• Light brown hand with purple nail polish holding The Magnolia Sword against a backdrop of orange, yellow, and red fallen leaves
    Episodes

    Season 6 begins! 85. The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas

    Season 6 has officially begun! We’re back with a historical fiction novel suggested by our beloved patron Grey (@grey_reads on insta): The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas. This is a retelling of the legend of Mulan from Chinese folklore.  Recommend if you like… Mulan retellings, generally (Disney films included) Hafsah Faisal’s novels (We Hunt the Flame and We Free the Stars) Beneath the Moon by Yoshi Yoshitani Classic martial arts texts/films like Legend of the Condor Heroes and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon re: writing systems, oral traditions, and grappling with “civilization” Further reading on the development of writing systems in China The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wenigrow really is mind…