Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire Book 2)

 

Rating: 2 for getting through it, but also knowing that I am abandoning this series.

My Thoughts:

This second book reminds me of the Harry Potter series or rather the Harry Potter movie that no one really wants to rewatch where Harry and Hermione and Ron are out camping in the wilderness as they look for hoarcruxes. Everyone starts to bicker amongst themselves and the large fight scene is a movie away. That is what this book felt like. I never did like the Lei character. She seems to do the least amount, especially considering she is the main character. However, she did have a large moment at the end of book 1. Still, this one was a slog. Lei's naivete turns into outright dense-ness and stupidity. 

That is really all I had to say about this, except I am glad I got it from the library because I would not want to buy this.  I will link the first book, Girls of Paper and Fire, however, I am not reading the third book. 

From the Publisher

Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel monarch wasn't the culmination of her destiny -- it was just the beginning. Now Lei, with a massive bounty on her head, must travel the kingdom with her warrior love Wren to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans.

Meanwhile, a plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy, or will she succumb to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her bond with Wren, and their very lives?

Publication Information:

Author: Natasha Ngan
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Page length: 417 pages

Girls of Paper and Fire

 

Rating: 3 for potential and social justice fantasy

My Thoughts:

This book has the potential to be something I am interested in: non-white author, social injustice, class system (Paper Caste - humans:  then a couple other castes of demons - Moon Caste, Steel Caste), sexual exploitation, violence, oh my. However, as I got further in, the sapphic relationship was awkward. There was more heat with the Moon Caste wolf demon, Kenzo. When Kenzo carries a broken Lei back, say that is not more passion than any other actual relationship encounter. 

I did make it through to the end, and I am reading book 2, but if you want a really good read with similar themes, I would try Saara El-Arifi's The Final Strife. She has similar problems with her book 2, but the love triangle is so much more interesting.  I have also decided that I am not reading book 3, and when I looked up El-Arifi's trilogy, I realize that I did not read her third book either. 

From the Publisher:

In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after: the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable: she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.

Publication Information:

Author: Natasha Ngan

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Nov 6, 2018)

Print length: 401 pages

The Floating World

 

Rating: 4 for high octane fantasy and world building plus a fabulous cover.

My Thoughts:

At the end of this book, the protagonist, Ren asks her friends Yurhee and Tag, "will you join me?" One half of the adventure is over, true, but the other one is still out there. We have not reached the end, but yes I will join you -- in October. GAH! The problem with this kind of fantasy novel is that we start on the precipice and we end on the precipice. In between, though, Ren takes us on a multiple world wild ride to save Little Uncle and run away from the General, his armies and the assassins who are trying to kill her because of her light magic. In between she links up with Sunho, who was also hired to find her. 

She is masked and gives a fake name, so that by the time he realizes that she is Ren, he is already invested in saving her.  It is much more complicated than that, but take my word for it, this is a worthwhile summer read, even if the next book does not come out for four more months.

I want to talk about the ending, and the big "reveal," but I cannot, so if you read this and want more fantasy from Axie Oh, try her novel The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. The Girl is a modern retelling of the Korean folktale, "The Tale of Shim Cheong." Her other books are more contemporary K-pop, bubblegum romance versus the action packed, world building of this series, but if that is what you want to read, you will like her other books: XOXO and ASAP.

Like the Scarlet Alchemist, the action and storyline were too hard to put down. The chapters mostly alternate between Sunho and Ren, so keeping up is crucial, but so is babysitting for me. Therefore, I both read the book and listened to the audiobook, not simultaneously, but to continue "reading." I'm not sure why some people think the audiobook means that you are not reading. If the narrator is good, it is just a way to continue reading without seeing the words. The images are still in your mind. You are still creating pictures out of text and transacting with that text. That is still reading. 

From the Publisher:

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn't realize she's the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined...

Publication Information:

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (April 29, 2025)
Author: Axie Oh
Print length: 358 pages
Narrator: Eden Jun (Dreamscape Media)

The Blood Phoenix (Of Jade and Dragons, Book 2)

 

Rating: 4 stars for a fabulous Chinese-fantasy book 2 that leaves you searching for another read that is up to par.

My Thoughts:

Of Jade and Dragons left me heartbroken at the end. I HAD to read this second book before it came out. Thank you Net Galley for making that happen.  Here is one spoiler, though. The second book starts with heartbreak and also ends with heartbreak. Perhaps that is a trope with C-drama (versus K-drama). 

In a way, this brings me back to watching Kung Fu movies with subtitles (never dubbed) at the local theatre in Chinatown with my mom. The women in these movies were fierce and would sacrifice themselves and go "down with the ship" to protect what was theirs. Ying reminds me of that. Perhaps the idea of riding off into the sunset with your soulmate is so western and so anti Asian. I actually think that is what I love about this new diverse fantasy --drama, heartbreak, ferocity, verve, martydom. So Asian. It is like looking at my matriarchs in my own family. 

If your students are clamoring for more, there is a short list of next reads on the first book in this duology, Of Jade and Dragons.  And if you are an English teacher and you go to an NCTE conference, go to the AAPI get together. It is like a support group for these young Asian American authors and they love talking about their newest books. The giveaways are fabulous and the camaraderie is great to see. 

From the Publisher:

Two years after Ying leaves the Engineer’s Guild and the ghost of her father’s unjust death behind, life seems to regain a semblance of normalcy. But the winds of unrest continue to stir within the Nine Isles, and the aftermath of a horrific pirate attack by the mysterious Blood Phoenix fleet forces Ying back into the tense political world of the new High Commander, Ye-yang. And soon, Ying, Ye-yang and her former friends from the guild must work together to find a way to outsmart the cunning pirates who terrorise the straits—and the elusive mastermind who’s controlling them.  

Meanwhile, Ying’s sister, Nian, now lives in the capital, awaiting the day she will finally marry the High Commander. While her relationship with Ye-yang remains distant, she finds company in her friendship with the fourteenth prince, Ye-kan, and discovers her unexpected affinity for governance and strategy. But the capital is more dangerous than she expects, and when a dark conspiracy arises, Nian and Ye-kan must unravel the mystery in time to prevent the High Command from collapsing from within. 

New dangers arise at every moment, threatening to tear the Nine Isles apart. In order to sail through this storm, Ying and her loved ones must make difficult choices amidst terrible betrayals. With the world on the brink of destruction, will they find a way to defeat their enemies and survive? And will it be worth the cost?

Publication Information:

Author: Amber Chen

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (June 17, 2025)

Print length: 464 pages

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (Song of the Last Kingdom, Book 2)

 

Stars: 4 for fighting and sacrificing fantasy

My Thoughts:

I posted about the first book over a year ago. I realize that  sequels happen this way, but when I picked this book up, I did not have to reread my post or at least look at a summary on a book site. In other words, these two characters, Lan and Zen, made an impression. I remembered that things were complicated at the end of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night as well as the fact that whatever "fromance" happened in book 1 was no longer on the table. Jumping into the chaos of this book was seamless because the characters are memorable and their quest is real. I feel like this idea of colonization, even in a fromance, cannot happen in one book. It needs at least a duology to really get to the root of the colonization, which in this case is about power. 

The battles are large, the demons are powerful. Will the heroes lose their souls to the demons? Is there a world where Lan and Zen can ever be together? Read on. 

Side note: "fromance" - meaning fantasy plus romance is a term given to me by one of my teaching alums. He basically used it as a bad word, probably as I was giving him a new "fromance" book. He misses the guts, war, battles of fantasy, LOTR style without the mushy stuff. 

Monsters Born and Made

 

My Thoughts:

Although this novel has a lot of potential to be very exciting, culturally relevant and a good non-white fantasy book, I was very disappointed at the end. I kept re-reading the end thinking that I must have read too fast and missed something crucial, but that did not help. Reading other reviews, I realize that I am not the only one that plowed through and left with a bitter taste in my mouth.

I have a copy of the book if anyone wants it. Despite what seems to be a bad review, I think there is potential. The creation of the beast, in this case, the maristags, is very similar to Beast Player. The question, like Beast Player, is about humane treatment of animals. In both novels, the humans seem more beastly in actions towards each other than the beasts. That is what makes this intriguing. I still recommend this as a non-white fantasy. Perhaps start with Beast Player first.

From the Publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.

In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the Landers―the ruling elite, have indentured Koral's family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class. The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others―if they're lucky―survive.

When the last maristag of the year escapes and Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family's financial situation takes a turn for the worse and they can't afford medicine for her chronically ill little sister. Koral's only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race.

But every step of the way is unpredictable as Koral races against competitors―including her ex-boyfriend―who have trained for this their whole lives and who have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. As a rebellion rises and rogues attack Koral to try and force her to drop out, she must choose―her life or her sister's―before the whole island burns.

Publication Information:

Author: Tanvi Berwah

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (August 1, 2023)

Paperback: 352 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1728268842

Grade level: 8-12

Pahua and the Dragon's Secret: A Pahua Moua Novel, book 2

 

My Thoughts:

Pahua Moua is back for the second installation of this Hmong modern fantasy tale. When Pahua and  the Soul Stealer concluded, she and shaman-in-training Zhong were able to defeat Xov and place him behind an enchanted prison that straddles different worlds. The problem is that Xov's cage is eroding and Pahua, her mother and little brother are still in danger. 

Although she gets into the Hogwarts-like school for shamans, nothing is ever easy for Pahua. In order to keep everyone safe, this next adventure takes her to the Land of Dragons, accompanied by Miv, her talking cat and Zhong. There is even a ring of power, "my precious" literary cameo from LORTR for older readers. It is one of the reasons why as an adult, I just love YA. 

Pahua must once again face an ethical dilemma in this next story. After all, there are always sacrifices necessary with powerful magic. More importantly for middle school readers, if they like this series, this story leaves the door open for more adventures with Pahua. 

From the Publisher:

A snarky cat spirit, a rivalry between two shamans-in-training, a dangerous dragon encounter, and a stand-off with a thunder god are just a few of the delights and thrills in this sequel to Pahua and the Soul Stealer, winner of the 2022 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature.

Eleven-year-old Hmong girl Pahua Moua recently discovered that she's the reincarnation of Shee Yee, a renowned warrior. With the help of her friends Miv, a talking cat; and Zhong, a shaman-in-training, Pahua defeated Xov, the god of wrath, destruction, and thunder. Now she has to retrieve some metallic dragon scales to reinforce his weakened prison cell.

Pahua, Zhong, and Miv travel to the Land of Dragons, where they come upon the truth stone, an object that reveals the world as it is. The stone will help them locate the second seal that will bind Xov. However, magic is circular, and if Pahua wants to create something as powerful as a cage for a god, she will have to make an equally powerful sacrifice. . . .

Publication Information:

Author: Lori M. Lee

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents (September 10, 2024)

Hardcover: 432 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1368083416

Grade level: 3-7

Celebrate Asian & Asian American Voices 2024: Fantasy Edition

 

My Thoughts:

Like the earlier review of themed teaser or preview books, this one takes on the fantasy genre. I started my fantasy journey with J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit  and The Lord of the Rings, but even before that, it was The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Maybe the earliest fantasy book that I loved was Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. Suffice it to say, these fantasy books are made up of white characterss and written by white authors. The fact that Julie Kagawa has opened the door for Asian and Asian American writers to write about their own culture through the once predominantly white fantasy genre is so exciting! This teaser is just what I needed to keep my summer reading going. 

The sampler starts off with known YA fantasy writer Melissa de la Cruz who I considered an author of white characters, but to my shock and awe, she is a Filipina author. In The Encanto's Daughter, she uses Filipino mythology in this fantasy that will pull you in immediately. You get the first three chapters here, but just get the book. 

The sampler ends with another book on my TBR list, Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen. The description the publishers used was "Mulan meets Iron Widow." Sold.

From the Publishers:

Check out these latest fantasy reads from Penguin Teen's Asian and Asian American authors!

The Encanto's Daughter by Melissa de la Cruz
A young woman claims the throne of a realm inspired by Filipino mythology in this YA romantic fantasy, the first in an enchanting new duet by #1 New York Times bestselling author.

These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang
A teenage sorcerer’s apprentice must solve her boss’s murder in order to prove her innocence in this twisty, magic-infused murder mystery perfect for fans of Knives Out and The Inheritance Games.

Spin of Fate by A. A. Vora
In a world inspired by karma, three teens encounter magnificent beasts, unforgiving magic, and epic battles in this propulsive and wholly original young adult fantasy.

We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim
Frankenstein meets Indian mythology in this twisty, darkly atmospheric fantasy where the real horrors are not the monsters you face, but the ones you create.

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder.

The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes)

Publication date: August 30, 2022 by Elizabeth Lim

An ARC provided by Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers and Net Galley for an honest revew.

My Thoughts:

In a duology, it is difficult to talk about the book without spoiler alerts, so just know that there are spoiler alerts! If you want to read the book based on the strength of reading Six Crimson Cranes, by all means STOP READING. One last thing - this is a great book for middle grades, YA and fans of fantasy and Asian mythology. 5 stars.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

 

My Thoughts:

From the author of Iron Widow, this middle grade contemporary/sci fi-ish fantasy follows a very hesitant and confused Zachary Ying who is put through tremendous pressure and responsibility to both save China and save his mother's soul. That is a lot to put on Zack and he is never quite sure who to trust and who to believe. When the spirit of the First Emperor of China tries to link his spirit with Zack and instead is only able to link with Zack's AR gaming device, Zack can only rely on his own inner power to save his mom. 

Like Tristan Strong in Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, there are key points where Zack feels like he is failing his mother, failing his friends and failing his father.  If students like Tristan, Percy Jackson or the other Rick Riordan presents books, they are going to devour this.

From the Publisher:

Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open.

The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers.

And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever.

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao (they, their)

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication date: May 10, 2022

A Venom Dark and Sweet (Book of Tea 2)

 

Publication Date: August 23, 2022

My Thoughts:

This duology is the follow up to A Magic Steeped in Poison. Ning, the main character, went to Dàxi to compete in the tea/magic competition in order to heal her sister who has been poisoned like many other innocents across the country by poisoned tea bricks. She also befriended Kang and his cousin the princess, but she is scheduled to be executed just when she is so close to finding out the source of the poisoned bricks and the antidote that her sister needs to survive.  Although she escapes with the princess  and saves her sister, at the end of the first book she is betrayed by Kang, the princess is forced out by Kang's father and Ning is being hunted by real soldiers and an ancient yellow serpent that is able to track her when Ning wields her magic. 

In this last book, the four girls, Ning, her sister Shu, the princess and her bodyguard/girlfriend Ruyi must travel the country to try and find allies loyal to the former emperor. A powerful evil is awake and Ning must decide who she can trust. She cannot battle the serpent alone and she needs help from those people she is trying to protect as well as those who have already betrayed her. 

Readers will speed through these two books, especially if they like fantasy, mythology, magic, friendship and action. Teachers just need to be prepared to lead students to the next read. If they liked this duology, send the readers to Six Crimson Cranes or Spin the Dawn, both by Elizabeth Lim. 

If readers are a little young for these books (violence, evil, LGBTQIA romance, death), they may want to try The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim.

From the Publisher:

A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.

Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi—a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making—has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne.

But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world.