Reflection, Elizabeth Lim

What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld?

When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang’s great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang’s spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise–or become King Yama’s prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it’s too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him–and be lost in the Underworld–forever?

First things first, Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies, which are some of my all-time favorite movies. Like, we have the iconic “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” which I sing on a near-daily basis. We have a young woman proving that you don’t have to be a man to accomplish great feats. We have the beautiful Ming-Na Wen voicing Mulan and the gorgeous Lea Salonga as Mulan’s singing voice! What more do we need?

Let’s get back to the review, though.

I really enjoyed this book. It had the feeling of nostalgia, but it also presented something new. Parts of this book gave me some Percy Jackson feels but more appreciation for the Chinese culture.

The book starts off in the mountains where Mulan, Shang, and the rest of the army are facing the Huns for the first time. The scenes in the beginning are the same exact scenes from the movie, but early on, there’s a twist. I’m guessing that you can already figure it out from the book description, right?

Anyway, Mulan shoots her cannon, Shan Yu appears, and then there’s action. The twist happens during that action, and that’s where the story begins.

This book reads just like a Disney movie would be directed, but you get more of Mulan’s voice rather than visuals. You can see Mulan’s indecisiveness and can see and feel her doubt. Shang is still a bit uptight and proud, but you learn more about him as the book progresses. You feel more for him.

(And we get the iconic line “You fight good.”)

Alongside Mulan, we get all new characters. We get Shang’s family guardian, the emperor of Diyu (the underworld), and some of Mulan’s ancestors. They all contribute in some way, and some interactions between them are hilarious or nerve-wracking. We witness Mulan grow as a person and get to know her better than we did in the movie.

And while you would think that King Yama is the antagonist, he’s more of a background character. Mulan’s true antagonist is time and her self-doubt, which leads to more pressure throughout the book.

If you’re looking for a quick read that is fun and gives you all of the Disney nostalgia, Reflection is perfect for you. It has lines from the movie, is a quick read, and keeps the reader interested with its fast-paced writing.