A review by poemsarelikepeople
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

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

5.0

I’m officially a Xiran Jay Zhao fan. (Though let’s be fair I already was after Iron Widow). I was in a loooong reading slump and this book ended it easily; it was packed with action while still providing lots of food for thought. I think there were so many interesting moral questions to think about in this book and I loved the weaving of history and sci-fi (as was to be expected of Xiran Jay Zhao). I also loved reading Zach’s inner monologue and him figuring stuff out. And the cultural observations and critique! I hope to read more of Zachary’s story in the future (especially him figuring out his feelings for Simon maybe??)