Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Title: Silver Phoenix (Phoenix #1)

Author: Cindy Pon

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Release Date: April 28, 2009

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Ai Ling can see into other people’s minds and reach into their spirits. But she doesn’t know why this power has awakened inside her. She only knows that it is growing. It leads her on an epic journey--one that brings her to the edge of the deepest evil.

Chen Yong has a quest of his own, but then his path crosses Ai Ling’s. And there’s a connection so strong that neither can ignore it.

Now they must face terrifying demons determined to kill them, and battle through treacherous lands. It is their destiny. But can destiny keep them together?

Silver Phoenix was very much unlike everything else I tend to read. But as it turns out, that was a very good thing and I greatly enjoyed reading the book. As I’ve said previously, traditional fantasy doesn’t really tend to be my cup of tea, but every once in a while it’s always fun to branch out and read something different.

Ai Ling has always thought she was perfectly normal, that is until she starts being able to see into people’s minds and also connect with their spirits. When her father disappears during what is supposed to be a trip for work, Ai Ling decides that she needs to travel to the Palace in order to find him and bring him home. During her travels, Ai Ling meets Chen Yong, who is on a quest of his own trying to find out more about his past. Both feel a connection and together they join forces to defeat what is thrown at them during their journey. They will face demons who want nothing more but to kill them and lands more dangerous than the last. But will they be able to survive through it all?

Silver Phoenix is a journey in every sense of the word. The story revolves around Ai Ling’s journey from her village to the kingdom’s Palace in order to find and save her father. But that is only one of the journeys in the book. The story is also all about Ai Ling and Chen Yong’s journeys as individuals. During the course of the story, Ai Ling goes from being a girl scared of what’s out in the real world to a strong young woman who is not afraid to stand up and fight for what she believes in. Similarly, Chen Yong goes from being someone who doesn’t trust anyone to someone who opens himself up to others. These are the kinds of characters that I love reading about, characters that evolve and almost start to feel real.

The story was superbly written. I’m not particularly in to traditional fantasy but the way the book is written, I didn’t even realize that’s what I was reading. I was completely drawn in and was captivated the whole way through. The world in which the story takes place was incredibly well built. Even though I knew it was a fictional world, there were times when it felt completely real and I could easily picture the whole thing. Everything about this story was incredibly well written and everything felt completely real.

Silver Phoenix was an incredible story that was superbly written. It took me on a journey to a different time and place and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

Interview with Cindy Pon

Today I have the pleasure of having Cindy Pon, author of Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix, stopping by the blog to answer a few questions as part of her blog tour. So without further adieu, here is what she had to say.

How much did your background influence the story you chose to write in Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix?

I've always been a reader and fantasy is my first genre love. I also happen to be a student of Chinese brush painting for ten years now. And when I decided to write my first novel, I wanted to combine these two loves, fantasy and China--so I wrote Silver Phoenix, a fantasy inspired by ancient China. I always say that my stories are Asian-American influenced, because that is my experience and point of view.

How was the writing process for Fury of the Phoenix different from the one for Silver Phoenix?

Writing Fury of the Phoenix was honestly the hardest thing I've ever done. I had all the time in the world to write Silver Phoenix, and took a year to revise it at least six times. I didn't have that leisure with the contracted sequel. It was an entirely different process. The draft of Fury I sent to my editor was very rough. I barely knew how I wanted to tell the story yet. My editor worked with me and we did three major revisions to bring Fury to the level it needed to be for the reading public. She is a genius. And I'm very proud of Fury of the Phoenix.

Are any of the characters in your books based on yourself or other people you know?

The only person I draw traits from is myself. Ai Ling is like me in that she enjoys to eat (there is a lot of food in my novels--I think it's essential to fantasy world building!) and she is also a student of brush art. In this way, I could describe how she views the world very similarly to how I view it. I'm drawn to color and nature and flowers, just as she is.

Is writing something you have always wanted to do, where did the inspiration come from?

I've written creatively since around age twelve. Like so many readers, I began writing because I loved reading so much. As for inspiration, it comes from all over, from a visual scene, from a sentence or sometimes even a word, from a dream or an emotion.

How would you describe your books in one sentence to encourage people to read them?

A classical heroine's journey inspired by ancient china filled with food, adventure, immortals, demons and cute boys. =)

Thank you Cindy for stopping by and be sure to check out the rest of the tour on The Teen Book Scene's website. You can also find out more about Cindy and her books on cindypon.com. Below you can also check out the book trailer for Silver Phoenix. And be sure to come back on Wednesday to see my review of Silver Phoenix!