Excerpts:-
"I enjoyed this, as I did Poon’s earlier
books. She does a terrific job of blending fantasy, mythology, and real
history all together to make a credible story. I would almost categorize
this book magical realism rather than fantasy simply because the
elements of magic are so closely woven into the factual parts of the
story. They just…belong. Of course Sai’er has a sprite friend. Of course
she is an immortal sent to earth. It could be no other way. There isn’t
any suspension of disbelief while reading this, it’s just the way
things are in Sai’er’s life. So that is particularly well done on the
author’s part."
"I think for someone like me, whose experience with wuxia/kung fu extends to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
and a handful of Jackie Chan films, this is a very good introduction to
the genre. Poon talks about her lifelong love of wuxia (Chinese martial
arts/kung fu novels), and references Jin Yong. I had never heard of him
before so now I am tempted to read some of his works. Apparently, he’s
big in the genre… I never would have learned about him had I not read
this book. I always appreciate a book that teaches me something!"
"I don’t
think this necessarily has to be an adult novel, either. Yes, there’s
some sex and gore, but I don’t think it was gratuitous or anything
inappropriate for a teen to read."
