He is the same as he is in the movie, with more personal backstory information. One of my favorite aspects of the book is that we get more of Shang. Her motivations were not as fleshed out nor was there no real sense of emotions in her internal journey. However, I personally think some parts of her development could have used more work. In Reflection, Mulan felt like the Disney character. That said, I would recommend suspending disbelief, giving the setting of the novel is in the underworld. Regarding some of the antagonists, their motivations leaned towards mustache-twirling. It was mainly character-driven characters made decisions, then things happened.

There were issues that were almost too easy to resolve, while others seemed to move too quickly when they could have been built upon. The plot of Reflection was solid, but it lagged in several parts. But any expectations I had going in were blown out of the water. Of course, I suspected I would like the book anyway. All these made the book into its own entity. Something else I came to enjoy about Reflection is that the author included elements of both Mulan and Mulan 2, as well as some from the live action. This, I think, contributed to my overall enjoyment of the book. I read Reflection as an audiobook, narrated by one of my favorite narrators I’ve listened to so far. But Mulan’s biggest problem (or so she thinks) is what will happen is when Shang finds out the truth about who she really is.

There, she makes a deal with King Yama, the ruler of Diyu: save Shang by sunrise, or join him in the underworld. Desperate to save him, Mulan travels to the underworld, Diyu, with Shang’s lion guardian ShiShi. In Reflection, instead of Mulan, disguised as the soldier Ping, being stabbed, it is her captain Shang. In case you are unaware, the Twisted Tales series are retellings of classic Disney animated movies, where the authors take a pivotal moment in the film, move it in a different direction, and create a whole new story. Reflection is the fourth installment in the Disney Twisted Tales series, a retelling of the animated Mulan movie. That was, once again, my expectation when I picked up Reflection by Elizabeth Lim. Simply, a nostalgic experience of the Disney movies I watched and loved growing up. When I began reading the Disney Twisted Tales books, I admit I was not expecting great works of literature.

Reflection by elizabeth lim