenes. I have to say, the note that the story ended on romantically leaves me anxious for the next book!

Cindy Pon creates a a world far different from the typical medieval england-esque fantasy setting seen in so many novels. It is a world filled with monsters in the form of beautiful women, three-headed goddesses, and races and tribes on Earth unique to the novel, i.e. definitely not elves and dwarves. Cindy's heroine Ai Ling is a young woman who fits into her society for the most part as an obedient daughter, but has a rebellious streak in her shown through her thirst for knowledge in a place that does not advocate scholarly education of women.

One thing I admire greatly in Ai Ling is that even though is confused by her powers, she is not afraid to learn to use them. She does what she must to survive. Cindy's characters continued to surprise me as the story went on. Ai Ling is not without fault, which she knows, but still lets her faults get the best of her at times. She makes very dark decisions that lead to changes in her, as well as wisdom.

Cindy also knows how to write villains. The worst monster in the book is a human, and Cindy does not skimp on the details of how power leads to corruption and the desire to corrupt others. From the beginning of the novel, Cindy deals with the darker side of love. She begins with the consequences of a forbidden love affair, continues the theme by introducing us to characters who have been scorned by love and jealousy, and ends by showing us how twisted a person can become when unable to let go of the past. Through the world of Silver Phoenix we see the tragedy of a world that puts restrictions on love. It is through Ai Ling's belief that people should marry for love that she is able to sacrifice her desire in order to see her love happy.

On the technical side of things, Cindy creates imagery that pulls you into the setting. My mouth dropped during certain scenes, especially one that involved many unique trees. Her dialogue is believable and does not come off as stale despite an ancient setting. The characters interact playfully, building relationships throughout the novel that readers can invest in.

At times I felt the story turned in interesting directions that were not developed enough. Specifically, the bathing women and the one-armed tribe. Although the one-armed tribe did provide a way out and Ai Ling used her powers to a greater extent, the section seemed like it belonged in another plot line. I hope these interesting characters with such small parts will reappear in later books with a greater purpose.

I heard about this great read from an online acquaintance and am SO glad that I did! I usually shy away from debut authors as I am a bit of a snob when it comes to searching out my favorites that I am familiar with...but Cindy Pon is now among them and I am eagerly anticipating her next novel!

I was so pleased to see this book available for teen and adult readers. It's a riveting historical fantasy with a strong and lovable female lead, with the perfect balance of romance, adventure, and magic to lure in readers of Twilight or Harry Potter. It's also nice to see Cindy Pon offering young (and adult) readers a "new" venue and set of mythologies as the backdrop of her fantasy with the setting of ancient China. My hope is that the publication of this fun and engrossing read will encourage other multicultural young adult books in the future.

Silver Phoenix is the perfect action and adventure book rolled with the right amount of romance set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia. Teen and adult readers will savour the delicate language and deep imagery that set the main character, Ai Ling, on her journey to find her father. Supernatural powers, like those cinematically described in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, leap off the page. Beware Cindy Pon, the author, writes a book so delicious you will be starving for more.