It took a bit longer to get into this book compared to Dragon Pearl, but the pace did pick up mid-way though the book. Once again, the world-building in this book is just phenomenal. I hope to get to see these characters again!

I really enjoyed seeing how Sebin deals with their family and their character growth. Seeing how others interact with a non-binary character in a meaningful way was also great. I really appreciate that they didn't boil Sebin down to that one aspect of their personality. It was also interesting to learn about Hwan's family and how they tied into the plot. The characters in this book really made this book for me. The character development was beautifully done and added to the fantastically story in a very personal way. I will be recommending this to my kids.

Tiger Honor delves into the struggles of Sebin, a young Tiger, as they learn that they must decide which of their hearts and families they must lend the most loyalty to: their Tiger family, or the Thousand World Space Forces they've been aiming to join their entire life.
You feel the push and pull of all of the forces on Sebin as they make decisions as the speed of life, as we all do, and not at the pace of multi-page introspective streams of consciousness. A followup to Dragon Pearl, it stands alone. The narrative feels complete yet open to more stories set in the rich universe of the Thousand Worlds.
Another plus is that Sebin is nonbinary, as are other characters, and it is treated as just part of life. There is no lengthy exposition, but little notes of pronouns on name badges keep it explicitly acknowledged. (Note: the audiobook is read by a male-presenting voice, so I found myself defaulting to he/his even though the book is explicit in they/theirs when writing or talking about the book.)

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing me with this advance listener copy.

Description from NetGalley:
Sebin, a young tiger spirit from the Juhwang Clan, wants nothing more than to join the Thousand World Space Forces and, like their Uncle Hwan, captain a battle cruiser someday. But when Sebin's acceptance letter finally arrives, it's accompanied by the shocking news that Hwan has been declared a traitor. Apparently the captain abandoned his duty to steal a magical artifact, the Dragon Pearl, and his whereabouts are still unknown. Sebin hopes to help clear their hero's name and restore honor to the clan.
Nothing goes according to plan, however. As soon as Sebin arrives for orientation, they are met by a special investigator named Yi and his assistant, a girl named Min. Yi informs Sebin that they must immediately report to the ship Haetae and await further instructions. Sebin finds this highly unusual, but soon all protocol is forgotten when there's an explosion on the ship, the crew is knocked out, and the communication system goes down. It's up to Sebin, three other cadets, and Yi and Min to determine who is sabotaging the battle cruiser. When Sebin is suddenly accused of collaborating with the enemy, the cadet realizes that Min is the most dangerous foe of all...
I was told you don’t have to read Dragon Pearl to read this. That’s mostly correct, but I probably would have gotten more out of this book if I read Dragon Pearl first. I’m going to pick it up later on after listening to Tiger Honor.

The narrator, Elissa Park, was solid with distinct character voices. The story and the narration worked well together to bring me into the story. Plot beats from Dragon Pearl were explained naturally from Sebin’s POV. Sebin felt like a fully realized individual and part of this very rich world that the author created.

I would still recommend Dragon Pearl first, but this was still a good time. 4/5

I liked this book a lot! I actually liked it more than Dragon Pearl, and I'm positive that's because of the main character. It took me a while to connect to the main character of the first book, but this one was instant. Really impressive worldbuilding as always, and an interesting dive into morals, and honour, and what these mean in the face of different opinions from those you both love and respect.
The end was weirdly too quick and tidy for me, but otherwise, a solid read. Would love to see more in this world.

*** Full Confession *** I did not read Dragon Pearl before I listened to this one. I don't think it would be necessary to read it. There is probably some connections and back story I missed out on; however, it read just fine without having read it.

The novel opens with the tiger clan and focuses on Sebin - a young, slightly rebellious tiger spirit who longs to be accepted into the space forces. Drama unfolds. Sebin does find himself aboard a ship, but they come to odds with someone they admired most. Can family ties trump duty and honor to the Space Force?

What I loved: this read like a Star Wars space opera, yet it included Korean mythology and culture within the confines of a ship. I loved the gender bending and the explanation/use of pronouns. This novel is very inclusive and diverse and should be a part of any middle school library/reading classroom bookshelf.

I liked the ending despite it being a little too neat and tidy. I was hoping for a little more accountability at the trial, but this is Disney...

Probably better than book one (Dragon Pearl). Every book I ready by Yoon Ha Lee impresses me more than the last, honestly. And I *really* loved Phoenix Extravagant. I adore Sebin. Nonbinary protagonists are my JAM, always. MG with no romance is also chef's kiss. If you like SF, mythology, or complicated families, give this series a shot. I do recommend book 1 before this one, though.

Thank you to NetGalley for a preview copy of the eaudio & ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Great audiobook! I am glad that I listened to this one, as I am sure I would have botched 50% of the names. It is nice hearing how they are actually supposed to sound. The narrator was perfect for this story!

Full review:

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Tiger Honor is the second book in the Thousand Worlds series by veteran Sci-Fi writer, Yoon Ha Lee. This series is published through the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. The first book, Dragon Pearl, was released in 2019 and was my favorite Middle Grade release of that year. At the time when I read it, I thought it was a standalone.

I was so happy when I heard the news that we would be getting more in this world; best described as a Space Opera inspired by Korean mythology. In this installment we follow a young tiger spirit, Sebin, who dreams of joining the Thousand Worlds Space Forces just like their Uncle Hwan, who they greatly admire.

But on the day that Sebin's acceptance letter arrives, another letter arrives as well and the news it brings is not good. According to this letter, their Uncle Hwan abandoned his duty in search of the legendary Dragon Pearl and has thusly been branded a traitor. His current whereabouts are unknown.

As Sebin heads off to their orientation, they decide that no matter what, they'll find the truth, hopefully clearing Uncle Hwan's name and returning honor to their clan in the process. As you may expect, however, things do not go as planned for sweet Sebin.

This story is full of action and a ton of heart. Sebin is such a cinnamon roll, who is easy to become attached to. The pace is super quick, and I'll be honest, at times I found myself a little lost. Even though that's the case, it always came back around for me and I had a lot of fun reading it.

For me though, this wasn't quite as enjoyable a story as the first book, in that it lacked a bit of the humor that I always felt when following, Min, the protagonist of Dragon Pearl. Sebin, I would say, is more of an old soul, a bit more serious than Min was, and the narrative reflected that, making this story feel more mature than your average Middle Grade.

With this being said, Lee's writing, as would be expected, is impressive. The complex mix of Sci-Fi with Mythological elements was so well done. Additionally, the characters Lee develops are extremely likable. You root for them when you're supposed to, you dislike them when you are supposed to and you certainly love them when you are supposed to. Chef's kiss.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Audio and Rick Riordan Presents, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This one left off in a great place. This could be it, but I am really hoping for more in the Thousand Worlds. There are endless possibilities as to where this series could go!!

Thank you to the Rick Riordan Presents, Disney Publishing, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio copy of this book. My students and I always enjoy anything that comes out from Rick Riordan and his imprint and this book didn’t disappoint. I didn’t realize that the Dragon Pearl would have a sequel, so it was a nice surprise. A great mix of Korean mythology with a space opera. I can’t wait to share it with my upper elementary students!

Tiger Honor was a fantastic sequel to Dragon Pearl. The story of Sebin, a tiger spirit, continues as she yearns to become a cadet in the Space Force. Her Uncle Hwan was her guiding force until he is said to have become a traitor. Sebin can’t believe it could possibly be true and wants to set things right. All is not as it seems and Sebin must make some tough decisions. The story was fast paced and engaging. I look forward to putting this book into my classroom library..

The narrator of the audiobook brought the story to life. The tone and mood of the story was on point to the narration. I highly recommend the audiobook version.

Tiger Honor is a sci fi companion to the book, Dragon Pearl, both of which are from the Rick Riordan presents franchise, which appears to promote authors and storylines of the #OwnVoices genre. The story follows a 13-year-old tiger spirit, Sebin, whose greatest hope is to follow in their uncle Hwan's footsteps and join the Thousand World Space Forces. Although they are accepted into the space force as a cadet, the beloved uncle has just been branded a traitor leaving Sebin feeling judged by their space force peers and at odds with familial loyalty. Sebin is eventually forced to choose whether to be loyal to the space forces or family. Many of the characters in this book are non-binary and all upper ranking military officers are referred to as "sir" regardless of gender, so this is a great choice for middle-grade libraries who are looking to add diverse representation to their holdings.

The audio narrator animated each character well, but the book did drag a bit in some places. I'm not sure if this was the narration or the text. As with all books that involve Rick Riodan, the fantasy, danger, and imagination ran high.