Zodiac Rising has a diverse cast of characters each with their own strengths, powers and weaknesses. They need to stick together to figure out the plot against them and to avenge one of their own. The group are part of the Descendants - descended from powerful warriors summoned to defended the Middle Kingdom from creatures called Wrathlings. Then wars and colonialism brought the city of Beijing down and the Descendants were cursed to become supernatural creatures - werewolves, vampires, etc.

Now the descendants attend a secret school in Manhattan, separate from all but those descended from those specific 12 houses, with a select group of the oldest Descendants - those who can still remember the Second Opium War - leading them, but now one of them is dead. Evangeline must figure out what happened to her brother, find the lost artifacts that were looted during the war, and plan a heist to get them back again.

This book is for fans of Raybearer; Iron Widow; A Magic Steeped in Poison

First of all, thank you to Katie Zhao and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Zodiac Rising in advance for my honest review. (P.S. Shoutout to Katie since we went to the same Alma Mater - Go Blue!).

What I enjoyed most about this book was the platform and voice it gave to Asian Americans. As an Indian-American, I could relate heavily to some of the touched topics: english ("easy to say") name vs. at birth name, history of colonizers taking from my community and not understanding the value of what they've taken.

I also LOVED the premise of the book! The idea of a magical school where not only supernatural beings, but also humans can attend gave me the academia vibes I needed! I also think readers get a good lay of the land of how the different magical groups operate, where their realms are, powers/abilities of the different groups. Overall, an enjoyable read.

I do have a few elements of the book to give some constructive feedback on.
**Spoiler warning - Please don't read past this if you do not want spoilers!! **

Overall, I think the premise and the characters are lovely, however the book feels a bit unfinished; there are still quite a few elements I do not understand. I wish we had a little more in the beginning to set the foundation and the lore. I understand that this writing style was more along the lines of give the reader information as you go, but there were times when an info dump would have been appreciated. For example, we get a glimpse at the High Council proceedings and some history to start. But a few chapters later, the High Council is facing so much divide and tension and setting up Marcus vs. Evangeline. It seems so sudden and there wasn't enough there to really exemplify how we got to that extreme point.

I was also a little confused on how quickly the characters developed. I love that each character had their own journey and growth, but it seemed like their arcs jumped from A to Z really quickly. For example, Tristan was portrayed as this "bad boy" character who completely disregarded Evangeline, the background on his and Evageline's relationship was a non-convincing, and all of sudden by the end of the book they are rekindling their feelings for each other. There weren't enough of those small in-between moments to convince me that they both are reviving their feelings for each other.

Lastly, it felt like things were just handed to the main cast. The cast really faced menial roadblocks to their assignment. Large events (Tristan killing his Shaman friend) were downplayed, Alice's reveal in Faerie and the Julius ending reveal felt rushed. That being said, there is enough here that I am very happy this will be a series. I will definitely pick up the next book when it releases! I have my fingers crossed that book 1 was laying the foundation for an epic adventure in book 2!

Zodiac Rising follows the Descendants of the Chinese zodiacs at a Manhattan boarding school after the source of their magic was stolen! They are cursed and must live as creatures of darkness. Evangeline is a vampire out for blood and vengeance. Nicholas is a shapeshifter desperate to restore justice to his people. Alice is a mortal who seeks the truth of her heritage. Tristan is a werewolf who will do anything to free himself from the monstrous wolf inside him. Together, these four team up to take back the stolen zodiac statues and break the curse. But the wrath of the fae linger around every corner and one wrong move could destroy their world as they know it!

This book was not a bad read.. I enjoyed the story building and the scenery. But, the writing style felt a bit too aggressive, as if it was constantly trying to prove something. Unfortunately, this made it difficult for me to connect with the characters, and I never really grew to care for them deeply…The story was also a bit predictable and the romance aspect was non existent!

The last few chapters were great, but sadly still just as predictable as the rest of the story. I will still read the next book since I’m interested in the overall story! Overall, it was a decent read!!!

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

"I'm going to need help, and good help. The kind of help that could, say, break into a hidden faerie dwelling, or perhaps one of the most secure, well-guarded museums in the world."

The mastermind, the thief, the master of disguise, and Alice. Truly a crew for the ages.

I thought Zodiac Rising was so fun and so quick, that I was a little sad to see I was getting close to finishing it. I might have to reread the last like 10% since I kind of sped through it a little too quick.

Content Warning: violence

The synopsis of this book intrigued me: Chinese Zodiac, a heist, and paranormal characters – well here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I like a book with boarding school setting and with this story and 12 zodiac signs, everyone is in their own zodiac groups. But not only that, we get more paranormal elements were some characters are vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters or mortal.

+ The heist kept the storyline moving for sure. Evangeline creates a crew to help her break this curse that was put on these zodiac descendants. It’s full of action and we get to know the characters of this main crew. The twist at the end was good also.

+ There isn’t really romance in this one but Evangeline (vampire) and Tristan (werewolf) had a forbidden love in the past. Descendants can’t intermarry, so I thought that was interesting. But these characters got the most time in the the story and I thought their bickering definitely showed that there were still feelings for one another but the heist took precedent over anything.

Dislikes:

~ I think the story had a bit too much going on with the descendants storyline and lots of characters to follow. The enemy of the descendants are Fae which I find to be very interesting but not sure how it all fits. I wanted more world-building, and definitely more character development.

My Final Thoughts:

I think this story has a lot of potential and I like how it was fast-paced, filled with action and had a heist. I do think it needs more character development but I thought the descendants of the zodiacs having Fae as the enemy was very interesting.

An urban fantasy about the descendants of the Chinese Zodiac who were warriors in their day taking important artefacts from the Fae at a elite Manhattan boarding school. While I enjoyed the world building, I struggled to connect with the characters and there is A LOT going on. I will still read book 2 because I am interested to see where this goes!

While this book started off strong it quickly deteriorate for me. I got 18% in and I just couldn't force myself to read more. The concept of vampire going to school while they are much older than regular teens was too much for me. Especially because they all read like teens. If they're going to be in school they better be newly turned. I also could not get behind the writing. This was just not the book for me.

I don’t know, this book wasn’t very good. It set in New York, but the characters are transplants from China. They were turned to immortal (think vampires and werewolves) as punishment about 160 years ago. And now those immortals are still in school when they aren’t on assignment. It’s kind of ridiculous. They are treated as students/children when they are 160 years old! The main group of characters go on “assignment” to try and restore the magic that they lost long ago. And it’s the human of the group that is the ace in the cards for the assignment. There is a bit of a twist at the end, but overall, this book is too full of cliches to be enjoyable.

For centuries, the Descendants of legendary warriors protected China with their zodiac-themed powers, until marauding Englishmen stole the fountainheads that gave them their abilities. Now they are cursed to live in NYC as sexy vampires, werewolves, and fox spirits. Inexplicably, the leaders of their secret society are all angsty immortal high school students. When their Chancellor is murdered, his little sister Evangeline ropes her ex, her bestie, and a terrified human girl into a heist to retrieve their fountainheads from the fae. The cardboard characters breeze through every danger, mainly hindered by their own hang-ups. The amalgamation of world mythologies ought to be more interesting than it is.

Zodiac Rising follows the Descendants of the Chinese zodiacs at a secret Manhattan boarding school after the source of their magic was stolen. The Descendants are cursed and must live as creatures of darkness. Evangeline is a vampire out for blood and vengeance. Nicholas is a shapeshifter desperate to restore justice to his people. Alice is a mortal who seeks the truth of her heritage. Tristan is a werewolf who will do anything to free himself from the monstrous wolf inside him. Together, these four Descendants team up to take back the stolen zodiac statues and break the curse. But the wrath of the fae linger around every corner and one wrong move could destroy their world as they know it.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It wasn’t bad, and there were parts I enjoyed, but I had some issues. I do think a lot of people will love this book—it just wasn’t my favourite. I enjoyed the world and the world-building. It was really fascinating, and I am interested in reading the sequel as the author crafted a complex and intriguing world. I enjoyed the writing style and I am curious to read the author’s other books as a result. The plot twist was pretty obvious to me, but it does set things up to make for a fast-paced, action-packed sequel.

I thought most of the characters were just okay. I wasn’t fond of Evangeline—she was so arrogant and it turned me off her. I did think her coldness was interesting as she’s a vampire—I enjoyed the take on vampires being more cruel since they’re undead. I did Nicholas, Tristan, and Alice. They had interesting arcs and personalities.

Overall, if you like urban fantasy or heists then you should definitely give this book a try!

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this art heist mystery with sprinklings of magic. fans of “portrait of a thief” will enjoy Look forward to the next book!

Wasted Potential with a Few Bright Spots.

Reading *Zodiac Rising* by Katie Zhao left me with mixed feelings. While the book had the potential to be a captivating adventure, the execution fell short in several ways. The writing style felt a bit too aggressive, as if it was constantly trying to prove something. Unfortunately, this made it difficult for me to connect with the characters, and I never really grew to care for them deeply.

However, I will say that Julius stood out as the most intriguing character—he had a depth that made me want to know more. On the other hand, Evangeline was a significant disappointment. It seemed like she was meant to be a badass character, but instead, she came off as an arrogant, incompetent leader with an inflated ego that wasn't backed up by her actions or skills.

Overall, Zodiac Rising had its moments, but it left me wishing for more nuanced storytelling and character development.

"Zodiac Rising" is a young adult modern fantasy/heist novel by Katie Zhao. The story opens with the emperor of the Middle Kingdom being punished by the gods for his greed. The gods release monsters called wrathlings to destroy everything. One god relents and provides 12 warriors who are descendants of a magical animal from the Chinese zodiac. The warriors fight back and win. Many years later, the heads of the animal statues are stolen and the descendants' powers are removed, with many of them being transformed into supernatural creatures like vampires and werewolves. They cannot return to their original selves until the statue heads are returned.
The book mostly takes place in present time with the descendants who are left attending a special hidden school, which was the part that really took me out of the story because I couldn't understand why the centuries old descendants were essentially in high school with actual teen descendants. Several of the characters go to faerie land to pull a heist and get back the statue heads, which I found the most interesting part of the novel. Interesting and fun. A recommended additional purchase for YA collections where modern fantasy novels are popular.

DNF at 9%. I couldn’t connect with any aspect from the storyline, the characters, the setting, the pacing, nothing was hitting the beats I was looking for personally.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Zodiac Rising by Katie Zhao is a third person multi-POV YA contemporary heist fantasy. When Evangeline's older brother Julius is killed by a fairy, she enlists her ex-boyfriend, her childhood friend, and a human to get back the five missing fountainheads for the Circle of Twelve, an artifact of importance to the Descendants of the Zodiac. But trouble is brewing among the clans as several believe it's time for the dragon clan to step down as leaders.

Chinese folklore, specifically the twelve zodiac animals, mixes with fox spirits, vampires, and werewolves for a spin on the classic fantasy heist. Evangeline and her brother are vampires from the dragon clan and crave human blood as a result. In her youth, Evangeline tried to hold her hunger in until she got so hungry that she killed multiple people on a train. Nicholas, a fox spirit and a member of the tiger clan, understands her fears of losing control again as he once lost control of himself as well. This creates a deep bond between the two that seems to blur the lines between romantic and platonic but is definitely steeped in loyalty.

Further complicating this is the rule that supernatural Descendants cannot intermarry, which also impacted Evangeline's relationship with Tristan, a werewolf from the snake clan. The pair broke-up a long time ago but there are obviously still lingering feelings on both sides. The more time they spend together, the closer they get and the easier it is for them to slip back into old habits. Between the two possible ships for Evangeline, I was definitely rooting for her to be with Tristan (in part because I like Nicholas with Alice, who is the human on their team who can also read minds). They challenge and compliment each other while also having a very long shared history, which means they know the worst parts of each other already.

A major theme is identity, particularly in relation to Alice. Her father disappeared years ago and she is in the dark about who he was, especially in relation to the Descendants. Evangeline struggles with the loss of her brother and being the last of the dragon clan, focusing all of her energy on the retrieval of the fountainheads. I get the feeling that Nicholas would struggle to find himself if Evangeline disappeared because his loyalty to her is such a big part of his POV. Tristan knows who he is, but he also wants to be who he is with Evangeline by his side.

I would recommend this to fans of fantasy heist novels, readers of YA looking for Chinese folklore, and those who like different spins on vampires and werewolves

Zodiac Rising was an unforgettable read. There are so many fantasy elements to keep you engaged, and the boarding school aspect appeases the popularity of dark academia. Some tropes make this one feel reminiscent of the 2010s YA glory days--this is perfect for its YA audience, with characters who think and speak and act like teens. It's one I'm sure I'll read again!

This was incredibly hard to get into, but once I finally did, it was somewhat worth it. The characters were written beautifully, but the backgrounds were overly done and it made the plot drag. The idea of the story is brilliant but it was not executed as well as it could have been.

This book was fresh and engaging. I loved the fact it was more paranormal in the traditional sense. Lots of different types of creatures going bump in the night.

The academia setting and lore round it out to be a nice, fresh take on YA paranormal.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I found it a bit lackluster and predictable.

The potential for this world so full of magic and immortal beings was boundless but sadly fell a bit short of my expectations. I think the plot is intriguing and while a magical heist is enough to captivate anyone I felt it was a little rushed and a bit too easy.
Everything goes a little too perfectly and they seem to have no problems getting out of every bad situation they find themselves in with little trouble or difficulty. There were no heart wrenching moments that made me truly worry for their safety or their wellbeing and I think that’s the main issue I had with getting into this story.

On the other hand I feel the characters are interesting and I enjoyed the view into their backgrounds. However, I felt almost zero romantic chemistry from any of them. Lei and Titus had more chemistry than anyone else in this book and they were only together for a few pages. I feel the pairings could have been chosen a little better rather than going with the most obvious choice in Evangeline and Tristan who felt incredibly forced to me.

I think my main issue with the characters is how they behave like a bunch of teenagers which is understandable for Alice but not for the other three who were hundreds of years old. These were people who had lived through wars and the near extinction of their people and yet they act no different than a bunch of grade school kids with a crush. I just wish they had a bit of the wisdom and maturity you would expect from someone who has lived for as long as they have.
And please for the love of all things can we not stand and argue while deep in enemy territory?

The last few chapters were a bit better, but sadly still just as predictable as the rest of the story. I will still read the next book since I hate leaving a series unfinished but I hope that it will be a bit deeper and make me feel all the excitement that this world has the potential to bring me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Summary of the plot:
Over 100 years ago, 5 statues representing 5 of the Chinese zodiacs were stolen, thus disrupting the power of the descendants of the Chinese zodiac. Some were changed into supernatural creatures, such as vampires and werewolves, while others simply lost their powers. Evangeline is part of the Dragon family and is a vampire. Her brother, Julian, is murdered one day, but before his death, he left her a letter with instructions on what to do if he died, including a lead on how to find the missing statues. Evangeline enlists the help of four other students to travel to the Fae world to retrieve them.

Thoughts on this book:

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars

I have such mixed feelings. I wanted to really enjoy this because the plot sounded really interesting. However, I could not understand how the secret boarding school was important to the story. If the author took it out, I think the plot would have essentially been the same. Descendants must attend this school to take classes for... an indefinite period of time? Until they go on assignments? But then they have to come back to the school anyways? I was a little confused about its important, but okay. I also wasn't sure why it was important for some of the Descendants to be supernatural. I wish I knew what the author's thought process was behind that. I will also say that some scenes felt a little too convenient and easy, so that irked me a few times.

On the other hand, I appreciated this balance between Chinese and Western folklore. The Fae world is one that I'm familiar with as I grew up in America reading a lot of Fae stories. But as a Chinese American, I do not often read stories of the Chinese zodiac. So I thought it was interesting how the author incorporated both worlds into one while also combining the struggles of being Chinese in America (or a non-Western person in a Western society, to be more general).

Overall, it was a decent read, but I did not like the plot twist at the end.