Sword Quest

SWORDQUEST is about a white dove called Wind-Voice. Wind-Voice is a slave for the evil ruler of all archaeopteryxes, Hungrias II. One day Hungrias wanted to celebrate the finding of another Leasorn gemstone by eating Wind-Voice. The rumor of the Leasorn gemstones is that it will lead to a sword that will destroy all evil. Luckily, Wind-Voice escaped along with another almost doomed bird, Winger the woodpecker. The two traveled and met a myna named Stormac who helped them to the home of heron Fisher. There they learned of the hero who banishes darkness. Wind-Voice and Winger wanted to go find this hero. The myna, Stormac joined them on their journey. They need the clues on the Leasorn gems to find the hero. This journey will change all of them in different ways. What I loved best about this book was it had dramatic scenes. The story was enchanting and this series reminds me of Erin Hunter's Warrior series. Where the Warrior series had cats as characters, this has birds. I can't wait to read the sequel of this book, SWORDBIRD.

I must admit that I was skeptical of how a story about birds at war with each other could have much essence of Chinese culture. However, my skepticism quickly died. Nancy Yi Fan's Sword Quest contains several Chinese elements. The key and more obvious elements that I was able to find are the importance of family, nonviolence, Yin and Yang and the belief in good and bad spirits. A major Chinese element in Sword Quest is the importance of family, as shown by the eagles. Though I do not know all that I wish to know about my parents' culture, the importance of family is permanently drilled into my head. One of the quotes from the Old Scripture describes this importance well; "One of the hardest things to break is the tie of family". However, Fan takes this key belief and goes a step forward by challenging it. One of the main characters, a former prince of the eagles, Fleydur, had to choose between what he know to be the right thing to do and the people he loved more than himself. In the end, he chose to do the right thing and did not regret it. However, the pain of separation from his family after so long is evident. Fan also takes it a step further when Wind-voice proclaims his companions his brothers, as if they were a true blood-related family. The most obvious Chinese element is Yin and Yang. Its most obvious appearance is when the robin uses a tapestry that depicts the symbol of Yin and Yang to tell the future. Fan's description of the piece sounds poetic, like right from a translation of a Chinese poem; "tadpoles swimming together, encircled by orderly lines". Fan imbeds some Asian décor into the novel. The Yin and Yang tapestry is one example but another is the kite-shaped flying carriage with a frame of bamboo that Maldeor rides in. Yin and Yang's other apparent appearance is in the form of the most evil and greedy villain, Yin Soul. In Chinese culture, Yin is thought of as the dark side representing all of the evil. I am surprised that the author did not go the whole way and make Yin Soul male, seeing as Yin is usually paired with any feminine. Its less obvious appearance in the story is when the main character, Wind-voice, realized that birds are not easily separated into "white and black, good and bad". Life and people have a lot of gray in them. This belief is depicted in Yin and Yang by the small circle of the opposite color in the fluid shapes of white and black. Yin Soul is also linked to anther aspect of Chinese culture; spirits. The evil monster is turned into a spirit that must find a physical body to inhabit if he wants to live. Hence, he attempts to convince other birds to take his essence. The idea of essence and one's spirit seems a bit of place in the American culture but it is not so in the Chinese culture. However, not all spirits are evil. An obvious example is Wind-voice, who turns into a spirit to become an everlasting protector of peace, and his possible father, the Great Spirit. In China, ancestors are believed to be

Following the enchanting Swordbird, Sword Quest is better! How interesting that this book is a prequel and can be read alone but is better when reading them in order. Nancy Yi Fan says her next book will fall between the two books sequentially so there looks like we may have another great series in the making. As a Reading teacher, my 6th graders loved this book and so did I! The way the birds become human-like characters is so interesting and engages your emotions and heart! Ranks up there with the Warrior and the Seekers series. If you like them, you will love these!

My third grade son claims Sword Bird as his favorite book and says that he liked this prequel "almost as much." He reads constantly, so naming a book as a favorite is a big claim for him. He and a number of friends his age have reporting loving Sword Quest because the characters and action are so interesting. I think they also are intrigued that it was written by such a young person.

My 7-year old son and I read Swordbird first before reading this prequel and I enjoyed both books every bit as much as he did if not more. To think a 12-year old girl imagined this wonderful story filled with rich characters is both humbling and fascinating. I dearly hope Nancy Yi Fan will continue writing this series. I would put her series in a league near Harry Potter.