Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

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Morgan, Lauren (12 May 2022). "11 exciting books for your kids' summer reading list". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 26 June 2022. I didn’t make the connection of “Ying” and Qin Shi Huang’s (Dragon Emperor) family name “嬴” until I stared at the gorgeous book cover for one long minute before starting the book. It was one of his family names (mentioned in the story), and I adore all the little details like this sprinkled throughout the story.

Wikipedia Xiran Jay Zhao - Wikipedia

Deliberate Values Dissonance: Zachary is horrified when he learns about the atrocities that the emperors have committed, describing them as "basically supervillains". Qin Shi Huang fully admits to it, but points out that everyone around him was doing the same or worse.Colyard, KW (9 April 2021). "Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow Combines Ancient Chinese Culture And Mecha Science Fiction". Bustle . Retrieved 24 October 2021.

Zachary Ying Series by Xiran Jay Zhao - Goodreads

Berserk Button: Zachary snaps at any mention of the Chinese government, since they executed his father and forced his mother to run.They majored in health sciences with a focus on biochemical disease research at Simon Fraser University, graduating in 2020. They worked at a co-op before deciding an office job was not for them. [4] Career [ edit ] Cast from Hit Points: Tang Taizong’s spirit bow harms its user with every shot, as a reference to how he used it to kill his own brothers. really appreciate the casual gay muslim rep - we desperately need more of this in fantasy books. it was also good to see rep for chinese ethnic minorities.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Watson: Zachary knows nothing about Chinese history and culture. Since his power literally relies on it, the other two have to get him up to speed fast. Kristin Brynsvold, for the School Library Journal, called Zachary Ying a "creative, engaging story" and highlighted that the novel appeals "to fans of ancient mythology and world history". [14] Brynsvold wrote that "the plot will draw readers in, but what will keep them is Zach's struggle to belong, his journey to find himself and discover real friendship, as well as the highlighting of underrepresented mythologies. While the folklore and history might not be as smoothly incorporated as other mythological fantasies, it's done well enough that middle grade readers won't mind". [14] Being Chinese has become so painfully political. Pride in Chinese culture is no longer as simple as that, but could accidentally play into the Chinese government’s use of traditional culture as propaganda. Yet on another hand, there’s the necessity of demystifying and defending Chinese culture to combat anti-Chinese racism. Many diaspora like myself are caught in the crosshairs, struggling to find the balance. But what I firmly believe is that traditional Chinese culture and history don't belong to the Chinese government. It belongs to the Chinese people, both native and diaspora. If we distance ourselves from our heritage specifically because of the Chinese government, that’s letting them win, validating their claim to be the one true representative of Chinese culture when that is absolutely not the case.Disappeared Dad: Zachary's father spoke out against Uyghur oppression, and the Chinese government had him executed as a terrorist. Scott, Alec (2022-06-16). "Xiran Jay Zhao uses the power of #BookTok to find new audiences". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 2022-06-26. Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: It's obvious that Tang Taizong and Wu Zetian don't like Qin Shi Huang due to his egoism (despite their own pride), with both making frequent digs at him, Tang Taizong calling him a megalomaniac who terrorized everyone he met and sacrificing innocent mermaids, and Wu Zetian calling his assassins Jing Ke and Gao Jingli heroes. Qin Shi Huang is also very disdainful of Tang Taizong, talking about how he chose his weakest son as heir due to the son's kindness, and how the son let Wu Zetian rise to power, them mainly not liking each other because both of them think they are better emperors than the other. However they are willing to work together to prevent humanity from being destroyed.