Thirteen-year-old Min comes from a long line of fox spirits, but her mother has tried to keep the family safe by insisting that they never use their fox magic, which many view with suspicion. Like many a space hero before her, though, Min wants to escape her poor, backwater world to join the Space Forces, following her older brother Jun’s footsteps. When news arrives that Jun is suspected of deserting his post to go in search of the mythical Dragon Pearl, however, Min knows that’s not the whole story.
She runs away to find him and the pearl, tapping into her fox magic that lets her Charm others and shapeshift. Taking on the identity of a male cadet killed in battle (fox spirits can become any gender), she uses her magic as well as her mechanical skills to advance her quest. Among those who help her are a female dragon and a nonbinary goblin; nonbinary identities are seamlessly accepted.
Min feels like a combination of Luke Skywalker and Loki, making this a fun read full of adventure and woven with elements of Korean mythology even as it launches us into the reaches of space.
