Who’s ready for a new author interview? We’re back with another inside scoop for YA lovers! And we hope the name Sher Lee sounds familiar to you. Real ones remember when we covered her debut novel, Fake Dates and Mooncakes, last year.
Sher Lee’s back with her new novel, Legend of the White Snake! This YA fantasy is a queer retelling of the Chinese legend of the same name. Ready to read it yet? We thought so.
Be sure to check out our in-depth review of Legend of the White Snake here! But we’ll get to the point and share our exclusive Sher Lee interview now!
Congratulations on the release of your new novel, Legend of the White Snake! How do you feel now that your second novel is out in the world?
Thank you so much! It’s definitely a wonderful feeling to be able to publish a second book that I really love a year after my debut (which also has a special place in my heart)!
Retelling A Chinese Legend
We loved the pacing of Legend of the White Snake and finished it in one sitting! How much research did you have to do before writing?
During revisions, my editor and I worked hard to keep the pacing taut and make this a page-turner, so knowing that you finished it in one sitting is the best compliment I could ask for!
While the world of Legend of the White Snake is not strictly historical, I spent a good deal of time researching the general historical time period which I based the story on; that is, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era of Chinese history. I also studied many topographical maps of the West Lake, which is a major setting of the original folktale and this story, as well as iconic architectural elements such as Leifeng Pagoda, a significant location in the folktale as well as my retelling.
In this retelling, you gender-bent the snake spirit from the original tale and made it a queer romance. Did you make any other changes to the story as you wrote it?
In this retelling, the white snake is a boy named Zhen (a homage to the original Suzhen). Xu Xian is a prince who, in a new twist, is hunting for a white snake to cure his mother, who was bitten by one. Xiaoqing (known in this story as Qing) remains the same as Zhen’s sworn sister, and the old foe doesn’t just want to expose Zhen’s identity as a snake . . . he wants the magical power that Zhen has for himself. And he will stop at nothing to achieve his nefarious ends.
During the Duanwu Festival, the old foe arranges for Zhen to drink realgar wine, which contains sulfur that snakes cannot tolerate. Zhen unsuspectingly drinks the wine and reveals his true form as a large white snake. Xian is horrified to discover that his true love is not human—and for what happens next, you’ll have to read the book!
Legend Of The White Snake
Legend of the White Snake is a Chinese fantasy, and it’s very different from your debut with Fake Dates and Mooncakes, a contemporary romance! As an author, how would you describe your growth from your debut to now?
I learned a lot about the editorial process during my debut—development edits, line edits, copy edits, pass pages—and that in turn influenced the way I drafted my second book. I was a lot more conscious about word choices, adverbs, and trimming away anything that doesn’t actively add to the story.
Fake Dates and Mooncakes was my first attempt at writing in first-person POV, and I loved how that turned out. For Legend of the White Snake, I’ve reverted back to my default third-person POV, but it’s the first time I’m writing a dual POV romance. Telling the story through the eyes of both main characters really enriched this story. I’m glad that I’ve been able to experiment with different kinds of writing styles, in addition to genres.
If you had to pick, what is one of your favorite moments from Legend of the White Snake?
Without spoiling anything: the epilogue.
Her Characters
What do you love most about Xian and Zhen? How much of yourself do you see in each main character?
My favorite qualities of Xian are his determination and tenacity, as well as his filial piety. I really appreciate Zhen’s empathy, loyalty, and his unwavering belief in the good of others despite mistreatment.
I relate to Xian—I have been told that I am very tenacious once I put my mind to something! I’ve learned that resilience and endurance are needed, not just during the solitary writing phase but in the entire publishing process.
We get a bit of star-crossed romance between Xian and Zhen, given their complicated past. What are some things you enjoyed about writing their romance?
I love how fundamentally different they are, and yet how they fit together like two puzzle pieces. Everything in their romance is hard-earned because they have to fight for every moment together. They go through so much in their relationship: the first rush of attraction, doubt, betrayal, forgiveness, trust, and finally love.
Themes
Legend of the White Snake touches a lot on filial piety and making the necessary sacrifices for people you love. What do you hope readers take away from this book?
A major theme that inspired me while writing this story is the beloved Chinese ideal of 知己 (zhī jǐ)—literally translated “to know oneself.” This term is often rendered “soulmates.” Some people see this as a spiritual meeting of two minds or a platonic friendship between confidantes. To me, it’s a profound bond between kindred spirits that transcends friendship and even romantic love. Someone you can see yourself being with forever and for whom you would give up eternity to be with.
At its heart, Legend of the White Snake—both the original folktale and my retelling—is a story of love, grand and sweeping as well as intimate and unspoken: love against the odds, love making us better versions of ourselves, love that surpasses all obstacles, even time and fate.
Chinese Dramas
Chinese xianxia dramas were definitely a staple of our childhood and adolescence. What are some of your all-time favorites?
My favorites with a queer angle are Word of Honor (the Netflix adaption of the danmei novel, Tiān Yá Kè / Faraway Wanderers), The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, and Killer and Healer. For straight romances, I enjoyed The Legend of Anle, Till the End of the Moon, and Love Between Fairy and Devil.
I also added little easter eggs into my story that C-drama fans would immediately pick up on, such as a certain white fan that can be used as a martial arts weapon!
If your version of Legend of the White Snake got a drama adaptation, do you have an idea of who you would cast as your characters?
I would love Gong Jun (Wen Kexing in Word of Honor) to play Zhen, and Mao Zijun from Killer and Healer to play Xian.
What’s Next
Now that the release date is here, what are your plans for the rest of 2024?
It’s been a hectic year, so I look forward to a much-needed break!
Are you working on any new projects at the moment? If so, can you give us a hint about them?
I have a second YA fantasy in the works, scheduled for publication in 2026 from Quill Tree/HarperCollins.
Legend of the White Snake—both the original folktale and my retelling—is a story of love, grand and sweeping as well as intimate and unspoken: love against the odds, love making us better versions of ourselves, love that surpasses all obstacles, even time and fate.
Sher Lee on Legend of the White Snake
You can order a copy of Sher Lee’s Legend of the White Snake here!
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