Fox Snare

Thousand Worlds #3

by Yoon Ha Lee

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents a third space opera starring Korean animal spirits by Yoon Ha Lee, author of Dragon Pearl .

While on a mission to cement peace between the Sun Clans and the Thousand Worlds, Min the fox spirit and her ghost brother Jun get stranded on a death planet with Haneul the dragon spirit and Sebin the tiger spirit. To survive, the young cadets will have to rely on all their wits, training, and supernatural abilities. And let's not forget the Dragon Pearl . . .

This thrilling conclusion of the Thousand Worlds trilogy, told in alternating points of view, will put you under a delightful spell as it transports you to worlds full of both danger and wonder.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 17, 2023

About the author

Yoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction writer born on January 26, 1979 in Houston, Texas. His first published story, “The Hundredth Question,” appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1999; since then, over two dozen further stories have appeared. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Fox Snare is the third book in the Thousand Worlds series, Yoon Ha Lee's Middle Grade Space Opera. This series has been published as part of the Rick Riordan imprint.

If you are unaware, the mission of this imprint is to provide a stage for diverse voices to tell stories based upon the myths, legends and folklore of their cultures. I've read quite a few books from this imprint and they've all been fantastic.

I recommend checking them out, if you haven't already.



This series began with Dragon Pearl, which was my favorite Middle Grade book of 2019. In that story, we meet 13-year old Min, a fox spirit.

We follow her on a rollicking space adventure to clear her brother, Yun's, name. The world-building was incredible, the writing was fluid and engaging and the sci-fi elements were top notch.



The second book, Tiger Honor, followed Sebin, a tiger spirit, who goes on their own journey to clear a hero's name.

I really enjoyed it as well, although I didn't connect with it quite like I did with Dragon Pearl. That one would be really hard to beat. Nevertheless, it's still a high quality Middle Grade story, full of action and heart.



In this third book, we get alternating perspectives between Min and Sebin, and I did like how that aspect made it feel like the series has come full circle; that everything connected for this finale in a big way.

Yoon Ha Lee's writing, as always, was spectacular. His ability to create beautifully-constructed settings, all while adding in well-fleshed out characters and high-stakes action is truly impressive. I think any Middle Grade Reader who picks up this story will absolutely be a Sci-Fi fan for life.



I did find the perspective shifts a little hard to track initially. This could have been because I was listening to the audiobook and it was a single narrator.

While their narration was fantastic, bringing the story to life, it wasn't quite as easy to differentiate between Min's character and Sebin's. I sort of wish they would have used dual narrators to add that level of distinction and clarity.



With this being said, I still feel like this is a super solid conclusion to this trilogy. I definitely feel like I felt these characters grow, mature and really come into their own over the course of this series.

I actually would love to see Yoon Ha Lee carry this world, and maybe even these characters, over into a YA, or even Adult, series. I seriously do not want this to be the last I see of the Thousand Worlds, Min, or Sebin.



Thank you to the publisher, Disney Audio and Rick Riordan Presents Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a great series, start-to-finish.

It's definitely one I would recommend to anyone who loves a fast-paced, big-hearted space adventure!!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Min is learning to work with the Dragon Council as the Bearer of the Dragon Pearl. After an attack on the space station, she, Sebin and Haneul escape and must navigate a new planet to try to get some help. It is told from Min and Sebin's perspectives. It is slower-paced than I would have liked, but it is still engaging and had me interested through the end. I would recommend this series to anyone interested in space operas.

[Jukaschar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very satisfying conclusion to the Thousand Worlds series. In my opinion the book was a little bit weaker than the prior two titles.

The story is purposefully confusing and while it works quite well and the resolution is fitting and sensible, the reading wasn't as pleasant as in the first two books. Nevertheless, Lee Yoon Ha is one of my most favourite authors and I feel like he can do no wrong.

I'm already pumped for Moonstorm, the first part of his new YA series.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great end to this series. I am so excited to read more from Yoon Ha Lee. The writing, characters, and plots are all amazing.

[Ocean Lombardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the beginning this book was quite slow and I didn’t feel much motivation to finish it. The author is a very talented writer though as she displayed in the last 50 pages or so. I wish she used such skills in other parts of this book. There was definitely a lot of work put into this book and I can appreciate it even if it was slow in the first part. It isn’t good enough to read again although I would recommend this trilogy to anyone, with the first book being the best by a long shot. I wish that the author would make a fourth book since it seems the friendship between min and sebin could grow to so much more and there is so much more that could happen. Alas this is confirmed to be a trilogy and nothing else.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide and Rick Riordan Presents for allowing me to read this arc.

I read and loved the first two books of this series. Dragon Pearl and Tiger’s Honor when I read them last year. Fox Snare is a wonderful edition to the series.

We find the main characters Min and Sebin on different paths since Tiger’s Honor.. Min has become a person of great importance and Sebin is still on his ship serving as a cadet. Things come to a head when peace between the Thousand Worlds and Sun Clan is possible. Only forces are trying to stop this fragile alliance from forming, which endangers all involved.

I liked how the main characters are portrayed despite being slightly older than before. They still read like the earlier books with only a bit more maturity. Not much by any means. Just enough to see that their earlier experiences affected them.

This new adventure expands the universe with introducing a new government official, people from the Sun Clan, and some military history from long ago. I liked the expansion. It fleshed out the universe and made the stakes higher.

I have no complaints about the book. I would read the series again and I wish there was another book.

Thank you again NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide and Rick Riordan Presents for this e-arc of the book.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Explosion (spaceship)

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

It's been a long ride, but it's been worth it! The first book followed Min, a fox spirit who keeps herself hidden as she ventures out to try clearing her brother's name. Foxes are looked upon with suspicion because they are shapeshifters, and there have been some notorious ones in the past that means people automatically think they're untrustworthy. Thus, her family have always kept a low profile and most outsiders have no idea that a fox family lives in their midst. The second book focused on Sebin, although Min was definitely part of the story. Sebin is a tiger for whom honor is more important than anything else. The only thing he has ever wanted was to become a ship's captain, just like his hero uncle. When his uncle is declared a traitor for going after the Dragon Pearl, he joins the Space Forces to try clearing his name. Min is in this story as the assistant to the lead investigator and eventually they have to work together to figure out what's really going on. In this book, Min is now officially recognized as the bearer of the Dragon Pearl, and Sebin is part of the Thousand Worlds space forces. The story begins with a diplomatic mission between the Thousand Worlds and the Sun Clans at a much-disputed planet, not because of its resources (it is a wild and dangerous planet), but because of its strategic position. They are hoping that if Min uses the Dragon Pearl to terraform this most inhospitable planet into a place of paradise, the two worlds can work together to forge a peace that will benefit everyone. As you can imagine, things do not go according to plan and it's up to Min and her friends to save the universe.

This story did a great job of pulling together all the pieces from the first two books and adding additional plotlines. I thought the author did a great job of introducing conflict amongst the friends as they haven't seen each other since the events of the second book, and they never had a chance to talk about what happened together. Each has gone down their own path, and they now have to decide whether they still trust each other. Of course, there are external forces, but that's what makes it all so interesting.

Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. I didn't have the audiobook for this one, but I'm kind of glad I didn't--the chapters alternated between Sebin and Min, so it was helpful for me to have the chapter headings and figure out whose point of view I was in. In any case, I found it helpful to have those chapter headings.

I highly recommend this trilogy and love how the author incorporated Korean mythology into futuristic science fiction. Overall, very well done!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[ColleenIsBooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not the biggest fan of sci fi but I really enjoy this series! It was a bit slow in the middle but the last section of the book really amped up and I was on the edge of my seat. This would definitely be something a middle grade reader would love! It’s challenging enough without being confusing and the action scenes are really well done! I hope there will be more in this series!

[belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc

[Christopher J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this was an incredibly fun middle grade trilogy. Had a lot of fun with all 3 of the books and really want to check out more by this author.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My problems with this book are solely personal opinions. The story and writing are the same quality as the other books in this series, but I feel like Min is a totally different character.


SPOILERS


Warning: rant ahead


My biggest problem with this book is how the dragon pearl works by just replacing native species with "familiar" ones that are everywhere in the thousand worlds. It talks about how it looks like the introduced plants "planned on coexisting harmoniously" with the native plants, but THAT'S NOT HOW ECOSYSTEMS WORK. The terraforming on that planet was unnecessary and destructive of all the wildlife. It is an uninhabited planet that should stay that way. At the very least, they should terraform a small area and leave the rest of the planet free of destruction and colonization. Anyway, Jasujeong has a perfectly habitable atmosphere and doesn't really need terraforming. ALSO, WHY DOES THE DRAGON PEARL ONLY MAKE PLANTS THAT ARE FROM EARTH I MEAN COME ON.
Terraforming Jinju makes total sense because all of the ecosystems are already destroyed and there are actual people there who would directly benefit from terraforming.

[Jocelyn Huang · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and slow paced compared to the previous two books in the series. Filed with wordy ramblings nd not much plot substance.

[Kirsten Muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

And I finish my second series under the "Rick Riordan Presents" imprint! A surprisingly satisfying conclusion to a series that had a bit of difficulty keeping my attention...

Korean mythology in space: Book 3.

As I said/implied above, this book is the third and final one in the "Thousand Worlds" trilogy. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

The plot itself is fairly simple. As Min is now bearer of the Dragon Pearl, she must continue to ensure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. During peace talks/negotiations between representatives from the Thousand Worlds and representatives from the Sun Clans (basically a stand-in for Japan, the way the Thousand Worlds are essentially a stand-in for Korea), the ship in which they all are explodes. Min, her ghost brother Jun, Sebin, and a couple of others end up stranded on a hostile, undeveloped planet. There's some tension in the group, but they must work together to escape the planet, while they're all worried that war may have broken out between the two space-faring civilizations.

In a way, that's an interesting choice. The stakes are lower, but more personal. While there is, again, the threat of war between these two groups of people, it's not like the entire galaxy or universe is at stake. While they must still ensure the Dragon Pearl is safe, it's never lost of anything at any point in the book. THEY must use it to survive more than they need to keep it out of harm's way. Similarly, the plant on which they're stranded is more likely to harm them than they are to blow it up or something. It's an interesting and somewhat original twist on the typical earth-shattering stakes of a lot of middle grade. It was appreciated.

Other things I liked: Sebin and Min definitely have more of a personality in this book. Min is showing actual growth instead of just talking about how much she's changed. She's using charm less, feeling true guilt and remorse, etc. She's also being less perfect. Sebin is still trying to shake the hold his/their family had over him/them. There's a desire to be less rigid and more flexible. Like I said above, this book was definitely more engaging.

All that being said...when it comes down to it, some of the threats posed in this book weren't really threats at all. The planet on which they're all stranded is really not all that dangerous when I look back. The explosion that destroyed the ship is revealed at the end to have resulted in almost no casualties. Nearly everyone made it to an escape pod. While that's obviously great from a moral and human standpoint; from a storytelling standpoint, it really de-escalates the tension that was created by such an event. Maybe he (the author) couldn't figure out what to with the fallout if the important people conducting these negotiations died. Maybe he just wanted to make sure he could wrap things up in a nice little bow after the group escaped the planet. I'm not sure. It also lessens the menace and evil he wanted to build up and give to the person behind the explosion in the first place (though maybe that was part of his goal). Speaking of that very character, the final face-off with this very character is a tad anticlimactic (my life motto, I know), though it's better than it could have been. All in all, it's hard to be in fear for characters that were never in a ton of danger in the first place.

This book alternated between the 1st.-person POVs of Sebin and Min, with them basically taking turns narrating a chapter each. They get more-or-less equal screentime, though I sort of feel like Min's chapters may have been longer (not 100% on that one, though)? I would say I liked that aspect of the book. I'd say that I could tell who was narrating most of the time, though a few times I had to remind myself who was talking. It was done well enough, though.

Adding to that, this book was another audiobook listen. The narrator was actually the same one from the first book. Having one narrator for a book with dual narration is a bit of a challenge, Obviously, she did Min's voice better. You could tell she was trying to deepen her voice for Sebin's chapter. Se generally did fine - like I said, I could tell who was talking. But it might've been better to get the narrator from book two and alternate.

In conclusion, like i said above, a fairly satisfying ending to a trilogy about which I was meh. I didn't come out of it knowing a lot about Korean mythology, but that probably wasn't his goal. I definitely want to continue with the imprint. Will this end up being my favorite series under it? Likely not, but I have no regret reading it. It will be interesting to compare it to the other trilogy under the imprint based on Korean mythology. Of course, I technically haven't finished this trilogy, because there's a short story set in the Thousand Worlds in "The Cursed Carnival" that I still haven't read as of writing this review. But I'll get to that.

Until next time, as I go to eat some tangerines :) ...

[Max C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆
Our journey is slowly ending as we exit the gate (get it? Gate?) Fox Snare,unlike its prequels, gets three out of five stars for adequate writing, plot development, and a sort-of complete final ending for the series.
Fox Snare is a good book that rounds off the Thousand Worlds for now (I’ll ramble about my theory later) and ties up most questions, like: Are there other foxes in the Thousand Worlds? and What other places are there?
Thousand Worlds is one of those universes with limited-to-none worldbuilding, where most things in the past that are actually recorded are things that directly affect the plot of the story, like a certain dreadnought or Colony Four, while others, like the Jeweled Realms, which I’m guessing is either the US, Europe, or China, and the way everything came to be and how the story’s progressed to this point is skimmed over or avoided.
First of all, I’m just going to say that Gating really messes with your sense of distance and location. While at first glance, the universe feels like a gigantic cluster of planets where each planet has one purpose, as if every single distinct place on Earth is its own distinct planet. But upon closer inspection, it can be realized that this isn’t what is first thought; it is a giant galaxy, maybe several, where each sovereign controls portions of it and uses gate drives to leap between them.
Second, the worldbuilding present in Thousand Worlds is not just limited to the grander scope. While Dragon Pearl had great detail about how everything works and the limitations of magic, where in this universe, magic is more of a guiding force where you can bend nature to your will by shifting things slightly, except for the dragon pearl, which seems to exist outside the confines of this world’s magic system; Yoon Ha Lee definitely had growth potential in the way the dragon pearl was created - in the third book, one part of my brain was definitely hoping that Lee would dive deeper into the lore behind the Thousand Worlds, because the dragon pearl is an artifact that is definitely older than every single alive character in the series. There could’ve been a sacrifice; why was it called the dragon pearl? How did it come to be? The dragon pearl was obviously an extremely powerful magic object; as Min put it in the third book as she resisted Miho, “I could have turned the world itself against Miho in a bid to save myself.” The dragon pearl is obviously some magic more powerful than any other kind exhibited in this world, yet we know so little about it.
Anyways, enough about lost opportunities. Fox Snare is obviously a finishing novel. It rounds off the loose ends, so now Min can go around the Thousand Worlds on her private dreadnought with her dead brother and friends Sebin and Hanuel, while poor Sujin is lost from book one and will probably never appear ever again in the novels, eating shrimp crackers while looking at the news and consoling herself over the fact that her former friends seem to have abandoned her on the Pale Lightning.
So while my original theory encompasses all the universes present in The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities, which is a very confusing but ultimately enlightening book that hints at nothing yet everything at the same time. But while other series have been so blatant with their hinting (Garuda didn’t have to tell Aru that other heroes from other worlds might clash with hers) it simply didn’t exist in Thousand Worlds. So for all I know, the only ones set in stone (or pages, haha) are Sal and Gabi, Pandava Quintet, and Storm Runner, and I technically don’t know anything about what will happen in the Schrodinger’s future for these books, I’m pretty sure.
That probably made no sense, but I basically have a theory (not even a theory, it’s a half-formed idea) that says that there will be a larger plot line that encompasses the books from The Cursed Carnival because they are technically part of a single multiverse and one of the universe have characters that are able to teleport between universes.
Fox Snare is an okay book that finishes off the Thousand World series, tying up the loose ends, except for Sujin, who’s crying in a corner after being neglected by her friends. It only gets three stars out of five because it wasn’t what I really wanted. I wanted a novel that explores the lore behind the history of the Thousand Worlds and how the dragon pearl came to be, but oh well.

[Laila - Stories Steeped in Magic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75
Genre: Science Fiction
Thank you Rick Riordan Presents for providing a physical copy through Youth Services Book Review.

Synopsis:
Get ready for the action-packed conclusion to the Thousand Worlds series, where Min, Sebin, and Haneul must work together to stop an intergalactic war. Min is now the Bearer of the Dragon Pearl, the ancient and mystical artifact that can terraform entire worlds. Even though she is a gumiho, a shapeshifting fox spirit feared for their Charm magic, the government tolerates her presence as she is the only one who can communicate with the pearl. She has been assigned a mission to accompany diplomats from both the Thousand Worlds and the Sun clans, two nations always at odds, to settle a peace treaty and terraform a contested planet. Ending the intergalactic war will be all up to Min. Meanwhile, Sebin, a formidable tiger spirit aboard the ship Haetae, has been tasked two missions: Attend the diplomatic meeting between the Thousands Worlds and Sun Clans, and keep an eye on the Dragon Council’s apprentice, a dragon spirit named Haneul. Sebin is dismayed by the lack of action, but promises to complete each assignment to prove themself to the captain. Right as the peace treaty is about to start, the unthinkable happens, and their space station explodes. Someone wants a war to start, and will do anything to make it happen. It will be up to Min, Jun - her ghost brother, Sebin, and Hanuel to survive on a deadly world and find the saboteur, combining all the strength and wits of a fox, a ghost, a tiger, and a dragon together to bring peace between the two worlds.

What did you like about the book?
Fox Snare brings all the fantastic elements together from Dragon Pearl and Tiger Honor to an epic conclusion of trust, spirit magic, and comradery. Min and Jun are back to finally use the Dragon Pearl for the good of space and put an end to the war. Sebin from Tiger Honor also makes a return, and the story alternates between their and Min’s perspective, creating a fast-paced plot. Seeing how the two handle the same situations and their emotions in different ways is really interesting, with Min being reckless and defiant and Sebin analytical and rule-driven. Hanuel from Dragon Pearl keeps the two together and keeps the situation positive, though readers do not see her point of view. All three characters and their unique emotions, personalities, and thought-process bring the driving action together with both tension when the party is in trouble and satisfaction when they overcome it, and readers will be rooting for them all the way. Fox Definitely pick up Fox Snare to finish the story and watch the characters grow.

Anything you didn’t like about it? The ending happens rather quickly, and the epilogue leaves a lot to be desired. There are so many characters from Dragon Pearl and Tiger Honor that either barely got any attention or mention, or were left out entirely. It makes readers wonder what ever happened to them, and how/if the main characters will interact with them anymore. Some world-building questions go unanswered as well. Overall, it isn’t the strongest conclusion to a trilogy as too many storytelling elements are left open or ignored.

To whom would you recommend this book? Readers who have finished The Thousand World Series, Dragon Pearl and Tiger Honor, by Yoon Ha Lee should continue where they left out. Kids who like mythology adventures, but take place in different genres (not just fantasy), kids who like space odysseys/adventures, and kids who like korean legends. The Last Gate of the Emperor by Joel Dawit Makonnen and Kwame Mbalia, Stowaway by John David Anderson, and The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim are good read-alikes.

Date of review: December 19, 2023

[Thistle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick synopsis : In the final book of this trilogy, Min the fox spirit girl and Sebin the tiger spirit trans teen end up shipwrecked on a hostile planet.

Brief opinion : For some reason, I just didn't connect with this book, it didn't hold my attention at all. Every time I tried to read, I found myself looking at the ceiling, my hands, the clock, anything but the page. That being said, it seemed fast paced, so the issue was probably me.

Plot : Min now "owns" (is owned by?) the Dragon Pearl, an item that can be used to terraform worlds. Sebin is serving honorably on a space ship (after the events of book 2). Min is part of a group that ends up on the ship Sebin is on so they can go to some peace talks.

The peace talks are with the Sun Clan (Japan, as Thousand Worlds is Korea).

Things go awry and the teens (Min, Sebin, and the dragon spirit Haneul) end up shipwrecked on a hostile planet.

Luckily there's a responsible adult with them! Or is she..?

Writing/editing : Better than book 2. There was just one small editing issue that happened repeatedly (and I've seen it here and there in other books), so I'm not sure if it was some kind of ebook issue or not. Sometimes when one word was in italics, the space was lost before the next word. So it appeared like:

"...uncle. Hewas..."
"Maybe formerfriend..."

In one place, the author used "pic" instead of "picture" (not in dialogue), that made my eyebrows raise a little.

Like in the second book, I think sometimes the author lost track of what they wrote in earlier ones. Sebin hadn't been permitted to play video games, other than one aunt who let them see games rarely. But near the end of this book they thought to themself: "Because they reminded me weirdly of a puzzle video game I'd become obsessed when I was a cub".

What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : I had a couple issues with the plot. For some reason, two prankster kids were permitted into Space Force (when in book 1 it seemed it was really hard to get in, the bar was high). They left the ship without permission and the officers were concerned the two would play a prank that derailed a diplomatic mission. So who did they send to fetch them? Seasoned officers? Responsible adults? Nope, Sebin the 14 year old kid.

I think I just don't like Sebin as a character. I didn't like book 2 (their book) and their chapters in this book (every other chapter) killed my reading momentum. The odd thing is I'm not sure why I dislike them. Usually I could write a whole essay on why I don't like a character! Maybe they were too perfect?

I did like the ending of the book a lot.

I really liked hearing, if only briefly, about other nations. There's so much room in this universe for more books!

It was really fun seeing Isiscolo's RL name in the Acknowledgement section, too.

Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3 stars / Okay.

[Saphio · Rating 4 out of 5]

now
woohoo and at the same time, boohoo. I'm done with the series and it fills me with a tinge of disappointment that this is the end... but at the same time, I'm glad for the HEA.

fox snare
so. peace. it doesn't come as easily as you'd expect. war with the sun clans (the Japanese, as I've gleaned through reading) is on the horizon, and it's up to min, the dragon pearl, and diplomacy to prevent it. except it doesn't really come so easily...
unfortunately, during the peace mission, everything goes dreadfully wrong, for a variety of reasons, and several times—because of frolicking youngsters, some undiplomatic diplomacy, and, most alarmingly, a saboteur—resulting in a devastating accident that strands min, sebin, haneul, and jun on a death planet with no connection to the outside world. they have nothing with them but the dragon pearl, their supernatural abilities, and their wits—if they're not charmed away by the suspicious and perhaps-too-charismatic assistant minister, yang miho.

YHL's fox snare took a broader take on politics in this conclusion to the trilogy, focusing on essential themes like corruption and trust. I found it to be a refreshing spin on the thousand worlds setting and it was far more realistic than I imagined before reading this. the governmental corruption was nicely written and appropriately described—and the conflict was a bonus! moreover, the animosity between min, sebin, and haneul in the beginning—old, unresolved issues between them that come to light the moment they're forced to work together—really added another dimension to the story and made the plot more gripping. conflicts between friends due to different goals and misunderstanding are so common in real life that I feel it's almost a necessity to add depth to the problems that arise in fox snare.

I think the beginning of the novel is a little slow, which is why I took off a star. I expected the climax and resolution to be a little longer, and the rising action to be shorter, so all in all the pacing felt a bit off to me. (I also kind of wish we had a few chapters from haneul's perspective, but alas, the fact that it already alternates between min and sebin is good enough for me.) however, the slight issues in pacing still don't affect what a gem this novel is (or, ahem, a pearl) and I'm looking forward to diving into YHL's "machineries of the empire" series.

4 stars

two hours ago
really craving haneul's pov right now.

[Karen Cohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fox Snare is the third book in the Thousand Worlds series, which puts traditional Korean mythology in a futuristic setting. Fox Snare picks up where the previous volume, Tige Honor, leaves off, but shifts much of the focus from Juhwang Sebin, tiger shifter, back to Min, the primary character of the first volume, Dragon Pearl, who is a fox shifter. Min and Sebin are both cadets on a military vessel, with all the formality and tradition of any Asian culture. They have been parted by their various duties, but are brought back together when they once again serve on the same vessel, as part of a diplomatic mission to attempt peace with their enemies, the Sun Culture. But a saboteur explodes the space station the peace talks are taking place on, and their mission of peace becomes a frantic attempt to survive.

As with the previous volume, I greatly enjoy this novel with a basis in the mythology of various cultures, and this was no exception; the intertwining of Korean mythology with a futuristic space adventure was very well done. While there are non-binary characters in this story (Sebin is one), there are not, as there were in the previous volume, so many that the constant use of "they" as a pronoun is confusing; rather, the non-binary usage is done in so matter-of-fact a manner that it could go unnoticed; having been confused by the proliferation of "they" in the previous novel, this change was welcome, and made the book more readable. Recommended for readers ages middle school to adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Wafflepirates · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

This third book in the Thousand Worlds series brings together the plots of the first two books and gives us our first dual pov entry. Having Segin and Min's povs together was great, they're both so different so their reactions to what was going on was almost always polar opposites. This book moves the over all plot forward, with Min working with the Dragon Council and Segin serving on a ship. Both get entangled in a mission to preserve peace between the Sun Clans and the Thousand Worlds, but things take a drastic turn when an attack leaves them and their dragon friend Haneul stranded on a dangerous planet. I really enjoyed the plot of this book, and felt that it expanded on the world well. It also did a good job of reminding readers of what happened in the previous books, as it had been a while since I read the first two and couldn't remember what happened. My only issue was it felt like it took the story too long to get where it was going, there was a lot of build up only for things to get resolved quickly. The ending was left open, so i'm looking forward to hopefully seeing another book in this series.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is an absolutely unique combo of scifi and fantasy, magic and myth and realism, a blend of modern ideas and Korean mythos, in a queer-normative universe.

I originally thought it was going to be a fun witchy story about a young woman learning how to control her powers (a classic bildungsroman). And in a way, it's just that. Min is indeed on an odyssey of sorts, with other zodiac spirits and an actual ghost. She certainly experiences all the archetypal ups and downs the reader might expect from such a story. Even the ending fits this model.

But this story is told from multiple points of view, through a scfi barrage of locations, including World 4: Jasujeong. "Instead of a place of death, we want it to become a place of life." Of course, what that means to the officials in charge is something different entirely.

Min gets to be the hero, of course, but I loved Sebin and Haneul and Jun. And the touches of Korean mythological spirits made the story more rich and interesting. Especially since the Pearl Min carries has a mind of its own.

"I was in over my head. That, at least, should have been familiar territory. And I'd always been able to think my way out of trouble before."

[Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow to get going, but the story picked up after about a third of the way in. The ending felt a bit rushed, and in true fashion for these kinds of books, definitely left things open for more stories in this universe. It said it was going to be the last one, but it’s definitely possible that more could come. I think this will be it for me and this series, though, even if they do add more. It was decent, but not my favorite of the three. I saw where everything was going before hand, and it just was a bit slow. The shifting perspectives also got hard to understand in audiobook form, and I somewhat wish I would’ve read it as a book so that I could’ve easily flipped back a page or two and looked at whose perspective I was in at the moment. Overall, I was mildly pleased with my time with this series and I’m glad that Rick decided to put out this imprint with more stories from other mythologies besides the Greek ones he does. A fitting end to the year, finishing a series.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I added Fox Snare to by Christmas Presents shelf on Christmas Day. Because it was one of the books that I'd wanted for Christmas. But it didn't arrive in time for that day. Instead, it actually came on New Year's Eve. Now, this isn't even the 1st time something like that has happened. Back in September, I'd put Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 6: The Chalice of the Gods, by Rick Riordan, on my Birthday Presents shelf. My birthday is in September. Except, Chalice of the Gods came out after my actual birthday, meaning it came later. Either way, Fox Snare is a Christmas present, just like Chalice of the Gods was a birthday present.

Back when Dragon Pearl came out in 2019, I'd thought that it would just be a standalone book. 2 years later, in 2021, its' sequel, Tiger Honor, came out, and both books got rebranded as the Thousand Worlds series. And now that series has come to an end with Fox Snare. It was a great conclusion to this series.

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

High three stars. I didn’t enjoy reading this one as much much as the last two. I think as never bored of the story, but in hindsight the pacing felt a bit strange. The main plot point of the story, them getting stranded on a planet, doesn’t happen until over halfway through. The ending also felt a bit rushed, and I didn’t feel like Miho was as good a villain as Hwan was. It was definitely interesting to see another fox, but as a character I just didn’t think she was very well done. There was a lot of telling rather than showing with her.
I thought the multiple POVs were pretty good, but I kind of feel like Sebin’s was. . . Unnecessary? He didn’t really do much during the story, and his role just didn’t seem as important. Also, bringing back Haneul but not Soojin was criminal, and Jee barely did anything. Once again, the side characters disappointed me a bit.
I definitely didn’t dislike this book, but I’m left feeling a bit disappointed in this one compared to the first two.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing for this DRC.
My favorite space adventurers are back again. Min the fox spirit, Sebin (tiger spirit) and Haneul (dragon spirit) all end up back on the Haetae. The spaceship is carrying ambassadors from the Thousand Worlds to meet with the Sun Clans to broker a peace agreement. Things go awry and three of them end up on a death planet, strategically located between the warring nations.

This is a wonderful end to the trilogy of adventures. The characters are warm and wonderful and the adults are just off-stage enough. I love the way they use their ingenuity and both sides of their human/spirit selves to solve problems and keep their friends safe. I am hoping the promise made at the end has left the door open for future adventures.

#RickRiordanPresentsFoxSnare #NetGalley

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin)]

✨ Dragon Pearl ★★★★
✨ Tiger Honor ★★★★


Find the cover reveal HERE !



Blog|Instagram|YouTube|Ko-fi|Throne

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Min is executing her role as Bearer of the Dragon Pearl at a peace meeting between the Thousand Worlds and Sun Clans when she smells another fox. Not only is the fox, Miho, a high ranking government official, she has nine tails! Min and Miho join other diplomats on the Haetae where Sebin and Haneul are stationed. They are all going to a highly contested planet to further peace talks. They arrive when suddenly the base is attacked, and Min, Jun, Sebin, and Haneul must use an escape pod. They crash land on the planet and try to make their way to a long ago crashed ship so they can call for help. Who else survived, and will Miho's true colors be revealed? #RickRiordanPresentsFoxSnare #NetGalley

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting conclusion to this trilogy. Min unites with old friends as part of a peace mission to a dead planet. Both sides hope Min will work with the Dragon Pearl to restore a dead planet and deal with the ancient battle cruiser that landed there. The three friends deal with trust issues, betrayal from others and adults who refuse to see them as more than children. They also fight their way across this alien planet to locate the space ship and rescue those caught in a surprise attack. By the end, the three have committed to piloting the old space ship with help from the dead crew - their promise to always use the ship for good.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Thousand Worlds series alternates chapters between the perspectives of the protagonists of the other two, the fox Min and the tiger Sebin, who are both present on a mission to try to bring peace between the Thousand Worlds and the Sun Clans. They're accompanied by a government official who's also a fox spirit, but isn't aware that any others of her kind still exist, and has her own agenda. The mixture of Korean mythology with a spacefaring society works well. This is billed as the final book, and as such, I feel like the ending wasn't really as developed as it could have been; it didn't feel final.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exceptional ending to the Thousand Worlds trilogy. Reading our main characters grapple with black and white thinking, adventure, and conflict was a frustrating and delightful joy. How Yoon Ha Lee so masterfully creates worlds for young people to get lost in time and time again is such a testament to his skill and passion for quality stories for an age bracket that doesn't always get quality stories. Thanks to NetGalley and Rick Riordian Presents for an early read in exchange for an honest review.