WINNIE ZENG VANQUISHES A KING

A young hero strives to level up her skills only to face a singular demonic foe.

This entry picks up after the events of Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend (2022), in which Winnie discovered that she comes from a family of shamans. Now she must capture wayward spirits from Chinese folklore and send them back to their stories before they wreak havoc in her Groton, Michigan, hometown. Winnie and David Zuo, her classmate and archnemesis, are officially sworn in by the Shaman Task Force and warned of increased spirit activity with the approach of Halloween. Meanwhile, Winnie is challenged by a mental block that stops her from combining her power with her overspirit grandmother, Lao Lao. A portal that appears during a school field trip to a museum marks the beginning of a slew of odd occurrences throughout the city and within her family. When the Department of Supernatural Record-Keeping is ransacked, the Spirit Council sends in another shaman, new Groton Middle School student Kelly Miao, who is perfect at everything and condescending to boot. The three young shamans are thrown for a loop when the Bull Demon King gives his spirit minions deceptive powers. Observant readers will understand the meaning of some clues well before Winnie does. Ultimately, the trio work together to take on their formidable opponent. The ending of this full but well-balanced story hints at more adventures to come.

Brisk, entertaining, and fun-filled.