The latest book from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint of Disney is an absolute delight!

Thirteen-year-old Min is a fox spirit who has always dreamed of joining the Space Forces. Her older brother, Jun, joined a couple of years ago and she can’t wait until she turns 16 and can follow him to the stars. Unfortunately, things go terribly wrong when an investigator shows up at her family’s door with news that Jun deserted. The investigator tells Min’s mother that Jun and some fellow cadets went rogue, in search of the fabled Dragon Pearl, an object that — if it truly exists — holds the power to terraform worlds in an instant. It’s something that could change life completely for Min’s family and the other people on the backwater planet of Jinju.

Min knows her brother would never desert, even for something as important as the Dragon Pearl, but in the process of trying to spy on the conversation between her mother and the investigator, she accidentally reveals that they are fox spirits, a race of beings thought to be extinct. In order to stay safe from the many people who would discriminate and possibly harm them for being fox spirits, Min’s family has always taken the form of humans (shapeshifting is one of their many abilities). But now Min’s family is exposed, Jun is in trouble, and Min knows she’ll do whatever she must to save her brother.

Thus begins one of the greatest adventure stories for middle grade readers that I’ve come across in a long time. Yoon Ha Lee has created an epic space odyssey that was so exciting and fun to read. I loved Min from the first page — her tenacity, her loyalty to her brother, and her heart all shine so strongly and make her the perfect protagonist. I didn’t know where Lee was going to go next in the story, there were some great plot twists, and the ending had me so excited to read what comes next.

This book is like Supernatural meets Firefly meets Star Trek, and I am so here for it. I think this is my favorite so far of the Rick Riordan Imprint books — and I’ve read ALL of them, and all of them were amazing.

From the imaginative world building to the robust characters to the twisty plot, this was a book that has captured both my mind and my heart, and I hope there are many more books to come about Min.

Min is a young fox spirit living on a planet that has very limited resources. This means she is growing up relatively poor. When her brother is accused of abandoning his position in the galactic fleet, Min runs away to save her family from her rash actions and to find out what really happened to her beloved brother.

Min makes mistakes, she discovers things about herself and the choices she makes and adjusts to become the person she really wants to be.

Yoon Ha Lee writes a compelling tale of space travel and teenage self discover as Min struggles to find and save her brother. I was invested in the outcome and Min's misadventures. Some of her decision making was cringe worth but relative to a young teen lying her way across her universe. 3.5 stars

I received this ARC copy of Dragon Pearl from Disney Book Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. Dragon Pearl is set for publication Jan. 15, 2019.

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Written by: Yoon Ha Le
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Series: Rick Riordan Presents
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
ISBN-10: 136801335X
ISBN-13: 978-1368013352
Genre: Space Opera | Scifi | Fantasy | Teen

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Pearl-Y...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drag...
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drag...

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Loved the Korean mythology as I’ve loved the other mythologies in Rick Riordan Presents books. This story had a lot of great stuff going on—fox prejudice, gender neutral characters, ghosts, estranged family members who turn out to be unprincipled tricksters. It did feel slightly too long to me, but I don’t imagine kids will mind.

When I read the synopsis for Dragon Pearl, I was immediately intrigued. This book seemed to be right up my alley. Sadly, this book didn’t measure up to my expectations. I never felt connected or invested in the story. I felt as if I was only going through the motions while reading this book. I was never dying to know what would happen next.


My biggest complaint is the slow pace. There isn't much action and a lot of the scenes don't seem to be important to the overall plot. The story didn’t catch my attention until around the 80% marker, and by then it was too late.

Honestly, I don’t think this book and the writing style were for me. They didn’t do anything for me personally, but that doesn’t mean it will be the same for you. I encourage everyone to give this book a try. Despite complaints, I do think this series has potential. I plan on checking out the sequel to see where Min’s journey takes her next.

This book is well written. I love every details in it. I CAN'T even stop read this book. Highly recommended

Another wonderful winner from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint!

13-year-old fox spirit Min can't wait until she's old enough to follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and leave behind her dusty planet and explore the Thousand Worlds. But when an investigator arrives at her house saying that Jun deserted, Min knows that there is more to the story and she will not stop until she finds her brother and the truth. Using her shapeshifting abilities and Charm, she embarks on an adventure of epic proportions.

Dragon Pearl is very different from the other stories within this imprint that have been published so far, which really makes Min's story stand out. The magic is almost more real and vivid because of the setting, and even though Min is essentially the definition of anti-hero you can't help but root for her and sit on the edge of your seat, waiting to see if she can Charm her way out of the new mess she has gotten herself in.

An amazing story, and I can't wait to see if Yoon Ha Lee will add more titles featuring this universe and folklore.

I think part of my issue with this book was that it couldn’t decide between being a science fiction or a fantasy story. I really liked the Korean mythology aspect of the story, the different supernatural creatures that Min encounters were really interesting, but then the space part of the story would just sort of come to the forefront and the mythology disappeared. The two parts just never meshed well together for me.

Min is a likable character, although she does read much older than her 13 years. Her ability to shape shift was very interesting and her ability to charm people worked to her advantage most of the time. I thought it was interesting that with all of the abilities that the fox spirits were not well thought of, but were viewed as untrustworthy and were often persecuted. A little bit more of the background on the animal spirits would have been helpful.

There were some secondary characters that I really liked, namely Haneul and Sujin, two cadets Min befriends on the space cruiser she eventually finds herself on. Haneul was a dragon who could control the weather and Sujin was a goblin who could conjure up food and drink when they needed it. They were helpful to Min and at times made the story more interesting.

This was a plot driven story, more than character driven. None of the characters developed or grew much. The plot was well done, but like I mentioned before, the space and mythology aspects just didn’t mesh well for me. There were also some times when the action slowed down too much. The writing also went from really good to just okay, so like I said I wonder if more editing was being done before publication.

Overall, I think this was a good story that kids will like. That cover will certainly having them flocking to check it out!

I read and loved Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire trilogy (and associated short stories) and I've enjoyed both of the other books that have come out under the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. I knew I needed to read Dragon Pearl from my love of those alone. Even with high expectations, Dragon Pearl did not disappoint me at all.

[su_quote style="modern-orange" cite="Goodreads" url=”GOODREADS LINK TO YOUR BOOK"]

Rick Riordan Presents Yoon Ha Lee’s space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you’d never know it by looking at her.

To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times. Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.

When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.

Min’s quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams.

This sci-fi adventure with the underpinnings of Korean mythology will transport you to a world far beyond your imagination. (Goodreads) [/su_quote]

I received an eARC of Dragon Pearl via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dragon Pearl is a gem of a middle grade novel.  If you have a kid in your life who loves science fiction, this is definitely going to be up their alley. It's got ghosts, space travel, pirates, supernatural creatures and a healthy dose of fun.

Lee is fantastic at building worlds and societies that feel absolutely real to you, even when they're entirely outside of your realm of experience.  I never felt like I was having information dumped on me, but I still got a full view of the worlds that Min traveled to.

Dragon Pearl needs trigger warnings for death of a family member, gaslighting, running away from home, gambling, spiked drinks, magical manipulation, threat of execution, and malevolent ghosts.

I personally loved the way that Lee worked the dragons and goblins into this story as fellow soldiers. I felt like I was always getting to know the characters, which I loved, even when they betrayed Min. The Korean mythology truly was the foundation of all of the worlds and characters we got to meet, and I can't wait to see how Lee expands on that in future novels.

I loved this story, and don't want to spoil anything. Dragon Pearl will keep even the most avid of readers on the edge of their seat for the entire novel. I will definitely be pre-ordering future books in this series to make sure that I don't miss out on any of Min's adventures in the future. I recommend you order yourself a copy right now from Amazon or Indiebound!

[su_box title="ABOUT DRAGON PEARL" style="default" box_color="#ff4400" title_color="#f2f2f2" radius="3" class=""]

Title: Dragon Pearl

Author:  Yoon Ha Lee

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Length: 304 Pages

Release Date: January 15, 2018

Rating: Recommended

Genre: Middle Grade Science Fiction

Representation: Korean main character, Korean-American Author

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I have been looking forward to following up Riordan's work with his new Hyperion-Disney imprint. I admire the commitment to promoting mythology-based books for middle grade readers. This is an exciting mix of Korean mythology and science fiction. We have a definite need for this genre, at this age level. Most of the sci-fi available when I went to school was above me (content-wise and usually comprehension too), so I am grateful for initiatives like this for making this genre more accessible to younger audiences.
13 year-old fox spirit, Min runs away from her home planet to get to the bottom of her brother's disappearance/desertion from the Space Forces. I love a story that gives you the feeling things aren't quite what they seem.... Min knows her brother, and she knows there is no way he would leave his post to pursue the dangerous powers of the Dragon Pearl. As a shape-shifter, she is capable of charming her way to different worlds to uncover the truth. Excellent pacing, lots of action, pirates and vengeful ghosts will keep you turning pages. I just wish this was part of a series! Kids will love Min, mischievously lovable... just like Riordan's protagonists.

The mythology was so cool in this book! I would love to be able to shape shift, that is such a cool power to have. However to grow up and not be able to use such a cool power would be horrendous. I completely understand why Min leaves to save her brother and winds up on a epic adventure in the process. A great book about friendship, family and adventure.

This is another Rick Riordan imprint. This book takes place in the Thousand Worlds - outerspace worlds with terraforming, star gates, and space cadets. Min is shocked when officials come looking for information about her brother. They say he has deserted and that it has something to do with the missing Dragon Pearl - a powerful ord that helps to terraform planets. Min decides to go searching for her brother using her fox ability to shapeshift and charm. But can she find her brother to clear his name and find the Pearl before it gets into the wrong hands? This was a clever sci fi adventure. I though it lagged a bit in the middle but good overall.

A pleasant middle grade novel that will appeal most to it's intended age group. Even though the universal appeal might not be there, this is still a fresh and culturally innovative take on middle grade scifi.

Just when you'd think you have read enough mythology stories, think again. This Rick Riordian presents book is a wild ride. Never would I think that I would read a story that combines space and pirates and even ghosts with mythology and yearn for more but this book made me a believer. Give this one a try. You wont regret it.

3.5 but I’m having a hard time reviewing this one because there were parts I really liked and get sucked into and parts that fell flat and dragged for me.. I did almost stop this one for a bit in the early stages. For one, the world building shifted from being engrossing to too vague and needing of some fleshing out. The biggest struggle for me was the characters, though. I know this is fantasy but I still expect a believable choice/ quest.. the entire premise of the book felt forced to me and I didn’t feel convinced by the choices the main character made with ease or the reasoning behind a lot of those choices.

I enjoyed the similar age friends Min, the main character made— the dragon and a goblin were both cool and interesting, the Korean mythology (!!!), of course adventure in space, the matter of factness with gender fluidity, and the ghosts.

I think maybe I shouldn’t have read this after Sal and Gabi because that one has been the best one of this new fleet of Rick Riordan presents books to me yet.

I can definitely see a book two for this one though and the world is interesting enough to travel around in for another go.

I kind of vacillated between three stars and four, but I decided to go with four. I was pretty fond of Min by the end of the book, and found myself rooting for her. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but then again, she's just a kid. She has never been allowed to use her Charm (her magic) so she is developing that skill while also trying to discover the truth of what happened to her older brother, and locate the fabled Dragon Pearl. The pacing wasn't always perfect, but there was a lot of character development and I appreciated the world building and humor. I'm not sure I'll buy this for my library because I just don't know that it will circulate, but for middle graders looking for a sci fi/fantasy blend, this is a good choice.

The perfect space fantasy with an Asian twist that is as readable for middle schoolers as it is for young adults. Min can change into a fox like her ancestors but it is something she is forbidden to do - no magic! When she learns that her brother is being accused of desertion from the Space Forces in order to search for the secret Dragon Pearl, Min runs away in disguise to join the Space Forces and prove her brother's innocence. She is a tough yet sensitive girl who believes in her brother and somehow manages to fake out the military and take on much more dangerous missions than anyone thought she could handle. This is a clever spin on Korean mythology and a space fantasy to boot that is exciting and different than most of the middle-grade series. My thanks to the publisher for the advance of the next great Rick Riordan presents title.

I don’t normally read middle-grade books—in fact, I never read middle-grade books—but I am into Korean mythology and space operas, so I figured I had, like, a 50% chance of getting on with Dragon Pearl.

Uhhhhh.

I mean, it wasn’t all bad. The Korean mythology was awesome, and I loved the way it blended into the sci-fi elements of the story. It felt so right. Of course a shape-shifting tiger is the captain of a space ship academy! That’s how it should be! And the worldbuilding was great—at least in the beginning. Jinju is a really interesting planet with interesting people that I would have loved to explore more.

But then we leave Jinju and, if I’m being perfectly honest, things get boring. We spend a lot of time with Min doing menial chores and memorizing school materials. We got to hang out in gambling dens on Jinju, but scrubbing toilets in space is the real thrill here, apparently. After a lot of toilets, I couldn’t ever recapture that excitement from the beginning of the book, regardless of any high-energy action that Min encountered later.

And let’s talk about Min. She was annoying in that whole “getting away with every mischievous trick because she’s unexpectedly super powerful and can basically do whatever she wants” way but she also whined constantly. Ugggghhh, Min, shut up! None of her ideas ever made any sense to me but they somehow worked in her favor every single time. In fact, I didn’t like any characters. They weren’t fleshed out enough, maybe? I don’t know. All of these unique characters had the potential to be great but I just wanted the whole space ship to crash.

(I also thought the writing was horrendous but I don’t read middle-grade so maybe this is what middle-grade should read like?)

I sort of felt at times like Lee was going for a Percy Jackson (bad writing, dubious plot, admit it) meets Harry Potter (trio of friends at magical school, main character had bad childhood) vibe, which I find utterly uninspiring. I guess here we can kind of swing back to my initial concern, which is that I simply can’t read middle-grade novels.

Bonus points to Lee for the very casual challenging of gender norms with his characters. I don’t imagine you see that in middle-grade novels very much (yet!).

Mini review:

DNF

Trigger warning: Trauma after the disappearance of a family member. Being cast out of society. Up till the point I read.

I received this E-ARC via Disney Book Group and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this! I love middle grade. Unfortunately I didn’t like it.

I really enjoyed the beginning and the world building! I also liked the MC and her family.

As I read on I started to lose interest. I no longer cared for the plot or the characters. It was a meh experience.

Still recommend.

There were a lot of things I really liked about Dragon Pearl, but I was a little bit disappointed, too.  I think it was the pacing more than anything.  Certain parts flowed well, but parts were slow and other parts wrapped up too quickly.  Overall, I enjoyed it though.



Min is a 13 year old gumiho, a fox.  She can change shapes and use her magic to get into people's heads.  She can make them believe that they never saw her or that someone didn't  pass by them.  She is rarely in her fox form, and usually looks like a young girl.  Her brother Jun is in the space force and Min was hoping to join him there in two years.  But a man shows up at their house and says that Jun was a deserter.  Min knows that can't be correct, so she sneaks away to find out what happened.  It's believed that foxes are no longer around and people are afraid of them.  So Min has to use her powers, but not get caught.



She is able to finally get onto Jun's ship after a lot of other issues.  She takes on the body of a ghost she meets on the ship and pretends to be a cadet.  She finds out more about Jun's mission and why he was missing.   Min must also get the Dragon Pearl before it ends up in the wrong hands. 



There is a decent amount of action at times and also some betrayal that made the story interesting.  I also loved how there were gumiho, ghosts, tigers, dragon, goblins, space pirates, and more.  I ended up giving Dragon Pearl 4 stars.  It was closer to 3  1/2, but there was enough I liked to push it up a bit.  



Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my copy for review.

What I Liked
So many cool things about this book! The weaving in of Korean mythology in a future other-planet setting was done very well. I’ve seen a lot of books with gumiho mythology in them lately; this book skips past the part of the mythology that paints them as trickster ladies but incorporates other common threads of gumiho lore. There are also goblins, ghosts, dragons, and tigers as mythical creatures in this book, all in space, and the two joining was just really cool. Min is a likeable character whose drive to find and exonerate her brother is very relatable.

What I Would Have Liked to See
The ending seems to be leaving room for a sequel or series, but I’m not entirely sure where a sequel would go. I would LOVE to see another book in this universe, though, so hopefully the author comes up with some way for Min to go on another adventure.

My Favorite!
The ships having qi and being affected by good and bad luck. The engineers basically realigning the ship’s qi was such a cool idea!

TL;DR
Fox spirit Min sneaks into the Space Forces so she can find her AWOL brother and maybe also find the Dragon Pearl, a legendary object that can bring life to worlds, or destroy anything in its path.