I was so excited to get this ARC of Dragon Pearl I started it as soon as I got my copy! I am not always into sci-fi stories but I was really intrigued by the Korean Mythology and family theme.

The beginning of the story exploded with excitement and suspense I couldn’t put it down! I loved Min’s ability to shape-shift and charm people to avoid getting caught as she was on her journey to find her brother and clear his name. Her powers were an awesome element to this story, along with her strong spirit! 🦊

Midway through this book my excitement tapered off a bit while Min was still trying to reach her destination and I found it hard to connect with any of the characters surrounding Min. But as the story continues I found myself drawn back in again.

Overall this is a great middle grade book, with lots of adventure, culture and a strong family feel, as Min searches for her brother.

I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published January 15th 2019, go check it out!

If we can keep getting more books from Yoon Ha Lee, I could die tremendously happy.

Quest like fantasies are always my jam and this books sets us readers on an epic quest in a mythology world with ghosts and tigers and a korean main character who can turn into a fox! SET IN SPACE! This is an adorable read that is fast paced and you don't even need have the knowledge behind the mythology, it works into the plot seamlessly. The story is structured in a learning like process but still fun with a lot of charm! I highly recommend picking this one up once it hits shelves.

Ok so these Rick Riordan presents books are everything I never knew i needed!!! I loved the Korean mythology in this book! I also absolutely adored Min (the fox spirit) who goes on a journey to clear her brothers name and claim the Dragon pearl! This book was fun, adorable and has good messages laid within! i highly recommend!

Mix Science Fiction with Korean mythology and you get the Dragon Pearl. Thirteen year old Min sneaks away from her home world to investigate her older brother’s disappearance and supposed desertion from the Space Forces. She is also a fox with special powers. Most of the universe in this story have different abilities and appear as a human though they are different animals such as tigers and dragons. Min can shape-shift into other people as well as inanimate objects. When she arrives on her brother’s ship,

Min assumes the identity of a recently deceased cadet whose ghost wants her to find out who is responsible for his death. Min is not the only supernatural being aboard. The Space Forces, pirates, and mercenaries are all looking for the Dragon Pearl, a mythical object that can create and/or destroy worlds and it is quite the adventure!

My only complaint is that since this is the first in the series the plot drags at some points as they set up characters for the next books in the series.

I would recommend this book for fans of fantasy, science-fiction, and mythology in grades 4 and up. You could read it aloud to interested younger kids too.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to buying it for our school library when it releases in early 2019. Loved the Korean folklore and strong female protagonist learning to come into her own, understand her powers, using intelligence and wit while still holding onto the tenets of family, friendship, justice and integrity.

Kim Min, descended from a long line of fox spirits, is ready to get off her poor homeworld and explore space. In a few years, she can enlist in the Space Force like her older brother Jun and follow him through the stars. But one day, an inspector comes to her home and tells her family that Jun has gone AWOL. Min knows her brother who never do such a thing, but where could he have gone? Rumor has it he and the other deserters might have gone after the Dragon Pearl, a legendary artifact said to have the power to terraform planets. So Min sets out on her own to find her missing brother. Along the way, dangers crop up from every corner. Min must rely on her cleverness, quick thinking, and some fox magic to find her brother, the Pearl, and keep herself and her friends safe from all those willing to do whatever it takes for power.

Overall this was a pretty good middle-grade novel. The inclusion of Korean mythology was very interesting for me. I don't know a whole lot about Far East mythology, so having that woven into the story added some intriguing elements. I'm definitely interested in learning more about the subject. Regarding the story itself, I felt like I was missing some pieces. Characters were brought in and out of the story so quickly at points, I wasn't sure why they were there for begin with. I guess they helped move Min from point A to B, but that really seemed like that was about all they were good for. Still, the story was able to surprise me at points and offered a lot of heart. Would recommend to anybody who loves a good space story. Thanks to NetGalley, Disney Book Group, and Rick Riordan Presents for the eARC

I really liked Dragon Pearl! It's a fun universe, and I haven't read too many stories about kitsune, so that was neat. I liked the spunky heroine and her powers, and how devoted she was to her brother. Traveling through space can read a bit boring, so I'm glad Ha Lee kept the boring procedural parts to a minimum. A great read for middle grade and up.

This book was a refreshing page-turner featuring a strong heroine who perseveres admirably in the face of great danger. The quest was high stakes and personal and the blend of magic and science made for a genre bending adventure. I was also super excited to see a character who used they/them pronouns in the supporting cast. Definitely a book to watch for in early 2019.

After reading Dragon Pearl we could not help but think what if Mulan was in the Empire of Sand following her calling as one of the greatest warriors in the empire. The character of Min is very inspiring and her bravery and tenacity will really inspire young readers. We are always fans of young characters striving to accomplish their goals and achieve their dreams. A exhilarating novel that is sure to attract the young crowd.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is sure to circulate well in our JFiction collection in the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book to read.

Out of the Rick Riordan Presents titles I've read so far, this is probably my second favorite. Lee has crafted a fun space opera about a fox spirit named Min, who is searching for her brother. The military claims he is a deserter, but Min knows that can't be true. She runs away and joins the Space Force (which is a sort of unfortunate name now, but when this was written, I'm guessing it wasn't a potential thing).

The action is fast paced, and Lee does a great job of weaving in Korean mythology with the space opera. There are some really great supporting characters. I thought there were enough unanswered questions that Lee could continue the series later if he wanted to, which I hope he does.

This is a solid addition to the Rick Riordan Imprint. The mysticism/mythology of Korean culture is certainly present. I like that Lee chose the animal aspects of mythology and left it at that without confusing readers with deities left and right. As this is a space adventure though, it is not clear, other than in the description of the book, that tells me this is from Korean culture. I would have liked to see that a little more.
Min is a good character with a bad reputation. She always means well, yet gets herself into sticky situations left and right. I enjoyed following her through the galaxy and seeing how she will get out of the next situation. Other characters throughout the novel had some depth, yet didn’t fully jump off the page for me. The gender neutral character, which is good to see, became confusing most of the time when referred to as “they/them”. It stated that they switched genders, yet we never saw this and simply saw he/she identifying as both. I do want to see more acceptance in fiction, yet younger children may need a better example or explanation.
I found that her fox magic was sort of a cop out from time to time. I would have liked to see more brain power rather than a quick shot of charm that will smooth over the trouble. The little other magic that there was was fun to read about and fit in nicely with the story.
This was not my favorite of the Rick Riordan presents, yet I would still recommend it to the kids at my library as it still contains a fun space adventure with good morals. With some final editing and clean up, this may yet still be a good novel.

I was not at all sure to expect from a space opera based on Korean mythology, but this was excellent!

I'm excited to be able to hand this to any young reader who is just looking for some good fiction to lose themselves in. It will appeal to readers who like mythology, action/adventure stories, space stories, or just well written books with amazing characters.

I also like that it is a stand-alone but that there is room to hope for another installment.

A fun mythological space romp, involving foxes, ghosts, tigers, and engineering! 13-year old Min sneaks off her home planet in search of her older brother, who has been accused of being a deserter from the Space Force. In her search, she finds herself caught up in a potentially treasonous plot to find the legendary Dragon Pearl, which is said to be hidden on a world full of ghosts. With the help of both friends and enemies, Min risks herself and her family to save her brother, clear their name, and possibly save the Thousand Worlds.

Overall, I really enjoyed this! Min's voice is very frank and fun to follow through her story. I liked seeing the various aspects of Korean myths and stories that the author wove through (not just the foxes and tigers and dragons, but, like, how the ships were engineered to maximize the flow of gi or how the ghosts looked and behaved).

I did feel that the last quarter or so of the book was a little rushed, compared to the earlier parts, and I would have liked to learn more about Min's mother, but I understand there were probably page constraints involved. Still, I hope to read more middle grade fiction by Yoon Ha Lee!

This review is based off an ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I received this ARC of Dragon Pearl from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The latest from Rick Riordan Presents not only delves into Korean mythology but takes place in space. You can say it is Korean mythology meets Star Trek! Thirteen year old Min sneaks away from her home world to investigate her older brother’s disappearance and supposed desertion from the Space Forces. But although Min and her family look and act human, they are actually fox spirits. Min can shape-shift into other people as well as inanimate objects. When she arrives on her brother’s ship, Min assumes the identity of a recently deceased cadet whose ghost wants her to find out who is responsible for his death. Min is not the only supernatural being aboard. There are also dragons, goblins, and a tiger, the ship’s captain, in human form. The Space Forces, pirates, and mercenaries are all looking for the Dragon Pearl, a mythical object that can create and/or destroy worlds.
I would recommend this book for fans of fantasy, science-fiction, and mythology in grades 4 and up.
#DragonPearl #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this title.


This book follows thirteen-year-old Min who runs away from home in search of her brother who is suspected of desertion from the Space Force. She is also a fox with special powers. Most of the universe in this story have different abilities and appear as a human though they are different animals such as tigers and dragons.


I had to keep reminding myself that this was a middle-grade novel and all the sheer coincidences were, so the story wasn't too complicated for younger audiences. Once I remembered that t the story took off for me. But something continued to drag, and I started to feel bored. The instances of situations happening just to add drama jarred me, as well as characters appearing that did not appear again in the story, which I would have liked a lot. Min made decisions so quickly, there was no build-up, as most of her choices lacked. The pacing was off. I also wanted more of other animals to appear. The dragons, for instance. The ending also irked me a lot. UGH


I can see how this would appeal to younger audiences, but as an adult reading it (and don't get me wrong, I read a ton of MG books) it wasn't doing it for me. There was a lot of potential for the story that never got there.

This quest story set in the future colonies that humans have established throughout the universe is an odd mix of science fiction and Korean mythology. Min is a fox spirit whose cadet brother has disappeared. Against her mother's instructions she uses her fox powers to infiltrate the Navy and follow clues to his whereabouts. She succeeds in her quest although not in the way she had hoped.

This book has been described as a "Space opera based on Korean mythology."

I wanted to love it. It sounded amazing and I was very excited to read it. Sadly, I did not love it. In fact, at several points I considered stopping reading and not finishing the book.

Alas, I plowed through and now I'm struggling to write this review because I'm still mourning what could have been a great book.

First of all, I loved the concept. Mythical creatures in outer space. Shape shifting foxes. Magic. Young girl setting out on a big adventure to help her family, to find her brother, while making friends along the way. It sounds amazing, right?

Well, the first clue I got that this wasn't going to be the book I wanted came pretty early on. This book starts by having our main character, Min, knock a man unconscious and then overhearing her family members discuss the possibility of murdering him to cover up the incident. Except they don't murder him because then someone would come looking for him. That's it. That's why they don't kill him. So, I'm having trouble understanding who this book is for. The writing and tone both clearly indicate it's an MG book. And yet, we're barely a few pages in and there's family discussion of murders and covering them up?

The book only gets more disturbing from that point on. Min lies, cheats, steals her way through the entire book. She abandoned her family. She deceives people she calls friends. She lies to everyone in order to get her way.

The other characters are also unremarkable and morally gray. Except the tiger. He's just an a-hole and very clearly the villain. Except we are also informed that at some point Min's brother agreed to work with him? And then that went south, but we are never told why.

In fact, there seem to be a lot of gaps in the story. How is Min's family reacting to their missing 13 year old? How did Min's "friends" who she lied to and betrayed suddenly forgive her? How did SHE forgive THEM when they betrayed her? Why is Min offered a job at the end, despite all the laws she's broken? If ghosts know they bring bad luck, why do they keep hanging around people they supposedly care about?

Anyway, in short I thought this book needed to be more thoroughly fleshed out and I also though the characters and messages throughout this book were deeply concerning. Especially for the intended audience. This is definitely not a book I would feel comfortable giving to a child.

The writing style also seemed somewhat stunted and the pacing was a little off.

I really wanted to love this book, which is why I kept reading. And I loved the concept. I also loved the inclusion of diverse characters, including the main character as the inclusion of an enby character. For these reasons I'm giving the book 2 stars. However, there was sadly nothing else I really enjoyed about this book.

Just from a reader's advisory perspective, this one is a tough sell because it falls in-between ya and middle reader. Where the artwork definitely skews it towards middle readers, the writing & subject are really targeted more towards early ya/teens. I feel like if this had been a graphic novel, it would have been better suited for a wider audience.

While the premise of this book sounded incredibly promising to me - a space adventure inspired by Korean mythology - it just didn't quite hit the spot. The magic was fun (and problematic in that our protagonist was still learning how to use it wisely!), however in this book that is clearly meant to be the first of a series, there was so much time spent setting things up for future books, therefore acting as unnecessary filler and distractions in this one. I'm eager to explore what else this imprint has to offer in the future, but the looseness of this plot made me wanting something more.

I liked how the author combined science fiction and magical fiction together so seamlessly. All I can say is, when is book two!? I liked how the character development goes along and how it leads you one direction when the truth is completely different.
(reviewed by my 11 year old son who said the book was AWESOME!)