August 5, 2024
Once, 12 families, each empowered by a sign of the zodiac, protected China. But in 1860, several of their magical fountainheads were stolen, stripping them of their power, and many of the Descendants were slain, the survivors cursed and transformed into immortal supernatural creatures. Now they hide in plain sight, masquerading as students at Manhattan’s elite Earthly Branches Academy. When Julius Long, chancellor of the Descendants’ High Council, is killed, it’s up to his vampire sister Evangeline to fulfill an age-old prophecy by retrieving the lost fountainheads and restoring her people’s mortality. She recruits her best friend Nicholas Hu, a fox spirit; her werewolf ex-boyfriend Tristan She; and 16-year-old mortal mind-reader Alice Jiang to undertake a treacherous quest. Together, they venture to Faerieland, only to uncover shocking revelations that could affect every Descendant. The worldbuilding of this ambitious, complicated, and wide-ranging fantasy adventure by Zhao (The Lies We Tell) occasionally suffers from an overabundance of characters
and plot threads. Nevertheless, Zhao weaves together supernatural politics, teen drama, and a fusion of Western
and Chinese mythologies to deliver an intriguing series start with great potential. All major characters are of Chinese ancestry. Ages 14–up. Agent: Penny Moore, Aevitas Creative.
September 1, 2024
A series opener infused with Chinese folklore and populated by supernatural creatures. As punishment for the first Emperor's greed, the gods unleashed nightmarish Wrathlings to terrorize the Middle Kingdom, later known as China. The heavenly Jade Emperor eventually relented and provided the kingdom with protection: 12 warriors, each descended from a Chinese zodiac animal. Generations later, during the Second Opium War, the zodiac warriors' source of power, a fountain called the Circle of Twelve, was dismantled, and the Descendants were cursed, becoming supernatural beings. In present-day Manhattan, the Earthly Branches Academy trains the Descendants and assigns them to protect mortals. When Julius Long, Chancellor of the Descendants' High Council, dies while attempting to restore the Circle of Twelve, dissatisfaction with the Long family's leadership begins to stir among the Council, and vampire Evangeline Long is compelled to continue her brother's mission to prove her worth. To recover the Circle's stolen pieces, Evangeline forms a specialized team: expert criminal and werewolf Tristan She, fox spirit Nicholas Hu (a master of disguise), Lei, a shaman with valuable knowledge of the Faerie realm, and Alice Jiang, a human who can read minds. This story has many appealing elements--a dangerous heist, a potential second-chance romance, and fantastical beings--but some of the more original elements are overly complex and unconvincing. The book also covers so much worldbuilding that it descends into infodumps and doesn't fully coalesce. Engaging but overloaded. (illustrated character guide)(Fantasy. 14-18)
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October 1, 2024
Gr 8 Up-Immortal warriors, stolen artifacts, prophecy, prison breaks, and a fairy-land heist manifests in Manhattan. Long ago in ancient China, 12 houses were called down to rid the world of horrifying monsters. But when colonizers came and stole pieces of their magical relics, the warriors were morphed into supernatural beings, mutating their magic, cursing them with immortality until the relics were returned. Back in modern New York City, Evangeline, one of those cursed warriors, now a vampire, calls upon her werewolf ex, fox spirit best friend, and a mysterious mind-reading mortal to steal the relics back and restore the warriors to their former glory. Plucky humor and a packed storyline keep the pages turning in this urban fantasy. While the character development and worldbuilding is lacking, the abundance of unresolved plotlines, as well as a cliff-hanger ending, promises much to come in the sequel. The complex politics of the warrior houses tighten the already taut tension, with the sinister appearance of dark beings threatening even higher stakes on the horizon. Dynamic relationships, both romantic and not, are a subtle highlight as the characters try to suppress decades of unresolved issues and find a way to work together. VERDICT This fast-paced, action-heavy fantasy will certainly leave readers begging for the next installment. Recommend it to fans of Cassandra Clare and Tracy Deonn.-Elisha Sheffer
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 During the Second Opium War, five bronze zodiac fountainheads were stolen, and a curse befell the descendants of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, transforming them into supernatural beings. Decades later, still yearning for the source of their power, a fountain called the Circle of Twelve, and for the curse of immortality to be lifted, Descendant vampire Julius Long, chancellor of the High Council at the Earthly Branches Academy in Manhattan, follows a lead to recover the lost fountainheads, only to be ambushed. Armed with a map and a prophecy, Julius' vampire sister, Evangeline, sets out to avenge his death and reclaim the fountainheads. She just needs to conspire with her werewolf ex-boyfriend, Tristan; heartthrob shape-shifter Nicholas Hu; and mind reader Alice. Zhao's (The Lies We Tell, 2022) character building is nothing short of impressive, laying out alternating POVs with distinct backstories. The cast's arrogance and heavy inner monologues can be somewhat off-putting, but as Zhao explains in the author's note, this story is all about the characters and whether they, as individuals, choose to assimilate or reclaim their roots.
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