Will love break the spell? After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician's apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman's daughter, regrets her actions. So when she finds Bao's prized flute floating in his boat near her house, she takes it into her care, not knowing that his soul has been trapped inside it by an evil witch, who cursed Bao, telling him that only love will set him free. Though Bao now despises her, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Together, the two travel across the continent, finding themselves in the presence of greatness in the forms of the Great Forest's Empress Jade and Commander Wei. They journey with Wei, getting tangled in the webs of war, blood magic, and romance along the way. Will Lan and Bao begin to break the spell that's been placed upon them? Or will they be doomed to live out their lives with black magic running through their veins?

Growing up in small-town Indiana, I turned to books to learn about the world and other cultures. My favorite way to do so, then and still today, was through mythology and folktales. Reading Song of the Crimson Flower, I found myself riveted not just by the magic and lush setting, but also by the character dynamics and societal mores baked into superb worldbuilding based on a Vietnamese folktale.

Lan, a wealthy daughter of society’s upper crust, always thought herself a kind person—as did Bao, the orphaned physician’s apprentice who has been serenading outside her window for weeks. But when Lan cruelly rejects him, Bao renounces her and runs away—only to encounter a witch who ensnares his soul in a wooden flute. Remorseful and hoping to make amends, Lan promises to help Bao. Soon the two set off on a journey, discovering hidden dangers, unexpected allies, and blossoming feelings along the way.

To me, there’s nothing better than closing a book and feeling like my understanding of the world has expanded—and Julie C. Dao’s novel gave me exactly that. Enchanting and full of heart, Song of the Crimson Flower will satisfy the adventurer and romantic in any reader.