Hello friends! I have another great retelling to share with you all today! Thanks so much to Colored Pages Tours for including me on the tour!
About the Book:
Two intrepid girls hunt for a legendary treasure on the deadly high seas in this YA remix of the classic adventure novel Treasure Island.
1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Head of the Dragon, is now only a story, like the ones Xiang has grown up with all her life. She desperately wants to prove her worth, especially to her mother, a shrewd businesswoman who never seems to have enough time for Xiang. Her father is also only a story, dead at sea before Xiang was born. Her single memento of him is a pendant she always wears, a simple but plain piece of gold jewelry.
But the pendant’s true nature is revealed when a mysterious girl named Anh steals it, only to return it to Xiang in exchange for her help in decoding the tiny map scroll hidden inside. The revelation that Xiang’s father sailed with the Dragon Fleet and tucked away this secret changes everything. Rumor has it that the legendary Head of the Dragon had one last treasure—the plunder of a thousand ports—that for decades has only been a myth, a fool’s journey.
Xiang is convinced this map could lead to the fabled treasure. Captivated with the thrill of adventure, she joins Anh and her motley crew off in pursuit of the island. But the girls soon find that the sea—and especially those who sail it—are far more dangerous than the legends led them to believe.
About the Author:
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Indigo
About the Author:
CB Lee is a Lambda Literary Award nominated writer of young adult science fiction and fantasy. Her works include the Sidekick Squad series (Duet Books), Ben 10 (Boom!), and All Out Now (HarperTeen). CB loves to write about queer teens, magic, superheroes, and the power of friendship.
Lee’s work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Wired Magazine, and Hypable. Lee’s first novel in the Sidekick Squad series, Not Your Sidekick was a 2017 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist in YA/Children’s Fiction and a 2017 Bisexual Book Awards Finalist in Speculative Fiction. Seven Tears at High Tide was the recipient of a Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Fantasy Romance and also a finalist for the 2016 Bisexual Book Awards in the YA and Speculative Fiction categories.
My Thoughts:
“Everyone should be afraid of those who can embroider. We have the patience to keep stabbing the same thing over and over again.”
I was so excited to be selected as a tour host for A Clash of Steel because it was one of my most anticipated reads of this season! I’ve never read Treasure Island, and I’m not even sure what it’s about, so I can’t compare this to the classic, but I did enjoy this book without that added context (so no worries if you’re in the same boat as me and don’t know a thing about Treasure Island).
Clash of Steel really had so much to offer! Action and adventure, a FOUND family–one of the best tropes ever–and a slowburn sapphic romance! I was so on board with all those elements, and it really did deliver. Also did I mention it has the “there’s only one bed” trope?!This book seriously had a little bit of everything and I really smiled and genuinely enjoyed my time reading it! It is mostly character centric– focusing mostly on Xiang and Anh’s budding relationship, but I really enjoy stories like that. I also loved the historical aspect of incorporating the famous woman pirate Zheng Yi Sao. One thing I think I would have loved to seen expanded a bit was Xiang and her mother’s relationship. She kind of popped up out of nowhere and it felt a bit rushed.
Overall this was such a fun and adventurous read! If you’re looking for a diverse and great historical book about sapphic pirates, then look no further!!
If you liked A Clash of Steel, then check out…..
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