“When you've been alive as long as I have, you encounter all sorts of people — good people, bad people, mostly somewhere-in-between people — but in al“When you've been alive as long as I have, you encounter all sorts of people — good people, bad people, mostly somewhere-in-between people — but in all that time, I've never met anyone like you, Serwa. That alone makes it worth seeing what you're capable of.” ~SERWA BOATENG'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING
I didn't know too much going into SERWA BOATENG'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING other than it was the latest new series in the Rick Riordan Presents Line and the author had written the amazing YA duology A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN. And something to do with vampires? Only, not what you might traditionally think of as a vampire. These are the Adze, and rather than being able to transform into bats, they instead shapeshift as fireflies.
In the Author's Note at the book's conclusion, Brown talks about growing up in Ghana and the "more than one hundred tribes" and the various beliefs and histories and customs spread throughout the country. She herself is calling the novel more of a "remix" of folklore rather than a be-all-and-end all, integrating "the foklore and customs of the Akan ethnic group, of which the Ashanti and the Kwahu (my mom's tribe!) are both a part, among many others...the adze is a creature from Ewe folklore (my maternal grandmother's tribe), and even the Adinkra themselves were created by the Bono people of a region now split between Ivory Coast and Ghana before the symbols were adopted by other groups."
The novel kicks off with a look at Serwa Boateng's life. She is homeschooled and training to becoming a Abomofuo, the Twi word for Hunters, and become a Slayer. Her parents are two of the most powerful Abomofuo in history, and she's hoping to surpass them both. However, she's not yet allowed to take the test that would finally let her step into the roll for good. When the Adze, fireflies who can shapeshift into vampires, attack the family's safe house, her parents are blessed by the gods and go on a quest while Serwa is dropped off with a family friend in a town that is safe and has never had a magical disturbance...
...until now. Serwa discovers that there is an Adze here as well, and now that she's cut off from all communication with her family or other Abomofuo, must put together her own motley crew, train them, and defeat the evil before the destroys the town. Along the way, she uncovers dangerous secrets that will change her life forever...
As with many books in the RRP lineup, SERWA BOATENG'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING feels like it could be in the same world and time. There is even a brief reference to the Tristan Strong series! There are quests bestowed by the gods, blessings when they succeed, and unlikely otherwise ordinary places where magic is strongest -- in this case, diners such as IHOP. And of course, what is a RRP title without falling in with a motley crew of soon-to-be friends that may have never otherwise given one another the time of day? Each of the kids has history and a story of their own, and while some get more backstory than others, later books will hopefully flesh everyone out further.
There is also a focus on the town and how it was built over the sight of a deadly plantation uprising, where the enslaved rose up against their colonizers and won. The school largely overlooks this horror and doesn't even teach it in school. Many of the teachers are racist and penalize only students of color, forcing five of them to be the Good Citizens Committee and clean up trash, better the school, etc. The only good thing to come of it is that the group begins working together to save the town and ultimately becomes friends along the way. The book also gives an unflinching look at how families are torn apart when a member is deported and also gets into the foster care system a bit. Many kids have never been taught these things and will be able to learn a little history through the series that is often tucked under the rug -- or see their own history on the pages like never before. It deepens the story, raises the stakes, and even contributes to some spoilery things I won't mention here.
If you or someone you know is a fan of the Rick Riordan Presents Line, you won't be disappointed with this latest series to the imprint. I am already excited for the sequel myself! ...more
“You will go out among the stars, meet comrades great and small, and learn the ways of a warrior. But above all things, the compass that guides you mu “You will go out among the stars, meet comrades great and small, and learn the ways of a warrior. But above all things, the compass that guides you must be the way of the clan.” ~TIGER HONOR
I always get excited when a new title in the Rick Riordan Presents line is released, be it a new series or a continuation of an old favorite. When DRAGON PEARL by Yoon Ha Lee came out in early 2019, it was represented as a stand-alone and different from all the other books in the line, which were all billed as being a series. The announcement of TIGER HONOR was a sweet surprise, and once again broke the mold -- it is a companion novel and not a sequel, though both books are a part of A Thousand Worlds.
So, you may be asking, can you read this without having read DRAGON PEARL? Yes, absolutely! The book is a brand-new adventure with a brand-new main character that doesn't rely on its predecessor. Will the experience be the same if you haven't read them in order? Not exactly, no. The book features a couple of characters who play a huge part in the first book, so in that sense, there are spoilers. The book also doesn't spend a lot of time going over a Gumiho's magical abilities, either. But that's okay, actually, because this time, our main character is a Tiger Spirit, not a Fox Spirt, who doesn't need to know the intricacies of being a Gumiho, but can discover some of them alongside the reader. It's also interesting to see how the reading order can influence the reader's perspective. If you've read DRAGON PEARL, you know certain things about certain characters and assume you know who is a "good guy" and who is a "bad guy." But when you pick up TIGER HONOR, the roles are flipped, and do you really know what you think you know?
Sebin of the Juhwang Clan is from a military family and has dreamed their entire life of becoming a cadet in the Thousand Worlds Space Forces and eventually becoming a captain of their own ship like their legendary Uncle Hwan. They are finally accepted into the program, only to find out that Uncle Hwan has been court martialed and labeled a traitor. Sebin knows this is a mistake, especially after finding out that a devious Gumiho fox spirit is involved and using Charm to influence everyone around her. Obviously she's framing Uncle Hwan for trying to steal the legendary Dragon Pearl for her own nefarious gain. Sebin must help clear their family's name and help their uncle no matter the cost, even if it means defecting and giving up on a life-long dream of their own, right?
It was really interesting to pick up TIGER HONOR and realize the main character was related to Captain Hwan, which, if you've read DRAGON PEARL, you know, and if you don't, well, spoilery things, sorry. It was also interesting to see how much Sebin distrusted Min, who was our spunky main character from DRAGON PEARL, and to see her so differently portrayed through someone else's eyes. While the first book built more on legends and threw Min into a world she didn't know that had knowledge gaps for her, in this book, Sebin is from a military family and we get a lot more insight into the world of a cadet and the fundamentals of their sense of honor.
Korean folklore is peppered throughout both books, as are the nuances of Korean culture, such as wardrobe and food, in ways astute readers will pick up on, immersing them more fully in the culture. It isn't as fully realized as other books in the line, as there are no gods and goddesses playing a part and shaping the journey, but each character is descended from a line of animal spirts that are important in Korean lore. The book also mentions dragons and goblins and shamans and Sapsali. They aren't fleshed out in great detail, though the latter play an important role in TIGER HONOR. If Yoon Ha Lee returns to the world with more books, I wouldn't be surprised to see more companions featuring some of these beings so we can learn more about them and their lore. I would also love a book featuring a Celestial after the glimpses I saw in this book! It will be interesting to see how the world of A Thousand Worlds evolves and grows and comes together with new, unique stories if the series continues after these first two books.
Another great thing about both Rick Riordan and the Rick Riordan Presents line is there is always so much great representation, and it is always so seamless and natural. TIGER HONOR has fantastic non-binary rep. It was in DRAGON PEARL as well, but not nearly as extensively and more in passing, while in this book, several characters are NB, including our main character. There are also nods to sign language and braille that are natural and help acclimate kids who may not know much about either type of language.
The novels of A Thousand Worlds are fun and engaging space adventures that will appeal to any sci-fi lover. They aren't as grounded in "our world" as many other titles in the line and don't take place in the same universe as Camp Half Blood, but that was never a requirement of the line and it isn't the only series to break the mold and go in a completely original direction. Because of this, it may not appeal as much to some readers expecting that formula, while at the same time, it will also appeal even more to a new target audience who hasn't otherwise read the line and are in it for a new space odyssey. So the series appeals in many ways to many types of readers and really helps open up the Presents line and its possibilities even further. The Presents titles are always so much fun and A Thousand Worlds is no exception, so grab this new release and take to the skies!...more
Bonnie (A Backwards Story)
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