Fox and Phoenix

September 15, 2011

A ghost dragon sends Kai and his spirit pig on a quest to rescue the princess of a cyberpunk China-analogue.

Kai's grown apart from his friends since the adventure that brought him money and the friendship of Princess Lian. At least he still sees his best friend Yun daily during their shared apprenticeship, but he can't talk to her without arguing. Now the king of Lóng City is gravely ill, the magic flux powering the city's talk-phones and electronics is failing and Kai's mother is missing. His unwilling quest to save the day takes Kai across the Seventy Kingdoms all the way to the mysterious Phoenix Empire. It's a good thing Yun joins him, because Kai simply isn't clever enough to deal with all the bureaucracy the journey entails, from taxes to passports. They travel by foot, pony and luxurious train to find Princess Lian, who can surely help them. As an adventurer, Kai is on the passive side and tends to let the world happen to him, but this is a minor quibble. He also frequently refers to the adventure that brought him together with his now-estranged friends, but since those events were from a short story ("Pig, Crane, Fox: Three Hearts Unfolding" from the fantasy anthology Magic in the Mirrorstone, edited by Steve Berman, 2008), readers are more likely to be frustrated then familiar.

Overall, the blurred magic/technology boundary gives a compelling flavor to an adventure well worth reading. (Fantasy/cyberpunk. 13-15)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Drawing on Chinese language and mythology, Bernobich has created a new and exciting fantasy world. In a land where magic is a rare and coveted commodity and is the current that runs the technology, 16-year-old Kai Zōu begrudgingly works in his mother's tutoring shop as an apprentice in conjuration and math. The King of Long City falls ill and his daughter, a friend of Kai's, seems to be out of communication's reach in a far-off city. At the command of the mysterious ghost dragon king, Kai and his friend Yun set off on the treacherous journey to deliver the news to the princess. Sophisticated readers should have no problem catching up with the tale as they join the characters and learn their backstories. While this device may be confusing at times, it makes the surprises that much more fun. A peckish griffin, a missing mother, young love, a double-crossing stranger, and a former friend who may be a smuggler add to the action, danger, and intrigue.-Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2011
Grades 6-10 In Lng City, Kai tries to reform after his street gang dissolves and continue the lessons his mother insists he learn about the magic flux and the old ways. Then his mother vanishes without a trace, the king becomes deathly ill, and a ghost dragon proclaims that Kai must travel to Phoenix City to rescue Princess Lian. Accompanied by the brilliant Yn, Kai must outwit and out-magic mercenaries who are trying to stop him, deal with a troublesome griffin, and, perhaps most challenging, determine Yn's true feelings for him. An exciting tale of magic, courage, friendship, and sacrifice, this novel reads like what might have happened if Philip Pullman's Lyra and Pan had lived in Hong Kong rather than Oxford. Bernobich has created a multidimensional world, in which flux is an everyday necessity, and spirit companions (Kai's is the articulate pig, Chen) can simultaneously annoy and assist their human counterparts. The spooky, mysterious cover art will draw in reluctant readers, and the rich story line will hold them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)