"What if Mulan had to travel to the underworld?"
If you've seen the movie Mulan, I'm sure you remember the scene where Mulan and her fellow soldiers are fighting the Huns. She takes a cannon, fires it toward a mountain, and causes an avalanche. In the movie, Mulan is injured by the leader of the Huns.
This is where the book begins, but instead of Mulan being injured, it is Shang. His injuries are so bad that he is on the verge of death. Mulan travels to the underworld with Shang's guardian, ShiShi and makes a deal with King Yama: if she can get Shang out before the sunrises, then they can leave. If she is unsuccessful, she will remain in the underworld as a Demon.
SPOILER ALERT: Mulan succeeds! I expected the story to pick up at the battle with the Huns, Mulan getting injured, and then continuing like the story we all know. I was pleasantly surprised when the ending took a different route. The Huns have been defeated, Shang is alright, and expresses to Mulan (he found out who she really was when in the underworld) that he wants to meet her family and start a relationship with her (eek!).
I have been wanting to read this series for a while. So when it was the first pick of the year for our book club, I jumped right in. I enjoy retellings, and this book was no exception. I can't wait to read the rest.
Let me know what you think! And if you know of any good retellings, share those as well!
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