Thank you to Bloomsbury for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review!
Faryn Liu thought she was the Heaven Breaker, a warrior destined to wield the all-powerful spear Fenghuang, command dragons, and defeat demons. But a conniving goddess was manipulating her all along...and her beloved younger brother, Alex, has betrayed her and taken over as the Heaven Breaker instead. Alex never forgave the people who treated him and Faryn like outcasts, and now he wants to wipe out both the demons and most of humanity. Determined to prevent a war and bring Alex back to her side, Faryn and her half-dragon friend Ren join the New Order, a group of warriors based out of Manhattan's Chinatown. She learns that one weapon can stand against Fenghuang--the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Only problem? It belongs to an infamous trickster, the Monkey King. Faryn sets off on a daring quest to convince the Monkey King to join forces with her, one that will take her to new places--including Diyu, otherwise known as the Underworld--where she'll run into new dangers and more than one familiar face. Can she complete her mission and save the brother she loves, no matter the cost? The Fallen Hero is a thrilling sequel to The Dragon Warrior, Katie Zhou’s Chinese fantasy-inspired middle grade series will surely delight readers. I’m more of an occasional middle grade reader—it’s excellent light fare for in between longer YA and Adult novels—so I’m not well versed in it enough to give critique. I enjoyed reading The Fallen Hero because of Faryn’s bravery and the fun characterizations of the gods. High stakes and a wide cast of characters adds excitement. I don’t think there was a single chapter where I wasn’t excited to turn the page and find out what happens next. Zhou also invests readers in every character, from Faryn (our main girl) to the smallest side character. They all have journeys to go on, which just goes to show that there isn’t only one hero—the best battles are won through the efforts of many. I also liked learning about Chinese mythology through The Fallen Hero. Most of Faryn’s quests and actions are based on legends and myths that have been passed down through the ages. I love adaptations and fairytale retellings—this isn’t one of them, but it’s rather akin to the Percy Jackson novels with the personifications of gods and sense of whimsy that comes in the combination of myth and reality. One thing I didn’t particularly enjoy is the automatic rivalries Faryn has with any other girl her age on quests. First Moli and now Ashley, I just wish there wasn’t so much girl-hate at first. It’s not great for younger readers to see that they have to work to overcome annoyances in other girls while they can have automatic friendships with everyone else. I would definitely recommend reading The Dragon Warrior series! It’s a great read for all ages, not just middle graders.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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