Fallen Hero Blog Tour | Book Review and Moodboard Aesthetics

Welcome to my tour stop! A huge thank you to Shealea from Caffeine Book Tours and  the publisher for allowing me to be a part of The Dragon Warrior tour!

About the Book

Title: The Fallen Hero

Author: Katie Zhao

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Kids

Publication date: 13 October 2020

Age group: Middle Grade

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis:

Faryn Liu thought she was the Heaven Breaker, a warrior destined to wield the all-powerful spear Fenghuang, command dragons, and defeat demons.

But a conniving goddess was manipulating her all along…and her beloved younger brother, Alex, has betrayed her and taken over as the Heaven Breaker instead. Alex never forgave the people who treated him and Faryn like outcasts, and now he wants to wipe out both the demons and most of humanity.

Determined to prevent a war and bring Alex back to her side, Faryn and her half-dragon friend Ren join the New Order, a group of warriors based out of Manhattan’s Chinatown. She learns that one weapon can stand against Fenghuang–the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Only problem? It belongs to an infamous trickster, the Monkey King.

Faryn sets off on a daring quest to convince the Monkey King to join forces with her, one that will take her to new places–including Diyu, otherwise known as the Underworld–where she’ll run into new dangers and more than one familiar face. Can she complete her mission and save the brother she loves, no matter the cost?

BOOK LINKS: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository | IndieBound | Goodreads

About the Author

Katie Zhao is a 2017 graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English and Political Science, and a 2018 Masters of Accounting at the same university. She is the author of Chinese #ownvoices middle grade fantasy THE DRAGON WARRIOR (Bloomsbury Kids, October 2019 & 2020), as well as a young adult author. She is a mentor for Author Mentor Match. She is currently open to freelance editorial services for young adult and middle grade manuscripts.

AUTHOR LINKS: Author website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

Book Review

Disclaimer* – Thank you to Caffine Book Tours, Bloomsbury and the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a spot on this blog tour! This did not affect my opinions in any way. All quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in final publication.

Even if I wasn’t the heaven breaker any longer, even if none of the gods would help me here in the underworld, I STILL HAD MY OWN STRENGTH

I LOVE THIS BOOK. PERIOD. Can that be it? That’s my review, you’re welcome.

Of course not, I’m kidding.Where do I start even? Let’s start with what I love about this book, the overall concept of this book is just brilliant. 

I was so lucky to be able to read THE FALLEN HERO early! It was this perfect blend of heart and humor, with settings so well-described I could envision myself in each of the different Chinatowns or the center of the Jade Society’s compound. The story was rich with truths, showing how friendships crack and mend, how family bonds might be tested, and how doing the right thing isn’t always what you think it is.

There are bonds stronger than blood.

This book was fantastic I I loved the characters and their separate arcs, how richly woven the culture was written, and the plot of the story. I enjoyed reading the emotional arcs for each character as well as the physical learning journey each character had to go through. It has EVERYTHING – magic, adventure, strong family dynamics, hilarious jokes, food, a fantastic protagonist, heart-warming passages, and a story that keeps you glued to the page.There were times I wanted to cry, and there were times I wanted to scream, but there were also times where I was smiling and when I was happy for them. It is so effortlessly funny. Her humour is on-point .I was entertained from the start to finish and Katie Zhao didn’t hold back, especially throwing some shade here and there but ultimately, it’s a barrel of laughs and I am itching to pick it up again once I get my hands on a finished copy!

They both have, ah, slightly evil tendencies. Therapy didn’t help.

I a die-hard Rick Riordan fan, don’t compare books to his lightly, : if you grew up reading Rick Riordan books, you’ll want to read this book IMMEDIATELY. This is the book for every little girl who read the Percy Jackson series and wanted to see herself as the hero of an amazing world. I am excited to see how the next book plays out. The ending of this book left me breathless. I can’t wait to know what happens to Faryn !! Katie Zhao has set up the next book wonderfully.

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NOW, go read Fallen Hero when it’s out on 13 October because you won’t regret it. Katie Zhao’s stellar sequel to Dragon Warrior which is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan. It is one of the most fun adventures I’ve ever had the pleasure to read through and a must read for every bookworm.

Have you read Dragon Warrior or Fallen Hero ? Or will you be reading it after seeing my review ? What is your favorite Adventure book ?