Paper Dragons

December 11, 2023
Via a vividly realized plot set against a backdrop of Cantonese mythology and taking place in provinces across Hong Kong, debut author McDermott crafts a fantastical tale of one tween’s bravery and determination. Twelve-year-old Yeung Zhi Ging wants to leave her village, Fei Chui, where she feels she doesn’t fit in, to become a Silhouette—someone chosen to train in Hok Woh, the realm of the immortals, to become immortal themselves. During her campaign to persuade Silhouette Scout Reishi to take her under his wing, Zhi Ging is attacked by a dragon. Strange happenings reveal that Zhi Ging has untapped powers, prompting Reishi to whisk her away to Hok Woh. There, Zhi Ging must undergo brutal challenges and rigorous lessons to become her nation’s immortal guardian. Attacks on Silhouette Scouts and threats of the Fui Gwai, spirits that force people to hurt their families, evoke anxiety throughout Hok Woh and throw Zhi Ging’s training into further peril. Though the ending of this spirited story is abrupt, it sows anticipation for the next installment, heightening the impact of Zhi Ging’s fast-paced adventure and McDermott’s lusciously detailed worldbuilding. Ages 10–up.

January 1, 2024

Gr 5 Up-Twelve-year-old orphan Zhi Ging escapes her small glass-making village to become an apprentice to the immortal Cyo B'Ahon scholars. But once she arrives, Zhi Ging discovers that she can stay in the underwater city of Hok Woh only if she passes 12 challenges. If she fails, she will be exiled. And there is more-Hok Woh is under threat from the mysterious Fui Gwai demon. Will Zhi Ging be able to pass her exams and uncover the villain? Obviously; and it's a fun ride. In the best wizard boarding school tradition, there are magical feasts (sau bao and congee with duck egg!), cool dormitories, sports competitions (dragon boat), high-stakes challenges, and a mysterious enemy who shows their face in the final chapters. This is a magical setting where readers will want to live, with weird, tangible charm. Like the squire-schools of Tamora Pierce or Nadia Shammas, the education is as much about learning the nuanced history of place and peoples as it is about testable skills. As a bicultural author, McDermott makes a point of having a world that has its roots in both English and Cantonese punning. The novel ends too soon, just as Hok Woh is under attack and Zhi Ging is setting out on an epic quest. Readers will be impatient to follow her next adventure. VERDICT With a plucky orphan heroine learning to harness mysterious powers in a well-realized fantastical setting built off Cantonese cultural motifs, this hits the sweet spots in the magic-school novel genre.-Katherine Magyarody

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2024
In this series-opening debut, an orphan girl has one year to prove herself worthy of immortality, despite the uncertain nature of her powers and the outside forces threatening the whole community. Though she's been raised among the Glassmiths since she was a baby, 12-year-old Yeung Zhi Ging has always been different. Now that her guardian is in her Final Year, Zhi Ging is doomed to be put to work doing the hazardous job of cleaning the underwater glass letter-delivery pipes until she drowns. That is, unless she can become her province's next Silhouette. Silhouettes train in 12 skill areas, which help them protect the provinces and become immortal. Zhi Ging travels to the immortal realm along with her rival, Iridill, the daughter of the Lead Glassmith. From lessons to dragon boat races, Zhi Ging must fend off Iridill's false accusations that she's deliberately misusing magic. But Zhi Ging's odd powers and their connection to old stories may be key to saving the immortals and her new Silhouette friends from a supernatural menace. The mix of school-based drama and episodic adventures meanders back and forth while building to a shocking climax. Classic themes of finding friendship and one's own identity are refreshed by a Hong Kong-inspired fantasy setting that's filled with jade, gold, glass, and mythological creatures. While Zhi Ging's exploits follow familiar beats, the worldbuilding will appeal to readers hungry to explore new worlds. A solid contribution to the magical boarding school genre. (author's note, glossary) (Fantasy. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 1, 2024
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Yeung Zhi Ging is certain she won't survive another year in her village. So when the time comes to decide which student will be awarded an elite apprenticeship in the immortals' underwater city, Hok Woh, proactive and determined Zhi Ging knows it has to be her. After an unorthodox admittance (and some near-death experiences), Zhi Ging arrives in Hok Woh to old rivalries and new friends. As the students compete to pass the magical challenges set by their teachers, Zhi Ging's mysterious magical abilities make her a subject of great interest--and great suspicion. An evil spirit on the loose in the mortal world has everyone on edge, and the great city under the sea may not be as secure as the immortals think. Inspired by her multicultural upbringing, McDermott's debut novel kicks off a new middle-grade fantasy series with a depth of lore that will appeal to genre readers. From magical, age-shifting face cream to an opulent, underwater society with a jellyfish-based communication system, this imaginative world delights at every turn. Great for fans of world building and magical schools, the richly imagined setting introduces readers to a world they'll be eager to keep exploring. Cantonese-inspired naming conventions contain Easter eggs that are explained in an author's note.

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