Mulan: Before the Sword

by Grace Lin

Overview

From New York Times best-selling author, Grace Lin, comes a novel filled with adventure and wonder set before the Walt Disney Studios film, Mulan .


Family is important to Hua Mulan—even if her parents don’t understand why she would rather ride her horse, Black Wind, than weave, or how her notorious clumsiness can be so different from the graceful demeanor of her younger sister, Xiu. But despite their differences, Mulan has a deep love for her family, especially Xiu. So when her sister is bitten by a poisonous spider, Mulan does everything she can to help, including seeking out a renowned healer. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to both the mysterious spider bite and the healer than meets the eye.


On a quest with the Jade Rabbit of legend, Mulan visits extraordinary places, meets Immortals, and faces incredible obstacles while searching for an antidote for her sister. And the danger only rises when Mulan learns of a prophecy foretelling that a member of the Hua family will one day save the Emperor . . . and of the powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to prevent it from coming to pass.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368020336
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/11/2020
Edition description:	Media Tie-in
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	448,692
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Newbery and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of novels, early readers, and picture books. Her novel When the Sea Turned to Silver (a companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon) was a National Book Award Finalist.


Grace is an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio as well as a video essayist for PBS News Hour. She is also the speaker of the popular TEDx talk “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf” and the co-host of the Book Friends Forever podcast. In 2016, Grace’s art was displayed at the White House where Grace herself was recognized by President Obama’s office as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling.

Editorial Reviews

02/03/2020

In this original fantasy prequel to Disney’s 2020 live-action Mulan film by Lin (A Big Mooncake for Little Star), Hua Mulan accompanies the Jade Rabbit of Chinese lore on a quest to save Mulan’s younger sister, Xiu. A formidable, shape-shifting foe named Daji, the White Fox; Daji’s pitiable servant, Xianniang, the Red Fox; and a few Chinese Immortals round out the cast. When a nine-legged spider bites the perfect, demure Xiu, she falls ill. Mulan, along with her beloved horse, Black Wind, is sent to fetch a healer visiting the next village. Revealed to be the Jade Rabbit, the Healer discloses that Xiu has been poisoned by Daji and will die if not given the antidote “before the night of the new moon.” Because a Hua daughter is prophesied to save the Emperor, Daji is intent on Xiu’s death. With the Jade Rabbit also poisoned by Daji, and waylaid at every step by Daji and her minions, Mulan has her work cut out for her. In the midst of this fast-paced quest, Lin’s distinctive peppering of folkloric tales throughout the narrative adds engaging layers, providing backstory and fleshing out characters’ relationships and motives. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 2019-12-08
Before becoming the legendary Chinese warrior, Mulan had to face her own demons.

A prophecy tells of a young girl who will grow up to save the emperor. Motivated by past grievances, the White Fox demon, Daji, strives to stop the prophecy by injecting that girl—Xiu—and her healer with a powerful poison. Desperate to save Xiu (though ignorant of her sister's portended role in the future), Xiu's sister, Mulan, aids the injured healer—who's revealed to be Jade Rabbit, an immortal with powers of his own. The Rabbit tells Mulan that they must travel to the garden of the Queen Mother of the Immortals to retrieve a rare plant needed for the cure—by the night of the new moon, before the poison reaches the victims' vitals. Mulan and the Rabbit ride off to their uncertain future on Mulan's horse, Black Wind, with a mix of dread and hope. As the Rabbit and his powers grow weaker by the hour, Mulan constantly battles her insecurities regarding her own identity and abilities vis-à-vis her expected traditional role in society. Daji also pays her visits, laying temptations and traps with the help of Red Fox, her accomplice. As usual, Lin artfully develops captivating characters with rich histories. Traditional tales are interspersed throughout the tightly written narrative to gradually reveal a complex web of legends and adventure that seamlessly blend together into one alluring saga. (A partial bibliography of Chinese tales and traditions is appended.)

A legendary tale for a legendary figure. (afterword) (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews