Cindy Pon creates a a world far different from the typical medieval england-esque fantasy setting seen in so many novels. It is a world filled with monsters in the form of beautiful women, three-headed goddesses, and races and tribes on Earth unique to the novel, i.e. definitely not elves and dwarves. Cindy's heroine Ai Ling is a young woman who fits into her society for the most part as an obedient daughter, but has a rebellious streak in her shown through her thirst for knowledge in a place that does not advocate scholarly education of women.
One thing I admire greatly in Ai Ling is that even though is confused by her powers, she is not afraid to learn to use them. She does what she must to survive. Cindy's characters continued to surprise me as the story went on. Ai Ling is not without fault, which she knows, but still lets her faults get the best of her at times. She makes very dark decisions that lead to changes in her, as well as wisdom.
Cindy also knows how to write villains. The worst monster in the book is a human, and Cindy does not skimp on the details of how power leads to corruption and the desire to corrupt others. From the beginning of the novel, Cindy deals with the darker side of love. She begins with the consequences of a forbidden love affair, continues the theme by introducing us to characters who have been scorned by love and jealousy, and ends by showing us how twisted a person can become when unable to let go of the past. Through the world of Silver Phoenix we see the tragedy of a world that puts restrictions on love. It is through Ai Ling's belief that people should marry for love that she is able to sacrifice her desire in order to see her love happy.
