A wonderful balance of adventure, wit, and tough decisions.
In this follow-up to Pahua and the Soul Stealer (2021), all that stands between the world and destruction is one (prospective) shaman warrior.
After inadvertently breaking one of the seals that’s imprisoning angry thunder god Xov, Pahua Moua knows that she needs to repair it—after all, she’s the reincarnation of the hero Shee Yee. But Pahua is not quite 12, and though she’s received an invitation to tour the School for Shamanic Arts and Spiritual Mastery, she isn’t a shaman warrior yet. She hasn’t even been officially accepted. Pahua decides that repairing the seal can also serve as her hero’s quest and secure her place at the school. Along with sarcastic cat spirit Miv and her new friend, shaman warrior Zhong, Pahua journeys through familiar lands and into new ones and comes face to face with dragons. Completing her quest will require allies, sacrifice, and an exploration of her relationships with her family members and Zhong. Pahua’s signature humor and confidence shine through, even as she grapples with being in Shee Yee’s shadow, the consequences of a past life she doesn’t even remember, and the impact of her own actions. Steeped in Hmong mythology and brimming with Hmong American culture, this strong sequel leaves room for more adventures to come.
A wonderful balance of adventure, wit, and tough decisions. (glossary, author’s note) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781368083416
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents/Disney
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
File under “laugh riot.”
A rogue spell-check program’s bid to transform all life-forms into that eminently useful office item, the paper clip, touches off a fresh round of lunar lunacy.
Predicated on the entirely reasonable premise that eliminating all spelling and grammar errors everywhere would logically lead to the necessity of exterminating carbon-based life in the universe, this third series entry combines high stakes with daffy banter and daring exploits. CheckMate—a chipper, jumped-up editing program—has invented the Transmogratron, a giant laser that will fulfill its ultimate goals in both the cyber world and “meatspace.” Facing challenges as random as prankster lunar unicorns and a disarmingly motherly Motherboard, scowling First Cat joins a motley crew of diversely carbon- and silicon-based allies, led by the pearlescent Queen of the Moon. They’re in a race to the finish—diverted occasionally by, for instance, a relentlessly punny comic-book interlude featuring a pair of literal and figurative Pool Sharks. They ultimately triumph thanks to teamwork and moxie. Following a celebratory party and toasts to “new friends…and steadfast comrades” (and, of course, “MEOW”), the story’s energetic, brightly colored panels close with a reveal of the next volume. (“I always hate it when comics end by announcing a sequel. SO CRINGE!” declares an authorial stand-in.) It can’t come too soon.
File under “laugh riot.” (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780063315280
Page Count: 272
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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