Tiger Honor

Gr 3-7–This sequel to The Dragon Pearl follows Sebin, a nonbinary tiger spirit from the Juhwang Clan, as they train to become a battle cruiser captain like their favorite Unce Hwan. Unfortunately, news of Sebin’s acceptance into the Thousand Worlds Space Forces Cadet Program comes at the same time as news that their Uncle Hwan has been accused of treason. Sebin travels from their home planet of Yonggi to Starbase Borasaekbam, where they’ve been summoned, only to find that their uncle has stowed away on the ship and plans to take it under his control—with the help of Min, a fox spirit (whom fans will recognize from the first book), and a group of stowaway mercenaries. Sebin swore allegiance to the Tiger Clan before they left home, but the Space Forces will require them to protect the Thousand Worlds—and they’ll need to decide where their loyalties truly lie before the starship Haetae reaches its destination. Themes of personal integrity, courage, friendship, and loyalty are delivered in a fast-paced plot filled with engaging twists, turns, and near-misses, though at times they come at the expense of character development. Nonbinary characters and women in positions of military power are refreshingly commonplace in this original space opera interwoven with Korean mythology.