Pon, Cindy - Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia

[oyceter]

Ai Ling has had a fairly good life: her father and mother love each other and her, her father has taught her to read and write, and it looks as though she will have some say in who she will marry. But then, her father goes to the capital, her mother's mood drops, and a skanky older guy tries to coerce her into marrying him. Ai Ling decides she has to find her father again, but at every turn, she's beset upon by strange creatures, from a three-breasted woman to a soul sucker to assorted other demons.

I am stubbornly annoyed that a publisher had told Cindy Pon that "Asian fantasy doesn't sell," and I sincerely hope the book's sales are phenomenal. Also, I've heard one of the big chains didn't order it... if someone tells me which one, I will go place an order at my local one. I have also gotten one of my public libraries to buy it and am going to suggest it to my other two.

The book itself is extremely fun, although it suffers a little from flat prose. Ai Ling didn't stand out for me as a heroine, but she's your fairly average YA heroine: spunky, can-do, and nursing a secret crush. What made the book for me was the sheer exuberance of it. Not a chapter goes by without another monster or a lovingly described meal, and I love that Ai Ling's appetite is as voracious as mine. Clearly she notices the important things in life! I particularly liked the climax, which has Ai Ling figuring out how to rescue herself.

My favorite parts are probably when Ai Ling and hot guy Chen Yong go beyond the Kingdom of Xia and encounter increasingly odd and interesting beings and lands. Well, that and the food descriptions, of course!

When I began reading this book, I could not get into it. I had thought it was the prose, but halfway through, I came to the horrified realization that I had been steeling myself for exoticism and foreignness, despite the fact that I very much knew that the book was written by a Chinese person who knew something about Chinese culture. There had been no exoticism that I could pick up on in the book, but the mere mention of Chinese names and ideas in English was enough to raise my guard, thanks to years and years of reading books by non-Chinese people that frequently rubbed me the wrong way, if not outright offended me.

It's never fun realizing that despite the massive effort you've spent decolonizing your reading practices, there are still (and may always be) parts of your brain that remain whitewashed.

Anyway. This is fun and frothy, and a welcome addition to the vampire- and faery-saturated landscape of YA fantasy. Also, although this book is standalone, Pon is working on a sequel/prequal. Also also, minor quibble, but every time the book used "Xian" to refer to denizens of the kingdom of Xia, I kept thinking it referred to the city of Xian/Xi'an.

Links:
- rachelmanija's review

Comments

[trouble]

Yes yes yes, food yes. :)

I loved the descriptions of food in this book. :)

[oyceter]

It made me so hungry for food from home! Luckily, I am getting tasty Chinese food tomorrow...

[crossedwires]

Also, I've heard one of the big chains didn't order it...

Borders.

When I began reading this book, I could not get into it. I had thought it was the prose, but halfway through, I came to the horrified realization that I had been steeling myself for exoticism and foreignness, despite the fact that I very much knew that the book was written by a Chinese person who knew something about Chinese culture.

Yes, I'm at that stage right now. I started the book a few days ago, and it doesn't usually take me this long to finish reading, but I feel like I have to be careful with it or something.

[oyceter]

Ooo, thanks. I'll check with Borders then.

I am pretty good with the representation of China/Xia in the book, although some bits re: Chen Yong's multiracial-ness are a bit squidgy. Still, it was just awful when I realized I was cringing because I had read so many crappy Chinese-based fantasies by white people before. blech.

[inkstone]

Yup, it's Borders that skipped the book.

[oyceter]

Bwaha! My secret plans for making everyone buy POC-authored books are progressing...

[thistleingrey]

\o/

I've placed a hold for an already-on-order copy at one local library, partly so that they can see demand. (There are two other holds, which doesn't surprise me.)

[oyceter]

Yaaaaay!

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

That looks fun. Have added it to my list, thanks.

[oyceter]

It is very fun! Not completely polished, but I really enjoyed the amount of inventiveness.

[littlebutfierce]

but every time the book used "Xian" to refer to denizens of the kingdom of Xia, I kept thinking it referred to the city of Xian/Xi'an.

I kept seeing it as an abbreviation for Christian!!

[oyceter]

Oooo, that would be confusing!

[phi]

Part of why I loved it so much was that half way through the book I realized I could let my guard down and stop expecting to be blindsided with some orientalist bullshit.

[oyceter]

YES!

[octopedingenue]

This sounds so great! I have ordered this for my store (so I can read it during slow periods!)

[oyceter]

Yaaaaay!

[mercredigirl]

I stumbled across this review today and fell over your post looking it up... heh. Haven't read it, so I'll reserve judgement for now, though the excerpts I've read made me go a bit O_<

[oyceter]

Ooh, interesting, and thanks for the link. I of course now don't remember much of the book at all, except I was also put off by the exotifyinng of the hero and his multiracialness.