The Dragon Warrior takes the chosen one/reluctant hero trope and gives it new life. Zhao has created an immersive world filled with engaging characters and fascinating mythology. Fans of the Rick Riordan imprint books will certainly love this book. Highly recommended for all students who love reading fantasy.

This novel left me breathless! This novel had action, adventure, riddles, and a hint of romance! I especially loved all the characters especially Moli and Farryn! Both of them are very strong and sassy! The only thing I have to criticize was Alex’s character growth was not developed enough because his change just seemed sudden rather than gradually reaching his conclusion. I really loved how it is about Chinese culture and mythology! Thus, i really did not want this novel to end, and I can’t wait for the sequel! I recommend this fans of Mortal Instruments and Percy Jackson! Full review to come!

Debut book by new author, Katie Zhao, is sure to please Middle grade readers who like mythology. This would be a great addition to a library trying to diversify their collection with more Asian literature. Faryn Liu and her little brother Alex, are members of the Jade Society warriors, they have been outcasts since their father left in search of demons. They are card for by their grandfather who has also been training them to be warriors. It is the Lunar New Year festival and Faryn leaves the compound to go into San Francisco’s Chinatown to get her grandfather’s medicine. On the way home she encounters a nián (Chinese demon) and uses her grandfathers training to try and stop the demon from causing havoc in Chinatown. This is the beginning of her adventure, read this book to find out who will wield the ancient weapon, Heaven Breaker, and what this means to the Chinese gods.
#Netgalley ARC
https://twitter.com/ktzhaoauthor

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I thought this was an epic middle grade adventure! I loved it so much! The writing, characters, plot, adventure, it all was spot on for me and I will be reading more from this author in the future! I also will be having my son read this book soon as well.

Title: The Dragon Warrior
Author: Katie Zhao
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publication Date: Oct. 15th, 2019
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.



Synopsis: "As a member of the Jade Society, twelve-year-old Faryn Liu dreams of honoring her family and the gods by becoming a warrior. But the Society has shunned Faryn and her brother Alex ever since their father disappeared years ago, forcing them to train in secret.

Then, during an errand into San Francisco, Faryn stumbles into a battle with a demon--and helps defeat it. She just might be the fabled Heaven Breaker, a powerful warrior meant to work for the all-mighty deity, the Jade Emperor, by commanding an army of dragons to defeat the demons. That is, if she can prove her worth and find the island of the immortals before the Lunar New Year.

With Alex and other unlikely allies at her side, Faryn sets off on a daring quest across Chinatowns. But becoming the Heaven Breaker will require more sacrifices than she first realized . . . What will Faryn be willing to give up to claim her destiny?" (Goodreads)



My Review:
Sometimes its good to step away from heavy books and read something light like a middle grade book. I saw another author rave about this one and when I saw it on NetGalley I jumped at the opportunity.

I have been loving books with Asian Mythology and this one is set around Chinese Mythology. It has demons, dragons, and even nine-tailed foxes. So of course, the plot is awesome and grabs your attention!

The main character is a young Chinese-American who kicks butt! She goes through loss, trying to please her family, and dealing with demons through it all. Her sense of humor is fun and fresh. Faryn is a great character and I can see a lot of kids connecting with her.

This book is filled with humor, family, quests, and a whole lot of action! If you are a Percy Jackson fan then definitely check this book out.

I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.