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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
It was cool how they added dragons to the book like the 4 dragons kings.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Things get weird when Grace is gifted a dragon egg while on a school field trip. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
My daughter loved this one and we have the 2nd one on hold.
Readers will like that this tween adventure story revolves around an international school in Hong Kong, a fresh setting that provides a cast of teen characters from a variety of backgrounds, with unusual but totally believable skills & some realistic school humor. It feels American without being surrounded by the particulars of American culture. I think a wide range of tween readers will be able to relate to the setting, dialogue, & seemingly-universal tween behaviors & reactions.
The story is structured around a team of young teens banding together on a quest. The central character, like other members of this quickly-formed team, is mixed-race - her parents being white & Asian. But this superficial level of being mixed "race" is taken to a level deeper in fantasy by the fact that Grace's dad (and she) are a mix of dragon & human blood.
At first, the teens are simply trying to discover the reason why Grace was given a dragon's egg, but eventually, they will also need to thwart the evil villain.
Although her father apparently lived his entire life without knowing (or at least without telling his daughter or wife) that he has dragon's blood in him, he tries to teach the inattentive Grace about her Chinese heritage & folklore - something we see in the first chapter, when he's still alive, as well as flashbacks later.
Sadly, he dies of cancer before Grace is gifted a dragon egg by a stranger while randomly sneaking off from a field trip in the first week of her Hong-Kong-based international private school.
fills them in on the history before, during, & after the experiments that killed Grace's father. This is incredibly annoying & nonsensical because the evil villain simply stands aside while this story is told, and only when it's done does he declare that he will inject himself with dragon blood, etc... The story goes off the rails at that point.
Overall, there are many small flaws - action or conversation that is interrupted or unclear, and speech bubbles that constantly cross over one another giving the feeling like everyone is talking at once - but the gist of the story is exciting & adventurous & inclusive.
Quibbling with plot holes or inconsistencies seems like misplaced attention. I'm hoping each of the diverse characters will bring something of their own culture into the story - but the main 4 people don't have dragons in their cultures, so perhaps it will stay focused on Grace?
The story is structured around a team of young teens banding together on a quest. The central character, like other members of this quickly-formed team, is mixed-race - her parents being white & Asian. But this superficial level of being mixed "race" is taken to a level deeper in fantasy by the fact that Grace's dad (and she) are a mix of dragon & human blood.
Spoiler
Note that this has absolutely nothing to do with the author's own heritage, as far as I can tell. His name seems to be of Indian/Hindu origin.At first, the teens are simply trying to discover the reason why Grace was given a dragon's egg, but eventually, they will also need to thwart the evil villain.
Although her father apparently lived his entire life without knowing (or at least without telling his daughter or wife) that he has dragon's blood in him, he tries to teach the inattentive Grace about her Chinese heritage & folklore - something we see in the first chapter, when he's still alive, as well as flashbacks later.
Sadly, he dies of cancer before Grace is gifted a dragon egg by a stranger while randomly sneaking off from a field trip in the first week of her Hong-Kong-based international private school.
Spoiler
Only, he didn't die of cancer! He was experimented on & killed by the doctor/scientist (a redheaded man, in the U.S.) who then married Grace's mother & became her step-father!! Truly evil, right?!? Unfortunately, *after* the kids have already figured it out, there is a second denouement, in the form of a careful conversation in which another characterSpoiler
- a Mongolian kidnapping victim who is being used by a dragon-warrior death cult -Overall, there are many small flaws - action or conversation that is interrupted or unclear, and speech bubbles that constantly cross over one another giving the feeling like everyone is talking at once - but the gist of the story is exciting & adventurous & inclusive.
Quibbling with plot holes or inconsistencies seems like misplaced attention. I'm hoping each of the diverse characters will bring something of their own culture into the story - but the main 4 people don't have dragons in their cultures, so perhaps it will stay focused on Grace?
Grace’s father tells her the story of warriors who mingled their blood with dragons in order to become immortal. Soon after Grace’s father dies of cancer. Three years later we see Grace in a private school in Hong Kong. Her mom is now with a man name Hank who is with a big tech company. On her first day of private school he gives Grace a special kind of watch which will track all of her health information. She makes a friend named Ramesh. They go to an open air market where he goes to get dumplings and she meets an older woman who gives her what looks like an egg. The egg hatches that night and seems to be a dragon. She makes friends with several other people including James and Jing. Now they have to protect the dragon.
Turns out her father was experimented on because he had mixed blood. They suspect she has mixed blood so Hank has been tracking her with the watch. Hank doesn’t fully believe the myths. So when he injects some of the mixed blood, he turns into a demon. Grace and her friends survive and the little dragon goes back with the big dragon.
Turns out Grace is a dragon mixed blood person.
Really fun story, good for the kids with its very own interesting plot. Middle grade.
Turns out her father was experimented on because he had mixed blood. They suspect she has mixed blood so Hank has been tracking her with the watch. Hank doesn’t fully believe the myths. So when he injects some of the mixed blood, he turns into a demon. Grace and her friends survive and the little dragon goes back with the big dragon.
Turns out Grace is a dragon mixed blood person.
Really fun story, good for the kids with its very own interesting plot. Middle grade.
I wish Goodreads had half stars because I'd rate this one maybe a 3.5?
I went into this thinking it was going to be a fantasy-esque title with lots of Chinese lore about dragons and warlords and while it was that to a certain extent, I was not expecting other elements like technology and such to play a part. That kind of threw me off to be honest. I'm still intrigued and eager for more of the story in the rest of series though.
I went into this thinking it was going to be a fantasy-esque title with lots of Chinese lore about dragons and warlords and while it was that to a certain extent, I was not expecting other elements like technology and such to play a part. That kind of threw me off to be honest. I'm still intrigued and eager for more of the story in the rest of series though.
I little confusing at times, but a great story. I'm curious where this will go!
fast-paced