Book Review: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Title: Silver Phoenix (Kingdom of Zia #1)

Author: Cindy Pon

Details: Paperback, 368 pgs (also in hardcover)

Published: February 11th, 2011 (paperback) originally published April 28th, 2009 by Greenwillow Books

isbn: 0061730246 (ISBN13: 9780061730245)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Source: Purchased

Description:

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.
But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.
Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.
It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.

My Thoughts:

This is a fantasy book and I love fantasy.  But sometimes things get overly descriptive or are difficult to understand.  Not this one!  It starts off feeling a bit like a historical fiction taking place in China.  Now most people know that China is full of myths and superstitions so when Ai Ling starts seeing and experiencing odd things it just fit perfectly.  It was hard for her to believe, but she'd read about them and she seemed quite accepting of them and that's how it felt it should be.  We discovered things as she did and I could picture it all so perfectly!  The author says that this is a fictional world but she took many things from Chinese myths, customs and history.

This book had a soft feel.  Does that make sense?  It wasn't full of sharp corners and was never hard to read.  I didn't have this need to look away and breathe for a minute like I do in so many intense books.  It was a different kind of intense.   But was just the way I like it!

The descriptions were just perfect!  Maybe because I already had a picture in my head of the Asia that I've seen, all greenery and beauty, but even when things went for fantastical it was clear in my mind what it all looked like.  So she did the descriptions in a way that I was never bored and could still picture it all well.  

I loved the characters!  Ai Ling was so brave and although she started out knowing nothing she grew quickly as she came to realize she would have to toughen up to survive and to find her father.  She had an amazing ability that I really loved.  It was unlike anything I've read before and the way it was used in the story was perfect!  

Chen Yong was also a great character.  He was what so many of us end up loving in a male character.  He was kick butt and strong of character.  He was accepting of things in a way that still seemed realistic.  

The entire story had such a different feel to it but it pulled me in immediately and kept me entranced the entire time.  It was refreshing to have something so different, but yet so beautiful to read.  And beautiful it was!  I very highly recommend picking this book up.  You won't regret it!

You can find Cindy Pon:

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