Language: PG (12 swears); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG-13 (forced kiss, bloody deaths, beatings, fighting, mortal peril)
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
18 year old Lan knows the scar on her wrist is important, otherwise her mother wouldn’t have given it to her as she died. Unfortunately, Lan’s efforts to find the meaning of the character put her on a collision course with her mother’s murderer. When a mysterious young man named Zen uses a strange kind of magic to help her escape, she realizes that he might hold the key to understanding her past. She trusts him to take her to the last remaining school that teaches the ancient art of practitioning. As they journey to the school, Zen introduces her to the magic of qi and answers some of the questions that have plagued Lan since her mother’s death. When they arrive at the school, Lan’s innate abilities at wielding qi reveal that there’s more to her story than she could have ever imagined. Now she has to figure out how to use this power to save her world, and Zen.
This is one of the most fun books I’ve read in a long time. It was exciting and fast-paced. The writing is beautiful and I could picture all of the places and people perfectly. It was refreshing and fun to have a magic system based on Chinese traditional beliefs. While it is a little complex and might be a little complicated for some readers, those who like fantasy will love it. The story has a lot of layers, but it all fits together well and the big reveals surprised me. I loved disappearing into the world Zhao has created. The characters are interesting and I was invested in them from the beginning. The love story is gentle and sweet and doesn't get in the way of the action. I wish the other two were already published because I can’t wait to read them.
Reviewer: Andrea R., Teacher
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