The Fight for the Hidden Realm (Paper Dragons #1)
by Siobhan McDermott (Author)
A 12-year-old girl wins an invitation to train as an apprentice to immortals in the first book of the new must-read magical series destined to take the world by storm.
An outsider in her village above the cloud sea, 12-year-old orphan Yeung Zhi Ging's only hope of escape is to win the single invitation to train as a Silhouette: an apprentice to the immortals. After her ill-fated attempt to impress the Silhouette scout leads to a dragon attack on the jade mountain, Zhi Ging is sure that her chances, and her life, are over.
But the scout spots her potential and offers her protection and a second chance. She's in. In her lessons in Hok Woh, the underwater realm of the immortals, Zhi Ging must face the challenging trials set by her teachers to prove that she's worthy of being a Silhouette--despite her rivals' attempts to sabotage her. But as Zhi Ging's power grows, so do the rumours of the return of the Fui Gwai, an evil spirit that turns people into grey-eyed thralls. When the impossible happens and the Fui Gwai attack the Silhouettes, can Zhi Ging use her newly uncovered talents to save her friends and the world beyond? Or will the grey-eyed spirit consume them all?
"A soaring, luminous new world." --Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of The Nevermoor series
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Publishers Weekly
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.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
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
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
—Eoin Colfer, author of the internationally best-selling Artemis Fowl series "A soaring luminous new world."
—Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of the Nevermoor series ★ "This imaginative world delights at every turn. Great for fans of world building and magical schools, the richly imagined setting introduces readers to a world they'll be eager to keep exploring." —Booklist, starred review "McDermott crafts a fantastical tale of one tween's bravery and determination." —Publishers Weekly "Classic themes of finding friendship and one's own identity are refreshed by a Hong Kong-inspired fantasy setting....A solid contribution to the magical boarding school genre." —Kirkus Reviews "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." —School Library Journal
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV012060 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, Fables | Asian
Dragons
Fantasy fiction
Imaginary places
Action and adventure fiction
