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charlieswrittenadventures's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
fkshg8465's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very cute and a satisfactory conclusion to the series. If only life was truly adventurous and the people in our lives as strong and loving and loyal.
cakt1991's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed Jesse Q. Sutanto’s first Theo Tan adventure, so picking up the second, Theo Tan and the Iron Fan, was a no-brainer. I loved the further exploration of the mythos established in the first book, especially with Theo navigating the spirit-world along with his fox-spirit, Kai.
Kai once again steals the show. The comedy comes a lot from her antics, including quite a bit of shapeshifting, and while I still have mixed feelings as to how some of her comedy is delivered via footnotes, it doesn’t make it less fun.
And I loved that, while she and Theo have bonded through their adventures, they still both feel this sense of loss for Jamie, which drives them on their quest this time around. Together with the last book, I love how it portrays the evolution of grief and what it can motivate people to do, albeit with a magical twist.
Going to what is essentially hell presents a lot of opportunities for adventure and danger, and the book delivered on that. It’s fast-paced and fun, while containing the gravitas where necessary.
This was a fun read, and while this is the natural conclusion to Theo and Kai’s adventures, I’d love for Jesse Q. Sutanto to write more in a similar vein. If you’re looking for an entertaining middle grade fantasy-adventure, I’d recommend checking this out!
scienceworks's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
princessofpups8's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
emmybird86's review
5.0
I loved this book. It hit me in the emotions. I loved all the adventure. I hope there will be more in the series.
kellyjmac's review
4.0
Definitely enjoyed this book. It was one I was looking forward to since I had enjoyed the first in the series. It has a slightly different tone or vibe than the first but I still enjoyed it though maybe not as much as the first. It still has all the humour of the forest especially through Kai’s voice. The sarcastic wit of the fox spirit really helped especially with the heavier topics of grief and post traumatic stress. The book is filled with lots of action and peril as Theo and his friends travel through Diyu hoping to get his brother Jamie back. They travel through many of the courts of Diyu and find themselves in some pretty sticky situations. They even battle Princess Iron Fan and the Demon Bull King! Luckily Theo had the support of his friends and he really sees how’s much they are supporting him and how much it means to him. The ending definitely brought me to tears with all the talk of familial love and sacrifice and reincarnation. It’s a beautiful ending to a wonderful series. I will miss Kai and all her sarcastic wit!
daanin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
nightwing's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
A bittersweet conclusion to the Theo Tan duology--Theo & his spirit companion, Kai, travel to hell to help his brother's spirit move on. It's surprisingly dark and emotional, but it's still wrapped in fun shenanigans involving Kai and other mythical spirits, just like the first book. I really like how the story wrapped up in an emotionally satisfying way.
A bittersweet conclusion to the Theo Tan duology--Theo & his spirit companion, Kai, travel to hell to help his brother's spirit move on. It's surprisingly dark and emotional, but it's still wrapped in fun shenanigans involving Kai and other mythical spirits, just like the first book. I really like how the story wrapped up in an emotionally satisfying way.
lastblossom's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
An exciting middle-grade adventure about friendship, being true to yourself, and living with grief.
Thoughts
The previous book in the series really surprised me (in the good way) with its twist on the "middle grade kid gets powers" formula by introducing a world where magic is bottled and sold like a commodity. Theo's journey to accept all facets of himself and his own internal magic continues with another twist on a middle grade favorite - journey into the afterlife to barter with gods. With Theo and his friends now able to tap into their own magic, the modern world building from the first book isn't quite as prominent here, dropped in favor of more Chinese mythology and legend. The core focus also shifts - the first book was about finding your identity in the diaspora, and this book is about living with grief, with a variety of depictions all very genuine and heartbreaking. It's a worthy closer to the story set up in the first book, with plenty of action, great character growth for all of our heroes, and a very thoughtful finale.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
An exciting middle-grade adventure about friendship, being true to yourself, and living with grief.
Thoughts
The previous book in the series really surprised me (in the good way) with its twist on the "middle grade kid gets powers" formula by introducing a world where magic is bottled and sold like a commodity. Theo's journey to accept all facets of himself and his own internal magic continues with another twist on a middle grade favorite - journey into the afterlife to barter with gods. With Theo and his friends now able to tap into their own magic, the modern world building from the first book isn't quite as prominent here, dropped in favor of more Chinese mythology and legend. The core focus also shifts - the first book was about finding your identity in the diaspora, and this book is about living with grief, with a variety of depictions all very genuine and heartbreaking. It's a worthy closer to the story set up in the first book, with plenty of action, great character growth for all of our heroes, and a very thoughtful finale.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, and Grief
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