Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

With the proliferation of historical novels for young adults, Xiran Jay Zhao’s novel Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is a distinctive addition to this body of literature. Although a growing number of young adult contemporary novels published today feature Asian protagonists, it is less common to see works such as Zhao’s novel that defy easy categorization due to its subject matter and narrative structure. The first book in an anticipated series, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor takes readers through a wide breadth of Chinese imperial history and mythology within a narrative that also references gaming, virtual reality, and contemporary popular culture. Intertwining these elements together within a satisfying action-adventure romp, this book will appeal to readers who enjoy plot-driven stories as well as readers who are looking for something a bit different from realist historical novels about Chinese American life.

The novel’s trajectory shares similarities with other young adult novels in which the protagonists are ordinary people who fall into events beyond their control, learn about their destiny, and eventually come to accept what they must do. However, what distinguishes this novel is the centrality of Chinese culture and history to the entire narrative. A relatively limited number of young adult contemporary fantasy novels feature Asian protagonists, much less an entire narrative that takes readers through a wide breadth of Chinese imperial history.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor revolves around a young Chinese American named Zachary Ying, an avid gamer who has limited knowledge of his cultural heritage and who simply wants to fit in with his peers. When his mother’s soul is captured by demons, Zack finds himself thrust into a mission to reinforce the plug that separates the mortal realm from the Chinese spirit world. Although Zack is initially reluctant to go on this mission, his desire to save his mother compels him to go. If the portal plug ruptures, the spirits will escape from the underworld into the moral realm, generating chaos around the world. In the process, the spirit of Zack’s mother will also be lost forever.

Zack finds out that he is the eighty-eighth-generation descendant of Qin Shu Huang, the First Emperor of China. Due to an unsuccessful attempt to use Zack’s physical body as a host for his spirit, Qin Shu Huang binds himself to Zack’s gaming portal device instead, and this action enables him to stay connected with the contemporary world. Accompanying Zack on this mission are Simon Li and Melissa Wu, both of whose bodies are acting as hosts for the spirits of Chinese emperors, respectively Tang Taizong and Wu Zetian. Their mission’s urgency is heightened by the approaching seventh lunar month, or Ghost Month in Chinese culture, during which the spirits are at their strongest. As the novel progresses, various historical figures from Imperial China appear and become important to the plot’s progression. These include rulers such as Tang Taizong and Wu Zetian, poets Li Bai and Qu Yuan, and the warrior Cheng Yaojin. Other figures from Chinese mythology are also referenced or make an appearance, such as the Monkey King Sun Wukong and the Eight Immortals.

Although the novel can be regarded as an action adventure story that is plot-driven, it also contains elements that will attract readers who prefer more character-driven narratives. Besides the mission that is the story’s focal point, the novel is also a tale of personal growth, through which Zack comes to terms with himself and better understand who he is. Readers will identify with Zack’s struggles with his own identity about what it means to be Chinese and American. Even if they do not share Zack’s cultural heritage, readers can still understand Zack’s struggles with who he is, what he is capable of, and what his place is in the world. Zack’s lack of confidence and sense of uncertainty are feelings that everyone experiences as they grow up. Readers will identify with Zack’s ineptitude and frustrations in the novel’s early stages and savour his growth and assertiveness as the story progresses, qualities which prove critical to the mission’s eventual success. As Zack has grown up in the United States, he lacks knowledge about his Chinese heritage and does not feel a strong connection with it, and yet he is still curious to learn more. Even though he does not know at the beginning why he has been the chosen one, as the story progresses, he understands the role that he can play in the mission. He learns that there are different ways to be a hero and that it does not necessarily have to involve overtly heroic acts, but rather that heroism can also include subtle assertions of strength or silent acts of resistance.

To understand Zack’s mindset, it is also important to note his cultural background as a Chinese Muslim since this makes him a cultural minority in China. Zack is aware that his father had been executed for protesting the government’s treatment of Uighur Muslims and other minorities and that, subsequently, his mother had escaped from China when he was very young. This troubled past of Zack’s parents further sensitizes him to his difference from his peers and compels him to feel that he needs to reject his heritage to truly fit into life in the United States. By exploring Zack’s struggles with his identity, Zhao also conveys that the meaning of being Chinese is not a singular identity that everyone can connect with, but rather that it will differ from one person to another and that every person must find their own way to come to terms with that heritage.

In novels that meld historical and contemporary contexts, it can be challenging for authors to insert historical references in a non-didactic manner that is organic to the story and does not disrupt the narrative’s flow, even if these references were intended to inform readers. Zhao incorporates historical details successfully into the narrative such that they are integral to the plot’s progression as well as Zack’s character development. Zack’s lack of knowledge about his Chinese heritage provides the conduit by which Zhao can readily include historical facts since Zack’s growing awareness about his ancestor Qin Shu Huang and Chinese heritage becomes important to developing his own powers for their mission. In doing so, Qin Shu Haung hopes that Zack will strengthen his personal connection with him and consequently be able to channel his supernatural powers.

Some people may consider this book to be attractive for its format and storytelling but believe that it is preferable to delve more into Chinese history by reading historical texts and nonfiction works. Saying this is not to discount the value of works such as this novel, but to recognize that these are works of fiction and, as such, should not be taken as authoritative sources for historical events. Perhaps readers who pick up this book are more likely to be those with a predisposed interest in Chinese history and culture. However, the book’s fast-paced and energetic narrative will broaden the appeal of Chinese history and culture to those people who may not otherwise pick up a nonfiction book about this same topic.

Various people from Chinese history are reimagined for the contemporary context. Although readers familiar with Chinese history may get more out of the story, those who lack that knowledge will still enjoy it. Within the narrative, Zhao includes “pop-up” descriptions for the various historical figures as well as contemporary analogies that make Chinese history and mythology more accessible and comprehensible to Zack. By extension, readers who are unfamiliar with Chinese culture will also appreciate these descriptions and comparisons since they connect to familiar frames of reference from their own knowledge and experience. The novel also incorporates humour in its chapters’ titles which also refer to specific moments in those chapters’ plots. For example, one chapter is titled “How the Creation of China Was Exactly Like American Idol”. In that chapter, Qin Shi Huang explains to Zack how his unification of China is like American Idol in that he was the eventual victor amidst the wars that took place over a few hundred years.

Given the novel’s subject matter, it will have high appeal for certain readers, particularly those who enjoy genre-bending works or works comprising mythological, historical, and fantastical elements. Readers who enjoy stories with action and suspense will also gravitate to this novel because of its fast-paced narrative and plot twists which will keep the readers guessing how the story will end.
It is important to note that readers must be willing to suspend their disbelief to fully enjoy Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor because the plot revolves around the pervasiveness of the spiritual realm in the contemporary world. Besides Zack’s mission, some events in the story involve people having their bodies possessed by spirits and demons as well as a number of battles involving Chinese mythology. If readers can suspend their disbelief, they will be rewarded with an immersive and gripping story that will keep their attention from beginning to end. However, readers who prefer stories grounded in realism or with a more realist approach to Chinese history and culture may find books by authors such as Paul Yee and Laurence Yep more appealing.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor will be a good addition to libraries that want to further diversify their collection and expand their representation of contemporary Asian perspectives and stories. Due to the multifaceted nature of this novel, it would be valuable for the library catalogue record to include different reference points so that it is easy to locate. For example, some possibilities are to include references to the adventure genre, young adult literature, as well as other topical keywords such as identity, diaspora, and culture. It could also include specific keywords that pertain to China, such as Chinese culture, Chinese history, and Chinese mythology. In an educational context, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor can be readily included in different units or courses because it encompasses different genres. For example, it can be in a course about young adult fiction or fantasy literature. Topically, the book can be part of a discussion about how works of literature can represent Asian communities in a positive manner that reflects their diversity.

Xiran Jay Zhao is a first-generation immigrant from China who graduated from Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University with a biochemical disease research degree, but who subsequently turned to writing as a career. Zhao is also a Youtuber and #1 New York Times bestselling author. For more information about Xiran Jay Zhao, visit xiranjayzhao.com.