Daughter of Xanadu

December 15, 2010

A 13th-century princess wants to be a warrior; the old tale's less forced than usual when set in the Mongol Empire with its legends of fighting women. Emmajin is Khubilai Khan's (fictional) oldest granddaughter, and she would rather be a soldier than a wife. Emmajin struggles to convince the Khan, but her desire is complicated by a growing attraction to the hairy visiting foreigner, Marco Polo. Emmajin's stubborn drive brings both her and Marco to combat and the novel's highlight: a lusciously described brutal engagement of cavalry, archers and elephants. Unlike much of the rest of Emmajin's tale, the battle and its profound emotional aftermath don't suffer from dry overdescription. Otherwise, Emmajin writes as if alien in her own home: She serves "Mongolian cheese," notices her cousins' "distinctive Mongolian male haircut" and rides with a "traditional Mongolian wooden saddle." With such a narrator, it's unsurprising that she finds exotic Christendom compelling, but it is a disappointment. Gorgeous cover art packages this blandly informative adventure, which is spiced with just enough blood and sexual tension to keep readers turning the pages. (Historical fiction. 12-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-Princess Emmajin, the granddaughter of the Great Khan Khubilai, is not interested in suitors; she would rather be a soldier in her grandfather's fearsome army. She spends many hours training in secret with her cousin until she makes a surprise appearance at her grandfather's special contest. He is so impressed with her that he gives her a special assignment: to befriend the visiting foreigner, Marco Polo, and seek out the weakness that will allow the Mongols to conquer all of Christendom. She does not count on becoming smitten with the traveling merchant, however, and his talk of courtly love and Western philosophy have her rethinking her values and her goals. Daughter of Xanadu offers rich descriptions and vivid depictions of fictional characters and historical figures, making them charming and believable. A colorful and compelling read.-Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011
Grades 8-10 The granddaughter of Khubilai Khan, 16-year-old Emmajin takes more interest in joining the army than in finding a husband. When her grandfather asks her to gather intelligence from foreigners who have arrived from the West, she befriends young Marco Polo. Their relationship, begun with some trepidation and marred by cultural missteps and misunderstandings, deepens throughout the story. Meanwhile, Emmajins goals slowly alter through her contacts with other cultures and her experiences as a soldier. An appended glossary identifies characters and places, defines Mongolian terms such as del and ger, and offers historical information that separates fact from fiction within the novel. Emmajins first-person narrative will capture readers with its scenes of adventure and its vivid depiction of a capable young woman in a time of change. The battle scene is realistically brutal, and the love scenes are subtly written, but the most involving element of the storytelling is Emmajins ongoing struggle to forge her own way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)