Starred review from January 29, 2018
In this auspicious and massively entertaining series opener set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world, a young woman pursues her dream of mastering wu liu, which combines figure skating and martial arts. Fourteen-year-old Peasprout Chen and her younger brother, Cricket, are sent to the Pearl Famous Academy as part of an exchange between their homeland of Shin and the city of Pearl, where they must prove themselves worthy by passing numerous challenges. Hazards abound, including rival students, sabotage, and diplomatic tensions. Peasprout attempts to protect her brother, avoid new enemies, prove her innocence when she’s accused of being a spy, and excel at her studies, but her greatest challenge may be overcoming her own hubris and stubbornness. Building on a lushly described world introduced in several short stories, debut novelist Lien crafts a memorable setting and cast while delivering a fast-paced, tense plot full of surprises. The descriptions of wu liu are elegant and cinematic, and Peasprout’s moves are as sharp as her tongue. Peasprout Chen is a future legend, indeed. Ages 10–14. Agent: Tina Wexler, ICM Partners.
April 1, 2018
Gr 5-8-In this martial arts fantasy, the Empress Dowager has sent 14-year-old Peasprout Chen and her little brother Cricket to Pearl, a city constructed from a porcelainlike substance that enables its residents to rely on skating for transport. Peasprout Chen and Cricket must adjust to a new school, the Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, where they confront cliques and mean kids while studying wu liu, a form of martial arts-style figure skating. Peasprout must also combat the rumors that she is a spy-rumors fueled by a wave of sabotage that coincides with her arrival. Much of this tale mandates an enthusiastic suspension of disbelief and an appreciation of over-the-top action sequences. In one scene, Peasprout swims in her skates; in another, students fling their partners high enough into the air to engage in aerial combat over the rooftops. In a problematic scene, however, a 14-year-old girl is left fighting in only her underpants, calling to mind a long history of scantily clad female fighters introduced into film and prose to titillate rather than empower. VERDICT The topless fight scene moves this book solidly into the do-not-purchase column, which is unfortunate because it might otherwise have found a home where high-octane action and adventure tales are appreciated.-Eileen Makoff, P.S. 90 Edna Cohen School, NY
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 1, 2018
A 14-year-old girl intends to become a legend of wu liu, the "beautiful and deadly art of martial skating!"As an emissary in a goodwill exchange and the first Shinian student to attend Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, Peasprout knows the stakes are high. All she has to do is outrank all of her peers, protect her little brother, Cricket, and prove that she's not behind the mysterious attacks on campus buildings. She should be up to the task ("I'm the smartest, most capable person I know"), but all is not quite as it seems. Lien fills this Asian-inspired fantasy world with such richly layered histories and landscapes that readers may feel lost at points; some may find themselves searching for supporting materials to contextualize the political intrigue, though they will be grateful for the academy map. The narrative's swift pace and suspense should help keep utter confusion at bay, though, and vividly described wu liu sequences capture the exuberance and energy of the imagined sport. Although most characters, including Peasprout, evolve unevenly but predictably, reticent classmate Doi strikes out on her own, overturning several tropes. In this children's novel where all of the characters are presumably Asian or some fantasy equivalent, relationships portrayed are both refreshing and essential.An ambitious debut that may leave some readers scrambling to keep pace. (Fantasy. 10-14)
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July 1, 2018
When orphan siblings Peasprout and Cricket arrive in the city of Pearl as part of a cultural exchange to study wu liu, the beautiful and deadly art of martial skating, Peasprout vows to make her patroness, the Empress Dowager of Shin, proud. But Peasprout's fellow students--led by the arrogant Suki--would rather see her fail than help her out, and Cricket, who is small and less adept at wu liu, struggles to keep up. Then rumors swirl that the Empress is holding Peasprout and Cricket's counterparts, the cultural-exchange skaters from Pearl, hostage, and acts of sabotage plague the academy, leading to suspicion that Peasprout is a foreign spy. Only two students--unsmiling Doi, who's locked in a death-feud with Suki; and Doi's sunny twin brother Hisashi, who helps Cricket and whose gallantry makes Peasprout's heart beat faster--are willing to take Peasprout's side. As a portrayal of cross-cultural exchange, the narrative dazzles readers with descriptions of unfamiliar foods, architecture, and customs, while the ongoing mystery and intrigue will keep them guessing. The invented martial art of wu liu shines in its own right--vaults such as the seven-fingered somersault egret move and the two-heeled sesame-seed pestle jump are easy to imagine, and a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-esque disdain for gravity and the laws of physics lends a giddy effervescence to the tale. For a rewarding and well-constructed plot in an uncommon setting--plus some effective genderqueer subversion at the end--this story can't be beat. anita l. burkam
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
July 1, 2018
Orphan siblings Peasprout and Cricket travel from Shin to the city of Pearl to study wu liu, the "beautiful and deadly art of martial skating." When rumors and acts of sabotage at the academy lead to suspicion that Peasprout is a foreign spy, only two students take her side. The narrative dazzles readers with its descriptions of the unfamiliar, while the ongoing mystery and intrigue will keep them guessing.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)