I enjoyed this title more than the first in the series. The lessons don't overpower the plot, and the ending was very satisfying. Readers will learn a lot about Vietnamese legends and Buddhist beliefs. In a somewhat overcrowded middle grade fantasy field, not my first choice, but a book I will recommend to certain readers.

This is a case where I should've tried the first book before getting the second one. Since I couldn't finish the first, I couldn't get into this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

While this is a direct sequel, the events of the first book are summarized sufficiently for the reader to clearly understand what is happening. It's easily enough understood, both in plot and in the world and mythology involved. The characters are complex and have clear motivation. The lines between right and wrong are drawn but nuanced. A solid choice for fans of mythology stories.

<i>Girl Giant and the Jade War</i> was a non-stop action ride from start to finish! I'm so incredibly disappointed that this book is currently only slated to be a duology - there's so much more to explore in this unfamiliar world of Vietnamese mythology.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an EARC of this novel. The free copy did not influence my review.

Van Hoang is back with an amazing sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King! To be honest, I don't remember all of the details from the first book because I read it over a year ago, but this book quickly caught me up. It picks up right after the first book with Thom and her friends going after the Monkey King as he tries to destroy the heavens. They have to travel to try and find allies to help them in the war, but that is very hard to do seeing as some of the only people who care live in the heavens.

This series is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan who are looking for a new series to read! This book is one of the best fantasies that I've read all year. Definitely recommend!

Ages 9+

Girl Giant and the Jade War is a fun and fascinating look into Vietnamese mythology, and a more than worthy sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King; in many ways, this is more a continuation than a sequel. I enjoy learning about the mythology of other cultures, and this is a wonder example of mythology adapted into a story for modern times. Recommended for upper elementary and older. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for my review.

As an adult I was disappointed since it was so confusing. I did not finish since I just couldn't understand

Thanks to NetGalley & Roaring Brook Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sequel to Girl Giant & the Monkey King and picks up right where the first book left off. The Monkey King, Wukong betrayed Thom and tricked her into throwing the Heavens into chaos by releasing Wukong himself and reuniting him with one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. As Thom processes the heartbreaking betrayal, she sets out with her friends (are they her friends or are they just there to keep an eye on her?) to fix her mistakes and imprison Wukong once again. Problem is...can Thom ever forgive herself for her mistakes?

I had no idea this was the second book...whoops. I still was able to follow along pretty well, though. I LOVED this book, it's an awesome story with great writing! I have to go get the first one now, ha. Thom deals with a lot of self-doubt and insecurity which is refreshing to see in a children's adventure book, but I also liked that the book doesn't make Wukong 100% evil. He's an idiot, yes, but he has really good reasons for it and the book shows how morally grey Thom's world is.

Wukong (Monkey King) is a really fun character too, I love all the scenes he's in! Definitely a GREAT pick for any Rick Riordan fan since it includes a ton of Vietnamese mythology!

While it was easy to get swept away with the action in Girl Giant and the Jade War, I loved the themes the most. It begins with action and high stakes almost immediately. For Thom she has to contend with the consequences of her actions plus the realization of her betrayal. Because while not everyone can relate to a huge war brewing, we can relate to trusting someone and having them betray us. Of feeling foolish for believing in someone.

In Girl Giant and the Jade War, Thom questions just how much of us we inherit. She has to figure out how much of us are defined by our nature. That people aren't inherently all good or bad. It's a big truth to reconcile. To have to see all these shades in between And while there's these high stakes, it's also a book about hurt and revenge. About being pushed further than we want to be and feeling like we have no choice.

Girl Giant And The Jade War, the sequel to Girl Giant And The Monkey King, by Van Hoang (out 12/7/2021): This is a middle grade series I found through influencing for MacMillan and I’m so glad I found it! Y’all know how much I love mythology…well, this one is chalk full of it! I love how not only did it give a different take on The Monkey King myths (specifically, the Vietnamese origin) but also introduced more of the Gods & mythical creatures that he came across in all of his shenanigans. Thom (pronounced Tom) is such a great character and I found myself speaking to her a lot as if she could hear me, lol! I loved how the story flowed from the first book into the second one (I did read them back to back, which felt like a privilege) and I’m so anxious to see where the third book will take us in Thom’s adventures (because I strongly feel that there is a 3rd book coming but Van has not confirmed this). If you haven’t read the first book, you’ve got a little bit of time before the second comes out!

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Hoang returns readers to Thom's world shortly after the Monkey King defeated her in the first book. She, Kha and and Concao are must left on the island and must deal with the aftermath. They begin their journey to find a way back into the heavens to confront the Monkey King and defeat the demons. As they search for help, Thom struggles with the delineated good versus evil identifications the Jade Kingdom has made for fairies, demons and gods/goddesses. Readers will consider this as well as the story unfolds. Each of the characters matures and suffers discouragement as the journey progresses. They find a way to succeed and with help from the Goddess of Mercy, they defeat the Monkey King and restore the heavens with some modifications for more equity at the end. The final chapters set up a third book if Hoang chooses to continue the tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I adore this series! In the first book, Thom made a deal with the Monkey King, one that backfired big time. In this new installment, Thom needs to track down the Monkey King to not only save her mother from spending her lifetime as an insect, but to stop the Monkey King from taking over the Heavens!

I loved the characters and the amazing descriptions of all of the different settings of this book! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in middle grade fantasy! (But make sure you read Girl Giant and the Monkey King first!)

I think that this was an adorable book. I would recommend continuing the series if you read the first one. The artwork within was so beautiful and I wish I read more books with some pictures on them.

Thom cannot believe the Monkey King betrayed her. Even though he is the immortal trickster, she thought he was her friend. But he’s turned her mom into a cricket, and now he’s leading a demon army into the heavens. And she’s the one who set him free, making this all possible. Thom is determined to stop him and make things right. She just has to figure out how.

A fun adventure involving myth and magic, trust and friendship. Recommend reading the first book first.

Magical beings, friendship, war, and an adventure of a lifetime. Thom Ngoh is still reeling from her so called friend’s betrayal, the Monkey King. He had taught her to control her super strength and help her stand up for herself... yet he was also tricking her to steal from the Heavens and release him from his 500 year prison. now that he is free he plans to wage war against the Heavens and fight to give a place to his demon monkey brethren. Thom must now fix this mess and do everything she can to stop him from hurting people. Thom and her dragon friend Kha thus are set off on an adventure to find help from the Heavenly beings in stopping the Monkey... and yet everything comes with a price. It doesn’t help that a Monkey King clone has come to Thom and tells her he is still her friend and must protect her at all cost... and soon Thom finds herself struggling to see whose side she is on and how to save everyone. This was such a fun read and the friendship and grey areas were so well portrayed in this story. The dynamic between Thom and the Monkey King was my favorite aspect of the book. Thom and the Monkey King are both trying to do what they think is right, and yet there is this strong bond between the two of them despite everything thats happened, The ending of the story was just perfect and so sweet, I truly loved how this book wrapped up and would definitely recommend this series!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A good continuation of book one--Girl Giant and the Monkey King. I look forward to their continued adventures.

I'm always getting requests for books like Percy Jackson, and I will definitely be recommending Girl Giant books.

Thom mistakenly trusted the Monkey King and set him free to cause havoc to the learn. She goes on a quest to undo her wrong. This story was interesting in that the main character though full of determination and spirit falters by making poor decisions. The poor decisions cause lasting consequences that I feel are a set up for further installments in this series. The pacing of the novel was fast. From the first page and on the action continued. The world is flushed out with us seeing the different gods, fairies and daemons. My final verdict is that this was an interesting read, not perfect.