A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix

It's more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

I have never been much of a classics reader and I probably don't even remember all of them which I did manage to read, and Treasure Island seems to be one of those which I can't recollect at all. So I couldn't approach this as a retelling and more like any new YA fantasy. And it was definitely quite fun.

The first thing that makes an impression in this book is the prose. It's beautiful and lush and there were so many moments where I wanted to linger and savor the descriptions, as well as the atmosphere the author managed to create. The other highlight of the book was the setting, and it's inspiration from the story of the Chinese pirate queen Ching Shih. I loved how the author incorporated her legend into this tale while also giving a commentary on the corrupt empires of both China and Vietnam. The story itself on the other hand is a fairly standard YA adventure fantasy with the usual tropes, a cute f/f romance subplot and a twist that was quite predictable. But nonetheless, it was quite entertaining and I managed to finish it in a single sitting.

Xiang is also a typical YA protagonist - ignored by her successful independent but absent mother whose love and attention she craves; and is obsessed with reading adventure stories and dreams that one day she could have her own. But she is ultimately an innocent village girl who sees the vibrant city life of Canton with stars in her eyes and just wants the option to experience it all. There is an innocence to her privileged bookish existence, but it doesn't make her arrogant in anyway and she is very capable of compassion, humility and hard work.

Anh on the other hand knows the reality of poverty and the struggles of living on the sea, which has made her cynical as well as practical, giving more importance only to things which can provide meals and shelter and not frivolous experiences like poetry and books. But she can't escape the sweet charm of Xiang, in the same way Xiang can't help but fall for Anh's mischievous nature. It may not be insta love but there's definitely a bond that's formed in their first meeting, which slowly develops into love. It's sweet and endearing and a nice addition to the story.

There were quite a few side characters but the ones who made the most impression were Xiang's formidable mother who is a force to reckon with and not easy to understand at all; Master Feng who was more of a caring parent to Xiang than anyone else in the world; and Captain Hoa, Anh's mother who is good natured and caring while also being a brave leader of her crew.

In the end, this one was basically fun. It has a cool on the sea setting, a fascinating backdrop of pirate legends, two young women who may have different motives but ultimately want to have an adventure together and prove themselves, and an ever elusive long lost treasure that forms the fulcrum of the story but ultimately it isn't what this book is about. This is a tale of love and family and I think it will delight any lover of YA adventure novels, and I also feel that it will be perfect for younger readers as well.