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Mikaela Kong #2
Champion of the Realms
The Straits Times Bestseller
Nominee in the POPULAR Readers' Choice Awards 2025, English (Children) Category
Training has sharpened Mikaela’s skills, but every hour spent wielding her iron cudgel pulls her further away from her K-pop dream. As pressure mounts and Mikaela struggles with her commitments, Yan Wang, the King of the Underworld, offers her a deal—an alliance that could save the Realms and help her reclaim her shot at stardom. Now, Mikaela must choose: join forces with a power that could tip the balance, or risk everything, including her dream.
Nominee in the POPULAR Readers' Choice Awards 2025, English (Children) Category
Training has sharpened Mikaela’s skills, but every hour spent wielding her iron cudgel pulls her further away from her K-pop dream. As pressure mounts and Mikaela struggles with her commitments, Yan Wang, the King of the Underworld, offers her a deal—an alliance that could save the Realms and help her reclaim her shot at stardom. Now, Mikaela must choose: join forces with a power that could tip the balance, or risk everything, including her dream.
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Published April 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 5, 2025
Mikaela Kong, your typical teenager trying to keep up with school work and K-pop dance aspirations…is also the latest reincarnation of the Monkey King.
In this second installment, Mikaela needs to train up and manifest her abilities, as the prophecy about the Mortal Realm inches toward a certain doomsday.
Author Vivian Teo ups the ante with Yan Wang, King of the Underworld. Like dream boy Bai Yulong from book one, Yan Wang also appears as a schoolboy — except with an ambiguous agenda.
Mikaela, initially won over by Yan Wang’s ability to bring up her “qi”, soon has to sort right from wrong and perhaps, do things the hard way.
I love how Vivian has fully-fleshed out the Underworld, replete with tech and VR torture chambers. There is a lovely side story of reincarnation which brought me all the feels 🥺
“Maybe in life, nothing was mere coincidence. Maybe we were all bound by karma, where our unfinished business would keep bringing us together and tearing us apart until we finally balance our accounts and heal our wounds.”
Middle grade fiction should be written like this, with a certain complexity of feelings and friendship… and loyalty and triumph. Vivian is not yet done teasing out aspects of the Monkey King legend in her contemporary tale, and I’m looking forward to more!
📚: @epigrambooks
In this second installment, Mikaela needs to train up and manifest her abilities, as the prophecy about the Mortal Realm inches toward a certain doomsday.
Author Vivian Teo ups the ante with Yan Wang, King of the Underworld. Like dream boy Bai Yulong from book one, Yan Wang also appears as a schoolboy — except with an ambiguous agenda.
Mikaela, initially won over by Yan Wang’s ability to bring up her “qi”, soon has to sort right from wrong and perhaps, do things the hard way.
I love how Vivian has fully-fleshed out the Underworld, replete with tech and VR torture chambers. There is a lovely side story of reincarnation which brought me all the feels 🥺
“Maybe in life, nothing was mere coincidence. Maybe we were all bound by karma, where our unfinished business would keep bringing us together and tearing us apart until we finally balance our accounts and heal our wounds.”
Middle grade fiction should be written like this, with a certain complexity of feelings and friendship… and loyalty and triumph. Vivian is not yet done teasing out aspects of the Monkey King legend in her contemporary tale, and I’m looking forward to more!
📚: @epigrambooks
May 8, 2025
Imagine the Underworld is the coolest place equipped with the most advanced technology. And governed by a charismatic King Yan Wang who charms his way in the mortal world. So continues the exciting story of our heroine Mikaela, the reincarnation of Monkey King, as she navigates her school life, chases her dream of being a K-Pop star while undergoing rigorous training to save the world.
The worldbuilding in book 2 is fascinating, laced with fast-paced and heartwarming storyline. A MG book readers of all ages will love and enjoy.
The worldbuilding in book 2 is fascinating, laced with fast-paced and heartwarming storyline. A MG book readers of all ages will love and enjoy.
May 16, 2025
Champion of the Realms returns to the epic world of Mikaela Kong, who is now slightly better at wielding a cudgel but still struggling to manifest the other powers of the Monkey King. The arrival of a new character presents Mikaela with several moral quandaries and tough choices: between old friends and new allies, the status quo and revolution, and taking the easy way or the hard way.
My favourite part of this book was Vivian’s imaginative descriptions of the high-tech underworld and how its methods of punishment have been modernised. Tanya was also a memorable character with a satisfying redemption arc. The tonal shift in Yan Wang from misunderstood antihero to Machiavellian semi-villain was also done well and I’m excited to see if he’ll redeem himself in the next book.
I do wish we could’ve seen more of Yulong in this book (in the form of more interactions between Yulong and Mik other than training scenes 💔) Yulong’s absence was understandable in light of his kidnapping, but the Yulong/Mik dynamic was one of the things I enjoyed most about Book 1 and I was hoping to see their friendship deepen and evolve from where we left off in the previous book. Instead, I felt like Yulong was (slightly) sidelined in favour of the newer and more exciting Yan Wang and presented as a bit of a naggy parental figure (constantly nagging Mik to practise her meditation) which made me a little sad.
Mik’s yearning for recognition (both from the Celestial Realm and her dance crew) and frustration at being overlooked despite her efforts and capabilities will strike a chord with young readers! I felt that the magnetic Yan Wang showcased the dark side of ambition (speeding up Mik’s training at the cost of her emotional stability + his pretty much perpetual enslavement of those souls he found too useful to reincarnate) while leaving the reader with enough room to question whether he could be right about some things - could the celestial realm really be run more efficiently if he were in charge? - and arrive at an answer of their own. I felt that the lesson that Mik learns about the hidden costs of doing things the easy way is also particularly sobering at a time when it is easier than ever for students to rely on AI to complete assignments instead of learning the material and doing the work themselves.
Overall, a solid follow-up to Book 1 and I can’t wait for the next book!
My favourite part of this book was Vivian’s imaginative descriptions of the high-tech underworld and how its methods of punishment have been modernised. Tanya was also a memorable character with a satisfying redemption arc. The tonal shift in Yan Wang from misunderstood antihero to Machiavellian semi-villain was also done well and I’m excited to see if he’ll redeem himself in the next book.
I do wish we could’ve seen more of Yulong in this book (in the form of more interactions between Yulong and Mik other than training scenes 💔) Yulong’s absence was understandable in light of his kidnapping, but the Yulong/Mik dynamic was one of the things I enjoyed most about Book 1 and I was hoping to see their friendship deepen and evolve from where we left off in the previous book. Instead, I felt like Yulong was (slightly) sidelined in favour of the newer and more exciting Yan Wang and presented as a bit of a naggy parental figure (constantly nagging Mik to practise her meditation) which made me a little sad.
Mik’s yearning for recognition (both from the Celestial Realm and her dance crew) and frustration at being overlooked despite her efforts and capabilities will strike a chord with young readers! I felt that the magnetic Yan Wang showcased the dark side of ambition (speeding up Mik’s training at the cost of her emotional stability + his pretty much perpetual enslavement of those souls he found too useful to reincarnate) while leaving the reader with enough room to question whether he could be right about some things - could the celestial realm really be run more efficiently if he were in charge? - and arrive at an answer of their own. I felt that the lesson that Mik learns about the hidden costs of doing things the easy way is also particularly sobering at a time when it is easier than ever for students to rely on AI to complete assignments instead of learning the material and doing the work themselves.
Overall, a solid follow-up to Book 1 and I can’t wait for the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2026
having read a good number of fantasy books set in europe/east asia, it was completely refreshing reading one set in my hometown. i enjoyed vivian teo’s re-envisioning of the underworld, given how new technologies have permeated our lives, as well as the exhilarating fight scenes that had me at the edge of my seat. honestly, i have no idea how mikaela balances school, dance and martial training because secondary school me was drowning in just school alone, but i’m glad she has the support of feixue and yulong <3
August 7, 2025
This book had me feeling everything. From frustration at Mikaela’s reckless decisions (girl, why are we trusting Yan Wang??) to being deeply moved by the themes of forgiveness and reincarnation, this story takes you on an emotional ride. I especially loved the subplot around Fei Xue’s parents and Tanya-no spoilers, but let’s just say I was VERY TOUCHED 🥹
Even when I didn’t like Mikaela’s choices, I understood them especially once the author explained the effect of her qi and the emotional turmoil she was going through. It made the story feel more layered, more real. And shoutout to Fei Xue for being the voice of reason when we needed it most 🙏🏻
The pacing was just right, never dragging, always making me want to keep going. The only thing I didn’t like? That Book 3 isn’t out yet!! I NEED to know what happens next!!
Even when I didn’t like Mikaela’s choices, I understood them especially once the author explained the effect of her qi and the emotional turmoil she was going through. It made the story feel more layered, more real. And shoutout to Fei Xue for being the voice of reason when we needed it most 🙏🏻
The pacing was just right, never dragging, always making me want to keep going. The only thing I didn’t like? That Book 3 isn’t out yet!! I NEED to know what happens next!!
June 27, 2025
Vivian really outdid herself with this book. I loved everything about this book. The action scenes had me by the throat, and I just related so hard to the themes in the book, having grown up with them. Karma, atonement, reincarnation – these are ideas that have shaped my beliefs as a person, and it's so awesome to see them come together in this book. Besides that, I also loved how Vivian weaved in the essence of Sun Wukong into Mikaela so perfectly. I can't wait for the next book!!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews