Inspired by the story of Mulan this is the story of a girl who discovers that being a soldier is actually where her strengths lie. Along the way she finds that her gifts are both a resource and a challenge. The boundaries between her female self and male self become blurred and quite fluid. They're faced with choices that are difficult and messy but ultimately are right for them.Zhilan later Zhi is an interesting character and quite fluid in how they present themselves. It's an interesting look at living in a semi-chinese world (without footbinding) and with bloodthirsty politics. Everyone has their own motivation and it's a read I recommend.
I do not recommend starting any of her books at bedtime. I keep making that mistake. I find them compelling read and fairly much unputdownable. ( )

Enjoyable and poignant story taking place in an alternate, China-like fantasy setting. It deals with friendship, family, loyalty and gender fluidity. ( )