This book continues right where The Night Ends With Fire left off. Meilin is revealed to be a woman serving in the army and is faced with a harsh choice: return to a life of powerlessness as a woman, or face imprisonment. Recognizing that both options are forms of captivity, she chooses prison. Despite her heroic defeat of the Phoenix cardinal spirit and saving countless lives, she loses everything. That is, until Sky devises a plan to marry her in order to secure her release. What follows is a tangled web of politics, royal intrigue, and vengeance. The arrival of Prince Lei—a cunning and charming rival from a neighboring kingdom—further complicates Meilin’s loyalty and emotions. Meanwhile, the dragon spirit residing within her has its own agenda, one that may consume her entirely. This richly layered story explores themes of gender equality and questions the meaning of true freedom.

"And yet I did not wish to become another selfless woman hidden beneath the shadow of men. I wanted to be remembered, and I wanted to carve out a legacy of unquestionable greatness."

I loved the conclusion to this duology! I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships, especially the FMC, Meilin. She's strong and cunning but also very human; she makes mistakes because of her greed and does everything to protect the people she loves the most. Her character development is so underrated.

What I really liked is that the first half is more focused on the political intrigues whereas the second half is more action-packed. The pacing was perfect and I found the writing of this second novel even better than book one. A solid 4.5 star read!
If you liked the first book, then you will love this even more!
I'm officially reading everything K.X. Song writes from now on.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy!

I loved the first book of this series so was super excited to get the second part of this duology,
This one was just as fast past and as exciting a read as the first one.
I loved the characters and I loved how it ended.

<i>I received this ARC thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Took me long enough to get into this duology, but I'm glad I finally did, binge reading both books after one another to make sure I'm up to date with all the characters and side stories. And I'm really glad I did, because as I'd rate the first book 4.25, this one was 4.75, making the overall series rating 4.5 :D
<img src="https://bkimg.cdn.bcebos.com/pic/dbb44aed2e738bd4b31c01c2d3d890d6277f9f2f53be" width="auto" height="auto" alt="description"/>
<b>"To those who make history," said Kuro, toasting us.
"And to those who live to write about it," said Winter, smiling.</b>
This series as a whole feels like a little softened, romanticized Poppy War all over again, but I'm here for it! It was still adult genre, don't get me wrong - it got bloody, steamy, epic, I'm really glad they didn't miscategorized it to some kind of YA novel. Although the first installment was very chaotic and confusing (as MC enters the spirit realm all the time, mixing narratives, timelines, truth and lies) the story's unfolding is rewarding enough to keep you going. You do get a lot of classic Mulan vibes, but with not family's honour but greed pushing the MC forward toward her (or in truth her dragon's) goals. Hence due to chaos I keep my 4.25 rating, but still it was a perfect entry for book 2, which I adored.

<img src="https://pa1.aminoapps.com/7788/713e41d8efefc702ca5938a04d9a2ff902c24731r1-480-270_hq.gif" width="auto" height="auto" alt="description"/>
<b>"I am doing <i>everything</i> in my power to save you," he said. "But sometimes I think you don't want to be saved."</b>
The cliffhanger by the end of book 1 was brutal, bold, and epic. So just imagine my huge delight once I realized big chunk of book 2 is all palace intrigue which is one of my favorite tropes! I also really appreciated how the author never made the reader settle with Meilin's choices - not forcing her as likeable character, but making her remain human with her flaws despite a literal spirit fighting for her consiousness. I do wish some other choices were made when it cam to love triangle, as I feel overfed with the bad boy being the winner most of the time (I beg for a book like the 'Who rules the world' or 'I will never let you go' Cdramas, pretty please) but I do understand the choices that fit the narrative here (unlike for example 'The Heart of the Sun Warrior' - I'll keep being salty about this one :/). Overall, it made sense to go with the path Meilin chose, and it didn't hurt as some kind of instant love case.

<img src="https://klling.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ashes-of-love-war.gif?w=584" width="auto" height="auto" alt="description"/>
<b>"You're allowed to make your own stupid decisions," he said, voice light and teasing. Then he took the bottle and drained it. Without his usual confidence, he said, "But next time, let me come with you."</b>
As a big Poppy War fan I'm glad this book took a different approach on how to handle aftermath of a hungry powered heroine, although the very ending scene makes me fear that there's some spin-off on the way where I'd love the characters to remain where they are now. Making this a duology instead of trilogy was just the perfect decision, the pacing in both installments was well fitting and I never felt exhausted by reading it, even during all the war chaos. So what can I say - if you don't mind the equally bloody and more steamy xianxia read like the Kuang trilogy make sure to give this one a go!

“We’re human, each of us. But I believe we’re more than our worst moments. It’s our best moments that have the power to define us.”

WDYM it's over?! I know this is the final book in the duology, but can I have one more book PLEASE?? The Night Ends with Fire was my favorite read of 2024, and I think the Dragon Wakes with Thunder might be my favorite read this year, too. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I was worried, I was excited, but this exceeded my expectations. I loved this so much more than the first book! I feel like I’ve gone through four different lives in the span of one book with all the cutthroat court drama, political intrigue, betrayals, angst, angry ancient animal spirits, and so much more. This took high stakes to a new level. K.X. Song did not hold back!

This book is essentially an antithesis to the first book. What that means you’ll have to find out when you read. I had so many theories prepared for this novel and all of them were so wrong! This is a book that deserves to be read as blindly as possible without spoilers. While I loved the first novel, it felt a little safe and predictable since it was a loose Mulan retelling with familiar themes, but the sequel felt more original, showing what Song can really do when utilising her creativity. It really made it difficult to predict what was going to happen, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was also worried because there were a lot of plot points being established in the first novel yet everything came together nicely in the sequel and it felt cohesively told. I loved seeing how Meilin, Lei and Sky’s stories intertwined as well as the new characters that were introduced in this one.

Oh, Hai Meilin, you will always be beloved by me. This whole duology has always been Meilin’s story. Not Sky’s, not Lei’s, but Meilin’s — from the very beginning to the very end. I could read for Meilin alone because she was such a strong FMC with one of the best character developments that I’ve read in a fantasy series. Even with all hope taken away from her and being broken and corrupted, Meilin stays ever so cunning and rebellious. She has to navigate court drama filled with vicious vipers yet Meilin schemes through it all with so much cunning. She truly holds her own without needing Sky or Lei by her side, and it’s always why I’ve loved her so much. Meilin’s story is truly so moving, so inspirational and will be remembered for years to come.

But of course this novel isn’t complete without Cao Ming Lei. Oh, I have so much love for this man. Yes, Meilin may be independent, but that doesn’t mean she has to do things alone! I lost count how many times this man made me giggle and nod vigorously because everything he says is so VALID. I don’t want to say too much, but K.X. Song, thank you for the food. There are so many things K.X. Song sneaks into this book that had me going INSANE when I read about it.

People that know me know how I feel about Sky, but Sky does have his moments that resonated with me in this one. Both love interests genuinely love Meilin at the end of the day and both each have memorable moments to showcase their love for her. I was left quite satisfied with both their arcs.

A new book also brings new friendships and new memorable side characters, some likable ones and some absolutely detestable. I found the side characters in this a lot stronger than book 1 and the stakes so much higher. Everyone feels more expendable and the casualties felt on a much grander scale. My heart broke multiple times and I felt like I was not able to breathe until the very end.

While I did feel divisive over the ending, I commend Song for her ambitious choice in storytelling and it felt right for what it was. Begging for a novella or a spin off, please! Anything so that I won’t have to say goodbye to this world and characters!

I absolutely adored The Night Ends with Fire and this was a phenomenal follow-up and final curtain to the duology, picking up right where Book 1 ended.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sharing an advance copy of this book with me!

What I loved about this book was that it completely detached itself from the “typical story” of Mulan. Where TNEWF drew on comparisons and I found myself thinking “oh this is the equivalent of x, y and z scene from the film” this book felt completely fresh and unique.

The expansion of the magic system was so enjoyable as was Meilin’s character development. She’s a fierce female warrior who knows what she wants and exactly how she’s going to get it which is just so refreshing from a female lead.

A great conclusion to a stunning duology ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6 stars, outstanding!

I loved The night ends with fire but this book was even better. The duology started out based on the story of Mulan but in this instalment we are taken beyond that into an epic fantasy word with court politics, action and magic. The dragon wakes with thunder is impossible to put down.

What I loved in particular:
- The magic system. This is developed a lot more in this book. We learn a lot more about qi and lixia and how spirit vessels use these and the toll that magic can take.
- the romance. My one complaint about the first book in this series was that I wasn’t sold on the romance but in this book it was complete perfection.
- Meilin. It is so refreshing to have a genuinely morally grey female lead. She didn’t start out looking to save the save world, Meilin was all about the power and recognition.
- The dynamic between Meilin and Quinglong was really interesting to me. They are both forced to work together despite being natural enemies.

This duology was amazing and I’m slightly devastated that it’s over, although maybe there was a hint about a follow up with the onyx tortoise 🙏

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an ending to Hai Meilin’s story! I absolutely loved book one and was very excited to continue this duology, and I was NOT disappointed. I was gripped from chapter one, and the epic story telling did not falter for one page. I liked that although romance played a part in this story, it was not the main focus, and Meilin’s relationships with both love interests really brought the plot together. Her character arc and development was exquisite and so well written. I liked how the ending was very open to interpretation- although I was happy with it I really loved that she was still the fiercely independent Meilin I fell in love with in book one. The action, the heartache, the love for two persons at once, everything was perfection and finished the story off in the most perfect way.

I loved this sequel even more than The Night Ends with Fire. While book one had strong Mulan vibes, The Dragon Wakes with Thunder fully steps into its own and carves out a tone that’s darker, bolder, and very unique —I loved loved loved it.

Meilin is everything I want in a heroine: morally grey, willstrong and truly determined. No pseudo “strong female lead” nonsense here—just a girl who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get messy to achieve it.

The romance? So much more present in this one. Emotional, slow-burning, and high stakes—I was all in.

In short: I already adored book one, but this one hyped me up even more. I don’t want this world to be finished. Please give me more!

A perfect sequel, I'm sad it came to an end but I was very satisfied with the ending we got!

The pacing was similar to book 1 but I found it just as engaging if not more so.