I haven't loved everything that I've read by Cameron Dokey, but most of it is pretty much amazing. And the set of "Once Upon a Time is Timeless" books have given me hours of pleasure. Wild Orchid was one of my favorites.
Hua Wei is a great warrior who loves his wife more than anything else in the world. When his wife dies in giving birth to their daughter Mulan, his heart breaks and he determines never to come home. So the infant Mulan is essentially left an orphan.
Growing up, Mulan is a bit of a tomboy. She learns such unwomanly arts as swordsmanship and writing. So when the Huns come to attack China, it's only natural that Mulan feels that she should join the battle.
In reading reviews done by other people, I saw that several mentioned or even complained about how similar this is to Disney's Mulan movie. The truth is, I read this book before I ever watched Mulan. And though they are kinda similar, they are *very* different. In fact, I suppose that I wished that the movie would have been more like the book. I hated Mushu (as in despised, abhorred, etc etc etc) the first time I watched Mulan. But he grew on me. =) Anyhow... I really didn't think that it was just a rendition of the Disney tale. And, as usual, Cameron Dokey wove an excellent plot around a familiar story.
It sounds interesting, and the cover is so pretty! I've seen a little about this series on the internet, but I haven't actually been able to get a look at a hard copy. Which books in it would you reccommend most, if I were to buy one?
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