• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 March #2
  Orphan Sirscha Ashwyn is determined to make a place for herself—hopefully as the queen's next royal spy. She is well prepared, with impressive sword skills; special training from her mentor, Kendara; and the support of her best friend, fellow military student Saengo Phang. Then Sirscha is ambushed in a teahouse by shamans who kill Saengo—and somehow Sirscha brings her back to life. Thus begins Sirscha's fast-paced adventure through the mysterious and dangerous Dead Wood, seeking out Ronin the Spider King. Here she learns her true nature as a soulguide, and what she actually did when she saved Saengo. The lengthy glossary that precedes the story may give the false impression the plot is hard to follow, but Lee is experienced and skilled at building intricate worlds and letting the details unfold holistically through the plot. A particularly nice feature here is the multiracial component, incorporating pan-Asian humans as well as nonhuman shamans. Imaginative, action-packed, and clearly labeled as book one, this engaging title will leave fans eager for the sequel. Grades 8-12. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Lori M. Lee is the author of Gates of Thread and Stone and The Infinite. She's also a contributor in the anthologies A Thousand Beginnings and Endings (Greenwillow/Harper) and Color Outside the Lines (Soho Teen). She considers herself a unicorn aficionado, enjoys marathoning TV shows, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, kids, and an excitable shih tzu.