Exclusive: Map reveal and interview with The Night Ends with Fire author K. X. Song

This July, author K. X. Song will release her adult fantasy book The Night Ends with Fire, a novel inspired by the myth of Mulan that's infused with dangerous magic, complex politics, Chinese mythology, romance, and martial arts action. This is a feminist story about a woman who seeks to carve her own path in life in spite of the men around her — and who becomes wrapped up in intrigue and war in the process. Song's previous book, An Echo in the City, was a contemporary fiction story set in Hong Kong; The Night Ends with Fire takes readers to a fantasy world with deep roots in Chinese folklore and classics like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Today, we're thrilled to reveal the official map for The Night Ends with Fire, alongside an exclusive interview where we spoke to Song about building the world of the novel, drawing inspiration from Chinese geography and history, finding the voice of its fierce lead character Hai Meilin, and more. Read on for the official description for the book, followed by our discussion:

"The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.

In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart."

DANIEL ROMAN for Winter Is Coming: Hi K. X.! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk about The Night Ends with Fire! To start, how would you describe this book to readers who may not be familiar with your work?

K.X. SONG: Thanks for having me! I would describe THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE as a dark fantasy Mulan retelling about a young woman who will go to any lengths for freedom and power. In terms of comps, this is Poppy War x Daughter of the Moon Goddess: read if you like love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, betrayal and twists, and an exploration of ambition and the cost of power.

WiC: Can you talk a little about how you built the world of The Night Ends with Fire? There are historical roots in the Warring States period of China and even some specific references drawn from history, but this is a secondary world fantasy, right? How did you navigate that balance?

K. X. S: This is a secondary world fantasy, though loosely inspired by ancient China. I chose to navigate the balance by highlighting the aesthetics and themes of ancient China while writing a character driven plot that is largely original. And for those familiar with Chinese history and classics like Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I threw in some Easter eggs in the details that readers will recognize.

WiC: Without further ado, we’re so excited to be revealing the map from The Night Ends with Fire! Can you talk a little bit about how you developed the landscape and various factions in it?

K. X. S: Great question! I knew I wanted to feature three kingdoms, given that one of the sources of inspiration for TNEWF was the Chinese classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. As a kid I loved the scope and nuanced dynamics between the warring powers and three warlords in this story, and wanted to create that same grandiose, wondrous feeling in TNEWF. At the same time, I also wanted to showcase the diversity and beauty and terror of the Chinese landscape. Whenever I bring friends to China for the first time, they’re always astonished by the diversity and breadth of the landscape, from bamboo forests to desert basins to sweeping mountain ranges and deep gorges.

WiC: This novel is a fantasy reimagining of Mulan, so two questions: were there any elements of the Mulan story that were especially important for you to capture in The Night Ends with Fire? Similarly, were there any elements from the original legend you knew you wanted to avoid?

K. X. S: Similar to the original ballad of Mulan, I wanted to emphasize the fact that this woman warrior could keep up with other men, and not only keep up, but hold her own. In my personal life, I believe hard work and discipline can overcome a myriad of weaknesses, and that in many cases natural talent alone is not sufficient for mastery. As for elements I wanted to avoid, in some historical versions, Mulan can feel one-dimensional to me, driven by her filial piety and little else. I wanted to offer nuance to her story, to depict a realistic young woman with the full gamut of hopes and dreams, fears and vulnerabilities, silly crushes and petty thoughts.

WiC: Can you also talk a little about how you developed the voice of main character Hai Meilin, and what made you decide to use a first person narrative for her story?

K. X. S: Meilin’s voice came naturally to me — surprisingly so. She is someone made by her context — someone used to being forgotten and ignored for much of her life. At the same time, she is hungry for love, respect, and approval, and has an inborn hunger for something more. This hunger is what drives her to set aside her fear and run away from home in order to escape her prescribed fate, even though she knows the cost of discovery is death. In this way, because the plot is so character driven, a first-person narrative with Meilin’s voice felt integral to the story.

WiC: Getting into cryptic hints! What are some of the things you’re most excited for readers to experience in The Night Ends with Fire?

K. X. S: Without getting into spoilers, it’s been exciting to hear from early readers and learn their intense reactions to certain plot twists or unexpected character introductions. I hope it comes as a surprise to new readers! 

WiC: Do you have plans to write more books in this world after The Night Ends with Fire?

K. X. S: Yes! TNEWF is part one of a duology and I’m currently hard at work on the sequel.

WiC: Last question! Are there any books or resources that were helpful or inspirational to you during your work on this novel?

K. X. S: I found all the translated editions of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to be hugely helpful, and in particular, the 4-volume version translated by Moss Roberts with Foreign Languages Press, which was an early Christmas gift from my mom. On the fiction side, I adored The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee and saw those books as mentor texts for me in guiding my approach to the fantastical world building of TNEWF. Truly no one does world building like Fonda Lee.

An immense thank you to K. X. Song for stopping by the site to discuss The Night Ends with Fire!

The Night Ends with Fire releases on July 2. Keppler's Books is running a special preorder campaign with signed copies of the book as well as sticker sheets. Preorders are live, so you can reserve your copy today!

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