When her sister Luna is killed, Hua wants nothing more than to get revenge. Taking her father's place, she joins the army to fight against the Kou and kill the general who took her sister from her. Here, she must hide her identity as a female and become Huan. There's also a legend about dragons in Piao and Hua descends from their bloodline. The previous emperor wanted everyone who descended from dragons killed, so Hua isn't even supposed to exist.

In the training grounds, Hua meets Commander Jian who is an intimidating person to just about everyone, but not Hua. She won't let anyone get to her and won't back down from a challenge, so she isn't scared to meet Jian's eyes. But there are rumors going around about Jian. They say he led his men to their deaths and doesn't care about anyone. Hua isn't so sure she believes them because she sees a different side of him. He helps train her to be the best warrior she can be and is a fierce ally to have on the battlefield.

Reading DRAGON RISING is a great way to start off 2020! It's a retelling of Mulan with a twist of fantasy and dragons. I love how strong both Jian and Hua are in their own unique ways. Hua is headstrong and won't let anyone treat her differently just because she's a girl. Jian has had his heart broken and has scares from the battles of the present and the betrayals of his past. The two of them will have to rely on each other when push comes to shove.


Final Verdict: DRAGON RISING is a a fierce fantasy about a girl stepping out of her comfort zone to make a difference in the war and get her revenge. This is one fans of fantasy, Mulan, romance, action, adventure, and dragons won't want to miss!