I received this book via the author, M. Lynn. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Dragon Rebellion by M. Lynn Series: The Hidden Warrior #2
Published by Self Publish on 2020-06-05
Length: 280 pages
Reviewing eARC Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2020 New Release Challenge, COYER All Year 2020
Sometimes not even love is stronger than hate.
Sometimes sacrifices must be made.Hua Minglan is trapped, presumed dead, and back where it all started.
Home.
A place that once brought peace to her mind, a place she’d abandoned in order to seek her revenge.
But that was before. Before the dragon awoke inside her to destroy an entire village.
Before she ceded control.
And now, the dragon has a mission, one Hua must do anything to stop.
Kill the emperor.
There is one way to defeat the beast inside her.
Hua Minglan must die.Only one man can prevent her sacrifice. As Jian Li races across Piao to save both Hua and his brother, the emperor, he knows he’ll have to choose.
Even if he chooses the right one, it might mean the end of Piao.
Because the Kou have returned, ready to finish their war.
And the only creature that can save the empire also wants it destroyed.Dive into the second and final installment of this Mulan inspired fantasy. Beware of dragons raining fire upon you, a general who will do anything to save the woman he loves, and an emperor with a heart of gold.
Fantastic conclusion! Dragon Rebellion by M. Lynn is the final book in The Hidden Warrior duology picking up weeks after the events of Dragon Rising. If you haven’t read book one, there may be spoilers to it in the following review. Read at your own risk. Jian Li has spent the last several weeks at the Minglans’ in Zhouchang waiting for Hua to wake up. After destroying Kanyuan village, killing innocents and soldiers from Piao and Kou alike, the Nagi spared him and took him to the only place she knew that would be safe. While war with the Kou looms on the horizon, Dragon Rebellion looks inward to the war taking place between Hua and the Nagi.
Hua Minglan is trapped inside her own mind, wrestling for control of her body and preventing the Nagi from taking its true dragon form. She is heartsick over what happened in the village. She gave her body over to the dragon thinking she could take her revenge on the Kou, yet the Nagi wants its own revenge against the empire of Piao for its killing of the dragon blooded. Hua is still strong and stubborn in her own rights, and she uses what little control she has over her mind to talk to the Nagi. Hua has one goal, and it is the same goal as when she first disguised herself as Huan and went to war: Protect the people of Piao. Will she have to protect them from herself?
Jian Li is no longer commander of the Piao army. He’s lost his sense of duty, but gained something more. He’s found a family in the Minglan home. He’s fallen for Hua, even while she sleeps. It’s Jian who recognizes the Nagi inside of her, controlling her actions. And it is Jian that will fight to bring her back. I liked Jian in the previous book, but I fell in love with him here. He has found a purpose greater than war and revenge, and he will do whatever it takes to succeed.
The plot revolves around Hua and the Nagi, their struggle to control Hua’s body, and the looming war with the Kou. The Nagi is an interesting twist to this story. It is supposed to be a protector of Piao, but instead it wants its own revenge. While the internal struggle drives Hua’s part of the story, Jian’s story follows him as he searches for Hua and tries to recover the girl he knows.
Overall I enjoyed Dragon Rebellion. The tension and uncertainty of what would happen to Jian and Hua drove the plot, keeping me reading til it was finished. If you are a Mulan fan, a fantasy lover, or just love dragons, I highly recommend it.
About M. Lynn
Michelle Lynn fell in love with reading when she was a kid. Every kind of book gripped her imagination. As she got a little older, she got into series like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Currently, her favorite is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.
Michelle is an escapist. She believes that a book can take you anywhere and get you away from what's going on in your own life. You can disappear inside the pages and become a different person. Growing up, this became more and more important for her as her life changed dramatically due to an illness. It started when she was young and got worse over the years. Reading is what helped her get through it. She's still getting through it but it isn't as hard, mentally, as it once was. Like reading, writing provided her a needed escape. Her dream is for her books to be able to do that for someone else. Life is hard but this just makes it a little bit easier.
Reading and writing aren't Michelle's only vices as she deals with the illness that has now become disabling. She's also an avid hockey fan. She lives in Florida but never misses a Columbus Blue Jackets game on TV.
Michelle also spends a lot of time with her family - parents, two sisters, 2 brother in-laws, and niece. She's also constantly surrounded by animals - 2 cats and a bird- that provide much needed comfort and inspiration.
She has a college degree in business, economics, and accounting but has to decide how to tie that to writing because that's where her passion lies now.
Leave a Reply