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shealea 's review for:
The Bird and the Blade
by Megan Bannen
Don’t let my rating fool you because I really, wholeheartedly adored The Bird and the Blade. I’ve been eyeing this title for a very long time (ever since I read Vicky’s review), and I am very pleased to confirm that, in many ways, this book has successfully met my expectations. Megan Bannen’s debut novel delivers a beautifully riveting, albeit heartbreaking, fantasy retelling. Maybe if I weren’t such an avid reader of Asian fantasy written by Asian authors, I’d have given this one a higher rating.
While I am completely unfamiliar with its source material (an Italian opera entitled Turandot), I don’t think that took away any enjoyment from my part. I do feel, however, that knowing more about the play may have better prepared me for the last one-third of the book. Nevertheless, I can easily imagine the original Turandot being “a product of its time” (meaning: deeply racist and sexist), and I appreciated how these themes were subtly challenged and subverted in this retelling, especially with regards to the burden of women (e.g. valued by their beauty, expected to be silent and docile, treated secondary to men).
I also really liked how The Bird and the Blade features an entirely Asian cast and is strongly rooted in Chinese and Mongolian history. It is a part of history that isn’t often highlighted, and it is a part of history that I admittedly know very little of — and yet, it is clear to everyone, myself included, that Megan Bannen did an impressive amount of research as she wrote this story. As a Southeast Asian woman myself, I am *understandably* wary of white authors telling Asian stories, especially ones that draw from real history, so it greatly pleases me that The Bird and the Blade is written with care, thought, and proper research.
In line with this, although this book is led by Asian characters, the story does not revolve around the struggles faced by Asians — which is a major brownie point for me. I’d love to see more Asian-led fantasy from all sorts of authors, but when it comes to portraying our struggles and our experiences as Asians, non-Asian authors need to stay in their lane.
Anyway, there is certainly plenty to love about The Bird and the Blade: excellent writing style, effective foreshadowing, complex character relationships that eventually sneak into your heart, political intrigue, forbidden romance, themes of filial piety, sacrifice, loyalty, and morality. Personally, I was greatly impressed by the author’s choice of using a non-linear approach to narrating the story, which is inherent to Eastern storytelling. I also just lived for all the details and metaphors and overall richness that The Bird and the Blade had to offer.
On a less positive note, I do have a few qualms with this book:
(1) The prince-slave dynamic between Jinghua and Khalaf. While I understand that their relationship largely stays true to the source material, I would have preferred that the power imbalance in their budding romance was challenged more strongly. Maybe Tasha Suri’s Empire of Sand has skyrocketed my standards for romance involving slaves, but I do stand by my belief that this novel could have done so much more to address the this incredibly huge boulder in their relationship.
(2) Again, I think the ownvoices Asian fantasy books that I’ve read and loved (books like Steel Crow Saga and The Bone Witch) have completely, utterly ruined me for fantasy written by white authors because I could not help but feel that The Bird and the Blade lacked a certain essence that makes Asian-inspired fantasies so enthralling and alive. With a focus on history, politics, and war, there was a disappointing lack of culture in this novel, and it was hard for me to ignore.
(3) The lack of trigger/content warnings. The Bird and the Blade can get really messy and really serious, and I wish warnings were put in place to better prepare its readers.
All in all, I am so happy to have finally read this book! I think Megan Bannen shows so much promise as a debut author, and I can definitely say that I will be on the lookout for her next books. Although this fantasy retelling pales in comparison to my favorite fantasy books, I still think that The Bird and the Blade is highly enjoyable and worth picking up. It offers a much-needed respite from white-centered, European fantasy, explores a historical timeline that is often overlooked in world history books, and delivers a really powerful story that challenges our perception of freedom and sacrifice.
Recommended!
Trigger/Content warnings:
While I am completely unfamiliar with its source material (an Italian opera entitled Turandot), I don’t think that took away any enjoyment from my part. I do feel, however, that knowing more about the play may have better prepared me for the last one-third of the book. Nevertheless, I can easily imagine the original Turandot being “a product of its time” (meaning: deeply racist and sexist), and I appreciated how these themes were subtly challenged and subverted in this retelling, especially with regards to the burden of women (e.g. valued by their beauty, expected to be silent and docile, treated secondary to men).
I also really liked how The Bird and the Blade features an entirely Asian cast and is strongly rooted in Chinese and Mongolian history. It is a part of history that isn’t often highlighted, and it is a part of history that I admittedly know very little of — and yet, it is clear to everyone, myself included, that Megan Bannen did an impressive amount of research as she wrote this story. As a Southeast Asian woman myself, I am *understandably* wary of white authors telling Asian stories, especially ones that draw from real history, so it greatly pleases me that The Bird and the Blade is written with care, thought, and proper research.
In line with this, although this book is led by Asian characters, the story does not revolve around the struggles faced by Asians — which is a major brownie point for me. I’d love to see more Asian-led fantasy from all sorts of authors, but when it comes to portraying our struggles and our experiences as Asians, non-Asian authors need to stay in their lane.
Anyway, there is certainly plenty to love about The Bird and the Blade: excellent writing style, effective foreshadowing, complex character relationships that eventually sneak into your heart, political intrigue, forbidden romance, themes of filial piety, sacrifice, loyalty, and morality. Personally, I was greatly impressed by the author’s choice of using a non-linear approach to narrating the story, which is inherent to Eastern storytelling. I also just lived for all the details and metaphors and overall richness that The Bird and the Blade had to offer.
On a less positive note, I do have a few qualms with this book:
(1) The prince-slave dynamic between Jinghua and Khalaf. While I understand that their relationship largely stays true to the source material, I would have preferred that the power imbalance in their budding romance was challenged more strongly. Maybe Tasha Suri’s Empire of Sand has skyrocketed my standards for romance involving slaves, but I do stand by my belief that this novel could have done so much more to address the this incredibly huge boulder in their relationship.
(2) Again, I think the ownvoices Asian fantasy books that I’ve read and loved (books like Steel Crow Saga and The Bone Witch) have completely, utterly ruined me for fantasy written by white authors because I could not help but feel that The Bird and the Blade lacked a certain essence that makes Asian-inspired fantasies so enthralling and alive. With a focus on history, politics, and war, there was a disappointing lack of culture in this novel, and it was hard for me to ignore.
(3) The lack of trigger/content warnings. The Bird and the Blade can get really messy and really serious, and I wish warnings were put in place to better prepare its readers.
All in all, I am so happy to have finally read this book! I think Megan Bannen shows so much promise as a debut author, and I can definitely say that I will be on the lookout for her next books. Although this fantasy retelling pales in comparison to my favorite fantasy books, I still think that The Bird and the Blade is highly enjoyable and worth picking up. It offers a much-needed respite from white-centered, European fantasy, explores a historical timeline that is often overlooked in world history books, and delivers a really powerful story that challenges our perception of freedom and sacrifice.
Recommended!
Trigger/Content warnings: