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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The concept of this book is so cool! I love the idea of the spirits of big-name leaders of the past all knowing each other and hanging out, and having them possess the bodies of their descendants is awesome.
It’s also so clever that they essentially gain super powers due to their stories being retold in ways that conflate their real life abilities and what people believe about them. The inclusion of video game depictions adding to their lore and powers is such a neat idea and it honestly works so well.
The main popular video game in this book reminded me SO MUCH of a combination of the Yu-Gi-Oh anime and the Pokemon Go mobile game, and I got such a kick out of that.
What let this book down for me was all the info-dumping. There was A LOT of Chinese history in this book, some of which I knew and some which was new information, and it’s a really cool way to get people to learn about Chinese history in a fun way, but sometimes it just felt like I was being delivered walls of information and everything else came to a halt to accomodate it.
A middle grade book. I learned a lot about Chinese history. I knew the basics of a lot of the emperors and empresses but not their sidekicks and all. This was a really neat premise for a book and a great combination of history and modern day adventures. Too many action scenes for my personal preference but that’s in line with this author’s other book (for adults.)
adventurous
emotional
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a solid introduction to a new series and perfect for fans of Rick Riordan or Rick Riordan Presents. I was actually surprised it was not part of the RRP imprint, but good for the author. Although I am not a middle school student nor am I a video game player, I can definitely appreciate those elements and know many of my students who would enjoy this type of novel. Zachary is a first-generation immigrant who came to America when he was too young to remember because his father was killed by the government after he protested some of their policies. While my family is not Chinese, we are Taiwanese and therefore have family experience in fighting against the Chinese government (which is very distinct from the Chinese people). This book in particular highlights the fact that China is not homogenous and there are many peoples (in this case, the Muslim) who are oppressed by the policies of the Chinese government. Because his mom wanted to assimilate him into America as quickly as possible, but also because he is currently in Maine where people who look like him are extremely rare, he knows very little about his Chinese culture, and in fact, only speaks English. So when he is drawn into a supernatural battle involving the first emperor of China, he is completely out of his element and has to rely on his MMO game-playing skills to figure out how to save the day. What I appreciated with the distinction the author made between Chinese culture and the Chinese government, and I also liked how Zachary was able to see that the former emperors were not all good or all bad people and that was true for himself as well. There was one part of the story when I really disliked Zachary, but that was part of his lesson as well. I liked the casual mention of queerness, which was pretty refreshing. It was part of his identity, but it wasn't a source of angst or ever an issue in the story.
While this is the first of the series, and there is a setup at the end for the next book, the author does a good job of getting you to a reasonable stopping point so that you're not left feeling frustrated. I look forward to the next book!
While this is the first of the series, and there is a setup at the end for the next book, the author does a good job of getting you to a reasonable stopping point so that you're not left feeling frustrated. I look forward to the next book!
I don’t know what to say exactly. My thoughts are a bit all over the place with this book. I loved it but also kinda didn’t at the same time because of the pacing. Also I had so many questions about some of the smallest things.
What I loved about the book:
First of all, I adore how this book tackles identity and how it encourages youth to embrace all parts of their background. Like yes! Please celebrate what makes you different from others and don’t try to fit in. If I had a strong cultural background, I would love to fully embrace it. Being in an interracial relationship, I fully want to keep this book for if I ever have kids because I want them to be encouraged to explore their heritage and the culture my partner comes from. This book is great at encouraging that.
Next, I love the mythology as always. It’s one of my favorite topics and when authors play around with mythological figures, I’m all for it. The unique way that both historical figures and artifacts are used in this book was satisfying. There’s also mermaids which I was pleasantly surprised at them showing up in the book.
My hang up:
My one issue with the book is that some parts just felt like there was too much info dumping and that the pacing felt a little bit off. Also the way adults just went off screen and the kids just get to do whatever and go wherever was so jarring to me. Like imagine if you were a passerby and you saw these kids just running around and partaking in fights with adults, wouldn’t that raise questions? I know they have a mind wiping mechanism, but like- there’s so many questions I have that took me away from the main story. Because of this, I felt like maybe there was a rush to get this book out and into readers hands. I definitely think the small hang ups I had could have been fixed if there was more time spent on this book.
Overall, it’s a fun and quirky read. Had I not had so many questions about some details, I probably would rate this higher but because they distracted me too much I have to give this three stars. It’s definitely enjoyable and I recommend it to a younger audience.
What I loved about the book:
First of all, I adore how this book tackles identity and how it encourages youth to embrace all parts of their background. Like yes! Please celebrate what makes you different from others and don’t try to fit in. If I had a strong cultural background, I would love to fully embrace it. Being in an interracial relationship, I fully want to keep this book for if I ever have kids because I want them to be encouraged to explore their heritage and the culture my partner comes from. This book is great at encouraging that.
Next, I love the mythology as always. It’s one of my favorite topics and when authors play around with mythological figures, I’m all for it. The unique way that both historical figures and artifacts are used in this book was satisfying. There’s also mermaids which I was pleasantly surprised at them showing up in the book.
My hang up:
My one issue with the book is that some parts just felt like there was too much info dumping and that the pacing felt a little bit off. Also the way adults just went off screen and the kids just get to do whatever and go wherever was so jarring to me. Like imagine if you were a passerby and you saw these kids just running around and partaking in fights with adults, wouldn’t that raise questions? I know they have a mind wiping mechanism, but like- there’s so many questions I have that took me away from the main story. Because of this, I felt like maybe there was a rush to get this book out and into readers hands. I definitely think the small hang ups I had could have been fixed if there was more time spent on this book.
Overall, it’s a fun and quirky read. Had I not had so many questions about some details, I probably would rate this higher but because they distracted me too much I have to give this three stars. It’s definitely enjoyable and I recommend it to a younger audience.
i think its completely reasonable to want to go home after being lied to about the world saving quest
Wow this was so good, it reminded of some type of cultivation manhua (with all the historical knowledge) combined with a coming of age anime (12 year olds saving the world). The plot was amazing, i did not see that plot twist coming AT ALL. I look forward to Zack's next adventure.
Fantastic premise and great characters, but unfortunately this book lost a lot of points for how bloated it was with infodumping. I greatly appreciate the look into Chinese culture, myth, and history - it's a culture I'm not super familiar with and really enjoy learning about! But the way it was done here was just really dull, and detracted a lot from the fun of the story being told.
Still, I did enjoy the book quite a bit, and I'm definitely left wanting more! This author is also really starting to become a queen of cliffhangers, which I'm not generally a huge fan of, but somehow...she makes it work.
Still, I did enjoy the book quite a bit, and I'm definitely left wanting more! This author is also really starting to become a queen of cliffhangers, which I'm not generally a huge fan of, but somehow...she makes it work.
I read Xiran Jay Zhao's YA debut Iron Widow when it was released and absolutely fell in love with their writing style, pacing, and authorial voice. I was so excited when their Middle-Grade debut became available on NetGalley for request and was even more so when I was approved to read it. However, the flow of this novel lacked the grace they showed in the writing of Iron Widow.
I struggled a lot with the near-constant info-dumping that this book did in order to explain the complex Chinese mythology that this story was working with to both the main character and the audience. It often felt like a primer on Chinese mythology more than an adventure story. The ending of this story also left me feeling hollow and frustrated for the characters because they are kids and they didn't even get a moment to breathe or feel like they'd earned any feeling of victory after the journey they went through before being told that it was all for nothing and that the stakes had been raised again. This book felt more like it was worldbuilding for the rest of the (presumably forthcoming) series than it was a story that could stand on its own strength of execution. The impression this book gave me by the end was that it was just a piece in time within a never-ending cycle and that nothing these children did would ever be enough to succeed, that there would forever be another challenge for them to solve to finish this mission and save China.
I struggled a lot with the near-constant info-dumping that this book did in order to explain the complex Chinese mythology that this story was working with to both the main character and the audience. It often felt like a primer on Chinese mythology more than an adventure story. The ending of this story also left me feeling hollow and frustrated for the characters because they are kids and they didn't even get a moment to breathe or feel like they'd earned any feeling of victory after the journey they went through before being told that it was all for nothing and that the stakes had been raised again. This book felt more like it was worldbuilding for the rest of the (presumably forthcoming) series than it was a story that could stand on its own strength of execution. The impression this book gave me by the end was that it was just a piece in time within a never-ending cycle and that nothing these children did would ever be enough to succeed, that there would forever be another challenge for them to solve to finish this mission and save China.
soft dnf...i just haven't been reading this one, but i want to get back to it sometime