Fox & Phoenix

Gr 7–9—Set in a magical realm in China, Beth Bernobeck's adventure fantasy (Viking, 2011) features two bold characters, friends of their country's Princess Lian, who has gone to another kingdom to study. When her father falls seriously ill and she fails to respond to messages to come home, a ghost dragon summons Kai, the princess's friend, to find her and bring her home. Kai is a reluctant hero who is still trying to discover why his mother has disappeared and the nature of his relationship with her best student, Yun. When Kai discovers that Yun has followed him on his quest, he is annoyed at first, but their mutual support is necessary for their survival. There is more than one romance in this story as the Princess has also been involved with someone whom she feels has betrayed her. Through many mishaps, the friends are reunited and make their way home to unravel treachery at the palace and abroad. Narrator Michael Sun Lee gives all the human and animal characters distinct voices and appropriate accents. An engaging fantasy.—Edie Ching, The University of Maryland, College Park