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Legend of the White Snake

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 6 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 6 weeks

A snake spirit transforms into a boy and must hide his true identity after falling for a headstrong prince in this lush, romantic retelling of the traditional Chinese folktale.

When Prince Xian was a boy, a white snake bit his mother and condemned her to a slow, painful death. The only known cure is an elusive spirit pearl—or an antidote created from the rare white snake itself. Desperate and determined, Xian travels to the city of Changle, where an oracle predicted he would find and capture a white snake.

Seven years ago, Zhen, a white snake in the West Lake, consumed a coveted spirit pearl, which gave him special powers—including the ability to change into human form.

In Changle, Xian encounters an enigmatic but beautiful stable boy named Zhen. The two are immediately drawn to each other, but Zhen soon realizes that he is the white snake Xian is hunting. As their feelings grow deeper, will the truth about Zhen's identity tear them apart?

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 12, 2024
      Lee (Fake Dates and Mooncakes) offers up a queer rendition of a Chinese folktale in which a snake-turned-teenager must hide his true identity when he falls for the prince who’s hunting him. Seven years ago, young Prince Xian’s mother was bitten by a white snake, sentencing her to a painful, yearslong death. But Xian possessed an elusive spirit pearl, the one thing needed to create an antidote. A cure seemed certain—until a white snake swallows the pearl and disappears. Years later, Xian persists in his search for a cure. He heads to the city of Changle, where he is prophesied to capture a white snake—and where he meets handsome stable boy Zhen. What Xian doesn’t know is that Zhen is the snake that swallowed the pearl, an act that endowed him with supernatural powers, including the ability to shape-shift into human form. When Zhen is appointed as Xian’s personal attendant, the two begin to fall for each other, but with the truth looming, Zhen is unsure of their future. Lush worldbuilding and flowing purple prose culminate in a story of love, loss, and destiny that pays homage to Chinese xianxia fantasy dramas. Ages 13–up.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrators David Lee Huynh and Andrew Grace create a romantic melody in this story from Chinese folklore. Prince Xian must locate a spirit pearl to cure his mother's illness, caused by being bitten by a white snake. On the way, he meets Zhen, a stable boy who can transform between being a white snake and a human. As the young men journey together and become closer, Zhen is torn between revealing that he himself is a white snake and keeping his secret. Huynh's and Grace's approaches are similar yet clearly differentiate Xian and Zhen. Both offer clear descriptions, lush emotional depth, and natural pacing. While the gorgeous details of the scenery are gush worthy, the loving romance and thrilling action scenes shine the brightest. G.M. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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