Forbidden Tales: Sword

by Da Chen

Book Overview

On the morning of Miu Miu's fifteenth birthday, her mother makes a startling revelation: Miu Miu's fate is to travel to the faraway city of Chang'an, avenge her father's death, and find her true love. But the evil emperor has other plans for her. Defeating him will take all of Miu Miu's courage, wit, and martial arts experience. Master storyteller Da Chen paints a vivid portrait of his native land in this classic tale of honor, adventure, and romance...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061447587
• ISBN13: 9780061447587
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

On her fifteenth birthday, Miu Miu wakes not to the matchmaker, as is tradition in her village, but to a frightening revelation from her mother. Miu Miu's father was murdered, she discovers, and Miu Miu must travel to the city of Chang'an to avenge her father's death and find her true love. But the path to victory is never straight, Miu Miu learns, as she faces challenge after challenge in her journey towards Chang'an, only to find that her most difficult task lies in the form of the evil emperor who she must defeat. SWORD is a captivating adventure that paints an intriguing portrait of ancient China. While the story is simplistic and sometimes predictable, readers will remain invested in SWORD because of the way it is crafted. Miu Miu is a sympathetic heroine and her adventures are highly entertaining, especially when they involve martial arts. I enjoyed SWORD immensely, and heartily recommend it to readers in search of a good, clean adventure story with a strong female protagonist. Reviewed by: Rebecca Wells

Beautiful writing

FORBIDDEN TALES: SWORD By Da Chen Published by Harper Collins ISBN: 978-0-06-144759-4 Most Americans are aware of Fairy Tales based from a European background. Native American tales and African tales are also becoming more popular. The Chinese Tale, however. is not so well known in the west. This is a beautifully written book that describes what happens when a young Chinese girl reaches 15 and learns the truth about her father's death. She now must face the challenges of avenging his death and the potential marriage to a man she has never met. All the while feeling the pressures of her mother and her community to do what is right. If you have ever seen the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" it will help you to imagine what the beauty of Da Chen's written words express. Through his words I can feel myself spinning in the air and flying through the trees. As in all good tales this one has a moral to the story and an ending that will leave you surprised and satisfied. I had no idea what was coming in the ending until it came and I loved it. This book is only 229 small pages long. It gets you into the story quickly and resolves things equally fast. This is a great book for anyone who wants a good read with lots of heart.