Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia
Product Type: Book
Product Price: $17.99
Manufacturer: Greenwillow Books
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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.
Reviews
Rating: 1 / 5
Date: 2010-09-01
Summary: "Warning - book is not suited for kids"
I borrowed the book in the YA section and placed it on the summer book-reading shelf for my kids at home. I decided to read through the book today and was dismayed at how inappropriate this book is for early teens. The author placed too much emphasis on superficial and perverted sexual desires of lecherous men. The description in the dust jacket is about the adventures and bravery of a young girl - highly misleading.
Parents beware!
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-08-23
Summary: "When You Dream, Dream Big"
This is the most beautiful, fantastic and mysterious novel I've read in a long time. In Silver Phoenix, Cindy Pon, the author, writes about Ai Ling, Chen Yong and Li Rong. Chen Yong and Li Rong are brothers who travel on a journey with Ai Ling. Although the brothers' purpose is different from the reasons Ai Ling makes the journey, the threesome become very close to one another. On this journey Ai Ling is in search for her father. Ai Ling also does not want to have the love of her life picked for her by other people. She is not a girl-woman of the past. She is a girl-woman of the present and future very able to make her own decisions.
The reasons that motivate these three young people are very good ones. However, in order to become stronger in character along the way they meet all sorts of difficulties. Every page of the book is filled with magnificent beauty and at times strange ugliness. For these reasons I never wanted to change places with Ai Ling. I felt satisfied to be her cheer leader by hoping for the best as she and the guys traveled along.
I love this book because Ai Ling is a strong young woman. I think she could have made the journey alone. However, the young men made the journey more exciting. Ai Ling is a perfect heroine for young women. She never turns her back on the worst of the situations. She boldly stares anyone or anything in the face no matter what their plans are for her life. Since Ai Ling is like most young women, there are times when she feels a bit overwhelmed. This is when tears slide down her face. "The tears came again, and she put her face in her hands. She felt the Lady stroke her hair. Something her mother used to do.....The tears dropped like glass into her palm."
Cindy Pon became my guide to an unknown world, the world of fantasy in books. I will look for more of the same genre to read in the coming day. I have been spoiled by the masterful writing of this author. Will I ever meet another girl like Ai Ling? She is able to set her spirit free making it become a part of another person's thoughts and body. Such power is not taken lightly by Ai Ling. She reserves it for special times. She never uses her power for magical show. "She expanded her spirit and wrapped it around his. He continued to struggle, like a slippery fish caught in the binds of her net."
I think many young women will identify with Ai Ling's feelings. Ai Lings says "I cannot imagine a world without men. I envy the men in our society for their freedom at times." In Silver Phoenix young women will begin to realize that there dreams can come true too. The world is not made for just men neither is it made for just women. It is a universe created for all people, no matter the gender, to choose their particular path in life because the reality of equality rings throughout time and space. Our world is one made for magical possibilities. "He showed her a coin trick....The gold coin then turned into an emerald duck and waddled into the shallow water. She clapped her hands with enthusiasm. Yes, it is an amazing world where all kinds of dreams can come true and make us clap our hands with extreme happiness.
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-07-21
Summary: "Can't wait to read more from this author"
Fans of young adult fantasy who believe Harry Potter and Eragon encompasses all that can done within the genre need to open the new novel "Silver Phoenix," by Cindy Pon. Pon breaths some fresh life into the genre with a world as ancient and wondrous as any since Bilbo Baggins first set foot out of his hole. The author accomplishes this mainly by taking her readers away from the traditional Western-influenced fantasy worlds where big men with big swords fight big dragons, and she drops the readers right down into the world of ancient China. In this world, often scholars can be the greatest of heroes, and dragons are not always bad guys.
The story begins with a young girl named Ai Ling who is beginning to discover she has abilities unknown to her before the start of this tale. Ai Ling's father has traveled to the emperor's palace and has gone missing. Meanwhile, Ai Ling is facing a forced marriage to a man unworthy of her. But she will have none of that. She takes to the road to escape the marriage and to find her lost father. Along the way she makes friends with the mysterious swordsman Chen Yong and his comedic brother, Li Rong. Threats and monsters abound at every turn, but they are not all great muscular beasts to be thwarted by a might arm and sword of steel; logic and magic are often deadlier weapons than a blade in this tale. Eventually Ai Ling discovers that to save her father, she must confront an enemy more powerful than the emperor himself, the sorcerer Zhong Ye.
The outcome to this story, the finale, is one no person could have expected, not even Ai Ling herself. Without giving too much away ... love itself can be a terrible weapon.
The tale unfolds in a traditional manner, with the protagonist gathering a small band of friends and traveling across country to the ultimate showdown or fate, but there the similarities to most fantasy stories comes to an end. The villains here are unlike those found in most fantasy novels today, and the heroes are different, too; all of them spring from a culture different from ones more familiar to most readers, and this adds a unique element of wonderous emotional distance not felt possibly since the writings of Lord Dunsany Or J.R.R. Tolkien, the ever awe-inspiriing Neil Gaiman notwithstanding.
One word of warning, however. While this novel is for the YA audience, there are times in the tale when adult events take place. People are killed. Some of the monsters are quite disturbing. There is one scene where a rape almost occurs. Keep this in mind while deciding whether or not such a story is appropriate for your young reader. To be fair, there is nothing in "Silver Phoenix" overly gorey nor sexual, so there is no need to be too alarmed.
Another aspect to this book, the editing, shines quite well here. Many modern novels are rushed through the printing and publishing processes only to have a handful of errors still remaining in the ink, but not here.
The cover artwork, also, is quite strong and appropriate for the audience. Pon herself, a painter, also helped with some Chinese lettering within the novel, most notably the chapter headings.
For a great story that brings back the awe of something new, of youth, check out Cindy Pon's "Silver Phoenix." You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-07-12
Summary: "Gorgeous book cover, and entertaining book....!"
Like many here, I was attracted to the book because of the gorgeous cover...
As has been mentioned in previous reviews, 'Silver Phoenix' is basically about a 17-year-old girl named Ai Ling who must go on a quest to find her missing father. On that quest, she finds out that she more than a mere mortal of a girl. Also, Ai Ling is assisted by two brothers, Li Rong and Chen Yong, who each have a past of their own.
Author Cindy Pon has written a very detailed book, which (as I also saw for another reviewer) made things a bit confusing, since there were various demons and characters who show up...
Indeed, it was sometimes difficult to keep up with everything and everybody; but, I still read it from beginning to end, and I look forward to reading a sequel...if one is in the works.
Recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-07-09
Summary: "A Colorful Adventure!"
If you want to take a journey across ancient China and through mythical Chinese lands of beauty this book will not disappoint. It is also a wonderful paranormal journey with a beautiful young woman when such things were unheard of for women. Her journey to find her father is met with mythological creatures she only read about in her father's books. She also finds an enigmatic companion who's life becomes entwined with her own. Chen Young and Ai Ling become fast friends and true allies throughout this colorful, mythical adventure.
This book is a wonderful and fun journey much like the art films recently making it's debut on the American culture scene. The main character Ai Ling is very likable and I love the fact that she was a strong character even though she had no defensive training and had lead a sequestered life which was typical within her ranking in society. Sometimes she was frustrating in her rash decisions, but she learned from those decisions as well. I loved that about her character. There was violence and some sexual references which may not be appropriate for very young kids, but I think it was well done and it was within a cultural reference. Older teens will love this book. I gave this book 5 stars and can't wait for the next installment of this series. "The Fury of the Phoenix" should be here in April, 2011.