zachary ying and the dragon emperor review

Zachary Ying has been half-possessed by the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, whose current portrayal in legends and popular video games (yes, video games count as well!) depicts him as a dragon that controls water.Īfter his mother’s spirit is captured and taken hostage, Zachary must hunt down the lost Heirloom Seal of the Realm and repair the seal on the plug between this world and the spiritual world in just about two weeks. Over time, the legends have changed, and with them, the abilities of the spirits themselves.

As the tales and beliefs about me grew wilder over decades and centuries and millennia, I gained astonishing abilities.

in death, my spirit became tied to the Chinese cultural consciousness as a legend. ‍ Zachary Ying is set in our world, but legends and myths have come alive through the power of belief. Well, Xiran Jay Zhao has created a magnificent world that is everything I wanted and more.

For years I had a Thought™ about how human belief and imagination could shape a thing, turn it into a legend and then into something more. You know that feeling: ‘I wish I could read a story about this idea.’ Scouring through bookstores, Ao3 and libraries only reveals that it doesn’t exist, and the only way for it to do so is for you to write it. Let me tell you, this book is drawn out of my wildest dreams and everything about it, from its concept, writing, plot and quality, is out of this world. One of them was Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao. As I was separated from my video games, I had time to sit down and read a few books. This winter holiday, my plane to Brisbane was cancelled, and I was stuck in Melbourne for a two-day layover rather than the original hour and a half. They haven’t been passed down long enough to take spiritual form, but if they last another few centuries, I reckon I’ll be playing mahjong with Bruce Wayne on the same ethereal table as George Washington. ‍ Perfect for when you’re in the mood for: an introduction to Chinese history, culture and legends, much like PJO was for Greek myths, or just a fun contemporary fantasy involving kids with superpowers Superheroes are just American myth. ‍ Content warnings: Islamophobia, racism, death Genre: Middle Grade / Contemporary Fantasy

Zachary ying and the dragon emperor review