A great fantasy universe I’d love to revisit

I loved that the book does not sub estimate the reader´s intelligence, complex issues and concepts such as religious persecution are addressed in an age-appropriate way without feeling condescending. It is hard to get people to empathize with struggles they have never or will never have to go through, but this book manages it wonderfully through a charismatic protagonist. Simon and Melissa feel a tad two dimensional but there is room for their dynamic to develop in future books.
Some of the world building info dumps can halt the story’s momentum but its something to be expected for the first book of a saga. The story is captivating, funny and it manages to combine traditional and moder iconography into an elegant and unique fantasy world. I hope the next book is announced soon because that ending left me wanting more.

Xiran Jai Zhao offers an interesting premise in this one. I can really appreciate the fact that they put history and myths in the front of this novel and mixed it with more modern concepts like virtual reality. Sadly, even though I'm a fan of middle grade, this ended up reading way too young for me. The reactions of the main characters were annoying to my because of it. I sadly won't continue with the series.

Fast paced and so much fun! It had me in fits of laughter and not trusting anyone!! I really like Zach, and I love the Chinese history and culture that is the basis of the story. I can't wait to see what happens next!

I appreciated the author’s preamble to this book in Goodreads and their point about the complexity of being Chinese in current times. I like how this book wove in Chinese history and the fact that it is studied and revered in China but very much unknown to people outside of academia in the Western world. I also thought it was important that the protagonist represented the Uyghur population, a region of China that deserves media attention due to the human right violations specific to the people there. These points aside, the book was a fun read. Just the right amount of adventure, fantasy and twists amidst the history and heavier topics.

3.5-4 star

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc of this book.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Republic is a middle grade fantasy novel that follows Zachary and his friends as they continue their fight against the Dragon Emperor. As someone who is not a major middle grade reader, I found the book to be just okay. While the world-building was fascinating and the book explored larger themes of identity and personal growth, the lack of character development left me feeling emotionally detached. The book felt more focused on world-building than character development, but it did a good job of analyzing and discussing the themes it explored. Overall, while I appreciate what the book was trying to do, it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

I used ChatGPT to help write this, but I used my main thoughts remains the foundation of the review./i>

Wow, this was amazing!
Xiran Jay Zhao is crushing life! Iron Widow was beyond fabulous, and I put off reading this for fear of it not living up to my expectations.
I had no reason to worry, and am completely mad at myself for not having picked this up sooner.
This middlegrade read is filled with adventure, excitement, and a bunch of Chinese historical bits.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the travel into China.
Much love to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my ARC, sorry I took so long to read it.

Loved, loved, loved this book! The adventures, a character whose confidence slowly grows, and the references to Chinese history and legends. I liked the connection to gaming too - I think that will appeal to young readers. Now I need to read the sequel!,

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me an electronic Advanced Readers copy of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor.

This book is a must read if you love gaming, fantasy, and middle grade books. The main character Zack is so empathetic and kind he is such a cinnamon roll and it was such a pleasure to read about him. He is such an easy character to root for. The entire cast of characters is really wonderful and hilarious. I found the plot to be fast-paced and engaging. The high stakes conflict and capable characters make this a thrilling read. It was very satisfying to see Zack grow as a character, stand up for himself, and discover things about his identity and heritage.

Overall a great read that will have you asking for the sequel!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This author is incredible, they should be a national treasure. I love their writing style and everything they do. I expect more from them in the future

This book is the perfect mix of a Percy Jackson adventure story with Chinese history and mythology. Combine that with modern technology and games and you have this story.

Xiran Jay Zhao has written a masterpiece here. I especially love how they have taken their Hui culture and introduced it to the masses. I will absolutely be picking up the next book in this series and will automatically buy anything that they write.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with this free arc in exchange for an honest review of the book.
I don’t normally read middle grade but I did because I heard such good things about the author. It gave me Percy Jackson vibes and I loved that. This was a great book and I have recommended it to multiple people already.

Zachary Ying and his mother live a quiet life in the US, where they immigrated to after Zachary’s father was killed by the Chinese government for speaking out about the treatment of Chinese Muslims.

Zachary is bullied at school, and takes comfort in his AR games. One night, two demons attack Zachary in his home and put his mother in a coma. Zachary is roped into a fight to protect China from demons, and to save his mother, by the spirit of the First Emperor of China, who’s inhabiting Zachary’s AR headset. Yes, the First Emperor of China found a way to infiltrate the code, as he was unable to take over Zach’s body, unlike two other former Chinese emperors, whose spirits found ways to bond with two other Chinese kids, whom Zach must work with on this adventure.

There’s a lot of fast-paced action, humour, and social commentary as Zachary discusses the actions of the emperors, China’s development over the centuries, and the position people such as the Uighers occupy in the country. I loved the way Xiran Jay Zhao worked so much into the conversations between Zachary and the First Emperor of China. They discuss power, legacy, respect for difference, and heritage.

Zhao also deals with the difficulties of being a visible immigrant in the US. Zachary feels resentful that his US classmates are causally and regularly racist, and only include him in their circle because of his gaming skills. He never feels accepted because of how he looks and yearns for physical strength so he can stand up to the daily humiliation.

Also, I really like how Zhao used the language and conventions of a video game to frame how Zachary has to interact with the Chinese spirits he must work with.

Zachary gets a fast immersion in Chinese history, its strengths and its weaknesses, and gets to debate with the former First Emperor about the effects of power on common people, as well as those not fitting into China’s dominant group, the Han. Zhao injects some pretty hefty concepts into the fast-moving story, but never lets it get bogged down in dogma. Zachary, and the reader, is given much to contemplate, while all the demon punching is happening, leaving him much wiser about his own circumstances as a Chinese American Muslim.

It’s a fun story but also has some terrifically poignant moments: definitely recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Shuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

What a fantastic book: jam packed with adventure, historical facts and three-, no, make that four-dimensional characters!

Ultimately a story of good versus evil in both the real and the digital world, the writer takes us on an engaging escapade through the present-day trials and tribulations of school and the immigrant experience, a global tech company's unscrupulous ways and China's ancient past. Best of all, not a single character is purely heroic or villainous; all are wonderfully, believably flawed.

It's my understanding that Xiran Jay Zhao didn't start out writing middle grade but was encouraged to by a friend. It's the perfect fit! They introduce heaps of Chinese history and culture to young readers, yet it has to be fun and engaging to hold their attention. It certainly held mine.

This young author is currently on a rocket trajectory as a YouTube celebrity and with one NYT bestseller. This one is quite likely to be their next! I can't wait to follow their career.

another great novel from the queen.
This was overall a really adventurous middle-grade novel that brought me back to my percy jackson obsession in middle school. And it really sowed Xiran's versatility in writing styles adapted for different audiences.

Picked this one up cause i looooooved Iron Widow. This one is different in the sense that it’s, well, on Earth, ha. But i think it’s very important one, especially for all the second generation kids. I’ve already recommended it to an acquaintance of mine, who is struggling to find books for her son.
Really enjoyed the action and some plot twists and obviously a fun way to look into Chinese legends. It would appear that it can be part of a series, will be on a look out.

I wasn't expecting this novel to feature Muslim representation, but I loved that the author included this and addressed the existence and oppression of this minority in China. This is an excellently executed middle-grade novel - despite including many themes that are heavy, the protagonist's voice feels light and authentic to a twelve-year-old boy's. The references to Chinese history, mythology, and video games made this unique. Fans of Percy Jackson that have not yet read this are in for a treat!

Sad Baker
4.0 out of 5 stars A great blend of Chinese Legends and gaming!
Reviewed in Canada on June 12, 2022
I was excited to receive an ARC of this book from netgalley and the publisher as I was a big fan of Iron Widow. I especially loved how the author blended the old (Chinese Legends) with the new (gaming). An entertaining and fun read! I’m looking forwrd to the next book from this author

Ever since I finished Iron Widow, I've been desperately waiting to devour Xiran Jay Zhao's next book. Zachary Ying was everything I wanted and more! This book follows Zachary Ying when he gets possessed by the First Emperor of China as he's swept on an adventure to save the mortal realm. He discovers more about Chinese history and his heritage while traveling across China.

I thought this book was hilarious and very engaging! It touched on Asian American identity with an adventurous twist as we see Zachary fight spirits and find ancient artifacts. Zachary was a great character to follow, and I loved to see how his relationship with Simon and Melissa evolved. Although I loved learning more about Chinese history throughout the novel, I felt like some parts had quite a bit of info dumping. However, after how things ended, I can't wait to see what happens in book two!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

5/5 stars

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved every second of it, and I already want to reread it. Also I am in desperate need of the sequel because that ending leaves so many things unanswered and also brings up new problems!
I loved the writing style of this book. It was super easy to read, really interesting, well-paced, and there were some really funny lines and moments. It definitely reminded me of Rick Riordan’s books because it had the same type of humour at times, but it also stood as its own unique story with strong characters.
Zack was such a fantastic character. He was really relatable in so many ways, and I think readers of all ages will be able to find a way to relate to Zack and the many things that he is going through in this book. I also liked Zack’s character growth. I thought it was well-written, and it made sense for the timeline of the story and for his character.
I also liked Simon and Melissa, and I’m eager to see more of them both in the sequel. I liked these characters as themselves, and I also liked their emperor and empress that they were hosting with Simon hosting Tang Taizong and Melissa hosting Wu Zetian. These characters were also really interesting, and I enjoyed learning about them along with Zack.
Zack is kind of the host for Qin Shi Huang, but it goes wrong and the emperor ends up in his portal lens instead. This is the headset for a VR game called Mythrealm. I liked that Qin Shi Huang ended up using the game and Zack’s familiarity with it to help teach him about the spirits and legends he came upon on his journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this story. It was exciting, adventurous, magical, funny, and filled with Chinese mythology. I think readers of all ages will enjoy reading this one.

This book is REMARKABLY fun. It was so easy to immerse yourself into the world of Zachary and his friends. Really lived up to the high bar of being compared to the Percy Jackson series. The representation was wonderful and fresh, and the author is so remarkably funny and witty.
[Reviewed through Netgalley]