Dragon Pearl

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Dragon Pearl

Author	Yoon Ha Lee
Cover artist	Vivienne To
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Thousand Worlds series
Genre	Science fiction, mythology
Publisher	Disney-Hyperion
Publication date	January 15, 2019
Followed by

Dragon Pearl is an middle grade novel written by Yoon Ha Lee and published on January 15, 2019 by Disney Hyperion under the "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint.^[1] The book is a mix of Korean mythology and science fiction as the main character travels the galaxy.^[2][3] A short story by Lee about the characters in the book was featured in the anthology book The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities.^[4]

In December 2020, it was announced that , a sequel to Dragon Pearl was in the early writing stages, even though the book was originally believed to be a standalone.^[5] Like its fellow "Rick Riordan Presents" books, the novel was praised for its diverse representation and plot and characterization. It received four stars out of five on Common Sense Media.^[6]

Plot[]

In the adventure novel, Min, a teenage fox spirit (gumiho), runs away from her home, which is crowded with family members all staying in the same house, in order to figure out what happened to her lost brother, Jun, who was a cadet in the Space Forces before his disappearance.^[2] After she leaves her home planet, Jinju, on a freighter ship, she begins uncovering more secrets. She runs into the ship her brother was stationed on, leading her pose as an recently deceased cadet on that ship to continue her investigation. Meanwhile, she communicates with the dead cadet, Bae Jang, who she promises to avenge in order to maintain her secret. When Min befriends two cadets on the ship, a dragon and a goblin disguised as humans, she learns that they are quickly approaching the Ghost Sector, in which the lost Dragon Pearl is said to been laid to rest.^[7]

Reception[]

The Laughing Place reviewed the main character, Min, as likeable and fun, and even said that Lee has "crafted such a finely tuned narrative that Dragon Pearl can stand alone as an excellent story or be the start of a lengthy space saga."^[2] Colleen Mondor of Locus comparing the book to the Perils of Pauline serial in the early 1900s, stating that it "nailed what the younger action crowd craves. If the story gets a bit thin along the way, that’s okay, as the plot barrels along at such a breakneck pace you hardly notice."^[8] A review on Publishers Weekly said, "in this highly original novel ... Lee offers a perfect balance of space opera and Korean mythology with enough complexity to appeal to teens."^[7]

Reviews on Common Sense Media were also complimentary, saying that the "combination of space opera and Korean folklore finds the right, enjoyable balance" and "the book ends on a perfect note of closure, but most readers would welcome Min's further adventures."^[6] The Quiet Pond called the book a "delightful adventure" and prodived five reasons why it should be read, including its diverse background of Korean mythology, the mix of genres including space opera, and its "awesome" protagonist."^[9] Talking of Min's situation after she gets word of her brother's disappearance, Kirkus Reviews said "it's a Rick Riordan trademark to thrust mythological figures into new settings" The review site also called the book "A high-octane, science-fiction thriller painted with a Korean brush and a brilliant example of how different cultures can have unique but accessible cosmology and universal appeal."^[10]

References[]