Ashley (wickedreads)'s Reviews > Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix

Clash of Steel is a sapphic Treasure Island retelling taking place in 1826 south-east asia.

Xiang has grown up in a small village up river hoping to one day take over her mother’s tea house. Her mother has other plans. She wants Xiang to marry a nice young man who can take care of her and take over the family business.

In a bid to prove herself Xiang joins Anh, a beautiful young thief Xiang can’t help but feel connected to, on a quest to find the legendary treasure of the fabled Dragon Fleet.

Anh sails with her mother, the captain of a trading ship, and a rag tag group of sailors who make up their found family.

Aboard the ship Xiang finds all of the encouragement and acceptance she craves from her mother while learning the ropes (literally, ‘cause they’re sailing) and gaining confidence in her ability to survive away from the cradle of her village and tutor. But her mother is not going to let her go so easily…

I absolutely loved this book which is wild because I typically do not go for historical narratives but Lee does a fantastic job integrating actual historical events and her own culture into a fresh and engaging story. To go with this the author also provides an author’s note, language notes, a pronunciation guide, historical notes, and suggested reading for you to learn more all on top of having a BEAUTIFUL map and illustrations on the inside covers.

Fantastic plot, adorable relationship, great character growth, yes I predicted the plot twist but really there was no other option.

I highly recommend the audiobook as well!