M. Chan, Tiger Warrior: Attack of the Dragon King, Hachette Children’s Books, July 2021, 144 pp., RRP $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781408363089
Jack loves defeating dragons in his video game but is he strong and brave enough to do it for real? He is about to find out. Jack’s grandfather, Yeye, thinks it is time Jack knows about his family’s heritage. Yeye produces a magical jade coin, imprinted with Chinese zodiac symbols, and explains that Jack must take his rightful place as the Tiger Warrior. Within the coin are magical spirit animals, each with a special power to assist the Tiger Warrior. Handed down for generations, Yeye has been keeping the coin for Jack since Jack’s father died. Now Jack must venture to the Jade Kingdom to meet the Emperor and begin his training, as Yeye is becoming too frail to carry on as Tiger Warrior. With a toss of the coin, Jack steps through a portal and emerges in a village in turmoil. It is being attacked by an ice dragon! A shimmering phoenix appears and fights the dragon. As the dragon retreats, the phoenix transforms and Jack finds out it is Princess Li, daughter of the Jade Emperor. The Dragon King has imprisoned Li’s father and is destroying the realm. If the Jade Kingdom is destroyed, the world will be next. But Jack is just an untrained schoolboy. With the help of the zodiac creatures, alongside Li, can he battle the powerful Dragon King and release the Jade Emperor?
This is a fast-paced adventure fantasy that will have younger readers enthralled. Jack is a likeable character who makes mistakes but shows resilience in facing his fears. Li is a brave, feisty character who benefits from Jack’s caution. The zodiac animals are loyal and quirky. Jack still has much to learn about harnessing their powers, which leaves room for development in the next book in the series. The font is large and each chapter ends with a hook, keeping the action going until the end. Manga-like black and white illustrations are sprinkled throughout to support the text. A high interest chapter book for young independent readers, this story will appeal to gaming and action fans.
Reviewed by Sharon Seymour
