Longing for adventure in the Thousand Worlds, away from the strict rules that force her to hide her descendancy from fox spirits, 13-year-old Min embarks on a quest to find her brother, who has been accused of abandoning his post to search for a mystical object of power. 35,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)

Min, a thirteen-year-old girl with fox-magic, stows away on a battle cruiser and impersonates a cadet in order to solve the mystery of what happened to her older brother in the Thousand World Space Forces. - (Baker & Taylor)

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Yoon Ha Lee's space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits.

But you’d never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times.

Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.

When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.

Min’s quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams.

This sci-fi adventure with the underpinnings of Korean mythology will transport you to a world far beyond your imagination.

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+. - (Grand Central Pub)

Yoon Ha Lee (yoonhalee.com) is the author of several critically acclaimed short stories and the Machineries of Empire trilogy for adults: NINEFOX GAMBIT, RAVEN STRATEGEM, and REVENANT GUN. Yoon draws inspiration from a variety of sources, e.g. Korean history and mythology, fairy tales, higher mathematics, classic moral dilemmas, and genre fiction. Yoon's Twitter handle is @deuceofgears. - (Grand Central Pub)

Booklist Reviews

Min is shocked to hear her brother, Jun, has deserted the Space Force in search of the legendary Dragon Pearl. Eager to prove his innocence, she sets out to find him, and to do so, she'll need to use her family's ancestral magic—they're shape-shifting fox spirits who have preternatural charm—a skill that has not endeared them to others. Along the way, Min outthinks pesky space security, earns money at a gambling den, survives a laser fight with mercenaries, impersonates a dead cadet, and breaks a planet-wide quarantine of the Fourth Colony to rid it of its vengeful ghostly inhabitants. Luckily, she has some new friends on her side, Haneul, a female dragon, and Sujun, a nonbinary goblin. Lee's written a unique space opera infused with elements of traditional Korean mythology. Not only are Lee's characters refreshingly diverse both in race and gender identity, but the mythology mixed with sf means there is something for many readers to enjoy. Billed as a stand-alone, this is ideal for readers who want fantasy epics without the commitment to multivolume stories. Grades 4-7. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Thirteen-year-old Min has a powerful secret: she's a fox spirit disguised as a human; she can shape-shift and use magic to alter others' perceptions. Min enthusiastically wields these powers when she ditches her "dismal life" on the barren planet Jinju to track down her brother Jun, a Space Forces cadet who's gone AWOL. Lee's richly detailed, cohesive, original vision is a lively mash-up of outer-space sci-fi and Korean culture and folklore. Copyright 2019 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Thirteen-year-old Min is feisty and clever, and she has a powerful secret: she's a gumiho, a fox spirit disguised as a human. Min can shape-shift and use Charm (fox magic) to alter others' perceptions and emotions. She enthusiastically wields these powers when she ditches her "dismal life" on the barren planet Jinju in order to track down her brother Jun, a Thousand Worlds Space Forces cadet who's gone AWOL. Min's epic adventure leads to run-ins with spaceport security guards, gamblers, and ghosts. She impersonates a dead cadet on a starship battle cruiser and encounters the legendary Dragon Pearl, a mystical orb that creates life. Lee has a knack for world-building. His richly detailed, cohesive, original vision is a lively mash-up of outer-space sci-fi and Korean culture and folklore: starships have gi, an energy flow; pirates fly in groups of four because it's a number that signifies death; characters, both supernatural and human, eat gimchi and play the board game baduk; Min befriends a dragon cadet who can summon the weather—?sometimes inadvertently—and a dokkaebi (Korean goblin) who carries a magical spork. The dokkaebi is also a nonbinary character, who's referred to with gender-?neutral pronouns—a small detail that's woven in matter-of-factly and just as smoothly as all the other strands in this engaging space opera. tanya d. auger January/February 2019 p 96 Copyright 2018 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

This latest in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint launches Korean mythological creatures into outer space. Thirteen-year-old Min cannot believe her older brother, Jun, has deserted his Space Force post, as he's been accused of doing. Naturally, Min runs away from home to clear her brother's name. It's a Rick Riordan trademark to thrust mythological figures into new settings. Fans will breathlessly watch while fox-spirit Min charms her way onto a hijacked starship, ending up on her brother's military star cruiser on the way to the lawless Ghost Sector. Lee has created an adrenaline-filled space opera with mythological creatures living alongside humans. Min and her family are gumiho, or shape-shifting foxes, but they present as human to hide their magical natures. She takes on the identity of Jang, a male cadet killed in battle, and enlists the aid of two other supernatural Space Force cadets: Haneul, a female dragon, and Sujin, a nonbinary goblin. Min is first and foremost a te enager on a mission and a magical being second. The ambivalence of her identity (fox or human, male or female, hero or traitor) echoes ethical questions that many kid readers face. It is refreshing to see both Korean elements and a nonbinary character seamlessly integrated into the storyline. Narrator Min explains Korean mythology smoothly as the action progresses for readers with no previous knowledge. 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. (pronunciation guide) (Science fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus 2018 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

In this highly original novel by Lee (the Machineries of Empire series for adults), 13-year-old Min must venture to the stars of the Thousand Worlds in order to find her older brother, Jun, who is suspected of deserting the Space Forces to search for the legendary Dragon Pearl. Min's quick wits and technical prowess come in handy, but it's her abilities as one of the fox people to shape-shift and charm others that prove vital after she leaves her home planet of Jinju aboard the freighter Red Azalea. When her brother's former ship rescues the vessel from mercenaries, she poses as slain cadet Bae Jang, promising his ghost that she will avenge his death in exchange for impersonating him on the ship. Disguised as the dead cadet, Min is able to continue both quests, enlisting the aid of two of Bae's friends—female dragon Haneul and nonbinary goblin Sujin—all the while avoiding the scrutiny of Captain Hwan as the ship heads to the Ghost Sector, the probable location of the Dragon Pearl. Lee offers a perfect balance of space opera and Korean mythology with enough complexity to appeal to teens. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Jackson, Donald Maass Literary Agency. (Jan.)

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 4–6—Min is a supernatural creature, a fox spirit, with the ability to use fox-magic, called the Charm, to change her appearance and persuade others to do things. All her life, her mother has told her to avoid using the Charm, as foxes are mistrusted and looked down upon by the rest of society. When an investigator comes to their home inquiring after her brother Jun, who he claims has deserted from his place in the Space Forces, Min takes matters into her own hands and goes in search of him. Her travels take her from a gambling house run by a disowned relative to the ship where her brother was last stationed, the Pale Lightning. The more Min learns about her brother's disappearance, the more she suspects foul play and all signs seem to be leading to the discovery of the Dragon Pearl, an ancient relic with great powers and value. The story's climax features multiple surprises and betrayals, in a quick but unhurried pace. Lee skillfully weaves Korean folklore into this space opera narrative, creating dynamic and relatable characters. The ending is satisfying, tying up loose ends, but leaving room for a sequel. VERDICT With ghosts, pirates, and a rollicking space adventure, there's a little something for everyone here. A recommended purchase for all middle grade collections.—Kat Paiva, Rye Public Library, NH