The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan (2019) by Sherry Thomas is a satisfying YA retelling of the Mulan story, set in 5th century China. I was introduced to Thomas through her newest novel, The Librarians, which I loved so much that I had to check out her backlist.
As the book opens, the protagonist is engaged in a swordfight with Yuan Kai, the man she has been destined to battle since she was small. Their families have been fighting over a pair of swords for many years; her father was paralyzed during his duel, and he has been training Mulan to prevail for many years. Not only is she trained as a swordsman; her family specializes in hidden weaponry–small objects that can disable their opponents without warning.
The story follows the familiar outlines: there is a war coming, and every family must send a man to the front. With her father paralyzed, her brother a child, cousin having the mind of a child, and Mulan wearing the clothing of a man outside the house, she volunteers to go on the family’s behalf. There, she finds out that her opponent, Yuan Kai, is actually a princeling close to the royal family, and her skills in martial arts get her chosen to ride with their group.
Thomas’s pacing is perfect–I couldn’t stop reading, even though I knew the outlines of the story and generally, how things ended. I really loved the banter between the characters, and the larger-than-life feats Mulan managed to perform. There’s a conspiracy, and a heist, and Mulan saves the emperor, all tied up with a sweet romance.
I consider it weight-neutral, as there was little mention of body size or shape except in a neutral way.
Reading While Fat 