Silver Phoenix

February 2, 2011 Heidi Uncategorized 3

Silver Phoenix

Author: Cindy Pon

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: April, 2009

Pages: 338

About the Book: 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: If I ever have a daughter I would be pleased if she grew to be like Ai Ling (Well, without the freaky powers and demon attracting that is!)Seriously, this girl kicks butt… literally and figuratively! She aspires to be strong, brave, loyal, independent and above all truly good. I say aspires because it’s not realistic to be all these things all the time. She is sometimes selfish and makes some poor choices. This only adds to her appeal as a character. I feel that too often characters discover something about themselves and all of the sudden they are all that they want to be. Ai Ling discovers that she has unusual powers but this doesn’t change who she is fundamentally. She is still Ai Ling, a seventeen-year-old girl who still gets scared and is sometimes stubborn. She does the best she can. I love her for this. Also, I love Cindy Pon for this. Thank you for creating a character who is real (again, aside from the powers and all!)I also love that Ai Ling is strong AND feminine. Girls don’t have to be tomboys to be tough!

(I just realized that in the midst of my Ai Ling lovefest I neglected to mention the boys… they’re awesome too! Yea for guys who actually respect girls and aren’t just “moody boys who smolder!”)

Silver Phoenix is set in a captivating world with fantastical creatures, beautiful descriptions and mouthwatering food… Oh my stars, the FOOD! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has made my stomach growl as much as this one did! On a related note… the paperback edition was released today! It has one of Cindy Pon’s mother’s recipes in it. I may have to buy a copy just for that! The cover is pretty too:

So yeah, in a sentence: Cindy Pon is a literary rock star!

Author Malinda Lo gives a way better spiel on her website here. She knows what she’s talkin’ about folks! Also, head over to that link before Feb. 16 and you can enter to win a paperback copy of Silver Phoenix AND an ARC of Fury of the Phoenix. If you’ve got a bit of a creative side you can also go here and write a haiku for a chance to win a paperback copy of Silver Phoenix AND an ARC of Fury of the Phoenix. This contest ends THIS FRIDAY (2/4/11)You actually don’t have to have a creative side. To prove it here’s the entry I tweeted:

Will March never come?

Fury of the Phoenix will

finally be here!