THE IRON WILL OF GENIE LO

Genie Lo, Slayer of Demons and the Divine Guardian of the Protectorate of California, could really use a break.

Several months have passed since Chinese American high schooler Genie and her boyfriend, Quentin, the legendary Monkey King, prevented a heavenly coup and subdued a legion of demons. With graduation looming, Genie and her Korean American best friend, Yunie, plan one final vacation together: a long weekend getaway in the guise of a college campus tour. The trip is cut short, however, when a powerful demonic enemy overwhelms a vast army of warrior spirits, sending all of Heaven into crisis. When the Jade Emperor refuses to emerge from his palace, he is deemed unfit to be the ruler of Heaven and a Mandate Challenge is issued: Whichever god eliminates the threat will replace him on the throne. Genie is as tough as ever in this sequel, facing dangerous foes on the battlefield without clinching, but she balks at addressing new tensions in her personal relationships and at the uncomfortable realization that her future is full of uncertainty. Fortunately, between descriptions of thrilling extradimensional battles and inefficient celestial bureaucracy, Yee (The Rise of Kyoshi, 2019, etc.) gives Genie just enough time to reflect on life’s inevitable changes and the lengths she would go to protect the people she loves.

A satisfying conclusion that packs a triple punch of action, humor, and heart.