Dragon Pearl Explained

Dragon Pearl
Author:Yoon Ha Lee
Country:United States
Language:English
Genre:Science fiction, mythology
Publisher:Disney-Hyperion
Pub Date:January 15, 2019
Series:Thousand Worlds #1
Followed By:Tiger Honor
Cover Artist:Vivienne To
Isbn:9781368013352
Oclc:1059522670
Subject:investigation • epic journeymagic powersspace flightinterstellar travel • Korean mythos • sibling relationshipimpersonation
Pages:312

Dragon Pearl is a middle grade novel written by Yoon Ha Lee and published on January 15, 2019, by Disney Hyperion under their "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint.[1] The book is a mix of Korean mythology and science fiction as the main character travels the galaxy.[2] [3] A short story by Lee about the characters in the book was featured in the anthology book The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities.[4]

Like its fellow "Rick Riordan Presents" books, the novel was praised for its diverse representation and plot and characterization. A sequel, Tiger Honor, was published in January 2022.

Plot

The main character Min, a teenage fox spirit (gumiho), runs away from her home, which is crowded with family members all staying in the same house, in order to figure out what happened to her lost brother, Jun, who was a cadet in the Space Forces before his disappearance. After she leaves her home planet, Jinju, on a freighter ship, she begins uncovering more secrets. She finds the ship her brother was stationed on, leading her to pose as a recently deceased cadet on that ship so that she is enabled in her continued investigation. Meanwhile, she communicates with a dead cadet, Bae Jang, to whom she promises vengeance, in order to maintain her secret. When Min befriends two cadets on the ship, a dragon and a goblin disguised as humans, she learns that they are quickly approaching the Ghost Sector, in which the lost Dragon Pearl is said to have been laid to rest.[5]

Release

It was released in hardcover, audiobook, and e-book format on January 15, 2019. Rick Riordan Presents made a paperback edition available in English on January 7, 2020. The book has been translated and printed in other languages, including Polish, Indonesian, Ukrainian, and Italian.

Date PublishedPublisherFormatEditionLanguagePagesISBN
Jan 15, 2019Rick RiordanHardcover1st edEnglish312
Thorndike PressHardcoverLarge printEnglish515
Rick RiordanebookEnglish312
Disney HyperionKindleEnglish320
Random HouseAudiobookEnglishN/A
Jan 7, 2020Rick RiordanPaperbackEnglish320

Translations

Date PublishedPublisherFormatEditionLanguagePagesISBN
Mar 13, 2019Galeria KsiążkiPaperbackPolish352
2020Noura BooksPaperbackIndonesian412
May 13, 2020Giunti EditoreHardcoverItalian336
2021ЖоржHardcoverUkrainian372

Reception

The Laughing Place reviewed the main character, Min, as likeable and fun, and even said that Lee has "crafted such a finely tuned narrative that Dragon Pearl can stand alone as an excellent story or be the start of a lengthy space saga." Colleen Mondor of Locus comparing the book to the Perils of Pauline serial in the early 1900s, stating that it "nailed what the younger action crowd craves. If the story gets a bit thin along the way, that's okay, as the plot barrels along at such a breakneck pace you hardly notice."[6] A review on Publishers Weekly said, "in this highly original novel ... Lee offers a perfect balance of space opera and Korean mythology with enough complexity to appeal to teens."

Reviews on Common Sense Media were also complimentary, saying that the "combination of space opera and Korean folklore finds the right, enjoyable balance" and "the book ends on a perfect note of closure, but most readers would welcome Min's further adventures."[7] The Quiet Pond called the book a "delightful adventure" and provided five reasons why it should be read, including its diverse background of Korean mythology, the mix of genres including space opera, and its "awesome" protagonist."[8] Talking of Min's situation after she gets word of her brother's disappearance, Kirkus Reviews said "it's a Rick Riordan trademark to thrust mythological figures into new settings." The review site also called the book "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."[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lee . Yoon Ha . Dragon Pearl . 2019 . Disney Electronic Content . 978-1-368-01519-6 . en.
  2. Web site: Gowsell. Bill. 15 January 2019. Book Review: "Dragon Pearl" by Yoon Ha Lee. LaughingPlace.com.
  3. Web site: Yoon Ha Lee Dragon Pearl. 2020-12-31. en-US.
  4. Web site: 2021-01-24. The Latest from Athena House Jan 24, 2021 Rick Riordan. 2021-03-11. en-US.
  5. Web site: Publishers Weekly review of Dragon Pearl.
  6. Web site: 2019-05-13. Colleen Mondor Reviews Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. 2021-02-25. Locus Online. en-US.
  7. Web site: 2019-02-02. Dragon Pearl - Book Review. 2021-02-25. www.commonsensemedia.org. en.
  8. Web site: 2019-06-21. Five Reasons To Read: Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee – A Fun and Delightful Korean-Inspired Space Opera/Fantasy. 2021-02-25. The Quiet Pond. en.
  9. Book: DRAGON PEARL Kirkus Reviews. en.