Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan is probably one of the most talked-about films of the year. Partly because its original animated film is so deeply loved by the generation that spent their childhood belting out the lyrics to I’ll Make A Man Out of You. Partly because watching the remake on Disney Plus comes with a hefty additional charge. But mostly because there’s an ongoing call to boycott this film (#BoycottMulan).
The bottom line is that the live-action film of Mulan is headlining everywhere! And frankly, it’s getting a little bit redundant. Personally, after reading this film review and the Twitter thread, I need not know anything else about this remake.
Are you tired of Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan?
Or at the very least, are you tired of all the attention it’s getting? Especially since there are so many incredible Chinese authors and creators who won’t ever reach that level of visibility? Me too.
After a lot of strategic keyword searches, I’ve put together a humble list of books by Chinese authors. This curated list ranges from reimaginings of the Ballad of Mulan to fantasies that are inspired by Chinese mythology to stories that radiate the same vibes as Mulan’s character arc. In other words, be prepared for a lot of diversity and flavor.
In this post, you’ll find 14 glorious books by Chinese authors that you can read instead of throwing your money at Disney’s live-action Mulan. I’ve marked the books that I’ve personally read with a cute yellow heart emoji (?).
Caster by Elsie Chapman ?
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In a world where magic is dangerous and illegal, Aza Wu enters an underground casting tournament to avenge the sister she lost and to save the legacy of her family’s teahouse.
WHY READ IT: Much like Mulan, Aza deeply cares about her family’s legacy and honor. Which drives her into a dangerous web of lies. She is also exceptionally bad-ass!
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He ?
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: After her beloved father passed away, Princess Hesina is suddenly thrust into power and in charge of a terrifyinglyunstable kingdom. Now, she must navigate court politics and simultaneously investigate the strange circumstances of the king’s death.
WHY READ IT: In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, Hesina is a determined and vulnerable heroine with a strong sense of justice and a deep love for her father. Classic Mulan traits.
Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo ?
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, this novella is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.
WHY READ IT: This is a feminist high fantasy that explores the adversities faced by fierce and powerful women. Definitely perfect for fans of Mulan’s resilience!
Correction: Nghi Vo is a Vietnamese-American author whose mother is Chinese but born in Vietnam. I apologize for this oversight.
Huntress by Malinda Lo
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In an effort to restore balance to the human world, Kaeda and Taisin journey to the city of the Fairy Queen and begin to fall in love in the process.
WHY READ IT: That chilling book cover! No pun intended. Also, it’s a fantasy teeming with fairy tricks, Chinese influences, and glorious sapphic content.
The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel.
WHY READ IT: It’s a Mulan retelling from a Chinese author! What’s not to love? Plus, this book draws inspiration from wuxia.
Reflection by Elizabeth Lim
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily.
WHY READ IT: A reimagining of the Mulan we know from our childhood — but with a unique twist involving the underworld. Plus, it’s focused on Mulan’s relationship with Captain Shang!
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim ?
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Maia dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land. But as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin.
WHY READ IT: This lyrical, sweeping fantasy is pitched as Mulan meets Project Runway. A fun combo to read about!
Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan ?
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Anlei is forcibly married off to a powerful viceroy with a fleet of mechanical dragons. In exchange for her hand and an enchanted River Pearl, he offers her village permanent protection. But Anlei’s noble sacrifice is interrupted when a young thief steals the River Pearl for himself.
WHY READ IT: Anlei is a headstrong acrobat warrior who dreams of a bigger purpose outside of her betrothal. This book is a brilliantly written subversion of the traditional hero’s journey.
The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In the village of Huanan, Li Jing is sold as a bride to the Koh family, where she will be the wife and nursemaid to their three-year-old son, Ju’nan. It’s not fair, and Jing feels this bitterly, especially when she is treated poorly by the Koh’s, and sold yet again into a worse situation that leads Jing to believe her only option is to run away, and find home again.
WHY READ IT: A young girl sacrificed for the betterment of her family and is determined to find her way home. Plus, small animal sidekicks!
Bonus: Upcoming Releases
10
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
AUTHOR: Sue Lynn Tan
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: 2022
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Inspired by the legend of Chang-O, the Moon Goddess, a young woman flees her cherished home on the moon when she is hunted by the Celestial Emperor for her mother’s crime. Struggling in the land of immortals, Xing Yin seizes an opportunity to train in the emperor’s household. Her ambition to free her mother drives her to master her hidden powers, as the passion which flames between her and her enemy’s son throws her dreams into peril. When forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, her choice between love and friendship, family and honor will forever alter the fate of the realm.
ADD ON GOODREADS
11
Heart of Severed Leaves
AUTHOR: Judy I. Lin
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: 2022
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Inspired by Chinese history and mythology. The story follows commoner Ning as she fights to save her dying sister by entering the palace’s first magical tea-brewing competition. But political schemes and secrets make her goal of winning access to the royal physicians far more dangerous than she imagined.
ADD ON GOODREADS
12
Iron Widow
AUTHOR: Xiran Jay Zhao
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: 2021
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Iron Widow is a YA Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. The duology will follow an 18-year-old re-imagining of her as she avenges her sister’s murder by an intensely patriarchal military system that pairs boys and girls up to pilot giant magical mecha based on creatures from East Asian myth, but in which boy pilots are treated like celebrities, while girl pilots must serve as their concubines.
ADD ON GOODREADS
13
Jade Fire Gold
AUTHOR: June C.L. Tan
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: 2021
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In order to save her grandmother from a cult of dangerous priests, a peasant girl cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous alliance with an exiled prince bent on taking back the Dragon Throne. The pair must learn to trust each other but are haunted by their pasts—and the true nature of her dark magic.
ADD ON GOODREADS
14
She Who Became the Sun
AUTHOR: Shelley Parker-Chan
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: 2021
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: China, 1345. After her family’s death, an iron-willed peasant girl steals her brother’s identity and fate of greatness in order to survive. Defying the bounds of gender with cunning and ingenuity, her ambition takes her from monk to leader of the rebellion against China’s Mongol rulers. But her rise brings her face to face with the empire’s most feared general: a eunuch as trapped by his gender as she is free of hers. Pitched as “Mulan meets The Song of Achilles,” She Who Became the Sun is a bold reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty that raises provocative questions about gender, fate, and individual power.
ADD ON GOODREADS
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I’d love to hear from you!
? What are your thoughts on the live-action remake of Mulan? Are you planning to watch it?
? Have you read any of the recommended books on this list? Did you find new titles to add to your TBR?
? Aside from the five bonus titles that I mentioned, are there any 2021 or 2021 upcoming releases that you’re looking forward to?
What a fantastic list, I love the original Mulan so just everything about it is disappointing. Definitely going to check out some of these books.
I am so in love with this list, Shealea! I was SO ANNOYED when I found out that Disney+ was adding a second paywall to Mulan. Like.. really annoyed. So my salty ass is LIVING for these recs! I am so happy to see Descendant of the Crane on here, and I really need to read Caster at some point, I bought it ages ago
Oh WOW this is such an amazing list, I will definitely be looking into these books! These covers are gorgeous and the premises are fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Thank you for much for this!
Truly the hype the movie Mulan is getting is a bit extra and I am so disappointed at no mushu and such a dramatised plot. We just need the essence of that family love which made the Mulan cartoon so special.
Descendent of the crane sounds cool!
Thank you again for being an inspiration, especially for my own new blog 🙂
Thank you for these, Shealea! There are more than enough reasons to not watch the new film but I’m grateful to learn about these books to add to my TBR!
Loved these recommendations so much!! I’ve already read and loved Spin the Dawn (and can’t wait to read its sequel), so I’ll definitely check out the other books. 😀 I wanna read Reflection asap, since I’ve read two other Twisted Tale books and didn’t enjoy them at all, but I have high hopes, since its author is Elizabeth Lim ^^
I have a few already on my TBR. Thanks for helping me add a few more to my never-ending TBR list.
I’ve only read one of these – DotC – but AHH some of these are already on my TBR, but I’ve got to add the rest!!! The sound so good, and I am so excited to get my hands on them. I’m already hoping the SG library has the e-copies.
Thank you for putting this together!
I’m so glad that the list is helpful for you. Fingers crossed that your library has the copies. ?
I have read The Empress of Salt and Fortune and Spin the Dawn. Loved them both. Thanks for this post
That’s great! I loved them both too. ?
I love this post, Shealea! I have no interest in any of Disney’s live action remake (although I will support the remake of The Little Mermaid to annoy racists), but Mulan in particular has been ruined imo. I don’t understand why she has to be magically special when in the original she just works her butt off to save her father.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune is stunning! I’m so excited for Vo’s next novella. 😀
I get that! I usually feel indifferent towards Disney’s live-action remakes. Including the star-studded Lion King one. And yeah, Mulan is beyond recognizable at this point.
I just got an e-ARC of Vo’s next novella, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. I’m very excited about it!
I am so excited of Iron Widow! Thank you for this, Shealea. I just bought Empress of the Salt and Fortune on Kindle as it is on sale. 🙂
Oh, that’s great! I really loved Empress of Salt and Fortune, and I hope you enjoy it too. Happy reading! ?
omg! thank you po for these wonderful recommendations!
Yay! ?
This is such a great list of recommendations Sheala! I have so many books to add to my TBR now, I can’t wait to get to them
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the books. ?
Mulan by Faye-Lynn Wu and illustrated by Joy Ang is a beautiful picture book I’d also recommend! Unfortunately I haven’t read it yet myself but the art is stunning!
Ooh. I’ll look into it. Thank you! ?
I’m tired of Disney live-action remakes in general. None of them holds a candle to the original animated films and it’s clear that most of the live-action remakes are simply money-grabbing productions. Rant over haha.
So many of these books are on my tbr shelf. I didn’t know that Empress of Salt and Fortune was a novella.
Spin the Dawn and Descendant of the Crane are two books I’m hoping to kick off the list this year, but I like the twist on Reflection and the adventures through the underworld. Might have to add that one to my list as well.
Thank you so much for sharing these recommendations.
Honestly, I agree. I feel really indifferent about the live-action remakes. Even the star-studded Lion King one. They do feel like cash-grabs that aren’t value-adding at all.
And ahh, I hope you like them! Descendant of the Crane is my all-time favorite, and it’s deliciously twist-y. ?
Sadly, even I’m slowly growing a disinterest in watching Mulan and I was actually looking forward to the movie. Anyway, thanks for sharing this wonderful list! I’m so excited to check some of these books out. 🙂
I hope you find a book that you like. ?
The fact that I’ve only read 2 books on this list makes me SO EXCITED because now I have so many new stories to fall in love with! I haven’t watched Mulan because my family doesn’t have Disney+ but I don’t think it’s something I’ll watch soon – there’s just been so many negative things surrounding the film from the actress’s statements to how Chinese culture was protrayed which is so disappointing. Would 10/10 choose to reread Spin the Dawn instead cause Maia owns my heart ?
Aww, your excitement brings me joy. ? I’m very eager to complete this list too.
I also need to get to reading Unravel the Dusk to get more of that Maia x Edan content. Spin the Dawn was so gorgeous and lyrical.
What an incredible list, thank you for this! I’m trying to branch out from the usual American/British authors that I tend to read, so this will be a nice switch.
Thank you! I’m glad that the list is helpful. ?
I have no interest in watching this but even with no expectations, reading the thread and the review still disappoints me because it just SO BAD. The plot makes no sense at all and I hate how they westernize so many elements. Not to mention the actress response to Hongkong and the latest Disney “thank you notes” ? It’s been a while since I see Gong Li in movies but still, this is not it. For a better Mulan adaptation, a lot of people have recommended Mulan: Rise of A Warrior (2009). I haven’t watch it either but people been praising it.
That being said, I have heard so many fantastic things about The Magnolia Sword! So many people loved it and it’s always fill the top 3 spot of “Mulan-inspired book recommendations” 🙂
Yes, I agree!!! It’s just bad on so many levels, but especially the issues surrounding the actress. I have seen Mulan: Rise of A Warrior (2019) being recommended around, so I do have plans on watching it eventually. My hopes are up!
I’ve also noticed that many readers sing praise about The Magnolia Sword. I have an e-copy, but I haven’t read it yet. I’m really excited, though! ?
This list is amazing and I will definitely be looking forward to reading these. Thank you for the recs <3
Thank you, Dia! I’m glad that the list is helpful. ?
Nah. I am most excited for Jade Fire Gold. I’ve read four out of the ones already released and am very excited to add The Crystal Ribbon to my list! Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon was one of my favorites of 2019, and I really need to get my own copy. Descendant of the Crane was one of my top 10 books of 2019 because it was so well-written and the world building was amazing. It also followed a different structure than most books I read, and I liked the mixing of the historical and mystery genres.
Jade Fire Gold sounds like it’s going to be AMAZING, and I really cannot wait! I’m also quite excited about The Crystal Ribbon and I hope I can read it soon. ?
Great post Shealea, and I need to push Empress of Salt and Fortune and The Magnolia Sword up my TBR!
I listened to The Crystal Ribbon a few months ago on Scribd and highly recommend it, even if you don’t usually read middle grade it’s got a great storyline and immersive world.
I agree with you completely about #BoycottMulan. Ever since the actress’ controversy, I knew this film adaptation will bring dishonor.
Anyway, thank you so much for these book recommendations, Shealea! They all seem great, but I mostly want to pick up Reflection (I heard so many great things about the Twisted Tales series) and Spin the Dawn (Mulan meets Project Runway? Sign me up!). ❤️
Yes, I feel really uncomfortable with supporting the film.
Spin the Dawn had really beautiful writing, and I look forward to reading more of Elizabeth’s books. ?
Thank you for this great list! Some are already on my TBR list, but also found some new ones to add. I did read and LOVED the novel REFLECTION by Elizabeth Lim ?
Yay, I’m glad! Reflection is still sitting on my TBR. ?
Shocked and ashamed that I have only read one of these amazing books when all of them are on my wishlist
I haven’t finished this whole list either! You’re good. We still have time.
I love this post so much! I feel like I’ve had Jade Fire Gold on my TBR for so long and it’s finally coming out next year! She Who Became the Sun and Iron Widow are also on my TBR because they sound amazing!
Thank you, Kate! 2021 has an amazing lineup of releases, and these are some of my most anticipated ones for sure.