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Never After Tales
Honour, She Obeys: A Dark and Twisted Mulan Retelling
When honour demands blood, who will make the sacrifice?
When the threat of the Rouran calls all Tuoba men to war, Mulan knows her father won’t be able to survive in the bloodbath to come. Facing marriage to a man who is determined to bend her to his will, Mulan creates her own fate by taking her father’s place.
Under the command of the dragon shifter Prince Kang, she fights alongside men she has known for years, and those she must keep her true identity from. The more time she spends with Prince Kang, the more she struggles to conceal who she really is along with her growing feelings for him. After a humiliating defeat, Kang and Mulan are given a final task to earn redemption – find the ancestral cave in the hope that its legendary powers can protect their kingdom.
Lurking in the shadows of the Imperial Palace, nefarious forces are set on taking that power for themselves. Blood and betrayal wait around every corner, making one wrong step all it will take to lead not only to their destruction, but the entire world’s.
Honour, She Obeys is a dark retelling that is part of the Never After Tales – a collection of over 40 authors giving your favourite fairy-tales a new twist.
When the threat of the Rouran calls all Tuoba men to war, Mulan knows her father won’t be able to survive in the bloodbath to come. Facing marriage to a man who is determined to bend her to his will, Mulan creates her own fate by taking her father’s place.
Under the command of the dragon shifter Prince Kang, she fights alongside men she has known for years, and those she must keep her true identity from. The more time she spends with Prince Kang, the more she struggles to conceal who she really is along with her growing feelings for him. After a humiliating defeat, Kang and Mulan are given a final task to earn redemption – find the ancestral cave in the hope that its legendary powers can protect their kingdom.
Lurking in the shadows of the Imperial Palace, nefarious forces are set on taking that power for themselves. Blood and betrayal wait around every corner, making one wrong step all it will take to lead not only to their destruction, but the entire world’s.
Honour, She Obeys is a dark retelling that is part of the Never After Tales – a collection of over 40 authors giving your favourite fairy-tales a new twist.
529 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 16, 2020
22 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
L.S. Slayford
17 books17 followersA native of Surrey, UK, L S Slayford is a fantasy and contemporary romance author is an unapologetic nerd who loves anime, Baileys, and anything supernatural.
A former archaeologist, she has lived in Europe, America, and China and speaks several languages. She shares her life with three dark minions - sorry, children. When not writing, you can find her dancing in her living room to Kpop, reading, or finalising her plans to take over the world.
A former archaeologist, she has lived in Europe, America, and China and speaks several languages. She shares her life with three dark minions - sorry, children. When not writing, you can find her dancing in her living room to Kpop, reading, or finalising her plans to take over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 4, 2020
So I think I didn't like this book.
No...no that's not right. I know I didn't.
It was too long - this felt a bit like a shounen manga; Kang and Mulan (plus assorted friends) would survive a battle against a foe, only for the next foe to be stronger and need them to power up somehow. It felt endless. Especially everything after the meeting with the Emperor.
It was all tell, little show - her friends all had different personalities, looks and mannerisms. Or so Slayford told us. At first they distinguished themselves, but somewhere around the first battle they all started acting the same? Not to mention I'm still not sure what the heck the ultimate plot here was.
So Prince Jizi (and a couple others) were simultaneously plotting to rule the world while also convincing their father, the Emperor, they would help him rule. Meanwhile the nominal bad guys, the Rouran were trying to stop the Imperial Family through genocide (which to be fair seemed to be the Imperial family's plan too). But literally everyone had time to try and kill Kang multiple times.
Kang was empty - at no point did he appear to have a soul. Not in the "he's merciless and unfeeling", in the "all superficial traits". He kisses well, isn't that bothered if Mulan was a dude (just apprehensive about how that sex would work), hated by everyone and not actually a great General. That's what I remember. His interactions with Mulan were either him growling about her belonging to him or him demanding she stop being stupid.
Mulan is just...ugh - she isn't so bad at first. Reckless, headstrong and naive...yes. but enjoyable to read about. After kissing Kang a few times she ventured into the downright contrary behaviors that are a caricature of her earlier defiance.
The ending - so two of Mulan's friends die, as well as a god and a spirit (who's grudge against Kang is so shoehorned into a plot that didn't need it). Another friend literally walks into the mist and two others hang out as "protection" for a school.
Instead of finding them first, Mulan runs home with Kang to introduce him to her mother (the father having died) THEN decides to backtrack for her friends. Who are AT LEAST 100 li (miles?) away.
In the end, i really truly can't recommend this book. Its not even FUN.
No...no that's not right. I know I didn't.
It was too long - this felt a bit like a shounen manga; Kang and Mulan (plus assorted friends) would survive a battle against a foe, only for the next foe to be stronger and need them to power up somehow. It felt endless. Especially everything after the meeting with the Emperor.
It was all tell, little show - her friends all had different personalities, looks and mannerisms. Or so Slayford told us. At first they distinguished themselves, but somewhere around the first battle they all started acting the same? Not to mention I'm still not sure what the heck the ultimate plot here was.
So Prince Jizi (and a couple others) were simultaneously plotting to rule the world while also convincing their father, the Emperor, they would help him rule. Meanwhile the nominal bad guys, the Rouran were trying to stop the Imperial Family through genocide (which to be fair seemed to be the Imperial family's plan too). But literally everyone had time to try and kill Kang multiple times.
Kang was empty - at no point did he appear to have a soul. Not in the "he's merciless and unfeeling", in the "all superficial traits". He kisses well, isn't that bothered if Mulan was a dude (just apprehensive about how that sex would work), hated by everyone and not actually a great General. That's what I remember. His interactions with Mulan were either him growling about her belonging to him or him demanding she stop being stupid.
Mulan is just...ugh - she isn't so bad at first. Reckless, headstrong and naive...yes. but enjoyable to read about. After kissing Kang a few times she ventured into the downright contrary behaviors that are a caricature of her earlier defiance.
The ending - so two of Mulan's friends die, as well as a god and a spirit (who's grudge against Kang is so shoehorned into a plot that didn't need it). Another friend literally walks into the mist and two others hang out as "protection" for a school.
Instead of finding them first, Mulan runs home with Kang to introduce him to her mother (the father having died) THEN decides to backtrack for her friends. Who are AT LEAST 100 li (miles?) away.
In the end, i really truly can't recommend this book. Its not even FUN.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2020
FIRST OF ALL, I apologize a thousand times over for how goddamn LONG it took to get this review out. This was absolutely ***NOT*** fault of the author or the story! The world — specifically, the U.S. — has gone to utter shit lately, and apparently all of my motivation has gone with it. My last review was, like, mid-May. Reading has felt like pulling teeth lately, and I feel SO bad because, as said, it was NOT because of the author.
I’m hoping the motivation has come back somewhat. So... fingers crossed for future reviews. ://
...Moving on!
I’m not super familiar with the legend of Mulan outside of the Disney movie, which I adore, but I think this was superbly written. There are elements that match up with the Disney telling, but the story overall is more adult and much more graphic than the Disney version. I’m honestly not sure whether to consider it Young Adult or Adult, it kind of straddles that line, but it is definitely Not PG like the Disney movie.
I do want to point out that I have absolutely NO idea what the author’s ethnicity is — whether they are of Chinese descent at all — so, if they are of Chinese descent, please feel free to brush off this little comment of constructive criticism. But, I showed this book to a good friend of mine who LOVES Mulan, and is of Chinese descent, but feels that the cover of this book feels a little like cultural appropriation, and she would be hesitant to pick it up because of that (her words — I am whiter than white, so I feel it’s not my place to say what I think of the cover). Again, if the author is of Chinese descent at all, feel free to ignore this bit! But, if they’re not, this viewpoint on the cover could be something to consider. :)
Back to the plot-line! I absolutely think Mulan is a fucking badass in this retelling, and she proves that VERY early on in the story. But, I also loved Kang, and I LOVE that this story didn’t just brush aside his potential bisexuality. I know a lot of people who see the character from the movie as a sort of bisexual symbol, and the fact that this story latches onto that fan theory is great. I think it definitely adds to the character, and adds a whole new element to the romance.
The action/battle scenes in this book were phenomenal — perhaps some of the best battle scenes I’ve read in any book in recent memory. Even before Mulan meets up with the army, there’s a fight/self-defense scene that really sets the tone for the rest of the book. I think the battle scenes are definitely some of this book’s strongest points.
The imagery in this book was absolutely excellent, and that’s a big help in what made the fight scenes so good. The grammar and spelling is also very good, though I did pick up on a few errors. I noticed that the author tends to mix up “peak” and “peek” fairly frequently, and, a little less frequently but still there, “to” and “too.” The “to/too” error wasn’t as bad, I only picked up on a couple, but the “peak/peek” mixup is pretty prevalent.
Overall though, I think this was an awesome retelling and the action is DEFINITELY what made this story. If you’re a fan of Mulan, I would definitely consider picking this up! A fast-paced tale with awesome imagery.
I’m hoping the motivation has come back somewhat. So... fingers crossed for future reviews. ://
...Moving on!
I’m not super familiar with the legend of Mulan outside of the Disney movie, which I adore, but I think this was superbly written. There are elements that match up with the Disney telling, but the story overall is more adult and much more graphic than the Disney version. I’m honestly not sure whether to consider it Young Adult or Adult, it kind of straddles that line, but it is definitely Not PG like the Disney movie.
I do want to point out that I have absolutely NO idea what the author’s ethnicity is — whether they are of Chinese descent at all — so, if they are of Chinese descent, please feel free to brush off this little comment of constructive criticism. But, I showed this book to a good friend of mine who LOVES Mulan, and is of Chinese descent, but feels that the cover of this book feels a little like cultural appropriation, and she would be hesitant to pick it up because of that (her words — I am whiter than white, so I feel it’s not my place to say what I think of the cover). Again, if the author is of Chinese descent at all, feel free to ignore this bit! But, if they’re not, this viewpoint on the cover could be something to consider. :)
Back to the plot-line! I absolutely think Mulan is a fucking badass in this retelling, and she proves that VERY early on in the story. But, I also loved Kang, and I LOVE that this story didn’t just brush aside his potential bisexuality. I know a lot of people who see the character from the movie as a sort of bisexual symbol, and the fact that this story latches onto that fan theory is great. I think it definitely adds to the character, and adds a whole new element to the romance.
The action/battle scenes in this book were phenomenal — perhaps some of the best battle scenes I’ve read in any book in recent memory. Even before Mulan meets up with the army, there’s a fight/self-defense scene that really sets the tone for the rest of the book. I think the battle scenes are definitely some of this book’s strongest points.
The imagery in this book was absolutely excellent, and that’s a big help in what made the fight scenes so good. The grammar and spelling is also very good, though I did pick up on a few errors. I noticed that the author tends to mix up “peak” and “peek” fairly frequently, and, a little less frequently but still there, “to” and “too.” The “to/too” error wasn’t as bad, I only picked up on a couple, but the “peak/peek” mixup is pretty prevalent.
Overall though, I think this was an awesome retelling and the action is DEFINITELY what made this story. If you’re a fan of Mulan, I would definitely consider picking this up! A fast-paced tale with awesome imagery.
June 1, 2020
I was excited to read this book, Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies and I am a big fan of all the different retellings that are out there now so this book was perfect for me. It is part of the Never After Tales that is all different authors picking a different fairy tale and giving them a twist (I love the entire series honestly). This was a very imaginative retelling of Mulan the author did a great job of keeping the basics of the tale there but making it awesome, added in a sexy dragon shifter lots of action and romance and it kept me turning pages late into the night. Well done.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 23, 2020
This gave a new twist to Mulan. I loved it! It had action, romance and a lot of twist going on. Once you get started you will not be able to put it down. This gave you a real life version of what Mulan went through joining the army and falling for the prince, all the trials and tribulations that they went through saving the world. I recommend this book for reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 3, 2020
I like Mulan Disney movie and Unlike the book. The book is not sicky sweet is brutal and shows all dangers there could be. Well developed reality and background. Good plot. Great characters. Some magic and a lot of action. All together a really good book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 16, 2020
I thought this was a really great read. I love fairytale retellings. This story is a Mulan retelling. I thought the story and characters were well written and held my interest. I loved the book cover as well. If you love fairytale retellings then I recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 18, 2020
Holy cow! I cannot recommend this book enough. From start to finish there are more twists and turns than the Yellow River! Mulan is a badass girl with a sharp tongue. Kang is hot, hot, and hotter still. Magic, dragon shifters, epic battles, blood, and death ... what more could you ask for?
If you haven't read this yet, get a copy now! The author does an amazing job.
If you haven't read this yet, get a copy now! The author does an amazing job.
August 1, 2021
An interesting retelling of Mulan with a twist.
This is the first time I delved into a book where it takes on a previous story and offers a new angle to it.
Overall, L.S. Slayford does a solid job with the story and bringing the characters to life. It was a refreshing take and my interested in similar stories has grown.
It is definitely worth a read.
This is the first time I delved into a book where it takes on a previous story and offers a new angle to it.
Overall, L.S. Slayford does a solid job with the story and bringing the characters to life. It was a refreshing take and my interested in similar stories has grown.
It is definitely worth a read.
February 23, 2022
Great book!
I am so glad I read this book! It was a great read and kept me interested the whole way through. The book seemed a little long at times but every part of this story made it better. All of the characters were well developed and the imagery drew you into the story flawlessly. It was a clean book but still had plenty of romance.
I am so glad I read this book! It was a great read and kept me interested the whole way through. The book seemed a little long at times but every part of this story made it better. All of the characters were well developed and the imagery drew you into the story flawlessly. It was a clean book but still had plenty of romance.
May 28, 2020
I LOVED this tale of Mulan! I love who the Dragon in this version ended up being! The ending did leave some to be desired though but still. Everything was so well written!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 31, 2020
Every story I heard of Mulan has always been from the view of someone else's eyes. While frictional, this is the first written from her perspective. Different but refreshing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 1, 2020
This is a new twist on the Mulan fairytale. I loved that Kang is a dragon shifter and of course Mulan is a badass warrior. I like that we see her perspective in this tale. I enjoyed this action packed dark romance. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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September 21, 2023DNF.
I love Mulan retellings and I'm sure I would've enjoyed it, but alas, 3rd povs are often these days so hard for me to enjoy. Its harder to relate to what happens to the characters, their surroundings, etc.
I love Mulan retellings and I'm sure I would've enjoyed it, but alas, 3rd povs are often these days so hard for me to enjoy. Its harder to relate to what happens to the characters, their surroundings, etc.
May 20, 2024
I love any retelling of the story of Mulan,
and this one was so beautifully written. It shows us how Mulan was a fighter, but at the same time, she was a woman who longed for love.
and this one was so beautifully written. It shows us how Mulan was a fighter, but at the same time, she was a woman who longed for love.
September 22, 2023
Different take on Mulan story
Enjoyed this new take on the story of Mulan, it stuck to the main premise about honor above all, but in this story she’s not just trying to save the emperor, but to save the empire from him and certain people in this story. Good clean read, lots of action, the lead female character remains a strong character throughout the story line, she not afraid to show her vulnerabilities, but embraces them and comes out stronger for it.
Enjoyed this new take on the story of Mulan, it stuck to the main premise about honor above all, but in this story she’s not just trying to save the emperor, but to save the empire from him and certain people in this story. Good clean read, lots of action, the lead female character remains a strong character throughout the story line, she not afraid to show her vulnerabilities, but embraces them and comes out stronger for it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews