The Dragon Warrior #1 by Katie Zhao

My name is Faryn, and my grandfather Ye Ye trained me to become a warrior in the Jade Society, sworn to protect San Francisco from demons. Many of the members are less devoted, and some of the leaders have become hungry for power and money. My life changed during the start of the Lunar New Year when I helped a god slay a powerful beast. Later, I was shocked to discover I was chosen to be the new Heaven Breaker, wielder of Fenghuang and leader of an army of dragons. To fulfill this destiny, I must locate Peng Lai Island and face the gods before the end of the Lunar Festival. My father was headed for the island before he disappeared. I know my little brother Alex will be helpful with solving the riddles, but I'm not sure how I'll get along with my former best friend Moli. It's overwhelming!

This book was the author's debut novel. The most admirable quality of the story was Faryn's character. She was respectful to the gods, loyal to her friends and family, and selfless toward others. These traits were challenged, as she was teased by other society children and stumped by her brother's unpredictable emotions. Moli's presence provided an additional test, although it wasn't hard to predict they'd eventually get over their past problems. The book shared many facets of the Chinese culture including food, religion, clothing, and mythology, as Faryn visited several Chinatowns across the United States. The most annoying part of the story was the arrogance and vanity of the Chinese gods. Many of them weren't very nice and demanded worship from mortals. They expected prayers from the humans and actually used the pleas to make themselves more powerful. This detail became an important factor in the overall conflict. The resolution of the plot emphasized the fact that the problem was much larger than expected. The last sentence of the story indicated the sequel, The Fallen Hero, offers new twists as the adventure continues.