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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
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
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
adventurous
emotional
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Fun YA adventure. A Chinese American Percy Jackson. Focused on an Zach, an ABC teenage boy living with his hard working kim and feeling like he just doesn’t fit in. He misses his father who was killed for standing up for their Uyghur muslim identity in China. So great to get this kind of representation. Pulled by video games back through time to save China. Along the way Zack learns about various myths and historical moments that impact his quest.
I learned more about Chinese history and mythos from this book than I ever learned from school. Plus the chapter titles are legendary.
Zachary Ying and his mother live a quiet life in the US, where they immigrated to after Zachary’s father was killed by the Chinese government for speaking out about the treatment of Chinese Muslims.
Zachary is bullied at school, and takes comfort in his AR games. One night, two demons attack Zachary in his home and put his mother in a coma. Zachary is roped into a fight to protect China from demons, and to save his mother, by the spirit of the First Emperor of China, who’s inhabiting Zachary’s AR headset. Yes, the First Emperor of China found a way to infiltrate the code, as he was unable to take over Zach’s body, unlike two other former Chinese emperors, whose spirits found ways to bond with two other Chinese kids, whom Zach must work with on this adventure.
There’s a lot of fast-paced action, humour, and social commentary as Zachary discusses the actions of the emperors, China’s development over the centuries, and the position people such as the Uighers occupy in the country. I loved the way Xiran Jay Zhao worked so much into the conversations between Zachary and the First Emperor of China. They discuss power, legacy, respect for difference, and heritage.
Zhao also deals with the difficulties of being a visible immigrant in the US. Zachary feels resentful that his US classmates are causally and regularly racist, and only include him in their circle because of his gaming skills. He never feels accepted because of how he looks and yearns for physical strength so he can stand up to the daily humiliation.
Also, I really like how Zhao used the language and conventions of a video game to frame how Zachary has to interact with the Chinese spirits he must work with.
Zachary gets a fast immersion in Chinese history, its strengths and its weaknesses, and gets to debate with the former First Emperor about the effects of power on common people, as well as those not fitting into China’s dominant group, the Han. Zhao injects some pretty hefty concepts into the fast-moving story, but never lets it get bogged down in dogma. Zachary, and the reader, is given much to contemplate, while all the demon punching is happening, leaving him much wiser about his own circumstances as a Chinese American Muslim.
It’s a fun story but also has some terrifically poignant moments: definitely recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Shuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Zachary is bullied at school, and takes comfort in his AR games. One night, two demons attack Zachary in his home and put his mother in a coma. Zachary is roped into a fight to protect China from demons, and to save his mother, by the spirit of the First Emperor of China, who’s inhabiting Zachary’s AR headset. Yes, the First Emperor of China found a way to infiltrate the code, as he was unable to take over Zach’s body, unlike two other former Chinese emperors, whose spirits found ways to bond with two other Chinese kids, whom Zach must work with on this adventure.
There’s a lot of fast-paced action, humour, and social commentary as Zachary discusses the actions of the emperors, China’s development over the centuries, and the position people such as the Uighers occupy in the country. I loved the way Xiran Jay Zhao worked so much into the conversations between Zachary and the First Emperor of China. They discuss power, legacy, respect for difference, and heritage.
Zhao also deals with the difficulties of being a visible immigrant in the US. Zachary feels resentful that his US classmates are causally and regularly racist, and only include him in their circle because of his gaming skills. He never feels accepted because of how he looks and yearns for physical strength so he can stand up to the daily humiliation.
Also, I really like how Zhao used the language and conventions of a video game to frame how Zachary has to interact with the Chinese spirits he must work with.
Zachary gets a fast immersion in Chinese history, its strengths and its weaknesses, and gets to debate with the former First Emperor about the effects of power on common people, as well as those not fitting into China’s dominant group, the Han. Zhao injects some pretty hefty concepts into the fast-moving story, but never lets it get bogged down in dogma. Zachary, and the reader, is given much to contemplate, while all the demon punching is happening, leaving him much wiser about his own circumstances as a Chinese American Muslim.
It’s a fun story but also has some terrifically poignant moments: definitely recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Shuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
It’s not my usual read, but it was interesting! Great story and cool magic/spirit system. Mixed ancient Chinese history with modern tech. I’m not mad I read it!
THAT ENDING!? HOLY SHIT if you like Yugioh mixed with ancient Chinese legends(which was super cool to read about!?) and a shit ton of anime/gaming references yall need to read this book!
I am both mad and super fucking impressed with the cliffhanger. The book has such great twists and turns that I didn't know what was gonna happen by the end! I will absolutely pick up the next book!
I am both mad and super fucking impressed with the cliffhanger. The book has such great twists and turns that I didn't know what was gonna happen by the end! I will absolutely pick up the next book!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was disappointed in this book. It has a great concept - Chinese American boy, who has grown up with no historical or cultural knowledge of China, and who plays online games, is convinced that he must allow his ancestor, the Dragon Emperor, to take over his body so he can go to China to save the world. Or something like that. There's history and mythology and virtual reality and other gods/emperors that have become greater because of the beliefs of the people (other authors have done this). There's lots of action. And there's far too much instruction on the history that is the background. The writing is too wordy. And the dialogue falls flat - the author doesn't get the tone of a 12-year-old right, and the adults are unrealistic.
This book appears to have been published on the basis of the author being an internet personality. It needed solid editing.
This book appears to have been published on the basis of the author being an internet personality. It needed solid editing.