In a time where women were forbidden to join the military, Hua Mulan has no choice but to disguise herself as a man to stand in for her father. But one man discovers her secret and he is none other than the arrogant and hideously masked general of the Northern Qi Army, Shi Zan. Now the only way she can stop him from handing her head to the emperor is uncovering his secret.
Clarissa Cartharn is the author of romance novels such as Captive,Perfect Vengeance and the action/romance Jar series.
Traveling, learning new languages and cultures are some of her interests which have inspired her books. She turned her love for writing into a full-pledged passion with her first romance, Winter's End and has since never looked back. After almost ten romance novels, each with eclectic themes ranging from angsty Cinderella inspirations to thrillers set in the barren war torn lands of Afghanistan, Clarissa is currently on a new adventure to find her next love story.
Her Writing Style: 1. A premise 2. Romance 3. Realism 4. Heat. Yep, yep and yep 5. Vulgarity- where needed be. Oh come on, if she's gonna be writing about warlords, arms dealers, drug traffickers and rough-necked soldiers, then please don't expect them to be minding their tenses and grammar. 6. Oh yes, and a plot! Especially, a plot! A darned good one!
If you wish to grab a free copy of any of her books to review, then please feel free to drop her a message at any time or simply follow the link to fill in your details: https://www.clarissacartharn.com/your...
This was a creative retelling of Mulan and I did enjoy this romance novel that features a strong and fierce warrior woman, rather than a damsel in distress. I enjoyed the new take on Mulan that Clarissa Cartharn took, especially since she based it more on the real tales of Mulan. I love the Disney movie, but I did find some issues with the love story that comes out of it, as General Li Sheng only knows Mulan as a man, but suddenly at the end of the movie, he is interested in marrying her.
This book makes a much more plausible timeline of Mulan and her love interest, don't worry I won't give anything away about who it is. But Mulan is loved as the woman she is before she is found out to be posing as a man in the army, which was smart of Cartharn since it's actually realistic.
Also, Mulan in this book is a strong warrior. Although she is still going against societies' rules by taking her father's place, she has been trained throughout her life in swordsmanship. She can actually handle her own in battles and this makes her a much stronger character.
Although I mostly enjoyed this book, there were a couple things I found issue with. The language, specifically the dialogue was my biggest issue. The book itself is taking place in "a time where women were forbidden to join the military" and the descriptions of the long journeys only on horseback or cart make it obvious that this is taking place far in the past. However, the language and dialogue between the characters is very modern. Some examples are the curses used, specifically "fu**" then all of the slang such as; "wow" "superhero", "kinda" and "he's a cool dude". I believe if the language was going to be more modern, it should have been a retelling in something like a post-apocalyptic era, then it would have been understandable to have some of the plot points but still have this modern language. Or somehow there should have been an explanation as to why these characters were a bit more modern but in ancient clothing/times.
Another thing I found issue with was the ease with which some of these characters accepted things out of the societal norms. If this is supposed to be far in the past, people would not have so easily accepted a woman fighting once Mulan is found out, or how her family encourages her with certain things. Also, men being gay is brought up in this book, and again that is not something that would have been talked about so casually. I am not saying it didn't happen during this time nor is it wrong, just that other characters would not shrug their shoulders and accept someone's beliefs that quickly.
Although these two things do not ruin the story by any means, I did get a bit frustrated at times when the book read more like the past and then suddenly a slang term was used that didn't fit. It would jolt me a bit out of the story and I'd have to get myself back into it.
Overall, it's an interesting romance novel that kept me entertained and had some great secondary characters. Someone looking for an easy read that's interesting and another take on a great tale, should definitely read it.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Readers copy.**
It is a fiction based on the story of Mulan, a woman warrior of China. The story is already known, but the narration is new. Author Clarissa Cartharn has nicely depicted Mulan's struggle and quests. A daughter wanted to save her father from the horror of battle, a sister wanted to save her siblings from being orphan, and a woman citizen wanted to save her land from foreign invaders. However, her talent gets little appreciation, because, in ancient China, women were not allowed to go outside. She concealed her identity under men's attire and joined the army. Later she was assigned the duty of a housekeeper or personal attendant to a military general, who always hides his face behind his masks. Gradually the mystery uncovers. Descriptions are vivid, language is simple and the book cover is attractive. A five star from me.
Mulan is an inspirational figure, which this story did a decent job of portraying. I enjoyed the battles and the secrecy of Mulan's identity, as well as the risks involved. The things that kept this from being a great read were mostly personal tastes. I would've preferred it if the language matched the times rather than being so modern and I'm not very fond of the alpha male types, which made the General's treatment of Mulan come off as aggressive toward her rather than romantic (personal opinion). There were a few typos throughout, but the ending was a good one. The chapters before the very last were the most exciting. Regardless of the fact that Mulan has always been viewed as a warrior, this story is romance-driven and, while it has instances that reflect this, the romance did not. So three stars from me.
I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I just hated the book. Everything Mulan stands for is ruined by her relationship with the toxic general.
She maybe starts hwving feelings for him in the beginning, but when she is forced to marry him and his behaviour toward her, and she still accepts its. It was just the end for me.
I just kept hoping the general would die, so Mulan could rise above him or fall for her army friend.
I knew it wasnt going to happen... if I could give it zero stars, i would
Clarissa's version of Mulan proves to be an interesting new spin on the classic Mulan story. She has always been somewhat of a feminist icon, but Clarissa provides an interesting alternative take. It is a nice change to pace to read about the warrior female than the cliched damsel in distress. The romance aspect flowed well, and the characters involved made it feel believable.
If you are a fan of Mulan, this is definitely worth checking out.
Mulan in a whole new light. I really enjoyed this version of mulan action ,romance ,adventure. What more can a girl ask for? I only wish it was actually written in old English I feel like the story would've been enjoyed a lot more. Nonetheless it was still a good read.❤
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Readers copy.**