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Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword (Book 1) (Peasprout Chen, 1) Paperback – January 22, 2019

by Henry Lien (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 98 ratings
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“It’s Hermione Granger meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets the Ice Capades meets Mean Girls." For all its disparate ingredients, though, Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword speaks in a single, strong voice, thanks to its spirited heroine."―The New York Times

"Massively entertaining...Peasprout Chen is a future legend, indeed."―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Welcome to Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, where the blades are sharp and the competition is fierce.

Peasprout Chen dreams of becoming a legend of wu liu, the deadly and beautiful art of martial arts figure skating.

As the first students from the rural country of Shin to attend Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, Peasprout and her little brother Cricket have some pretty big skates to fill. They soon find themselves in a heated competition for top ranking.

Tensions rise when the dazzling pearl buildings of the Academy are vandalized and outsider Peasprout is blamed for the attacks by her rivals ... and even some friends.

Now, she must uncover the true vandal to ensure peace between Shin and Pearl – all while becoming a champion.

Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 14 years
  2. Book 1 of 2
    Peasprout Chen
  3. Print length
    352 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    Kindergarten and up
  6. Lexile measure
    860L
  7. Dimensions
    6.02 x 0.93 x 7.34 inches
  8. Publisher
    Square Fish
  9. Publication date
    January 22, 2019
  10. ISBN-10
    1250294363
  11. ISBN-13
    978-1250294364
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“It’s Hermione Granger meets ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ meets the Ice Capades meets ‘Mean Girls.’” For all its disparate ingredients, though, PEASPROUT CHEN: FUTURE LEGEND OF SKATE AND SWORD speaks in a single, strong voice, thanks to its spirited heroine." ―The New York Times

"Massively entertaining...Peasprout Chen is a future legend, indeed." ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"For a rewarding and well-constructed plot in an uncommon setting―plus some effective genderqueer subversion at the end―this story can’t be beat." ―The Horn Book

"An utter delight from start to finish... I love this book!" ―New York Times-bestselling author Jonathan Auxier

"Peasprout Chen is my new favorite heroine of young people's literature." ―New York Times-bestselling author Daniel José Older

"Thrilling, beautiful, fierce, and like nothing I've ever read before."―Mike Jung, author of Unidentified Suburban Object

"The fictional wu liu that flourishes there―acrobatic fighting conducted on springy ice skates―stands a good chance of elbowing aside quidditch as the next big novel-inspired sport... luring fans of martial arts, well-built worlds, and romance back for ensuing adventure."―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Lien’s exciting debut is a story of acceptance and bravery, friendship and hope. Peasprout dreams of becoming the best in wu liu, a mix of martial arts and figure skating...A riveting and complex read about new beginnings, family, and choices." ―Booklist

"Vividly described wu liu sequences capture the exuberance and energy of the imagined sport...An ambitious debut." ―Kirkus Reviews


Praise for Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword Audiobook:

Book Riot Top 25 Best Family Audiobooks of 2018

"The narrator, Nancy Wu, finds just the right blade edge between girlish naïveté and brashness for our protagonist, who isn’t about to be cowed by teenage queen bees or distracted by romance, and who registers her near-constant displeasure with epithets like “Ten thousand years of stomach gas!”" -New York Times

"[Nancy] Wu glides deftly through the narration with distinct characterizations. ...Wu’s pacing is flawless, slow and thoughtful or tense and fast when the story’s action calls for it. In competition scenes, especially, Wu shines, imparting a breathlessness listeners can feel. ...By turns funny and serious, Peasprout Chen tackles tough subjects: immigration, family, and hard choices. This unique heroine will skate into the hearts of middle-grade listeners." -Booklist, Starred Review

"With dazzling versatility, narrator Nancy Wu immerses listeners in this complex East Asian-inspired fantasy about a martial arts legend in the making. ...Wu's narration captures Peasprout's every nuance--hubristic yet vulnerable, snarky yet sincere--alongside character voices that range from subtly accented to all-out caricature. Peppered with breathless wu liu action and bookended by original music, this memorable performance will leave listeners hoping for a sequel." -AudioFile, Earphones Award Winner

About the Author

Henry Lien is a 2012 graduate of Clarion West, and his short fiction has appeared in publications like Asimov’s, earning several Nebula Award nominations. Born in Taiwan, Henry currently lives in Hollywood, California. He is the author of Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Square Fish; Reprint edition (January 22, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250294363
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250294364
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 14 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 860L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Kindergarten and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.02 x 0.93 x 7.34 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 98 ratings

About the author

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Henry Lien

Henry Lien

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HENRY LIEN is a 2012 graduate of Clarion West. He is the author of the PEASPROUT CHEN middle grade fantasy series. His short fiction has appeared in publications like Asimov’s, earning multiple Nebula Award nominations. Born in Taiwan, Henry currently lives in Hollywood, California. www.henrylien.com

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
98 global ratings
It's a time-space-fashion-architecture-cultural extravaganza! For grownups and kids alike!
5 Stars
It's a time-space-fashion-architecture-cultural extravaganza! For grownups and kids alike!
Allow yourself to yield to the glory that is Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword. The ONLY regret I have is that I now have to wait for book two, and the movie, and the soundtrack. This is like your favorite training/underdog/sports movie plus the most luscious art history/language immersion course. I laughed; I cried; I re-read. No joke. There is a depth of feeling that goes beyond YA fantasy, I'm changed by the depth of community, betrayal and commitment to excellence in the story---and by this amazing author. I want you to have your own experience with it, so I've tried to craft this review many times. READ IT. NOW.
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Top reviews from the United States

Jonathan Chew
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it. Read it. You won’t regret it!
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
I love this book. LOVE! The world, the characters, the plot had me turning every page and I immediately had to start reading the second book once I finished this one. (Also I gave this book as a present to my eight-year-old niece and she couldn’t stop reading the story too, great gift!). I had the opportunity to meet the author, Henry, and he is just the coolest guy too. Really passionate and creative! Henry put in a ton of thought into this well-crafted series. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and this is the first book I’ve read that made me feel the exact way while reading it. I want to live in this world. I want to know these characters! The story is soooo clever. I will gladly buy anything else that Henry writes!
One person found this helpful
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D. Price
5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
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I loved this book. The world and the skating are visionary.
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Mary S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! great author!
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023
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My daughter loves this book (she is 10)! It is a unique and fun story. We also had an opportunity to meet the author at a school event. He was great! The book and author are both captivating. Definitely worth a read! Looking forward to checking out his second book as well.
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Melnik
4.0 out of 5 stars Wuxia on skates!
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2021
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In her home province in the country of Shin, Peasprout Chen is a star of the ice-skating martial art known as wu liu. However, in the self-governed city of Pearl, she is just one of many aiming for the top at Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword. But soon, tensions rise when the school property is damaged and suspicious eyes turn towards Peasporut and her younger brother for being the only non-Pearlian students.

The biggest strength of the novel is how imaginative the world is. From a city made out of a pearl-like substance to throwbacks to its clear inspirations from China, Taiwan, and Japan, it's a world that was fun to explore.

I also enjoyed the use of limited first-person. I loved seeing Peasprout's thought process. There are times I where her conclusions are right and there times where the reader can see that she is too single-minded in her conclusion to see that it's wrong. However, my favorite incident is the conclusions that led to her solving the problem of the novel. And the thing is? Even after my second reading, I still can't tell if Peasprout came to the right conclusion, or if it's a case of misconstruing others' words and actions, and only by luck did it turn out right for her.

However, while I greatly enjoyed the novel, I do have a problem with it. With wu liu being based on martial arts and ice-skating, the names of the moves are a combination of martial styles and skating moves. However, with no knowledge of ice-skating, I have no references for how to imagine the action at times. Sometimes I can figure it out by the name of the move and other context clues, but most of the time, I don't.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword. Every time I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. Even when I had problems visualizing the action, I never lost the spark for it.
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Book worm
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2021
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This is one of my favorite series of all time ,and I have read quite a few books.It’s got politics ,action, amazing characters, a majestic setting, high stakes, a larger vocabulary that fuels your own , and an unbelievable plot twist!It’s focused on the practice of something between martial arts and skating (Wu Liu).
I have read this about 2 times (and gladly will again and again!)
The second book ,as far as I’ve read , is also as astonishing and remarkable as the first.
Overall, it’s an underrated book and very exciting and auspicious.
One person found this helpful
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James Harper
5.0 out of 5 stars Boarding school for combat ice skating
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018
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This is a boarding school story, like Harry Potter or Malory Towers, but the school's unlike anything you've seen. This is a place devoted to teaching wu liu, a martial art form of ice skating. The entire school is make out of skateable Pearl, so each of the six exams involve the outsides of buildings as much as the courtyards. And because the protagonist won't settle for anything less than being first in her class (she's decided to be the future legend of skate and sword, after all), she's a memorably driven character, a big fish transplanted to a bigger pond who's still determined to prove she's the biggest.

The story is lean and graceful, much like wu liu itself. And the pace is frenetic. I wouldn't be surprised to hear readers devouring this book in a single sitting.
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Alien
5.0 out of 5 stars Do not try this at home!
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. To start, so original! I remember how thrilling it was the first time I saw Baryshnikov demonstrate that ballet wasn't just this delicate, flowery thing but something that could be powerful and incredibly masculine. I felt the same thrill and delight when I read this book and learned that ice skating could be beautiful and graceful and…LETHAL. Wow! Then there's the dreamy-cool world of Pearl itself. I won't spoil anything, but it's unlike anything I've known before. It makes me wish there really was a place like Pearl that I could go visit. I also loved the complicated but sweet relationship between big sister and little brother. I am not ashamed to say I may have cried a little bit. And finally, so funny! Ten thousand years of stomach gas, I could not stop laughing out loud in so many spots. This is such a fresh, fun book that you must read, whether you're an adult or sharing it with kids. Though if you do read it with kids, be sure to start with "Do not try this at home."
2 people found this helpful
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Cindy Shih
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow.
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2018
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Tonight's the second night I've stayed up past midnight reading, and now that I've finished it, all I can say is: Wow.

Peasprout is the kind of story that can only be written by an author who deeply understands the complexities and lived-in nuances of growing up Asian. This is why representation matters. I really wish we had books like this growing up; I would loved to be that young reader coming across this book, seeing myself in so many of the awesome characters in this story. In one imaginative fell swoop, Henry weaves a world full of symbolism, mystery, and beauty in a truly original story that any kid starting at a new school could relate to. A real gem of a novel, and really-- one of the most charming stories I've read in a long time. I'm already looking forward to the sequel!
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Yaroslav Barsukov
5.0 out of 5 stars Family, alienation, and one truth that we've forgotten about
Reviewed in Germany on October 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
A beautiful novel, both in its writing and imagery as well as in its treatment of one specific—shall I call it love? non-love? unfortunately, to say more would mean spoilers—storyline. My eyes were wet in the end.

The worldbuilding is unique (martial skating? a city built of pearl substance?), but still grounded in real world which makes even its most far-out aspects easy to believe in. It pays off to know about the China / Taiwan relations (which the empire of Shin and the city of Pearl are based on) and to be ready to google things like 'bound feet' (trigger alert: body mutilation).

The book starts in a Harry Potter fashion, with the heroine arriving in Pearl to study at a—well, you could say magical academy. But where Rowling chooses to concentrate on her story, Lien goes deeper and explores the topics of family, alienation, and one truth that we've forgotten about in the modern world—that we need to cherish getting what we need, even when we don't get what we want.

Also, watch out if you're claustrophobic—the Pearlian way of dealing with top criminals is bound to give you a few uncomfortable minutes.
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George
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful positive story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2018
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Fun, exciting, vivid, incredible - what worldbuilding, what characters. Everyone must visit Pearl and fall in love with these characters and their relationships.

May we meet again in the New Year
May we meet again in Pearl.
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