The Fight for the Hidden Realm
(Paper Dragons #1)

Via a vividly realized plot set against a backdrop of Cantonese mythology and taking place in provinces across Hong Kong, debut author McDermott crafts a fantastical tale of one tween's bravery and determination. Twelve-year-old Yeung Zhi Ging wants to leave her village, Fei Chui, where she feels she doesn't fit in, to become a Silhouette--someone chosen to train in Hok Woh, the realm of the immortals, to become immortal themselves. During her campaign to persuade Silhouette Scout Reishi to take her under his wing, Zhi Ging is attacked by a dragon. Strange happenings reveal that Zhi Ging has untapped powers, prompting Reishi to whisk her away to Hok Woh. There, Zhi Ging must undergo brutal challenges and rigorous lessons to become her nation's immortal guardian. Attacks on Silhouette Scouts and threats of the Fui Gwai, spirits that force people to hurt their families, evoke anxiety throughout Hok Woh and throw Zhi Ging's training into further peril. Though the ending of this spirited story is abrupt, it sows anticipation for the next installment, heightening the impact of Zhi Ging's fast-paced adventure and McDermott's lusciously detailed worldbuilding. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)

Gr 5 Up--Twelve-year-old orphan Zhi Ging escapes her small glass-making village to become an apprentice to the immortal Cyo B'Ahon scholars. But once she arrives, Zhi Ging discovers that she can stay in the underwater city of Hok Woh only if she passes 12 challenges. If she fails, she will be exiled. And there is more--Hok Woh is under threat from the mysterious Fui Gwai demon. Will Zhi Ging be able to pass her exams and uncover the villain? Obviously; and it's a fun ride. In the best wizard boarding school tradition, there are magical feasts (sau bao and congee with duck egg!), cool dormitories, sports competitions (dragon boat), high-stakes challenges, and a mysterious enemy who shows their face in the final chapters. This is a magical setting where readers will want to live, with weird, tangible charm. Like the squire-schools of Tamora Pierce or Nadia Shammas, the education is as much about learning the nuanced history of place and peoples as it is about testable skills. As a bicultural author, McDermott makes a point of having a world that has its roots in both English and Cantonese punning. The novel ends too soon, just as Hok Woh is under attack and Zhi Ging is setting out on an epic quest. Readers will be impatient to follow her next adventure. VERDICT With a plucky orphan heroine learning to harness mysterious powers in a well-realized fantastical setting built off Cantonese cultural motifs, this hits the sweet spots in the magic-school novel genre.--Katherine Magyarody