I have wanted to read this book ever since I first heard about it. I have been excited, I have been telling all my asian-loving friends about it (especially the ones who complain of lack of asian-centric romances) and the second I saw it up on NetGalley I requested to read it (sadly that didn't work out, but that's not for here to worry over). So when I got my copy in my hands, I loved it like nothing else and treasured it. Look how pretty it is.

And then I began to read it, because a book you love looking at but don't read is as useless as a gilded sword with no edge.

One of the best things about historical romances--no matter what era they are set in--is reading about the cultural norms and practices as a matter of fact day to day thing, instead of in some dusty history book. Jeannie gives us multiple different stations of life for back during the Tang Dynasty (which ran from 618 to 907 A.D. with a brief break between 690 to 705). Ai Li's life as a Princess, as well as Ryam's life as a wandering foreign swordsman are both given careful consideration. Neither is glorified or treated as overly dramatic; we see the downside to being a daughter in the Shen family (the current ruling family) as well as the upside.

Honor is a big deal in Ai Li's world. Honoring one's ancestors, honoring one's parents, honoring one's word, honoring one's self--and this drove the story. Whereas I think sometimes I would have been taken aback by how quickly events seemed to unfold, I understood as well. It wasn't a consciously spoken thought, not until later at least, but Ai Li (called 'Ailey' by Ryam) knew that Ryam could be trusted. Despite his protestations otherwise, his actions were much louder. He protected Ai Li even while drugged, he helped her get home, he kept his distance when she asked him to--he had honor.

Ryam was interesting to read about, though I wish we knew more about him. He was very circumspect, because he grew up as a nomadic swordsman basically; first because his dad did such and later because it was all he knew. He definitely wanted Ai Li from the first, but he even though he let his thoughts veer towards the sexual (often) he also respected Ai Li for her skill with her swords and her courage. She didn't shirk from hard situations, she embraced and resolved to find ways to make them work for her. The few times she faltered was because her belief in her family was shaken so badly, but always she recovered her equilibrium swiftly.

The ending came swiftly, one thing after another happened with decisions being made under duress. I admit I was pretty pissed at Ai Li's father, the Emperor at the end. She spent the entire book speaking out against the marriage, why are you questioning if she wants to be married now? At least he made good by her, but I wonder at the consequences (in fact I hope we learn more in the sequel The Dragon and the Pearl) of everyone's actions.

I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a new line of romances for Harlequin. I would be over the moon if they decided to start involving Asia in their historical line--think of the possibilities! ( )

This was my first Harlequin romance novel, and I was not disappointed! This review comes from a re-read. I actually first picked this up a couple of years ago, when I was trying to get into the genre. I didn't know where to start. So many novels looked the same. They were set in Victorian or Regency England between a hulking and brooding alpha hero and a feisty and ill-behaved heroine while this thing called "the ton" (which Jane Austen never mentioned) clucked their tongues at them behind their fans. Jeannie Lin offers a breath of fresh air into the genre by taking her readers on a magical journey to Tang Dynasty China.

The book opens with a VERY naive heroine in Ai Li. At first, her extreme innocence and complete trust in literally EVERYONE is grating, but I eventually got over it. As the novel progressed, it became clear that her naivety stemmed less from stupidity and more from a very strict, black-and-white view of the world, which is repeatedly challenged. She's the heart of this novel, for sure, and reading about her journey was like watching a Zhang Yimou film. I can imagine this would be very cinematic, if it ever played out on the big screen.

The hero Ryam is the polar opposite of Ai Li (whom he called 'Ailey' for the entire novel and was extremely irritating). He doesn't have as strict a world-view beyond the fact that he's convinced he's a piece of shit. He honestly isn't, but his reasons for self-loathing felt too contrived and really cheapend Ai Li's love for him, much as her family feared. I didn't really buy his epiphany that he loved her, and he never really admitted it to himself either. He just kept coming up with excuses as to why he couldn't have her. He was so convincing in this that I eventually wondered why he was still around, but he came through in the end in a very dramatic fashion.

If you want something different but familiar, I highly recommend this book, as well as Jeannie Lin as a whole. In Butterfly Swords, you'll find a lot of familiar tropes, but the new setting breathes new life into them and will remind you of why you love to read romance novels. ( )

Durante la turbulenta dinastía Tang, época de intrigas palaciegas y luchas por el poder, la princesa imperial Ai Li huyó de su inminente boda al descubrir que su prometido estaba conspirando contra su padre, el emperador. Sin más armas que sus pequeños sables, lejos de su hogar, no tuvo más remedio que suplicarle ayuda a un extraño guerrero de ojos azules.
Ryam nunca le había tenido aprecio a la vida, pero la confianza ciega que Ai Li despositaba en él, así como el carácter obstinado y honorable de la joven, lo incitaban a protegerla contra cualquier amenaza. Y eso implicaba no seducir a la primera mujer que había deseado realmente en su vida...

Eyeroll-worthy dynamics forced into what's apparently supposed to pass as romance. Constant reflections on each other's appearance, the man thinking the woman is adorable in grossly dismissive ways, the woman focusing on the man's intimidating size, the wager to win a kiss, blah blah no thanks. ( )

I loved the first half of this story. It's a great road romance in an unusual setting with unusual characters (for historical romance). Ai Li is escaping from an arranged marriage because she's discovered that her groom had her brother murdered and is plotting against her father, who is a powerful leader in the Tang empire (which leader exactly isn't revealed until much later). She is helped by Ryam, a mercenary barbarian from the West when the groom's henchman track her down. Ryam and Ai Li eventually make their way back to the capital, learning about each other and falling in lust-then-love along the way. But they are truly starcrossed lovers, since she's imperial elite and he's a mercenary barbarian. Her life and future are tied up inextricably with her family responsibilities, while he has no family except his fellow soldiers-for-hire.

Ai Li knows her parents will be angry, but she hopes they'll understand once she tells them why she ran away. Their reactions are unexpected, however, and that sets in motion the second half of the story. This part is a lot about imperial politics and their push-pull romance. How can they possibly wind up together? The answer, in the climactic scenes, was a letdown. Oh, they get their HEA, but it feels very deus ex machina and I would have liked much more backstory about how the decision came about. The characters who are so important in the closing chapters feel shortchanged, given how rich much of the rest of the book is. I also wanted way more about Fifth Brother, but that's a personal thing not a flaw of the book.

Ai Li and Ryam are very likeable as the main couple. Ai Li is not just a kickass heroine, the text shows you how she comes by her gifts, and both her strengths and limitations are well portrayed. Ryam has an interesting backstory, and while he's not the most charismatic hero (he's not educated and he mostly thinks about Ai Li and combat), it's kind of nice to have a hero who isn't All Things To All People. He reminded me a bit of Ruck in Kinsale's For My Lady's Heart.

The world is fascinating and immersive. I have no idea what the actual Tang Dynasty was like and there are definitely anachronistic/modern attitudes and representations in the book, but the internal consistency was strong and the characters worked within the fictional setup. This is a great debut, and it's more polished than I expected. I love Lin's later novels, but I expected this one to be rougher. It's not as complex and relies a bit more on tropes, but it's an engaging, rewarding read. ( )