Sexual content involving minors including assault and substance abuse.

1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Head of the Dragon, is now only a story, like the ones Xiang has grown up with all her life. She desperately wants to prove her worth, especially to her mother, a shrewd businesswoman who never seems to have enough time for Xiang. Her father is also only a story, dead at sea before Xiang was born. Her single memento of him is a pendant she always wears, a simple but plain piece of gold jewelry.

But the pendant's true nature is revealed when a mysterious girl named Anh steals it, only to return it to Xiang in exchange for her help in decoding the tiny map scroll hidden inside. The revelation that Xiang's father sailed with the Dragon Fleet and tucked away this secret changes everything. Rumor has it that the legendary Head of the Dragon had one last treasure—the plunder of a thousand ports—that for decades has only been a myth, a fool's journey.

Xiang is convinced this map could lead to the fabled treasure. Captivated with the thrill of adventure, she joins Anh and her motley crew off in pursuit of the island. But the girls soon find that the sea—and especially those who sail it—are far more dangerous than the legends led them to believe.

In this "remix" of the classic Treasure Island, a girl grapples with identity and autonomy. Over the course of this novel the protagonist Shi Xiang discovers the true story of her past, and fights to decide for herself what her future will be. ( )

This book was so good! Based on historical pirates in Southeast Asia, it has fun characters and plot. It gets a bit wobbly plotwise in the last quarter but I enjoyed the whole thing. I have really liked other books by this author, but this was a step-up in terms of the details/language/descriptions and it was AMAZING! ( )

So this book was QUITE THE READ, to say the least. Of all the "Treasure Island" type retellings that I have read, this one is definitely, by far, my favorite. With queer representation that is so beautiful and feels so natural, while still giving you the tension and fulfilling those love story tropes we all crave, I really admired the relationship between Xiang and Anh. At the very start, I began thinking that the pacing was slow but it picked up speed quickly and in a way that was dynamic and thoroughly engaging. I really was excited by the writing style and loved the way the plot unfolded gracefully, making you fall in love with story, character, and setting. The found family element of this story melted my heart. This is something that I find so endearing in books and it was so lovely to have in A Clash of Steel. And finally, as a history teacher, I loved getting that glimpse into the story of Zheng Yi Sao/Ching Shih! What an absolute thrill! ( )