McDermott, Siobhan. Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm. New York: Delacorte Press, 2024.
ISBN-13: 978-0593706114 | $18.99 USD | 384 pages | MG Fantasy
Blurb
A 12-year-old girl wins an invitation to train as an apprentice to immortals in the first book of the new must-read magical series destined to take the world by storm—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, Skandar and Eragon. Let the competition begin!
“A new classic fantasy adventure.” — Eoin Colfer, author of the internationally best-selling Artemis Fowl series
An outsider in her village above the cloud sea, 12-year-old orphan Yeung Zhi Ging’s only hope of escape is to win the single invitation to train as a Silhouette: an apprentice to the immortals. After her ill-fated attempt to impress the Silhouette scout leads to a dragon attack on the jade mountain, Zhi Ging is sure that her chances, and her life, are over. But the scout spots her potential and offers her protection and a second chance. She’s in.
In her lessons in Hok Woh, the underwater realm of the immortals, Zhi Ging must face the challenging trials set by her teachers to prove that she’s worthy of being a Silhouette—despite her rivals’ attempts to sabotage her. But as Zhi Ging’s power grows, so do the rumours of the return of the Fui Gwai, an evil spirit that turns people into grey-eyed thralls.
When the impossible happens and the Fui Gwai attack the Silhouettes, can Zhi Ging use her newly uncovered talents to save her friends and the world beyond? Or will the grey-eyed spirit consume them all?
Review
4 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm drew me in with a solid premise, and some solid comp titles in the realm of middle-grade fantasy-adventure, including Amari and the Night Brothers. Upon picking it up, I was immediately drawn to the world building in particular, and how it utilizes concepts from Chinese mythology. There are some gaps when it comes to the technical side of the magic and how it all works, but I can let it slide as something that might bother an adult reader more than a child.
Zhi Ging is a great protagonist to follow, and I like that she had a good balance of more mundane, relatable issues to deal with, like bullies, as well as magical ones. She goes on the fairly standard hero’s journey for the genre, but the story has its own charm as she comes into her own as a young heroine.
The story is high on the action, and pretty fast-paced, with few moments of lull in between. The writing is fairly accessible, yet lyrical, and I like how the book is split into fairly short chapters, keeping the intrigue and tension high.
I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to where this could go as a series. If you enjoy middle grade fantasy, I’d recommend checking this out!
Author Bio
Siobhan McDermott was born in Hong Kong and grew up on a steady stream of stories filled with Chinese legends and Irish folklore from her Chinese momm and Irish dad. She now lives in the UK and continues to order dim sum in Cantonese tinged with a distinctly Dublin lilt. She worked in publishing for six years, during which she took part in every event imaginable: from a ‘yoga with your dog’ session in a bookshop to running around Isle of Man in a full unicorn onesie. She is now the PR Lead at BBC Maestro. Paper Dragons is her debut novel and was inspired by moments across her life: from childhood ferry trips between Lantau Island and Hong Kong, to traveling around Taiwan, Italy and Spain.
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