I kind of had a hard time getting into the book, but I'm also not the targeted audience and I usually don't read much middle grade books. That being said, the story was great and the journey it takes us through will please many people. I would obviously recommend this book to any chinese-american kids looking for representation, because it is really good in that regard, and to anyone interested in chinese history. You can tell while reading that the author knows their stuffs !

It's a good book, even if I didn't enjoy it as much as I though I would!

I found Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor a touching and complex tale, although perhaps a bit much so for the intended audience. This review is going to waver back and forth because some of the things I loved were double-edged blades, prone to over-use and repetition in the plot. But overall, I think it merits a solid 4 from me, and is a book we need on shelves right now!

Zachary Ying is a reluctant
hero dealing with diasporic Chinese identity struggles, compounded by the fact he's of non-Han ethnicity, Muslim, gay, and only twelve. He's just trying to fit in at his American school, dumping lunches from his mom in the trash and dodging racist microaggressions. And then a haunted gaming headset sends him on a globe-hopping adventure with a couple other kids also possessed by long-dead emperors.

I was really into the magic system of the world - part Yugioh, part Daoist cultivation systems we've seen in Xianxia Cdramas, part airbender etc. The specific powers of the emperors hinged on...social awareness of their stories? It reminds me of urban legend or cryptid fantasies I've read, where belief = power. Neat.

There's a ton of action, loaded with lackeys and enemies from the emperors' history. At the same time, many unfamiliar historical figures showing up as bosses or helpful allies ran a risk of becoming Too Much, and it did at times, with some passages so dense I had to move on or get bogged down.

This ties into my main issue with the book - I can see the average reader overwhelmed by history and name dumps and political commentary. I mean, I was, even as a 30-something earnest reader with an idea of some of the cultural stuff. And then there's the Yugioh video game component - I watched a few episodes and had a deck like 18 years ago, so felt pretty lost during the game-inspired parts. This was really just way denser than any middle grade I've ever read; while reading I found myself thinking so hard to keep track of characters, powers and settings that I couldn't really summarize where we were in the plot the whole time. You just get pulled along.

As numerous as the name drops were, it was still a delight to see names familiar from Xiran's Iron Widow series, and the Detective Dee of popular movie fame. The emperors' bickering amongst themselves and their pop culture references were wildly entertaining, and some of the absurd metaphors went a long way in encapsulating moments of Chinese history. Much like the author's youtube, there's a lot to learn here, and it's presented in a largely fun way.

I loved Iron Widow. When I saw the author was coming out with a middle grade book with that gorgeous cover, you know I requested it. I don’t read a lot of middle grade anymore, but I do think I would’ve really liked this as a kid. It has many of the same elements as Percy Jackson, twelve year old finds out about his heritage, gets a water ability, have to save mom, and learn lots of mythology. It was also on par with how funny PJO was. However it was really missing the connection with characters. I don’t know much about the side characters themselves. I love how much history we learn in this book, but at times I was confused. I wish there was a reference or guide in the back, would’ve been really helpful to have that to flip to when needed. The last thing that really irked me is that this ends in a cliffhanger. Although considering iron widow I shouldn’t be surprised by that. The pop culture references in this book were funny, I loved the jokes about avatar the last airbender. Would recommend if you like that or PJO.

I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the opportunity.
A group of children are possessed by the spirits of Chinese emperors and embark on a quest to save China and the world. It is a nice escape from more serious fantasy and moves quickly. Like Iron Widow, the battles often feel rushed but this keeps things moving.

A boy is swept into an adventure when he learns that he is descended from the first Emperor of China. Through his virtual reality headset he learns grand magical powers as he learns more about his history. Through his ignorance the reader learns about the early emperors. Though history is a large part of the story it doesn't become dry.

It is an absolutely ridiculous tale but also tons of fun. Those who grew up with shounen anime will recognize the style of storytelling. Zhao infuses the story with tons of Chinese history, which makes this a fun way to learn about early emperors.

This would've been a great book to get me out of my reading slump except I was too busy and had to read it in bits and pieces. Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor was a lot more enjoyable than I expected. I usually don't read MG fiction because authors sometimes oversimplify everything from the language to the story and it makes me feel Old and bored, but that wasn't the case with Zachary Ying. For the most part, Zhao doesn't dumb down her book and proves middle reader fiction can still be clever (think Artemis Fowl but Asian.)

The story was a fun mix of action, adventure and video games and totally it earns its Yugioh comp (there are no playing cards here, though.) It almost feels like a Ready Player One for the 90s-early 00s Asian American crowd. It made Chinese history/mythology approachable and appealing and was the strangest mix of seemingly random elements that somehow all came together and worked.

My main critique is I wish the character development had been a little stronger. It seemed like Zhao was going for the whole found family vibe, but it felt a little superficial to me. The side characters showed glimpses of brilliance, but in general it felt like there was a lot of untapped potential in terms of the supporting cast.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is an exploration of Asian identity and introduction to Chinese culture dressed up in a story about video games, monsters and elemental powers. It was a surprising read that was both fun and thoughtful, but minus one star for that horrific cliffhanger of an ending.

A fun adventure through Chinese history in the vein of Yugioh, Pokemon Go, and Percy Jackson. that middle grade readers will love and adults will also find hilarious!

Son's Review: 5 stars. A well-written story that's not like all of the other stories out there. Liked the adventure. Liked that it made him "big brained" by teaching him some Chinese history and culture.

My review: I also thought it was very good and liked that it taught some Chinese history and culture. It is nice to see Chinese representation. (My son is Chinese via his father and it's not easy to find good books that have Chinese kids as the main character and China as a main setting.) A bonus is that it includes (with the main character) Muslim Chinese representation. I also liked the theme of being confident in who you are and stop trying to be what you think other people want.

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
A journey through Chinese mythology seen from a 12-year old young boy's view. Zachary is trying to fit in though he is the only one at his middle school with a Chinese heritage. The dynamics are established within the first two chapters and then change significantly when he meets Simon. From here, the fantasy elements take over as readers see the spirits of ancient Chinese emperors manifest and dwell in pre-teen children. Simon and Zach travel to China to defeat other spirits and save Zachary's mom's spirit. There, they connect with the third in their group, Melissa.
Zhao's clearly explains a significant portion of China's history in a style that middle grade readers will be able to process. They meet four of the historically important emperors and a wide variety of Chinese mythological beings.
The final chapter sets up the next book and offers readers hints of the adventures to come.

Wowwww!!! This #arc floored me, and I learned so so much from it and cannot stop raving about how awesome it is!!!!❤️❤️

Genre: Upper MG Fantasy
Ages: 11/12 plus
Available: Amazon (preorder!!!)

Screening: a few crushes mentioned, some fighting, some fantasy aspects like magic, reincarnation, spirits, and mythical god references.

Zachary Ying is a young tween living in America with his single mom. He doesn’t know much about his Chinese heritage, and he doesn’t feel like he fully fits in with his gaming friends with his Muslim and Chinese background. While throwing away his Chinese lunch one day (relatable immigrant experience), another Chinese boy appears-this makes Zack a bit nervous, as his dad was executed in China for speaking out against what the government does to the Uyghur Muslims (a different ethnic background than the Hui Muslims).
But his new friend Simon appears just in time to save his mother from a spirit attack and to get her spirit back, Zack must join Simon, travel to China, and allow an Emperor of China to influence him through his VR to strengthen his magic and save China in the whole process!

I mean- this book truly is masterfully written! I can see tween and teen boys being obsessed with reading it, as it has a lot of gaming references and is so relatable! The voice and writing was truly so authentic and the fantasy swept me away! I found myself cheering for Zach and getting emotional for him too at the sad parts.

I loved the Islamic rep!!! Zach’s mother wears a hijab, they practice Ramadan, eat halal food, mentions the Quran, and he is very cognizant of his Islamic identity and it is part of who he is. I loved how he mentions that Ramadan has a Chinese word for it meaning “fasting month” and this shows the diversity of Muslims and is so beautiful to see!

I was obsessed with all the Chinese culture references I learned, including Chinese legends and history and food and language! The author does an amazing job representing their pride in their heritage and culture while also calling out the injustices of the Chinese government- and the author themself is a Hui so it truly felt authentic!

Such a well done book-can’t wait for BOOK 2!!!!!

Zachary Ying has had a hard time fitting in ever since he and his mom moved from New York to Maine. As one of the only people of Asian descent in his community, Zack often feels singled out, and he manages an onslaught of racial stereotypes every day. His best escape is through a game called Mythrealm, which he plays through his specially-equipped portal-lens at every opportunity. But when a disembodied voice begins speaking to him and unexpected violence leads to his mother’s spirit being stolen, Zack must accompany a strange companion halfway across the world to get her back.

This first installment of the Zachary Ying series introduces readers to Chinese history and culture through the lens of action, adventure, and video games. Not only does Mythrealm closely resemble Pokémon Go in structure, but several other references to video game tropes and realities are included, as well. The narrative itself alternates between moments of intense action and moments of historical education, which serves to educate and entertain readers at the same time. As Zack himself cannot understand Chinese and is unfamiliar with many of the legends and people introduced within the novel, western readers learn about the vast Chinese backstory alongside him. Many of these introductions contain humor, and readers will better connect with these historical figures through this design.

Fans of Rick Riordan will love reading about Zachary Ying and his adventures, especially as the presentation is similar across the two storylines. While there are moments in this narrative where the cultural stereotyping Zack experiences feels repetitive and preachy, the intended message is clear: everyone has a unique story and it is never a good idea to label anyone. Zack is a character who is striving to better understand and accept himself for who he is, even as others attempt to place him in a box of their own expectations. This challenge pervades throughout the novel, and readers will be inspired to investigate their own internal struggles in light of Zack’s. Fans of ancient history, fantasy, and video game culture are sure to enjoy Zachary Ying’s story and will enthusiastically await the next installment.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I absolutely loved Iron Widow and so when I saw they were releasing a middle grade I knew I had to get my hands on it! I was not disappointed and cannot wait for my copy to arrive so I can put it on my shelf!

Overall, I had a great time reading this! It took a while for it to hook me, but once it did I could not put it down. Zack is a kid who feels othered at his school because of his race and religion but he desperately wants to fit in which is something I think so many kids will relate to regardless of their identity. I loved the way they didn’t shy away from having him make bad or impulsive decisions and how we saw him experience the consequences of those choices. I was right alongside Zack for the entire journey—was he trusting the right person? What were their motives? And it’s hard to say what was better, the satisfaction of getting it right or the sheer delight at being wrong and seeing it all unfold.

If you like fighting anime games or Chinese history, run don’t walk to pre-order this!

“Whenever an empire or country pushed for everyone to be the same or do the same, there were inevitably those who suffered because they couldn’t help but be different.”

This book was described as Yu-Gi-Oh meets Percy Jackson and those were two of my favorite things growing up. Like.. I'm sold.

Zachary Ying follows a 12-year-old Muslim Chinese American boy Zack, whose AR gaming headset gets possessed by the First Emperor of China since he's a direct descendant. After his mom gets her spirit kidnapped he decides to team up with emperor along with Melissa - who's possessed by Wu Zetian and Simon - Tang Taizong to try to seal the underworld to stop them from destroying the mortal realm. To do this they must journey across China to heist artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth all while fighting off those who want to stop them.

Xiran has a way of making history SO fun. Zach doesn't know much about Chinese legends - which is bad because that's where the power comes from. Due to this, the entire book is one large history lesson to both him and the reader. And while it did occasionally get info dumpy, it was a good balance between action, emotion and info. Also, it was absolutely wild and out of this world story - which is what I love in a good fantasy. There's epic battles, larger than life heros (or tyrants) and heists. There's never a dull moment in these chapters and I love it.

But that doesn't mean that it lacks substance either. There are many passages on what it means to grow up Chinese and Muslim in America and what it means to be Muslim in China as well. There's a lot of talk about the microaggressions that Zach faces and deals with just because he wanted friends in America - which I think all POC can relate too. All those jokes that aren't really jokes but he can't say anything against because he's worried about losing his "friends". I loved the aspects of this book that covered identity the most. The cliffhanger ending has me so excited for book 2!

rep // Chinese - American MC, Muslim MC

cw // blood, racism, islamophobia

This book established for me that I will love anything Zhao writes. The comp to Yu-Gi-Oh was extremely accurate and made for a really fantastical adventure. I cannot wait to read the next in the series. I am absolutely hooked on the adventures that these young characters will go through. The plot and character contrasts made for amazing tension that propelled their adventure forward and creating amazing opportunities for twists. I was really happy to see all the diversity the author included. Even though all of the protagonists are Chinese, Zhao did a fantastic job showcasing the vast variety of Chinese people based on their religion, heritage, and experiences. The references to Chinese history and myths were wonderful Easter eggs for me, as a Chinese American reader and made me wish I had fantasy books like this accessible to me when I was younger.

3.5 Rounded up.

This book was a whirlwind of a read from the first page to the last. Packed with action, I really enjoyed the main character's critical thinking and reactions to the world he was whisked into. Overall, I think the premise was solid and there were several awesome moments that I loved to read. There were several times where there was a bit too much happening too quickly and I felt like there was slightly too much information being provided as the reader as I was being whisked alongside Zachary and his adventures. However, I still think that it was an enjoyable read! Xiran Jay Zhao is a talented writer and I am excited to read everything else they write.

A big thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Post on Instagram to follow shortly!

First of all, we’re gonna talk about how the synopsis make it seems like a fun adventure story with lots of Chinese history and mythology and then BAM! Xiran Jay Zhao goes HA! I TRICKED YOU YOU’RE GONNA RED ABOUT A MUSLIM CHINESE BOY WHO NOT ONLY GOES ON A FUN ADVENTURE BUT ALSO YOU’RE GONNA FEEL ALL THE FEELINGS.

Like I was just so thrilled to see a Chinese Muslim MC with Percy Jackson style humor! And the fact that the author brings up the Uyghur Muslims and casually brings up halal food and prayers and Ramadan just made my heart warm!

I loved the funny titles so much and was flying through the book! There were so many laugh out loud moments! It was really easy to love Zachary especially near the end!!! The friendships (or more like alliances) were really interesting and I loved the incorporation of technology along with everything!

I have to admit my brain didn’t completely understand everything that was happening in the book but that’s on me because I’m not used to reading on my laptop and also my brain is just not wired for history lessons most of the time!

I would definitely recommend this for a fun new adventure especially because this was comped with Percy! I really think Zachary Ying brings something new and fun to the table and with that ending, I’m so excited to see what comes next!

I am a Youtube subscriber of the author, because I found her very long Youtube videos informative. When I saw that she was following Iron Widow with a middle grade book, I went to pick it up. The description was pretty enticing. The author is a great example of someone who takes the time to actually read history books in Chinese. I winced when I read the beginning of the book. Zachary deciding to throw away his school lunches because they weren't sandwiches was uncomfortably real and reminded me of Stealing Buddha's Lunch, about growing up as a Vietnamese American in Michigan. I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion.

I enjoyed all the history, myths, and legends about China, mixed with lots of crazy action and adventure, friends and twists, as well as themes of overcoming adversity, and understanding heritage and culture.

This book gives reason as to why I love this author. When I first read the synopsis of this I knew I would be obsessed. The concept of this book was so cool and I loved everything about it. I liked how fast paced everything was and the fact that it was queer and had Chinese history intertwined with it. It was an excellent read, everyone should put this on their tube’s immediately!

Arc received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is truly phenomenal and it hold so much value, not just for middle grade readers. As an avid high/adult fantasy reader, I wasn't too sure how much I would enjoy reading a MG book but that doubt went right out the window once I picked it up. Xiran Jay Zhao knows how to grip their audience!

Zhao did an incredible job meshing Chinese history and legends with modern technology and magic. I feel like I learned so much from this book. But it wasn't just history I learned about, there is so much insight to be gained from Zack as he struggles with his identity as Muslim, a Chinese minority, and lgbtq.

The pacing of the story was very quick, it was easy to fly through. I would have liked a little more character building and establishment at the beginning because Zhao jumps right into the action in the first chapter. This is more a preference for me as I prefer slow build books. The story moved at an even pace with the major crest of the plot towards the end.

The characters, emperors and their child hosts alike, all brought something different to the table. It did feel as though Melissa and Simon were there to info dump on Zack so it was hard to feel where much of a friendship had built. But there were some great moments between Zack and Simon. I'm eager for a sequel to see more development of Zack's lgbtq identity (and hopefully Simon's too).

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor was a joy to read and I think it can find a place on everyone's tbr!

“Whenever an empire or country pushed for everyone to be the same or do the same, there were inevitably those who suffered because they couldn’t help but be different.”

I went into this novel expecting a fun middle grade adventure. What I got was that and so much more. First of all, the settings are so rich. Every segment of the protagonists' journey was described in gorgeous detail. Even segments that weren't as technically detailed still had such a sense of place, such as this quote:

"...the general atmosphere of the street... it was undeniably chaotic, yet there was something comforting about the hustle and bustle, like it was proof of how vibrant life can be."

Aside from that, the plot was just so much fun. I'm not very familiar with Chinese history and mythology, but this novel has made me want to seek out more books that incorporate it. There were so many twists and turns (and dare I say political intrigue?) that had me changing sides and questioning motivations until literally the last chapter. It was an absolute rollercoaster. I also greatly appreciated the sub-plot (or perhaps it's best described as a co-plot) which saw Zachary coming to terms with parts of his identity that he has been suppressing. Yes, there’s all the action and attitude I expected out of a novel that’s been compared to Percy Jackson. However, this novel also tackled topics such as identity and prejudice in a way that's approachable and relatable for tweens and teens. Zachary is a gay Hui Chinese Muslim who moved to the States with his mother after his father was executed by the Chinese government for speaking out against their persecution of Muslims. These may sound like heavy topics for the target audience, but they're handled with such grace. Watching both of these journeys unfold was really beautiful.

Moving on to characterization, this is one area that I felt was done fairly well but could have been better. In the case of Zachary, I feel like the author was very successful in making me understand him on every level. With regards to his companions, however, I feel that there could have been more. Aside from fairly surface level things, we weren't told a lot about Simon and Melissa. It could be argued that their stories aren't as important to the first novel, and I would have to agree with that, but I would love to know more about them in future books.

Finally, I'm going to group pacing and writing together. As far as pacing goes, for the most part it felt fairly even, but there were segments that were awkward. This happened whenever history or mythology was brought up. As much as I loved learning these stories, I do feel that the way in which they were incorporated wasn't as successful as it could have been. It seemed to make the story drag. On the other end of the spectrum, the battle scenes sometimes seemed rushed. Neither of these aspects was a huge issue for me, simply something that I feel could be improved upon. As far as the writing goes, I found it to be approachable and fun. I will say that as I am older than the target audience, I wasn't a huge fan of how many pop culture references were incorporated, but I wouldn't call it a flaw of the book. The target audience will probably love it.

In summary, this was a fantastic book. The plot was amazing, and Zachary as a character was so lovable and sympathetic. I'm very excited to see where this series will go in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.