This middle grade science fiction story is based on Korean mythology. Min is a thirteen-year-old fox spirit who lives on Jinju - a planet that isn't quite terraformed - with her aunts and cousins. Because fox spirits are distrusted, her whole family keeps their heritage a secret. Her older brother Jun has joined the Space Forces with the goal of seeing all of the Thousand Worlds and perhaps finding a way to find the long lost Dragon Pearl which was used for terraforming in order to finish the terraforming job on Jinju.

One day an agent comes to their house and tells them the Jun has disappeared. It is thought that he deserted from the Space Forces in order to go on a hunt for the Dragon Pearl. Min can't believe that her brother would desert and is determined to go off to find him. She has all kinds of adventures from meeting an unknown relative who runs a gambling den using her fox powers to mercenaries who get involved in space battles.

Once she makes it to her brother's ship, she finds herself impersonating Cadet Jang who died in the battle that resulted in the capture of the ship she was on. Jang has become a ghost who agrees to let Min use his body so that she can find out who murdered him and get revenge. As Cadet Jang, she meets two other Cadets - Sujin who is a goblin and Haneul who is a dragon - and they become her friends. While most of the crew is human, the captain is a tiger named Hwan.

As she learns about being a cadet, she is also trying to find out more about her brother and what happened to him. She learns that many different factions want to find the missing dragon pearl. Her captain can see how it can be used in warfare because something that builds can also be used to destroy. She needs to find the pearl to keep it out of the hands of those who want to use it to destroy, but she also doesn't want to put it in the hands of anyone who just wants to use it to make themselves more wealthy by charging huge princes to fix planets.

She travels to the Fourth Colony and a planet where all the residents are vengeful ghosts who angered the disease spirits with Captain Hwan right on her tail. There she learns about her brother, finds the pearl, and has the course of her life determined.

This was an action-packed story filled with adventure. Middle graders will enjoy meeting Min and her friends. They will also enjoy reading about fox spirits, vengeful ghosts, and a pearl that can remake worlds.

Although I've loved all the other Rick Riordan Presents books, I was a little skeptical about this one because the premise seemed like A Lot?? Like I'm here for Korean trickster fox spirits, and I'm here for space opera, but both of them combined seemed like....a lot?? But it actually all worked together really well, and that will teach ME a lesson about doubting Rick Riordan's empire.

It's a really fun story and a great example of how easy it can be to make a story inclusive! (eg in the space army, everyone's nametags have gender pronoun identifiers, making it simple and easy for the narrator to identify the nonbinary characters)

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC I received! Below is my honest opinion of the book.
This book started off so strongly, but for me, devolved into trying to do too much. For the first 25-30% of it I was hooked. I liked Min's character and her pluck. I thought the scene with her aunt's gambling parlor seemed a bit like a random side-quest, but I was okay with it. I initially loved the combination of mythology with sci-fi elements, and her gumiho family.
The book, however, lost me once she began her life as Jung on the ship, and never really pulled me back in after that. (Although I loved the inclusion of a main non-binary character!!!) The ship scenes seemed to drag, and too many loose ends and coincidences simply made me lose interest. I didn't have the stamina to stay invested in each plot thread, or each magical inclusion (ghosts, plus dragons and goblins, plus various animal shapeshifters, plus space). I think it additionally suffered from pacing issues, with the first 30% of the book moving so quickly, then grinding to a much slower pace once she was on the ship.
I really wanted to like this book, and will still recommend it, as I believe that it has a potential fanbase out there for specific kids that have the attention span and dedication to this mythological sci-fi world. I think it fills a very niche genre, and for that I give it applause.

The latest from Disney's Rick Riordan Presents line gives readers a space opera, Korean mythology, ghosts, nonbinary characters, and moral quandaries! Min is a 13-year-old shapeshifting female fox spirit who lives with her widowed mother and extended family on the planet Jinu. Her older brother, Jun, is part of the Space Force - where Min intends to follow him in a few years, when she hits age 16 - but things change when an investigator shows up at Min's home, with news that Jun has deserted his post and is rumored to be searching for the Dragon Pearl, a mythical object that could help turn planets into paradises... or destroy them. Determined to find her brother and clear his name, Min runs away from home and finds her way onto a starship; when the ship falls under mercenary attack, she wakes up on the very ship her brother served on: the Pale Lightning. Assuming the form of Jang, a cadet who died during the mercenary attack and subsequent rescue attempt, Min tries to unravel the mystery of Jun's disappearance, and stumbles onto a plot much bigger than she could have imagined. She joins forces with Jang's friends: Hanuel, a female dragon spirit, and Sujin, a nonbinary goblin spirit and continues her detective work.

Dragon Pearl is a space opera, complete with space battles, intrigue and shifting loyalties, and a mythos, based on Korean mythology, all of which come together to build an epic adventure that middle grade readers will devour. Min faces racism/species-ism as a fox spirit; she and her family present as humans, because foxes have a bad reputation for trickery being untrustworthy. She has to lie to Jang's friends to keep her secret; that guilt is with her day in and day out, especially as her own friendship with them grows. She has to break rules for the greater good: to find her brother, who's also considered a deserter. She'll deal with the fallout as it comes; Min's family is her priority. Is she a hero? Is she a traitor? It depends on whose point of view you're viewing from. The same can be said of the Dragon Pearl, which can create a lush homeworld or destroy a planet. Is it a valuable treasure or a cursed trinket?

Let's talk about the rich characters Yoon Ha Lee creates. Min and her fellow cadets inhabit a universe where rank and personal pronouns are part of the uniform. Sujin, the goblin cadet, uses "they/their" pronouns and no one has an issue with it. Sujin is a funny, creative character whose gender identity fits seamlessly into the Dragon Pearl universe. They wield a magical spork, for heaven's sake. That's the exciting news! Haneul is a dragon spirit who can communicate with the weather; the Pale Lightning's captain is a tiger spirit who exudes charisma and a more than a wee bit of menace. Min, a fox spirit, exudes Charm to head off potential problems at the pass and is clever, constantly thinking of her next moves to get her to her goal. An exciting adventure, moral conflict, and rich character diversity make this one a nice addition to your fantasy middle grade collections, and yet another hit from Rick Riordan's Disney imprint.

Dragon Pearl has a starred review from Kirkus.

Oh my gosh! Space and mythology— yes please! My daughter read this with me and cannot wait to share with her friends, especially her Korean American friend. As with other Rick Riordan Presents titles, this book led to questions about her friend’s culture. I enjoyed the sci-fi aspect.

This book was kind of incredible and wonderful and absolutely one hundred percent something you need to be reading. I've only ever read one other Yoon Ha Lee book before, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style in that one, but I had really enjoyed the story, and THIS ONE does not disappoint. The writing style was muuuuch more accessible and enjoyable and the story itself was just a treasure.

Thirteen year old Kim Min is the absolute greatest. She gets into all kind of trouble, but she always finds a way out, and she never gives up. All she wants is to find her brother and save her planet, and even though everyone sees her as a troublemaker, she has a heart of gold and I just want to hug her all the time.

The other characters around her were also a delight. Jun was lovely and I want to see all the adventures they go on together. Jang was so great, I loved him and how they helped one another. Haneul and Sujin were the absolute best and I loved the friendship between the three of them.

I highly recommend this book, it was so much fun to read and the Korean mythology was such an amazing aspect of the story that I really loved.

I really love how this book combined a solid Sci Fi world with mythologies from Korea and did it in a way that felt seamless. From fox spirits to ghosts to other folklore, DRAGON PEARL built a world that felt familiar in some ways but fairly unique in others. Min is a good protagonist to follow, as she's tough and spunky and has a lot of clever moments that the reader can enjoy. Her devotion to her family is also relatable, and her love for her brother Jun is one of the stronger aspects of her personality. For me, though, it was harder to get into this just because I am not a big fan of Sci Fi, and I don't think that DRAGON PEARL really moved outside the box enough for me to take exception. That said, fans of Sci Fi will probably find a lot of like with the narrative, and I can definitely see how kids and early teens would enjoy the story and the characters.

DRAGON PEARL is another hopeful addition of Own Voices works into children's literature, and given that Sci Fi really needs more diversity it adds a strong new voice and story to the mix. But if you aren't a Sci Fi fan to begin with, it may not be your cup of tea.

*Thanks so much to Disneybooks for sending me an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*this review may contain slight spoilers, first paragraph of review depicts information all found in the goodreads summary

2.5 / 5 stars
Dragon Pearl follows the adventure of Min as she embarks on a quest to seek her brother to clear his name. Min’s brother is condemned for his potential abandonment of his post in the Space Forces. Min does not believe that he is a traitor to his duty, so decides to find him and clear his name. Min is a thirteen-year-old girl with “fox-magic” that she can manipulate to her own various advantages.

I was really intrigued by this story from the beginning to about thirty percent into the book. However, after the thirty percent, it began to gradually grow flat for me. This book is categorized as middle-grade but I honestly don’t view this as a middle-grade book. The language in this book is fairly advanced for a younger audience. If anything, I would say this is extremely upper middle-grade or young adult. Also, I don’t think Min reads like a thirteen-year-old protagonist. Min is extremely mature for her age in this book and she somehow is able to do most everything on her own.

*slight spoiler warning

The book started to fall flat once she was on the Pale Lightning. The storyline almost seems to go in a different direction and too many things begin to happen at once. I honestly found this section to the end to be quite boring and confusing. I started to become annoyed by Min and I no longer felt intrigued by her journey or purpose. I was also indifferent towards each new character. This is total opposition from my feelings from the first thirty percent, because I thought the story was well-developed during this section. At times this book attempts to read as middle-grade but then it is suddenly disrupted by language and other inclusions. Min was just not a very personal character to me and I lost all connection with her over time. This book takes an all-action sort of route as it seems like something is always continuously happening. Also certain elements were repeated quite a bit which was a little annoying.

I should probably include some positives now. I really liked the inclusion of magic and mythology. I did think some of the magic was a bit too unrealistic and extreme, but I genuinely enjoyed most of magical portrayal. I thought Min’s family history and people were interesting, as well as the world that Min lives in. I also appreciated the author’s subtle inclusion of addressing gender in a way that is desired by each unique individual. The author recognizes that people should address each person by how they view themselves. All characters were supportive of this inclusion and no shaming or insensitivity was included. This was a normal recognition for all characters which was definitely refreshing to see in a book intended for a young audience.

I can’t honestly say that I would recommend this book. The story definitely fell flat for me and it was somewhat a struggle to finish. I do hope that a young audience and other readers will appreciate this book though.

Min is a fox spirit with superpowers like shape-shifting, plus she lives on another planet. Cool, right? Unfortunately, her mom won't let her use her powers because everyone hates foxes, and Jinju was improperly terraformed so life is harsh and dreary. Then an investigator arrives claiming her beloved brother Jun deserted from the Space Forces to hunt for the Dragon Pearl, a mythical artifact of immense power. Min immediately sets out to clear his name, a journey that takes her into space battles, swarms of angry ghosts, and lots of toilet scrubbing. The blend of Korean mythology and science fiction is delightfully fresh. However, Min's relentless good fortune strains credulity.

This is a forthcoming book to be published under the Rick Riordan imprint. Sometimes I find them tough to read because I want to compare them to Rick Riordan's book and that is not really fair. Like part of me actually thought at one time, well this book is okay, but its not as funny as some of his (Rick Riordan) other books. Oops. Wake up, reader!

The world building here was interesting, and the magical characteristics of some of the supernaturals, who live amongst humans was also good. I was not as enthralled with the main character overall, I didn't really think I knew who she was. Maybe the nature of the magic she possessed made her difficult to know. I found the action a little slow at times, but it really picked up at the end. One can see many interesting angles that sequels could take.

I could actually see myself appreciated a second book in this world even more than a first now that the stage, so to speak, is set. One could see many adventures with Min and company throughout the 1000 Worlds.

This was a really fun middle grade adventure novel. I loved to see a sci-fi option in this imprint! The blend of fantasy in a space adventure really worked. The world building was fascinating and while I know this is a stand alone, it would be amazing to get more in the Thousand World setting, with Min and her brother going on adventures together. I think that kids are going to love this book and Min's improbable, fantastic adventure.

As a side note, I tagged this with "queer-themes" because there are a handful of side and background LGBTQ characters, including someone plot important who uses they/them pronouns. It was great to see that just as something going on in the side,without any special attention brought to it.

Wow! What an incredible story! I loved this dive into Korean mythology and fell in love with the strong characters and the unique world Yoon Ha Lee built. This is a great title in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint and I can promise I'll be telling everyone to pick it up. I can imagine so many kids loving this story.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this title!*

Life isn't easy for Min, a 13 year old settler of a planet that was never fully terra-formed. Her life is full of endless chores and not enough food in an overcrowded, too-small house. Also, she's absolutely forbidden from using any of her fox spirit magic (she can Charm people's emotions and shape shift), because foxes are seen as untrustworthy. Min dreams of joining the Space Force, like her brother Jun, and visiting the Thousand Worlds.

When Min finds that the Space Force suspects Jun of desertion in order to find the Dragon Pearl (the artifact with the power to terra-form the planets), she drops everything to clear his name, even if that means using her powers to enter gambling parlors, hijack space ships, and impersonate cadets in a wild romp across the universe.

*My Notes* This is a very interesting take on Korean Mythology! I love a good sci-fi, and I did enjoy this, but even I (who loves aliens, spaceships, etc.) had a hard time suspending my disbelief on this one. Maybe if Min was a few years older? I can see a 16 year old doing these things, but she was just a bit young for her hi-jinks.

Min lives on Jinju, a rather run down planet. Her family are shapeshifting fox spirits, so they keep to themselves, since humans are not overly friendly to them. Other supernatural creatures seem to be afforded more patience for their magic, but Min has not taken her fox form for many years because her mother is so afraid of their magic going wrong. Her fears are realized when an inspector comes to their house with the news that Min's brother, Jun, who is in an elite space academy, has deserted his post, possibly in an attempt to locate the coveted Dragon Pearl, which could immediately terraform planets and help civilization. Min upsets both the inspector and her mother when she shapeshifts, and fearing both for her brother and for herself, she runs off to try to find him. In the biggest city on her planet, she runs into a relative who runs a gambling parlor, and is able to make some crafty bargains to get her onto a space ship. She gets on the Red Azalea ship, but it is involved in an accident that kills a young crew member, Jang. Min uses a charm to make the crew of the ship that picks them up, the Pale Lightning, think that she has died, but that Jang has not, and assumes his shape in exchange for promising to find out more about who caused his death. The Pale Lightning was the ship on which her brother served, so Min starts her investigation into where he might be. The captain of the ship is a lion shape shifter who seems a bit suspicious, and Min finds out some important information about her brother. With some of the other crew members. she devises a plot to get to the Ghost Planet where the Dragon Pearl reportedly has been hidden, and while in the process, finds out the answers to many of her questions.

Strengths: This had a definite Star Trek vibe, with its space adventure and exploring new worlds, which is fantastic! Yes, Min had a sad impetus to set her on her journey, but I loved her take charge attitude and her fearlessness in the face of all of her obstacles. There are enough details about the space travel and being on a ship to delight the readers who want such details, and this is woven in nicely with the fox shape shifters and other elements of Korean mythology. Wasn't sure these two would mesh, but they do! Great for readers who liked Fry's Hunt for the Hydra (2014) or McDougall's Mars Evacuees (2015).
Weaknesses: There could have been a bit more explanation about the Korean mythology, especially the way that ghosts interact with living creatures.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, but it would be nice if this were a stand alone and not a series. More of my students would read speculative fiction occasionally if they didn't have to commit to a five book series of 400 page books!

Get ready to completely immersed in Korean mythology after reading Dragon Pearl. The book penned by Lee is the best mix of science fiction and folklore. I love how they brought the legend of Kitsune into the picture and added the touch of science fiction in space. The story is essentially about a young sister missing her brother and she goes on the epic quest to save him. On this journey, we meet our heroine, Kim Min who is brave and inspiring but does find herself in her share of trouble although she means well.

The plot was faced paced in the beginning but did stall a bit in the middle then getting back on track. All in all, if you are looking for an adventure, you must read the Dragon Pearl.

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee is a other gem in the Rick Riordan Presents collection. Dragon Pearl is the perfect mix of science fiction and folklore, with well written characters. I became completely immersed in Korean mythology after reading, which only makes me want to learn more.

There is something about a mythology story set in space that makes me completely giddy; there aren't many authors these days willing to take the risk, Yoon Ha Lee rose to the challenge with an exciting novel.

The plot of the story was engaging, but the pacing could be a little slow at parts. I definitely felt as if there were some parts that could have been left out. The supernatural elements of the stort were great, but it made the story drag a little towards the middle.

The main character Kim Min was wonderfully developed, as a main character she is by far one of my favorites out of all the books I've read this year. Min is brave and inspiring; this will resonate with the intended age groups. Min reminded me of myself, she means well but is always getting herself into trouble.

The last half of the book felt a little rushed. I would have preferred the author to take just a little bit of time in this section of the book as opposed to the middle.

Overall this story was exciting and definitely peeked my interest. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

DRAGON PEARL is a essentially a girl's quest to save her brother, beautifully written as a blend between the old and new—heavily influenced by Korean folklore and set in a distant universe. It actually works seamlessly. The story feels old and new at the same time—grounded in tradition but set in the future. I have no doubt this will be the next Star Wars or other big box office hit someday.

Although this was suggested to me on a Middle Grade list, It feels more YA to me. The protagonist, Min, is identified as 13 years old at opening, she definitely seems more mature. The further I read, the harder it was for me to picture her as 13...she felt much closer to 17 to me—particular as she drives a scooter and works in a gambling den. As she moves around the ship and works as a cadet, I really couldn't' sustain the idea that she was 13. That's not a bad thing, and of course it is only my opinion.

While young audiences will love that she is really a fox and has fox magic, she is mostly materialized in human form, and the length of the book (over 300 pages) also contributed to it feeling more YA to me. But I think this book will appeal to readers of all ages, and the language is direct and clear and is easily accessible to readers of many skill levels. The way Min materializes as female and male will additionally allow children of different genders to easily see themselves in the protagonist.

Noon Ha Lee's world-building is smooth, visual without being too bogged down. Her writing is highly polished, tight, and without wasted words. There are little moments of humor—when shape shifting she got the dimensions wrong for her clothing and came back to human shape with her clothes tugging at her elbows and knees. (17)

This book is diverse and inclusive. Women and men are equally represented in positions of authority (guards, ship captains) I love the nondairy characters, who are smoothly introduced as no big deal, for example:
“This particular badge has a small symbol next to the name that let me know they should be addressed neutrally, as neither female nor male.” (38)

Heavy themes of family, loyalty, and also resourcefulness and self reliance.

Disney expands Rick Riordan's mythological universe in a clever way with Rick Riordan Presents. Dragon Pearl is a book that would be of high interest to the students I have worked with. The protagonist, who possesses the mythological powers of a fox, is interesting and the concept is unique.

These books open up a wide range of conversation about mythology, legends, and how stories work. Riordan's Percy Jackson series was highly popular in my classes, and I would gladly add this new title to my classroom or library bookshelf. Exciting, well-written, and polished.

I look forward to seeing what else this bold new series has to offer in the years ahead.

Love, love, love!
While I love science fiction, it is rare to find tween or teen scifi that I actually enjoy, most of it feeling like any other book "IN SPACE!" rather than actual scifi. While Dragon Pearl is also very much steeped in Korean folklore, it also reads like a genuine science fiction novel. The world is so well fleshed out and the characters are so well developed. I love that we see all sorts of beings from Korean folklore and that even though I didn't know much beforehand (my scant previous knowledge of Korean folklore having been gleaned from K-Pop fandom), I was still able to understand the different players because of the excellent world-building. My library will absolutely be purchasing this and I will be talking it up to as many tweens as I possibly can!

At surface level, <i>Dragon Pearl</i> by Yoon Ha Lee is an amazing novel. It has some of the most amazing world building I've ever come across, the society and the history thoroughly intriguing. Those who live in this fantastical world of planets and society are increasingly fascinating in a number of ways. As many exist as a spirit of some kind in relation to a type of animal, from the enticing main character of a fox to the various others from dragon to tiger. I loved everything about the way this story was set up, the backbone to it all was utterly exquisite. And yet, in spite of all that wonder and awe, the story fell flat for me and it all came down to the writing.

Yoon Ha Lee had an amazing idea and the perfect world building skills to go with it, but she fell immeasurably short with her characters and her pacing. You only ever see surface level motivations for anyone and events almost seem to happen for dramatic effect alone. The more interesting characters are introduced and then forgotten about while the more dull ones stick around for longer. And then the novel has these unfortunate portions that just drag whether because it encompassed something that was utterly useless to the overall story and/or plot and just wasn’t all that interesting.

I found myself regularly frustrated with the fluctuation between boring bits that went too slowly and interesting bits that were rushed right through. Mirroring this pattern, the book also fluctuates between scenes that are actually useful to the story and scenes that <i>Dragon Pearl</i> would have been far better without. Yoon Ha Lee also fell into the trap of including annoyingly convenient plot points throughout and much of the story lost its organic feeling as a result. I can’t tell you how irritating it is for a character to, by pure circumstance, end up in precisely the perfect place that they needed to be without any significant effort on their own part.

Min, while she has her moments of being a truly fascinating character, often gets dull and annoying in her own thoughts. She’s sometimes arrogant with no reason and just really hard to find believable in at least a good half of the novel. I think this is largely due to the fact that her “growth” appears to happen all at once and I never really felt like I got to know anything new about her past the initial introduction. I didn’t really care about any of the other characters except, perhaps Jun, Min’s brother. And even my affection for him was surface level and cursory.

Now, don’t get me wrong, <i>Dragon Pearl</i> is not a bad novel. I think it had a lot of potential in a number of areas, from the world building to the inclusivity as far as gender identity is concerned. I really found myself <i>wanting</i> to like it a lot more than I did but found myself struggling for the reasons mentioned above. I think the book just needed a lot more editing prior to publication. Had the pacing and development been better, this might be an entirely different review.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>
 
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