Dragon Pearl

Definitely on the younger end of YA books, which took a little getting used to for me, and the combination of magic & myth with science fiction at first felt a little weird. But once I settled into it, I was ALL IN. Absolutely lovely story with fantastic characters, complicated but heart-warming relationships, and inclusive world-building. Loved having non-binary characters and a world where there was nothing weird about indicating your pronouns. No explicit asexual representation, but no romance in the plot line so a nice change of pace for aromantic asexual readers. Highly recommend, and hope there are more books coming.

Quality shapeshifter science fiction adventure! I love how the story is so deeply rooted in Korean mythology and traditions. I particularly love how the ship engineering technology is based on chi and energy flow and luck traditions -- that is fascinating. Min is such a stubbornly endearing character -- she does read a little older than 13, but she's also just a strong and resilient young woman. Very good!

I read a short story collection by Yoon Ha Lee and was captivated by the intelligence, imagination, and subtlety. I was also a bit wary of the penchant for warfare and space travel - neither is my favorite. I was interested to see how this intelligent and subtle voice could translate to a book for youth. The result is a fun, clever story with a clear plot and a good pace. What's striking about it, and where those beloved traits appear, is how the world-building is assumed - it develops not in exposition but in how the characters accept and interpret their own environments. I've seen a lot of authors try to incorporate commentary and questions about current hot topics, and they quite often seem forced and pedantic. Here, they're simply a show more part of the world, and that's an amazing gift to give young readers.
I'm excited to buy this for my nephew, who loves mythology, battles, acceptance, and general tricksiness. show less

Okay, after how much I loved the Machineries of Empire trilogy, when I heard about this book I knew I'd have to buy it. I added it to the bedtime story shelf and my nine-year-old picked it out fairly quickly.

For some strange reason, this was one bedtime story book that my husband and I were more into than the kids were. I mean, they liked it, but they went away to grandma's for nearly a month during summer vacation while we were in the middle of reading it, and my husband (who reads barely a book a year), actually couldn't wait for them to come back and read the rest of it on his own.

Anyway, this story takes place in a universe were most settled planets have been terraformed -- some better than others. The planet Min grew up on was one show more where things have not gone so well. When her older brother is accused of going awol in search of a mystical item (the dragon pearl) that could fix their planet, she sets off on a mission to find him and the truth.

An engaging blend of science fiction and fantasy -- there are spaceships and military technology, but also Korean folklore -- people with fox spirits who can shapeshift and charm people, goblins with gifts for chemistry and who can summon food out of the air, ghosts, and more. There really is just so much here, and it all folds together so skillfully. Lee's worldbuilding is exemplary, and as in the Machineries of Empire trilogy, so built on the unique humanity of each character.

A pronunciation guide in the back for many of the Korean names, foods, and concepts is very handy for anyone, but especially those reading this aloud. This was such a great addition to our bedtime story tradition. show less

Dragon Pearl, part of the Rick Riordan Presents Imprint, and first in the Thousand Worlds series, is an impressive, multilayered middle grade space opera, penned by The Machineries of Empire trilogy author, Yoon Ha Lee. Like the The Machineries of Empire trilogy, Dragon Pearl is a wild ride of a story but one with a big heart. And it's quite imaginative blending Korean folklore into a space opera narrative.

The story is about a thirteen-year-old fox spirit named Min who has a powerful secret: she is disguised as a human; she can shape-shift and use magic to alter others' perceptions. Min wields these powers when she ditches her "dismal life" on the barren planet Jinju to track down her lost brother Jun, a Space Forces cadet who's gone show more AWOL, apparently on a quest to find a mystical object rumored to have tremendous powers. What she finds might break her heart or make her stronger.

The heart of this book is about siblings and friendship and the bonds of family. But, the worldbuilding - the tech and the magic - are all very fascinating too. There’s a glorious sense of wonder and eeriness that a lot of scifi I like conveys, and that’s present here too. This is science fantasy in many ways but it's not a rehash of say, Star Wars. It's a richly detailed, cohesive, original vision.

This book is brilliant, gorgeous, heartfelt, and exciting. We need more middle grade and scifi books like this one! show less

Whoops I accidentally inhaled the rest of it on day 2, clearing through TBRs I bought last year and continuing #asianreadathon for APAHM. Excellent middle grade (though leaning towards older due to length, solidly a teen read) sci-fi with strong fantasy elements derived from Korean mythology. I think I would've loved this in middle school. 13 year old Min must find out what happened to her brother in the Space Forces and winds up in a larger quest that could help terraform her backwater planet.

I definitely want more from this world- a lot of worldbuilding that I want to explore (the Thousand Worlds vs the Jeweled Worlds? the coexistence of humans and supernaturals but in Space?? Min's other relatives???) The blend of sci-fi and fantasy show more is excellent- for example, the ship's energy is similar to a person's gi with meridians, and if the ship gets damaged in a sector the engineer will suffer injuries in the same place. Ghosts can cause bad luck and it's a noticable thing by technicians.

Our MC Min is a resourceful character for a 13 year old, and I couldn't help but draw parallels with Ender's Game in the middle third of the book because spaceflight school. Various parties' motivations make sense and don't come out of nowhere.

I've never read a Rick Riordan novel nor have I read a Yoon Ha Lee novel prior to this, but definitely going to read more of them (I recognize RR was involved at the level of light editing and the imprint, but I do think RR Presents is an excellent use of privilege and name recognition to get stories out there. I've seen [b:Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky|39884337|Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Tristan Strong #1)|Kwame Mbalia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549350938l/39884337._SX50_.jpg|61695419] in my various feeds so that's definitely on my radar for TBR). show less

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee is a space fantasy book aimed at younger readers. It's the first in a series and is entirely unrelated to Yoon Ha Lee's other books, which are adult science fiction. I don't generally read much middle grade, but I picked this one up mainly because of the author. I'd say its also at the older end of the category: the protagonist is thirteen years old, but spends much of the book pretending to be sixteen, so there is a bit of a YA feel to it as well.

Dragon Pearl follows Min as she sets out on an illicit adventure to find out what really happened to her brother. She sets off with almost nothing other than her fox-based shape-shifting magic and magical Charm, and finds herself very far away from her home planet. show more It was a fun space adventure involving morally ambiguous adults, new friends and dangerous situations. I enjoyed it a lot and I look forward to any sequels that may be forthcoming. Although the story is quite self-contained, it sets up a possible series and I definitely want to read those other stories.

As well as not being a big middle-grade reader, I also tend to steer away from space fantasy books, having been burned a few times before. To be honest, I wasn't sure how strong the fantasy element would be before I started reading, but I was assuming it would mostly be science fiction. It is set on other planets and in space, so it's science fiction if that's your definition of it. But the world building is very deeply steeped in Korean folklore and the associated magic. The story very prominently involves shapeshifting supernaturals and ghosts, and the titular pearl is a magical terraforming device. This worldbuilding worked for me very well. It felt very consistent — perhaps because it's directly based on real mythology rather than being entirely fictional. (I am trying very hard not to name the authors that previously ruined magic in space for me, can you tell?)

I highly recommend Dragon Pearl to fans of science fiction and fantasy, especially space adventures. Readers who are already fans of Korean folklore, or just want to learn more about it, will also find much to like here. I hope I will have the opportunity to give this book to my niece before she outgrows it.

4.5 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog. show less