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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed the American Gods like premise of the spirits of past emperors being tied to their histories/legends/remembrance. I also liked the subtle exploration of potential queerness that felt very age appropriate.
The pace really dragged for me after the first 100 pages. Every single Chinese historical figure was referred to as “the Chinese version of some American pop culture figure” and that type of description got boring really quick.
I was also reading this under the assumption that it was a standalone (because that’s how it seemed from the marketing and until a week ago it wasn’t listed as part of a series on goodreads). There are ways to end on a cliffhanger/set up plot for the rest of the series while still feeling like a complete book. Ultimately, this felt unfinished/incomplete and that does not make for a positive reading experience for me.
The pace really dragged for me after the first 100 pages. Every single Chinese historical figure was referred to as “the Chinese version of some American pop culture figure” and that type of description got boring really quick.
I was also reading this under the assumption that it was a standalone (because that’s how it seemed from the marketing and until a week ago it wasn’t listed as part of a series on goodreads). There are ways to end on a cliffhanger/set up plot for the rest of the series while still feeling like a complete book. Ultimately, this felt unfinished/incomplete and that does not make for a positive reading experience for me.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
dark
emotional
informative
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
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In my Iron Widow review I talked about the issues with Comp Titles.
This one IIRC is Percy Jackson meets Yu-gi-oh.
While it does not include playing children's card games for much of the plot (but AR headsets and games do fit in to the story) I have ZERO issues with this comp title.
Zachary's gaming headset is possessed by his ancestor Qin Shi Huang, and when Zachary's mother's soul is snatched, leaving her in a coma, Zachary must go to China and team up with a couple other children to reinforce a seal before Ghost Month, or it spells the end of China if not the world, and his mother of course.
What I really love about this book (other than everything) is that part of the conflict is how disconnected Zachary is as a Chinese diaspora to the mythos of Qin Shi Huang. Also, I can't think of a single other book I've read that mentioned Hui Chinese people. As such Zachary eats Halal (or Vegan if there are no other options).
This is not a book that speaks of how great China is. Zachary's father was executed years before the story started for standing up for Uyghur rights. Occasionally, while in China, there are mentions of how in certain areas, the Chef's knives are chained to their kitchens, that sort of thing.
This book also lead me to learn the Chinese healthcare system (from the payment side) isn't friendly to chronic issues, and I have to admit I'd simply assumed that China had good state-paid healthcare because I'm in the US, known healthcare-insurance-hell-hole. Now I will say I tried to look into this more, and the articles on wikipedia don't seem to be up to date, and there doesn't seem to be much information in English (unless you are willing to trust random websites, and as an American, I've tried to be really careful to not believe random bullshit about China). Basically I'm saying, I know the author has done loads of research, I'm just going to trust them.
Anyway, while I suspect if you know your Chinese history and mythology, you have an upper hand in the twists of the book, but if you don't, everything gets explained pretty well without overwhelming you with information.
All in all this is great, I don't remember the last time I loved a Middle Grade book this much.
I'm gonna have to buy a hardcover copy of it (and Iron Widow) at some point.
This one IIRC is Percy Jackson meets Yu-gi-oh.
While it does not include playing children's card games for much of the plot (but AR headsets and games do fit in to the story) I have ZERO issues with this comp title.
Zachary's gaming headset is possessed by his ancestor Qin Shi Huang, and when Zachary's mother's soul is snatched, leaving her in a coma, Zachary must go to China and team up with a couple other children to reinforce a seal before Ghost Month, or it spells the end of China if not the world, and his mother of course.
What I really love about this book (other than everything) is that part of the conflict is how disconnected Zachary is as a Chinese diaspora to the mythos of Qin Shi Huang. Also, I can't think of a single other book I've read that mentioned Hui Chinese people. As such Zachary eats Halal (or Vegan if there are no other options).
This is not a book that speaks of how great China is. Zachary's father was executed years before the story started for standing up for Uyghur rights. Occasionally, while in China, there are mentions of how in certain areas, the Chef's knives are chained to their kitchens, that sort of thing.
This book also lead me to learn the Chinese healthcare system (from the payment side) isn't friendly to chronic issues, and I have to admit I'd simply assumed that China had good state-paid healthcare because I'm in the US, known healthcare-insurance-hell-hole. Now I will say I tried to look into this more, and the articles on wikipedia don't seem to be up to date, and there doesn't seem to be much information in English (unless you are willing to trust random websites, and as an American, I've tried to be really careful to not believe random bullshit about China). Basically I'm saying, I know the author has done loads of research, I'm just going to trust them.
Anyway, while I suspect if you know your Chinese history and mythology, you have an upper hand in the twists of the book, but if you don't, everything gets explained pretty well without overwhelming you with information.
All in all this is great, I don't remember the last time I loved a Middle Grade book this much.
I'm gonna have to buy a hardcover copy of it (and Iron Widow) at some point.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Racism
adventurous
inspiring
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
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What I was looking for: Xiran Jay Zhao has extremely interesting and entertaining Youtube videos about Chinese history and I enjoyed their other book, Iron Widow, immensely. Of course I had to pick up their latest book.
My thoughts: Sadly, it took me quite some time to get into the book. I only read the first Percy Jackson book years ago but Zachary Ying reminded me way too much of that book: protagonist raised by single mum, supernatural shenanigans which he does not want to be a part in, supernatural attack on mother, mother ends up in a coma, now is reluctantly in to save mother, group of two boys one girl, ... (my bookseller sister tells me that this is not a “Percy Jackson” thing but actually a standard in these type of MG books in recent years). But then it got more and more interesting the further the book progressed and I loved the last 1/3 of the book and could not put it down.
What I really loved right from the start was that I learned much about China, Chinese folklore and traditions. And I really liked the ambiguity of the characters – evil and good were not clear cut (as it isn’t in reality). And I appreciated the hints of LGBTQ content which, judging by the author’s other content, will probably be explored more in future books.
The everyday racism Zachary faces hurt me very much and I hated that he had to go through this. But it is important to have this in books, so more people will hopefully pick up on such things and not repeat casual (and not so casual) racism.
The videogame was cool and sound fun, but I was a little confused, not being very familiar with VR devices, how it worked in everyday life – do the kids really walk around with these huge things over their eyes? Probably they have cooler, smaller devices.
Even though I had a hard time getting drawn in (which was a “me” problem because I was not familiar with the conventions of that genre), I do think it is a great MG book and I recommend it to this age group. Even if the book had not ended on a cliff-hanger, I still would have been very interested in the next instalment.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
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
"You claim Chinese heritage. That makes you Chinese. Knowledge of [Qin Shi Huang] is just one small part of Chinese culture, which is vast and different across the world, wherever Chinese people are." p.51
Apologies again for a very personal review.
This book hit me hard as someone who hasn't been feeling 'Chinese-enough' or 'Asian-enough' as of late. I related so much to Zachary Ying, who, in an effort to assimilate in 'American' culture, has lost touch with his Chinese heritage. He can't speak mandarin, nor does he know any Chinese history. Zack is 12. Imagine how I'm feeling at 26, learning many of these stories for the first time myself. But, as Zack learns throughout the book, there isn't shame in this.
All that aside, this story was so much fun! Nonstop action, filled to the brim with futuristic technology and mythological magic powers. The characters were so much fun, and there was a ton of hilarious banter as well. The kids, at times, seemed to be older than their ages, but I *guess* when you share a brain with a powerful ancient emperor, that's excusable. I loved that the readers were left to guess about each person's motivations all the way until the end, and that nobody was fully good or evil (Zack included!)
A book like this would be a wonderful addition to any school library. With history here being so Euro- and Americentric, this would be such a fun way for young kids to learn about another country's culture and history. Plus there's such wonderful representation. Zack, along with being part of the Chinese diaspora, is also queer and Muslim. This book also shed light on how people with different identities are treated in China - dispelling this narrative that Asians are a monolith.
I have a lot more that I could say, but at the end of the day, I'm just so happy to have read a book that made me feel so seen. And it helps that it was just a downright fun read. I'm so so happy that literature is becoming increasingly diverse and that kids nowadays won't have to wait until their mid-20s (or later) to read books with characters that share similar experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Moderate: Racism
adventurous
funny
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:
No
Loved this!! What a fun read. Good on the writing to make me actually laugh aloud at points. Jokes land and work well to keep the action light. Ready for the sequel and now more excited to finally read their other book, Iron Widow
adventurous
funny
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