March 25, 2024
When Hwa Young was 10, Imperial raiders destroyed her home and killed her family of rebels against the empire. Six years later, Hwa Young is a student of the empire she was taught to oppose. She dreams of becoming the empire’s best lancer pilot, and she has no qualms following their rules to do so. An attack on her school forces the empire to implement an emergency draft that gives Hwa Young the opportunity to become a lancer pilot candidate two years earlier than expected. But as a ward of the state, Hwa Young is at a disadvantage to her classmates, whose well-established families give them an edge. As she undergoes grueling training she works hard to hide her rebel childhood background. Soon, Hwa Young unearths harrowing secrets about the empire and its history, and realizes that she must call upon her childhood teachings if she and her classmates hope to survive.. Via probing prose, Lee (Ninefox Gambit) addresses issues of colonialism and revolution in a high-concept space adventure narrative that centers a determined protagonist whose personal loyalties and lifelong dreams compete as she fights for the forces that killed her family. Ages 12–up. Agent: Seth Fishman, Gernert Co.
April 15, 2024
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* After her home world, Carnelian, is destroyed by the Imperial fleet, Hwajin is saved by a kind lancer pilot. Six years later, she's reinvented herself as Hwa Young, a boarding school student hoping to be an Imperial lancer pilot herself. When her new city is attacked while she's on training exercises with her class, she is once again rescued and, along with her best friend Geum, nemesis Bae, and the class clown Seong Su, quickly trained to replace numerous lancer pilots in the Eleventh Fleet. Soon they're off on real missions, including a battle with the rebel clanners, Hwa Young's people, who are using the restored Carnelian as their base, but not everything is as it seems, and the truth of the rebellion may challenge her place in the Empire. Lee, known for his middle-grade Thousand Worlds trilogy, continues infusing the vast world of science fiction with Korean-inspired adventure. He levels up the start of this new trilogy with a subtle exploration of media and news censorship, propaganda, and settler colonialism, all while Hwa Young is in the midst of discovering what she truly wants and believes in. Unusually and importantly, this thrilling adventure is totally absent of any hint of romantic subplots. With the Empire of New Joseon and billions of lives at stake, who has time?
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April 15, 2024
A teen thrust into a space war learns to pilot a robot warrior, but secrets threaten destruction. "Trust the Empress. Move at her will. Act as her hands." These words keep the Empire of New Joseon strong and unified. Hwa Young, who grew up on a rebel clanner moon in the Moonstorm, must commit this motto to memory and take it to heart. When she was 10, the empire's lancers (humanoid warrior robots) destroyed her home, leaving her orphaned. The empire took her in, and now, at age 16, Hwa Young is determined to prove her merit by becoming a lancer pilot. She gets her chance two years early, when her boarding school is attacked, and she and her classmates are taken aboard a starship--but something feels wrong. The training is rushed, and the higher ranks seem to be hiding something. When secrets are later revealed, Hwa Young must choose between her rebel roots and conformity to save everyone. This strong series opener features detailed worldbuilding that describes the clanner and empire societies, as well as the intricacies of the starships and lancers. The central conflict offers an interesting commentary on how different societies uphold faith, unity, and power. Many characters present nonbinary, using the pronouns zie/zir. The empire is rooted in Korean culture, with Korean food, traditions, and language woven throughout. Action-packed space battles and strong worldbuilding will draw readers in. (map, character guide) (Science fiction. 12-18)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
June 1, 2024
Gr 7 Up-Hwa Young's first experience with Imperial lancers comes when they attack her clan on a rebel moon, destroying her home and rescuing her from the fallout. Six years later, Hwa Young is a student in a New Joseon military academy striving to become a lancer pilot, desperate to never be powerless again. Lancers are giant robots in the shape of Old Joseon's armored warriors, vital tools to enforce the Empress's will, and the strongest weapons in her arsenal. Hwa Young's rebel past makes it important she remains in step with everyone as she strives to be top of her class, because conformity is highly valued by the empire. Her fears and insecurities are a driving force in her character arc, especially when she ends up stranded with her classmates-who might be her allies but are definitely not her friends. The tension between Hwa Young's clanner childhood and her loyalty to the Empire doesn't feel sincere, since readers never truly doubt which side will win out. Lee's concise prose explores themes of loyalty and colonialism, while always pushing the narrative forward. The story would have benefited from more time spent exploring the world and its inhabitants, as the propulsive plot keeps readers from becoming attached to the characters and their stakes. It features a Korean cast, with multiple nonbinary secondary characters. VERDICT Hand to readers who are too young for Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow. An additional purchase for collections actively seeking more science fiction.-Emmy Neal
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