Language: R (23 swears, 1 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing); Violence: PG-13 (bloody death, murder, sword fighting)
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
During the Second Opium War in 1860, British soldiers attacked and looted China’s Summer Palace, stealing five of the twelve zodiac statues. Their theft unleashed a curse, stripping the twelve guardian families of their ancient magic. Generations later, the descendants of those families have taken refuge in Manhattan, hidden away at an elite boarding school. When the lost statues resurface—and a student is murdered—a group of four must embark on a perilous quest to reclaim what was stolen from them, break the curse, and avenge their friend. The crew includes 17yo Alice, a 17-year-old mortal with mysterious abilities; Evangeline, a vampire; Nicholas, a shape-shifting fox spirit; and Tristan, a werewolf.
This book has a lot going for it—history, Chinese mythology, supernatural beings, ancient magic, and an epic quest. All of this is woven together with themes of grief, pride, rivalry, and vengeance. I loved the plot twists! However, I didn’t quite understand why immortal beings over 150 years old would willingly keep attending high school every day. The story also ended on a cliff hanger. I’ll definitely need to read the sequel.
Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian
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