My favorite thing about this book was the ending - it took so many twists and turns in the last 25% and I did not see the ending coming, I thought it was really well-done! I also really liked learning a lot about Chinese history, and the world Xiran Jay Zhao created for this story is really fascinating. I thought the use of the virtual reality headsets and the whole in-world game aspect was really clever and well-done.

I liked the characters, too. I think Zack is a great character to follow, with a strong motivation through his connection to his mother and good character development throughout. And Melissa and Simon were really interesting as well! I liked the emperors, and the intrigue factor was on-point.

2.5

I’m not sure if it’s combination of me not being the biggest fan of middle grade and the author’s prose but while the premise of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor had intrigued me, the execution did not. Full review to come in a few months as per the publishers instructions, I’m sure that many will enjoy this book but it wasn’t for me. I also hope that publishers can move on from advertising new releases as combos of previous (well known) books as it usually sets up the books ex; The Boy with Fire, Among Thieves etc.

holy. fuck.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing/Margaret K. McElderry Books for the e-arc! I owe you some large portion of my soul, or at least an IOU for it. Absolutely the maximum amount of stars.

I've always loved MG books for their ability to look further into greyness and raise more difficult questions-- and Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor was no exception. Zach's a normal kid-- he's Hui Chinese, Muslim, really loves his mom, likes his gaming, he's queer, and he has difficulties. His difficulties are on the much more mundane side (but still painful), until he's attacked by spirits and the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, possesses his VR helmet.

Zach's the only Asian kid in his school. His mother hoped full assimilation into the general US culture would keep him safer, make his life easier. Zach's came with a few caveats-- namely, his ignorance about his history. This is treated sympathetically; never is Zach's mother judged negatively, and Zach in the moment knows she's doing the best she could. He understands it.

Zach learns about himself-- the emperor his VR console is a host to, his history and China's. He bonds with the the other two hosts of emperors, who along with Qin Shi Huang, give Zach (and the audience) short histories about great Chinese figures. These backgrounds are written with Xiran Jay Zhao's touch: informative, interesting, and humorous, which make them some of my favorite parts of the book! Just about every part of the book was my favorite for various reasons, and I can't wait for the book to be out so that kids (and adolescents, and adults) can experience this incredible ride of emotions.

This book was incredible. I wish it had been around when I was a kid!

Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. While his mom was busy making sure the two of them got by and his school was focused on teaching Western history, Zach’s been trying to make a name for himself in the gaming world. So Zachary is more than unprepared to learn that 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 or fear the upcoming Ghost Month blowing it wide open. However, that mission takes an immediate dive when Zach’s mom’s soul gets taken hostage by demons during an unexpected battle. Now, with one of the world’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zachary finds himself racing against the clock as he tries to collect magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning some brand new powers – because if he can’t find a way to keep the spirits in the underworld where they belong, he might just end up losing his mom forever.
If you’re looking for a novel that will keep you on your toes with all its action, twists and turns, then Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor might just be the perfect book for you.
We’ve seen quite a few (amazing) middle grade series that are based on or inspired by mythology but in Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor, the entire premise revolves around historical figures instead of mythology which I thought was so cool. While I won’t call myself truly versed in Ancient Chinese history, I did get a thrill out of recognizing names of Emperors here and there and was fascinated by how captivatingly Zhao describes events and adds a magical spin to them all by connecting the magic to the stories that have been distributed most often among the public about these historical figures.
All that being said, I found myself lost quite a few times while reading Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. There are a few instances of heavy info dumping where I was drowning in information and couldn’t keep up with all the different historical tidbits and who was who and whose descendent was on which side and so on. There are also back-to-back action scenes which do drive up the tension and will definitely appeal to younger readers looking for that movie-feel to their reading, but it unfortunately left little time for Zach, Melissa and Simon to really talk and get to know each other more – but here’s hoping that will be remedied in future installments in the series. Then again, this might have been a narrative choice to show how Zachary is overwhelmed himself in the beginning and in that case, kudos, because I definitely felt that. Nevertheless, the building blocks were definitely laid for some promising character development and bonds that will feel like family.
What is Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor strongest point, in my opinion, is the way it approaches identity. Zach’s journey reflects on what it means to be Chinese and how you can be caught between two cultures, especially when you’re surrounded by people who have grown up differently than you have. Zach has some conflicting feelings when it comes to belonging and I think that was beautifully explored by his exposure to Simon and Melissa, who have grown up in mainland China, versus his life at school where he used to be the only Chinese kid. There are a lot more layers to this discussion but let me just say that it added a lot to the story and was one of my favorite aspects of the novel.
And speaking of identity, let me just say I was over the moon that there is now a central hero in a fantasy middle grade novel who is gay – I cannot even imagine what it would have been like to find a queer protagonist in what promises to be a magical series when I was young so I’m already over the moon that the next generations will get to grow up with Zach and see themselves represented, not only in contemporary but fantastical reads.
All in all, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is a promising start to a new middle grade series with a cliffhanger that has my fingers itching for the sequel. I can’t wait for middle graders to meet Zachary.
Keeping you at the edge of your seat with jam-packed heists, action and adventure, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is a fun, high-stakes exploration of Chinese history, intersectional identity and finding the power within!

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao is a middle grade, sci-fi fantasy story that is heavily enriched with Chinese culture as we follow 12-year-old Zachary Ying as he is forced to set out on a quest in order to save his mother while dealing with the reality that is AR gaming headset is suddenly housing the spirit of the Dragon Emporer, Qin Shi Huang.
This novel made me laugh and cry. It also was full of Chinese culture that the reader got to learn about as Zachary Ying did. The characters were rather enjoyable to follow alongside.
I honestly look forward to the next book.

So a lot of Middle Grade Fantasy sells itself as being reminiscent of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series but Xiran Jay Zhao's new book is the first I've read in a while to actually remind me of it; the humor, the fast action and pacing, and the pretty seamless introduction of Chinese history and mythology encapsulates everything fans of Rick Riordan loved and goes beyond it in many ways.

First of all, I'm so happy that Chinese kids will grow up with Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. From the first chapter, Zach is relatable in those painful ways many Asian kids will be familiar with like being embarrassed of his mom's homemade lunches to experiencing the "Crazy Rich Asians" phenomena where all Asians are perceived as not only rich, but taking the rightful spots of white people in schools and neighborhoods. These moments are why I'm a firm believer that authors of color are the best at writing protagonists of color as those are the kind of details that make the book more realistic and empathetic. Instead of writing to educate white readers, Zhao offers understanding to the Asian kids who may be reading the book.

It's also great that the book reflects on what it means to be Chinese in so many ways. Zach is part of the diaspora whereas Simon and Melissa, his two new friends, have grown up in mainland China. He's also a Hui Muslim, an ethnic minority group descended from Silk Road traders and travelers, and this also lends to his complicated feelings about assimilation, belonging, and authenticity. Zach is also gay and has a few cute interactions with Simon without it bogging down the plot. Zhao doesn't dump all of these feelings on readers at once but weaves it throughout the story naturally.

If you've seen any of the author's YouTube videos, you'll get a sense of how enthusiastic they are about Chinese history and their sense of humor. Both of these traits are clearly showcased in the book as Zhao breaks down complicated Chinese history with ease while holding enough back to serve as plot reveals and twists. I also love the humor and sarcasm throughout the historical anecdotes--where else would you find the Warring States Period being compared to American Idol?

That being said, the weakest part of this book for me is the action. The book moves from action scene to action scene with few breathing moments in between to let Simon, Melissa, and Zach bond and talk. As a result, Simon and Melissa feel flat and I still don't know enough about either of them to get as invested as I want to be. I hope the next book gives them time to shine and for Zach and the readers to know them better.

The action also feels repetitive at times and falls into the, "X did this, then this happened. Then this happened." There were no moments that made me think, Oh that was clever! Because so much of this book is action, I ended up skimming a lot of it to get to the dialogue. I think the next book will be much more successful with action because readers get a clear understanding of the powers the trio has, so we can plan alongside them and thus get more invested.

Halfway through, the gaming and technology aspect of the book gets dropped suddenly then picked up again. I really enjoyed the way gaming was interwoven and the premise of it being similar to Yu-Gi-Oh! was so intriguing to me. The similarities are definitely there, but it doesn't fully lean into that aspiration and gets lost at times with the mythological aspects. This is a shame because as video games and media in general become more ubiquitous, more global, and more influential, the legends surrounding the heroes and historical figures in this book change. I do love that Zhao points this out, but I wish we had more fun tidbits here and there on that great influence. Especially considering the antagonist.

Overall, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is a fun and often humorous, often touching ride to save the world. I was surprised at how much complexity Zhao put in Qin Shi Huang, whom Zach hosts, and the complicated themes of trust and shaping history.

*This review is scheduled to be published on my blog on April 11*

Thank you, Margaret K. McElderry Books, for allowing me to read Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor early!

Xiran Jay Zhao is a force to be reckoned with, no one can change my mind about that. They gave us Iron Widow last year and this year they're blessing us with another brilliant debut. This time though it's a Yu-Gi-Oh x Percy Jackson middle-grade set in China with unending adventures. Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is a dive into Chinese history that allows the readers to create such beautiful images through Zhao's inspiring prose.

I've been waiting (not so patiently) for this book ever since I first heard about it on the author's YouTube channel last year, so I jumped at the opportunity to read it as soon as I saw it on netgalley. This book was everything I wanted from it and more. Zhao has given readers an interesting take on what alot of people may think of the Percy Jackson style of middle grade mythological fantasy series, creating a story that is inventive, fun to read, full of humor, and easily stands apart from any other series it could be compared to. Zachary Ying is trying hard to be accepted at his new school in Maine, where he's the only Asian kid and he feels pressure to fit in even if it makes him uncomfortable. Everything changes when he meets Simon Li and learns he's a descendant of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. Zachary soon finds his ancestor inhabiting his portal lens (a VR gaming headset) and asking for his help to stop the seal on the spirit realm breaking, unleashing spirits into the mortal realm. There was a lot to love in this book, but probably my favorite part was how Zhao integrates stories and legends about various Chinese emperors and cultural icons and makes them integral to how the main characters' powers work. Because the story revolves around historical people, not gods or mythical creatures, the magic the characters use is directly linked to the stories most commonly associated with those people. It was such a neat twist that really made it crucial that these kids know the stories associated with the figures they're interacting with. Overall, this is a great start to a new series and I can't wait to see where Zhao takes it next.

of course i’m giving another xiran jay zhao book five stars. they exclusively write masterpieces i swear.

this book was amazing and i’m so glad i was able to get an arc of it because i really do think it’s something i’ll revisit time and time again (though that cliffhanger really makes me wish the second book was coming out like tomorrow). it has such a nostalgia factor, reminding me so much of percy jackson and the kane chronicles, while also being it’s own unique thing. i learned so much about chinese history and myth, and also about modern day china. and of course i love seeing a queer chinese muslim person as the protagonist of a middle grade book. we really do need more middle grade like this out this and i hope this blows up as big as any rick riordan book out there. it truly deserves it.

remember to pick it up when it comes out in may! you won’t be disappointed