Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

There is a lot of action in this story and a lot of similarities to Percy Jackson like the book promotions claim. The plot moves quickly which is always something I enjoy about reading middle-grade novels.

And it’s as he goes to throw away his lunch one day at school that his entire life changes. Zack tries his best to blend in with his classmates and goes as far as throwing away the delicious Chinese food that his mother cooks for his lunch, just so his friends won’t make fun of him. His inner struggles of wanting to fit in while feeling disconnected from his culture were relatable as an Asian-American myself. What people don’t see is the struggle he faces feeling as if he doesn’t belong amongst his peers since he’s a Chinese-American. He spends his day at school and then rushes off after school to play video games with his friends. On the outside, Zachary Ying looks to be your typical middle schooler.

And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers. The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. There’s so much to love about Xiran Jay Zhao’s debut middle-grade novel! Packed with Chinese history and mythology, Zack’s adventure across China will entice every reader.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao