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The Yangchen Novels #1
The Dawn of Yangchen
From the New York Times bestselling author of Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi and Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi comes a thrilling new chapter in the Chronicles of the Avatar series
Yangchen’s inexperience may prove to be her greatest asset . . .
Plagued by the voices of Avatars before her for as long as she can remember, Yangchen has not yet earned the respect felt for Avatar Szeto, her predecessor. In an era where loyalty is bought rather than earned, she has little reason to trust her counsel. When Yangchen travels to Bin-Er in the Earth Kingdom on political business, a chance encounter with an informant named Kavik leads to a wary partnership. Bin-Er is a city ruled by corrupt shang merchants who have become resentful of the mercurial Earth King and his whims. To extract themselves from his influence, the shangs have one solution in mind: a mysterious weapon of mass destruction that would place power squarely in their hands. As Yangchen and Kavik seek to thwart the shangs’ plan, their unlikely friendship deepens. But for Yangchen to chart her course as a singularly powerful Avatar, she must learn to rely on her own wisdom above all else.
This propulsive third installment in the Chronicles of the Avatar series illuminates Avatar Yangchen’s journey from uncertain young woman to revered leader.
Yangchen’s inexperience may prove to be her greatest asset . . .
Plagued by the voices of Avatars before her for as long as she can remember, Yangchen has not yet earned the respect felt for Avatar Szeto, her predecessor. In an era where loyalty is bought rather than earned, she has little reason to trust her counsel. When Yangchen travels to Bin-Er in the Earth Kingdom on political business, a chance encounter with an informant named Kavik leads to a wary partnership. Bin-Er is a city ruled by corrupt shang merchants who have become resentful of the mercurial Earth King and his whims. To extract themselves from his influence, the shangs have one solution in mind: a mysterious weapon of mass destruction that would place power squarely in their hands. As Yangchen and Kavik seek to thwart the shangs’ plan, their unlikely friendship deepens. But for Yangchen to chart her course as a singularly powerful Avatar, she must learn to rely on her own wisdom above all else.
This propulsive third installment in the Chronicles of the Avatar series illuminates Avatar Yangchen’s journey from uncertain young woman to revered leader.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2022
1156 people are currently reading
13027 people want to read
About the author
F.C. Yee
12 books1,687 followersF.C. Yee is the author of four New York Times Bestselling books in the CHRONICLES OF THE AVATAR novel series set in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe. His debut THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO and THE IRON WILL OF GENIE LO received six starred reviews. His newest project is slated for some time in 2027.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,264 reviews
July 20, 2022
The book should’ve been called “The Adventures of Kavik”.
The story was great and it sets up Yangchen as a compelling and fully realized avatar, but all we got was set-up. No deep exploration of who she is or her struggles, nothing past the surface. Nearly every part of the story that should’ve been hers was dropped in favor of yet more chapters about Kavik.
Yangchen is relegated to the role of side character in her own story and it was wildly disappointing.
I’m all for multiple POV and ensemble casts in stories, but by the midway point I found myself groaning and wondering how many more Kavik chapters I would have to slog through. Hopefully future books will actually focus on the title character, but given the epilogue, I doubt it.
2.5 stars.
The story was great and it sets up Yangchen as a compelling and fully realized avatar, but all we got was set-up. No deep exploration of who she is or her struggles, nothing past the surface. Nearly every part of the story that should’ve been hers was dropped in favor of yet more chapters about Kavik.
Yangchen is relegated to the role of side character in her own story and it was wildly disappointing.
I’m all for multiple POV and ensemble casts in stories, but by the midway point I found myself groaning and wondering how many more Kavik chapters I would have to slog through. Hopefully future books will actually focus on the title character, but given the epilogue, I doubt it.
2.5 stars.
December 28, 2022
wow I love a woman who could easily deceive me ❤️
short rtc
short rtc
// buddy read with rain & cath!
August 1, 2022
can't believe this book about a female character raised by a society of women has literally zero other prominent female characters except for the protagonist lmfao men truly cannot conceive of women existing without them or having complex relationships with each other what a flop
cant believe my favourite avatar was done so dirty and had to share all of her limelight with a pathetic waste of a man truly F. the writer really made yangchen a side character in HER OWN BOOK (just like what they did to korra and this writer did to kyoshi with yun lol powerful women are truly inconceivable to men) where's her backstory her relationships theres nothing here at all its all about sad mr kavik and his manpain and his woes god im so mad truly
its like another reviewer said this should have been the adventures of kavik - with my feminist addition that it truly is beyond insulting to have female characters play second fiddle to men in their own fucking narratives
based on both kyoshi and this book im convinced the writer just does not know how to write female povs or something and just inserts random male characters and writes from their pov instead of focusing on the female protag and her pov
cant believe my favourite avatar was done so dirty and had to share all of her limelight with a pathetic waste of a man truly F. the writer really made yangchen a side character in HER OWN BOOK (just like what they did to korra and this writer did to kyoshi with yun lol powerful women are truly inconceivable to men) where's her backstory her relationships theres nothing here at all its all about sad mr kavik and his manpain and his woes god im so mad truly
its like another reviewer said this should have been the adventures of kavik - with my feminist addition that it truly is beyond insulting to have female characters play second fiddle to men in their own fucking narratives
based on both kyoshi and this book im convinced the writer just does not know how to write female povs or something and just inserts random male characters and writes from their pov instead of focusing on the female protag and her pov
July 19, 2022
3.5 stars
This was fine, which was honestly disappointing after how much I loved the Kyoshi novels.
It felt kind of like F.C. Yee didn’t think Yangchen was very interesting, despite all of the tantalizing hints of backstory he gave her. There was definitely an emotional/growth arc for her that could have been explored, but instead all of that happened offstage during time jumps. All of the chapters from Yangchen’s point of view were very plot-focused and didn’t really get into her feelings at all. (Also, what was the point of giving her so many animal companions if we never saw any of her care or feelings for them or her interactions with them? Pengpeng had much more personality and relationship with Kyoshi, and she wasn’t even Kyoshi’s bison!)
By contrast, Yangchen’s companion Kavik actually had an emotional arc that was very tied into the plot, which I might have been more into if this had not been billed as Yangchen’s book? I feel like either Yee really needed to lean into the outsider POV choice and be clear that that’s what this book was OR shift the focus to Yangchen’s growth and evolution. (Honestly, I think the real Yangchen story is the Old Iron + aftermath backstory—that seems like it shaped her character much more than the events we see in this novel.)
Also, coming on the heels of the Kyoshi books, I kind of side-eye what happened to Jetsun—it felt too similar to a plot point in Rise of Kyoshi and was never allowed to take on any emotional resonance. It seemed like it would have been so easy for Yee to use that to springboard the Yangchen he sketched out in the Kyoshi novels—the Avatar who rode a little roughshod over the spirits because she couldn’t stand to see any people in pain. But absent that arc and that Yangchen, it just felt cheap.
I’m going to read the sequel when it comes out, but I don’t recommend this one as highly as the Kyoshi novels.
This was fine, which was honestly disappointing after how much I loved the Kyoshi novels.
It felt kind of like F.C. Yee didn’t think Yangchen was very interesting, despite all of the tantalizing hints of backstory he gave her. There was definitely an emotional/growth arc for her that could have been explored, but instead all of that happened offstage during time jumps. All of the chapters from Yangchen’s point of view were very plot-focused and didn’t really get into her feelings at all. (Also, what was the point of giving her so many animal companions if we never saw any of her care or feelings for them or her interactions with them? Pengpeng had much more personality and relationship with Kyoshi, and she wasn’t even Kyoshi’s bison!)
By contrast, Yangchen’s companion Kavik actually had an emotional arc that was very tied into the plot, which I might have been more into if this had not been billed as Yangchen’s book? I feel like either Yee really needed to lean into the outsider POV choice and be clear that that’s what this book was OR shift the focus to Yangchen’s growth and evolution. (Honestly, I think the real Yangchen story is the Old Iron + aftermath backstory—that seems like it shaped her character much more than the events we see in this novel.)
Also, coming on the heels of the Kyoshi books, I kind of side-eye what happened to Jetsun—it felt too similar to a plot point in Rise of Kyoshi and was never allowed to take on any emotional resonance. It seemed like it would have been so easy for Yee to use that to springboard the Yangchen he sketched out in the Kyoshi novels—the Avatar who rode a little roughshod over the spirits because she couldn’t stand to see any people in pain. But absent that arc and that Yangchen, it just felt cheap.
I’m going to read the sequel when it comes out, but I don’t recommend this one as highly as the Kyoshi novels.
Read
August 18, 2022Before reading it:
ARE YOU F-ING KIDDING ME????????????????
AAAAAHHHHH
After finishing it:
Well, i had a nice time with this book. I had some expectations that sadly were not met. I think that is why I feel so down about this one. Having loved the Kyoshi novels, I expected to follow the Avatar being challenged. It does give that. The whole story keeps on trying to drag down the avatarhood, but I loved how Yangchen stood on her ground.
The most irritating part for me was those chapter that were not about the avatar. I truly wanted her to be the main focus of the full story.
Out of the things that I did enjoy is the fact that Yangchen is already an established avatar - not someone that is achieving to be.
ARE YOU F-ING KIDDING ME????????????????
AAAAAHHHHH
After finishing it:
Well, i had a nice time with this book. I had some expectations that sadly were not met. I think that is why I feel so down about this one. Having loved the Kyoshi novels, I expected to follow the Avatar being challenged. It does give that. The whole story keeps on trying to drag down the avatarhood, but I loved how Yangchen stood on her ground.
The most irritating part for me was those chapter that were not about the avatar. I truly wanted her to be the main focus of the full story.
Out of the things that I did enjoy is the fact that Yangchen is already an established avatar - not someone that is achieving to be.
August 2, 2023
3.5/5
i wasn't sure what to expect with this one but i ended up enjoying it quite a bit, despite its flaws.
the dawn of yangchen is strikingly different from the kyoshi novels in terms of tone and characters; it's more mysterious and somber, full of spying and scheming and betrayals. the plot was pretty well thought out with twists and political intrigue and an exciting climax that sets up really interesting possibilities for the sequel. once again, f.c. yee does a fantastic job in expanding the world of avatar; i love the mature, complex worldbuilding details in this novel and how they tie into the main conflicts.
the book sketches out a fascinating figure in 17-year-old avatar yangchen and the mental turmoil she grapples with alongside dealing with difficult political figures and complicated international issues. while i love her as a character, i do feel like readers were held at a distance from her. we get glimpses into her past and her feelings but they felt shallow, as if from an outsider's view. i wish the author had delved more into her thoughts and her relationships (especially with her sister jetsun). her relationship with our other protagonist, kavik, had a lot of potential if only it was explored more (although i did like what we see of it). as for kavik, i wasn't completely on board with his POV at first but the more we saw of him, the more i liked him and sympathized with his motivations to help his family and find his missing brother.
also, i disagree with some reviews saying kavik gets more attention than yangchen. yes, his emotional arc is more explored than yangchen's but they both get a more or less equal amount of page time. i never felt like this was kavik's book instead of yangchen's, plus i liked seeing the avatar from the perspective of other POVs.
overall, there's a lot of potential for future events here, particularly concerning yangchen's past and her ability to deeply communicate with her previous incarnations. i'm looking forward to the sequel and i really hope it gives yangchen the thorough development she deserves.
i wasn't sure what to expect with this one but i ended up enjoying it quite a bit, despite its flaws.
the dawn of yangchen is strikingly different from the kyoshi novels in terms of tone and characters; it's more mysterious and somber, full of spying and scheming and betrayals. the plot was pretty well thought out with twists and political intrigue and an exciting climax that sets up really interesting possibilities for the sequel. once again, f.c. yee does a fantastic job in expanding the world of avatar; i love the mature, complex worldbuilding details in this novel and how they tie into the main conflicts.
the book sketches out a fascinating figure in 17-year-old avatar yangchen and the mental turmoil she grapples with alongside dealing with difficult political figures and complicated international issues. while i love her as a character, i do feel like readers were held at a distance from her. we get glimpses into her past and her feelings but they felt shallow, as if from an outsider's view. i wish the author had delved more into her thoughts and her relationships (especially with her sister jetsun). her relationship with our other protagonist, kavik, had a lot of potential if only it was explored more (although i did like what we see of it). as for kavik, i wasn't completely on board with his POV at first but the more we saw of him, the more i liked him and sympathized with his motivations to help his family and find his missing brother.
also, i disagree with some reviews saying kavik gets more attention than yangchen. yes, his emotional arc is more explored than yangchen's but they both get a more or less equal amount of page time. i never felt like this was kavik's book instead of yangchen's, plus i liked seeing the avatar from the perspective of other POVs.
overall, there's a lot of potential for future events here, particularly concerning yangchen's past and her ability to deeply communicate with her previous incarnations. i'm looking forward to the sequel and i really hope it gives yangchen the thorough development she deserves.
May 20, 2023
They've really done my girl Yangchen dirty in this. I love Yangchen as a woman Airbender Avatar but her voice and chance to shine was passed to an unknown Waterbender who got 75% of his point of view told as A fucking man. That is not what any one of us signed up for. Yangchen didn't deserve for one second to only play a insignificant amount of time on the background in her own book series. What a waste of promise.
I came here to discover and learn more about the Airbender history through Yangchen and her youth at the Western Air Temple. That's not what was delivered to us. It pains me beyond believe the longer I think about how little we got of that because almost instantly the story switched to Kavik....
Like wtf? His chapters were endless and dreadfully boooooooring. This made it impossible for me to enjoy this book. Time time I was actually skimming my way through his chapters I will admit that.
Credit to the talented Chase Fox.
Kavid added an insignificant amount to the story. His relationship with Yangchen made little to no sense at all. Not that there was any romance about it. Just his very male dominant presence wasn't required at all. I wanted more Yangchen with her feministic powers and seeing more women. There was a tragic loss of either which aches my soul.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ:☆. *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Books in the series:
tw: captivity, misogony
↠ Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
↠ Reputation: Asexuality
↠Published: July 19th 2022
↠ Pov: Multiple
↠ Type: Book #1 in The Yangchen Novels
↠ Rating: 5.6-
🌱☕️ ○ Milou the grumpy hobbit
I came here to discover and learn more about the Airbender history through Yangchen and her youth at the Western Air Temple. That's not what was delivered to us. It pains me beyond believe the longer I think about how little we got of that because almost instantly the story switched to Kavik....
Like wtf? His chapters were endless and dreadfully boooooooring. This made it impossible for me to enjoy this book. Time time I was actually skimming my way through his chapters I will admit that.
Credit to the talented Chase Fox.
Kavid added an insignificant amount to the story. His relationship with Yangchen made little to no sense at all. Not that there was any romance about it. Just his very male dominant presence wasn't required at all. I wanted more Yangchen with her feministic powers and seeing more women. There was a tragic loss of either which aches my soul.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ:☆. *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Books in the series:
tw: captivity, misogony
↠ Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
↠ Reputation: Asexuality
↠Published: July 19th 2022
↠ Pov: Multiple
↠ Type: Book #1 in The Yangchen Novels
↠ Rating: 5.6-
🌱☕️ ○ Milou the grumpy hobbit
August 11, 2022
Lots of politics, discussion, problem-solution seeking.
Lack of lore, action sequences and bending.
I also didn't feel a lot of connection with Yangchen. She was rather serious and always tasked focused. I want to get to know the Yangchen on another level. Maybe in the next book.
This book was rather a drag and hard to stay focused on, because it was... boring sometimes.
A bit disappointing because I absolutely enjoyed the Kyoshi novels.
Lack of lore, action sequences and bending.
I also didn't feel a lot of connection with Yangchen. She was rather serious and always tasked focused. I want to get to know the Yangchen on another level. Maybe in the next book.
This book was rather a drag and hard to stay focused on, because it was... boring sometimes.
A bit disappointing because I absolutely enjoyed the Kyoshi novels.
July 20, 2022
A lot has happened since the last Avatar The Last Airbender novel release. When The Shadow of Kyoshi released, ATLA was hitting its newfound popularity on Netflix. Now, two years later, we find ourselves with a book that a person like myself thought was never going to happen. When the announcement came out for this book, I was surprised and elated. Yangchen is a character I've always wanted to be explored more. This book had a tall task however. The Kyoshi duology was received with universal praise. At the time of writing book 1 has a 4.47 and book 2 has a 4.39 rating on Goodreads. Not an easy feat at all as both books have over 12k ratings. As I said, tall task indeed, one that FC Yee dutifully undertook. So, how does this book stand?
Well, to be honest, my feelings about this book are thoroughly mixed. Yangchen as a character is fascinating. She is an air nomad, similar in some respects to Aang, but also wildly different. She has no problem twisting the truth or even lying for the greater good of people, something she constantly has to deal with. It makes for a really fascinating character. Kyoshi and Yangchen deal in two different worlds, but it is interesting seeing all these Avatars that we know, and how unique they are, as given one situation in the book, they probably would have all thought about the problem differently and came up with different solutions. Where Yangchen deals with secrets, spying, and information, Kyoshi might just go running in forcefully to deal with the problem. Yangchen, the character, is probably the best part of this book.
Unfortunately, everything else about this book lags a bit. First off, the prose. Yee's prose can be difficult at times. That is something I experience with all of his books (and I have read and loved every single one of his books). Typically its easier to swallow upon rereading it, but here it seems especially...chaotic I guess would be the best word? It's like an editor didn't comb through this, or didn't do a good job. I'm sure things will be more clear to others, and to myself upon rereading it, but it is a complaint I have. Another thing I felt mixed on was the plot. Much like the prose, it had its moments but also needed a few beats of clarity. The characters here seem to lack the depth that characters had in the previous Kyoshi books. It seemed that only two characters, Yangchen and Kavik, were more than two dimensional characters. Even the antagonist creates a scenario that I cannot see him escape, and yet he sees it and all he wants to do is become...rich? Maybe that is just how he is, but it also seemed quite shallow, and didn't make me feel well anything towards him. Again, this could just be a me thing. I also feel like it could have been better explained about her past with General Old Iron. You get bits and pieces here and there, but without reading The Rift it is easy to get lost or not fully understand what occurred. Just a paragraph or two really would have helped.
Overall, maybe it is not fair for me to compare it to its two predecessors. Even if I didn't though, I don't think it would impact my rating one way or another.
In the end, I'm giving this book 3.5 stars, which will be rounded up to 4 here. This is a book about Yangchen, and that is where this book perpetually shines. Yee did a great job at expanding on her character and making me love her even more. That is most important to me, even if the rest of the book falters along the way. Regardless, I'm still extremely excited for the sequel!
August 14, 2022
I did not think Yangchen could be as badass as Kyoshi yet here we are. I know this book just released a few weeks ago but when is book 2?🥲
June 11, 2023
Yangchen was made a side character in her own novel. I’ll neither forget nor forgive this terrible trespass, and for this reason, I will not be picking up the sequel.
Plus, it took me 3 months just to power through this literary sludge of boredom and underwhelming storytelling.
Kavik, you suck. You suck so hard.
Not recommended!
Plus, it took me 3 months just to power through this literary sludge of boredom and underwhelming storytelling.
Kavik, you suck. You suck so hard.
Not recommended!
October 4, 2022
4/10/2022: alternate title: Yangchen and the early history of combustion bending.
now that I've read it, I felt like it's not better than the kyoshi novels. sure Yangchen was an interesting avatar. she's easygoing, smart, calculated, and carefree at the same time. but it bugged me that she had to share the POVs with Kavik. the plot wasn't jaw dropping either. and the ending was kinda like delaying the problem to another day. how unfortunate since I've anticipated--always anticipate--new story from Avatar world. I hope it will get better in the second book.
25/3/2022: ANOTHER AVATAR NOVEL??? AND ITS NOT STANDALONE??? AND ITS ABOUT YANGCHEN, THE GREATEST AVATAR YANGCHEN??? AVATAR STAN WE TRULY ARE WINNING
now that I've read it, I felt like it's not better than the kyoshi novels. sure Yangchen was an interesting avatar. she's easygoing, smart, calculated, and carefree at the same time. but it bugged me that she had to share the POVs with Kavik. the plot wasn't jaw dropping either. and the ending was kinda like delaying the problem to another day. how unfortunate since I've anticipated--always anticipate--new story from Avatar world. I hope it will get better in the second book.
25/3/2022: ANOTHER AVATAR NOVEL??? AND ITS NOT STANDALONE??? AND ITS ABOUT YANGCHEN, THE GREATEST AVATAR YANGCHEN??? AVATAR STAN WE TRULY ARE WINNING
August 29, 2022
F.C Yee did it again!
Yangchen is a different kind of avatar from the ones we have seen/read. This is a fully 'grown' avatar with all four elements under her power, and some bits of experience in battling giant spirits and whatnots. Yangchen's world - when the three of four nations practiced isolationist policy full of espionage and powerful commerce actors - requires a different kind of avatar. She spies, she schemes, she uses people.
As with the Kyoshi novels, Yee was able to build a fascinating, vivid world that would satisfy Avatar fans. The other characters were cool as well, the former waterbendibg spy Kavik who long for escape from an oppressive trading city, and then we also have Chaisee, a powerful machiavellian trade leader. She only showed up for a bit but it was intriguing and her influence in the plot was felt throughout the book.
And then Yangchen. Also had her demons (or in this case, spirits) to handle. Can't say much about it for fear of spoiler but I am curious on how it would continue affecting her.
All in all, another great entry to the Avatar world, and I can't wait for the next book (gonna be a duology).
Yangchen is a different kind of avatar from the ones we have seen/read. This is a fully 'grown' avatar with all four elements under her power, and some bits of experience in battling giant spirits and whatnots. Yangchen's world - when the three of four nations practiced isolationist policy full of espionage and powerful commerce actors - requires a different kind of avatar. She spies, she schemes, she uses people.
As with the Kyoshi novels, Yee was able to build a fascinating, vivid world that would satisfy Avatar fans. The other characters were cool as well, the former waterbendibg spy Kavik who long for escape from an oppressive trading city, and then we also have Chaisee, a powerful machiavellian trade leader. She only showed up for a bit but it was intriguing and her influence in the plot was felt throughout the book.
And then Yangchen. Also had her demons (or in this case, spirits) to handle. Can't say much about it for fear of spoiler but I am curious on how it would continue affecting her.
All in all, another great entry to the Avatar world, and I can't wait for the next book (gonna be a duology).
July 28, 2022
I was entertained, but it was rather shallow. Especially compared to The Rise of Kyoshi. That being said, The Shadow of Kyoshi, was a lot more profound than the first. So I look forward to reading the next one.
Read
January 8, 2023because the kyoshi duology is one of my favorite series of all time, i was really looking forward to reading about avatar yangchen's adventures. however, i did not love it as much as i thought i would. although this was a generally enjoyable read, i found it a little lacking in many aspects. for one, there was more telling than showing here. i wanted to get to know more of yangchen's past, but i only got narrations of her past adventures. it would have been better if more flashbacks were shown instead of just long narrations of what she went through. the politics was also engaging, but kavik's page time often overshadowed yangchen's and i definitely wanted more of her. i really hope we get more of yangchen in the sequel because i want to have a deeper connection with her as a character.
buddy read with cath and may ❤️
buddy read with cath and may ❤️
August 9, 2023
2023 Review:
Bumped it up to 5 stars. I love the political plotting of this novel and the set up for the sequel is so great.
2022 Review:
4.5* rounded up
I will easily love any addition to the Avatar-verse and this was no exception. I love Yangchen with a passion and feel for her tenuous situation as the Avatar.
Amazing Pros to this book:
- Great political plotting
- even pacing
- a new Avatar storey that sets up for an amazing sequel!!!
- Yangchen is a badass in her own way
Minor Cons to this book:
- too much focus on Kavik, not enough on Yangchen
- no introduction of new lore
- not enough exploration of Yanchen's past
Announcement Reaction:
Immediate preorder!!!!!! I AM FREAKING OUT!!!!!
Bumped it up to 5 stars. I love the political plotting of this novel and the set up for the sequel is so great.
2022 Review:
4.5* rounded up
I will easily love any addition to the Avatar-verse and this was no exception. I love Yangchen with a passion and feel for her tenuous situation as the Avatar.
Amazing Pros to this book:
- Great political plotting
- even pacing
- a new Avatar storey that sets up for an amazing sequel!!!
- Yangchen is a badass in her own way
Minor Cons to this book:
- too much focus on Kavik, not enough on Yangchen
- no introduction of new lore
- not enough exploration of Yanchen's past
Announcement Reaction:
Immediate preorder!!!!!! I AM FREAKING OUT!!!!!
August 2, 2022
AMAZING. I LOVED IT. Yangchen was so funny, smart, and cool. She had very unique struggles. She was so cool. I loved learning about Airbenders and their culture. Learning more about what the Airbenders meant as a whole and what their role was in the world really adds gravity to Aang being the Last Airbender. It also makes me hate Fire Lord Sozin even more. Wow was this book so much fun and well done.
January 1, 2023
YANGCHEN BOOK??? possibly more than one????
I can’t WAIT to see more of Yangchen and learn about her! FC Yee I owe you my life for giving us this
(also if she’s sapphic, I’m so pumped. if she’s not I’ll still love her)
I can’t WAIT to see more of Yangchen and learn about her! FC Yee I owe you my life for giving us this
(also if she’s sapphic, I’m so pumped. if she’s not I’ll still love her)
January 25, 2023
As a lover of ATLA and the expansive universe, I was excited to read this one, but it just didn't hit like I thought it would. I might read book 2, who knows?
January 7, 2023
:(
This hurts to be honest and give this review. Kyoshi Chronicles literately changed my life. This one? Fell FLAT.
It’s hardly a story about Yangchen. It’s 75% about the Avatar companion that accompanies her trips. The characters are not engaging, dynamic, or interesting. Yangchen herself is actually an AWESOME avatar and I loved her parts, but since she was hardly in the book it just didn’t work out.
Sad sad sad.
This hurts to be honest and give this review. Kyoshi Chronicles literately changed my life. This one? Fell FLAT.
It’s hardly a story about Yangchen. It’s 75% about the Avatar companion that accompanies her trips. The characters are not engaging, dynamic, or interesting. Yangchen herself is actually an AWESOME avatar and I loved her parts, but since she was hardly in the book it just didn’t work out.
Sad sad sad.
August 12, 2022
In this house we want less live-action atla adaptions and more F.C. Yee atla books!
September 14, 2022
Read this review and hundreds more at The Quill To Live.
Another year, another Avatar: The Last Airbender canon entry to review! F.C. Yee burst onto the scene in 2019 and 2020 with the Kyoshi duology. Both books were solid entries into the growing pantheon of Avatar stories. I even pined for Rise and Shadow to be adapted into a Kyoshi-centric movie. Now, F.C. Yee returns to the Four Nations with The Dawn of Yangchen, the air Avatar who precedes Kuruk and Kyoshi.
Yangchen travels to the city of Bin-Er to explore the boiling unrest among the city’s labor class. The shangs control most of the money and trade in the city, and they rule with an iron fist. They prevent Bin-er residents from getting travel passes to leave the city even for short stretches. Ostensibly, the shangs are meant to help the regular folk of Bin-Er, but instead they abuse their power to their own ends (and to pad their wallets). When Yangchen crosses paths with Kavik, a runner who gleans information in exchange for coin, she enlists him to help settle the unrest that threatens to undermine Bin-Er and other nearby shang-ruled cities. Soon, they hear rumblings about Unanimity, a mysterious advantage the shangs believe will be their ultimate bargaining chip to maintain their tight grip over the Bin-Er economy.
The Dawn of Yangchen further cements F.C. Yee as an increasingly adept Avatar storyteller. He clearly understands the world, the issues that plague it, and the characters who want to improve it. Yangchen feels more realized as a character here than Kyoshi did across two novels. I cut Yee some slack there, because Kyoshi’s arc relied on self-discovery. Yangchen, on the other hand, struggles to apply her principles to the world’s issues. She’s particularly interesting because she’s the first Air Nomad Avatar we’ve spent time with outside of Aang. Yangchen has the entire Air Nomad society to rely on, like a large extended family that shares collective values. Yangchen struggles against problems she can’t fix and bears the weight of grief for people she can’t save. She doesn’t want to accomplish the bare minimum and be remembered as a figurehead, a statue erected in honor of deeds embellished by legend.
No surprise, then, that she befriends Kavik. They first meet when Kavik is hired to rob her, though he isn’t sure who he’s robbing. Yanchen catches him in the act, shows him mercy, and finagles Kavik into her schemes. The trust they build ramps up a liiiiitle too fast for my liking, and I balked at the typical YA storytelling. Yee knows what he’s doing, though, and he accounts for Yangchen’s hasty choices with later plot developments.
Those notes aside, I could take or leave Kavik. He’s a unique Avatar companion, to be sure, but I don’t find him all that interesting beyond his relationship with Yangchen. Much of the book features the young waterbender, so if you love him, your mileage will vary.
Of all the Avatar spin-offs, Yangchen has by far my favorite plot. Toppling a capitalistic regime masquerading as “for the people” feels fresh and relevant. It’s not so close to home that it feels like a copy/paste of our current political climate, but Yee leaves room for the reader to connect the dots.
The mystery of Unanimity does a lot of the story’s legwork, and the reveal doesn’t disappoint. When you spend an entire novel wondering what some shrouded weapon/advantage might be, it’d better be sweet when the reader finally understands. I was tickled by the Unanimity reveal, and I’m very excited to see where Yee takes this specific arc. The book ends with a “To be continued…” so we’ll see what’s next.
The Dawn of Yangchen is a ton of fun. F.C. Yee is a strong voice and sturdy hand more than capable of guiding Avatar canon. This novel doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it need to. It’s more Avatar adventuring, a new cast of characters, and a riveting story. What more could a diehard ATLA fan want?
Another year, another Avatar: The Last Airbender canon entry to review! F.C. Yee burst onto the scene in 2019 and 2020 with the Kyoshi duology. Both books were solid entries into the growing pantheon of Avatar stories. I even pined for Rise and Shadow to be adapted into a Kyoshi-centric movie. Now, F.C. Yee returns to the Four Nations with The Dawn of Yangchen, the air Avatar who precedes Kuruk and Kyoshi.
Yangchen travels to the city of Bin-Er to explore the boiling unrest among the city’s labor class. The shangs control most of the money and trade in the city, and they rule with an iron fist. They prevent Bin-er residents from getting travel passes to leave the city even for short stretches. Ostensibly, the shangs are meant to help the regular folk of Bin-Er, but instead they abuse their power to their own ends (and to pad their wallets). When Yangchen crosses paths with Kavik, a runner who gleans information in exchange for coin, she enlists him to help settle the unrest that threatens to undermine Bin-Er and other nearby shang-ruled cities. Soon, they hear rumblings about Unanimity, a mysterious advantage the shangs believe will be their ultimate bargaining chip to maintain their tight grip over the Bin-Er economy.
The Dawn of Yangchen further cements F.C. Yee as an increasingly adept Avatar storyteller. He clearly understands the world, the issues that plague it, and the characters who want to improve it. Yangchen feels more realized as a character here than Kyoshi did across two novels. I cut Yee some slack there, because Kyoshi’s arc relied on self-discovery. Yangchen, on the other hand, struggles to apply her principles to the world’s issues. She’s particularly interesting because she’s the first Air Nomad Avatar we’ve spent time with outside of Aang. Yangchen has the entire Air Nomad society to rely on, like a large extended family that shares collective values. Yangchen struggles against problems she can’t fix and bears the weight of grief for people she can’t save. She doesn’t want to accomplish the bare minimum and be remembered as a figurehead, a statue erected in honor of deeds embellished by legend.
No surprise, then, that she befriends Kavik. They first meet when Kavik is hired to rob her, though he isn’t sure who he’s robbing. Yanchen catches him in the act, shows him mercy, and finagles Kavik into her schemes. The trust they build ramps up a liiiiitle too fast for my liking, and I balked at the typical YA storytelling. Yee knows what he’s doing, though, and he accounts for Yangchen’s hasty choices with later plot developments.
Those notes aside, I could take or leave Kavik. He’s a unique Avatar companion, to be sure, but I don’t find him all that interesting beyond his relationship with Yangchen. Much of the book features the young waterbender, so if you love him, your mileage will vary.
Of all the Avatar spin-offs, Yangchen has by far my favorite plot. Toppling a capitalistic regime masquerading as “for the people” feels fresh and relevant. It’s not so close to home that it feels like a copy/paste of our current political climate, but Yee leaves room for the reader to connect the dots.
The mystery of Unanimity does a lot of the story’s legwork, and the reveal doesn’t disappoint. When you spend an entire novel wondering what some shrouded weapon/advantage might be, it’d better be sweet when the reader finally understands. I was tickled by the Unanimity reveal, and I’m very excited to see where Yee takes this specific arc. The book ends with a “To be continued…” so we’ll see what’s next.
The Dawn of Yangchen is a ton of fun. F.C. Yee is a strong voice and sturdy hand more than capable of guiding Avatar canon. This novel doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it need to. It’s more Avatar adventuring, a new cast of characters, and a riveting story. What more could a diehard ATLA fan want?
August 12, 2022
2.5
Very disappointing after how good the Kyoshi series was. It felt like the book was more about Kavik than Yangchen and he was lowkey uninteresting. The whole book would have been much better through Yangchen's POV. And I didn't think the plot with the Shang cities was that entertaining. We hardly go to see any real bending
Very disappointing after how good the Kyoshi series was. It felt like the book was more about Kavik than Yangchen and he was lowkey uninteresting. The whole book would have been much better through Yangchen's POV. And I didn't think the plot with the Shang cities was that entertaining. We hardly go to see any real bending
September 14, 2023
I always enjoy revisiting universes I love, and that’s certainly true for Avatar: The Last Airbender. I was looking forward to seeing this world and its history through another Avatar’s eyes, and Yangchen’s story, while certainly not my favorite, is another interesting piece in the many, many unwritten tales of the Avatars.
This story fell heavy on the power and political struggles, particularly in relation to the distribution of power and wealth. We do get to see the Avatar in action (and I personally would have loved to see more) but we also see her struggling to maintain her values but also, always, acting in the ways she believes will help others and help keep the balance. There are also a colorful group of individuals who she works with along the way, including a young man named Kavik with some complicated history of his own.
This story fell heavy on the power and political struggles, particularly in relation to the distribution of power and wealth. We do get to see the Avatar in action (and I personally would have loved to see more) but we also see her struggling to maintain her values but also, always, acting in the ways she believes will help others and help keep the balance. There are also a colorful group of individuals who she works with along the way, including a young man named Kavik with some complicated history of his own.
August 26, 2023
"I bet you thought you held all your tiles... Funny thing about that. Once you play your tiles, you no longer hold them." p.285
4.5 stars
This was not the story I expected but one that I'm incredibly glad to have gotten. Yangchen is a surprising change of pace from other Avatars that we've encountered. More proactive, more conniving, more political. Still an airbender at her core, naturally, but so very different not only from Aang but also from Korra and Kyoshi. This Team Avatar is also markedly different from others in the past. We spend a lot of time from Kavik's perspective too, but I found him to be a really fun character to follow as well, with a separate background that had me interested from the get-go. As a heads-up, this book was a little less bending-focused than Kyoshi or either of the shows. I don't think it suffered for that, as we got some fantastic worldbuilding, but it's something to note if the bending is what's most compelling to you about this universe.
In many ways, Yee had a fun task here, getting to write about an avatar whom we previously knew so little about, set in a time that we also hadn't yet experienced. As a whole, I'm such a fan of his writing. I said this when I read the Kyoshi novels last year, but he's the absolutely perfect person to expand this incredibly series into a book format. These books have all captured the emotional range of the original series, and similarly are able to tackle complex plot lines and mature themes.
For a bit here I felt like Yee got carried away with 'gotcha-ing' the readers, but I do think it fits the general mood of the book. Both Yangchen and Kavik are quick-witted and cunning, and their plays to one-up each other throughout the course of the book were reflected in Yee's delivery methods. Their relationship is one of the most interesting I've encountered in this universe (which is saying a lot) and I'm especially interested to see where it goes in the next book.
And, I have to say. With every new installment in the Avatar universe I find myself more and more dismayed at how dirty The Legend of Korra did The White Lotus.
July 2023 reread:
Oh man, I liked this book so much more than I remembered, and I was surprised at how little I did remember. All of the plot twists got me again, and I actually found them to be more effective than I'd originally thought. I loved the political intrigue, and seeing how all the players tried to out-maneuver each other. I'm so excited for the sequel! I can't wait to see what happens next between Kavik and Yangchen, not to mention the larger, brewing conflict with the earth king.
September 9, 2022
What a saddening disappointment. Full review on my YouTube channel.
May 5, 2025
DNF at 79%
Yikes. I don’t even want to write a review for it as it put me in a horrific reading slump. I was so close to the ending that I pushed myself. I skimmed, I skipped, nothing worked. I can’t just finish this. Life is too short for boring books.
I love the Avatar world. I rewatch the show all the time. I read most of the comic books. I have two tattoos dedicated to them. I love Yangchen as a character but gosh do I hate this book.
Yangchen was a whole-ass side character in her OWN DAMN BOOK. Kavik was the main hero in this one and none can convince me otherwise. This must be a crime. Yangchen was intriguing, a tactical and political genius, and a fully realized Avatar whose book was set to fail because of one bad author.
The author clearly has no idea how to write about strong women since he is oblivious to the fact that amazing female leads can fucking exist without men. What. A. Shame.
The fact that the smart and scheming Avatar got tricked by a waterbender man who had worms for a brain was the last straw.
This book focuses on the more political sides of things instead of fights and bendings which would’ve been a very fitting idea for a character like Yangchen if it was executed properly. It was not and I’m so done.
Sorry if my review feels flat, it can’t be worse than this book though.
Yikes. I don’t even want to write a review for it as it put me in a horrific reading slump. I was so close to the ending that I pushed myself. I skimmed, I skipped, nothing worked. I can’t just finish this. Life is too short for boring books.
I love the Avatar world. I rewatch the show all the time. I read most of the comic books. I have two tattoos dedicated to them. I love Yangchen as a character but gosh do I hate this book.
Yangchen was a whole-ass side character in her OWN DAMN BOOK. Kavik was the main hero in this one and none can convince me otherwise. This must be a crime. Yangchen was intriguing, a tactical and political genius, and a fully realized Avatar whose book was set to fail because of one bad author.
The author clearly has no idea how to write about strong women since he is oblivious to the fact that amazing female leads can fucking exist without men. What. A. Shame.
The fact that the smart and scheming Avatar got tricked by a waterbender man who had worms for a brain was the last straw.
This book focuses on the more political sides of things instead of fights and bendings which would’ve been a very fitting idea for a character like Yangchen if it was executed properly. It was not and I’m so done.
Sorry if my review feels flat, it can’t be worse than this book though.
July 25, 2022
While The Dawn of Yangchen isn't as good as the Kyoshi Duology in my eyes, it was still an incredibly interesting novel. I admit the rating is a bit higher than it might have been because it is part of the avatar word, which I just love. But I also really love and appreciate how F.C. Yee adds tidbits from the tv show into his books. He truly expands the world in a wonderful way, which I always love to read.
The plot was a little less interesting to me than with the Kyoshi books, it was mostly a lot of politics which could get a bit confusing at times. But I loved the characters and their relationships, as well as the setting and worldbuilding so much that I still manage to give it 5 stars. I especially love Yangchen as a character, what a wonderfully complex avatar. Her characterization was amazing and I can't wait to read more of her. I do wish her gift with her past lives was explored a little bit more, but I have hopes for that in the sequel.
Can't wait to see what's next!
The plot was a little less interesting to me than with the Kyoshi books, it was mostly a lot of politics which could get a bit confusing at times. But I loved the characters and their relationships, as well as the setting and worldbuilding so much that I still manage to give it 5 stars. I especially love Yangchen as a character, what a wonderfully complex avatar. Her characterization was amazing and I can't wait to read more of her. I do wish her gift with her past lives was explored a little bit more, but I have hopes for that in the sequel.
Can't wait to see what's next!
August 24, 2022
Ugh, kind of disappointed this is the beginning of a whole series because this avatar is basically a sneaky, lying cop and I hate it.
Without giving away plot details, the theme of this novel and avatar is a hard-boiled "ends justify the means" approach. Basically hyper-authoritarian anti-capitalism. It is a disappointing direction that the whole world has taken from anticolonialism for kids to showing us that in the greater context of the world, the avatar is not so much a spiritual inspiration for enlightenment, but a manipulative authority figure to be feared and obeyed.
Apart from the authoritarian issues, as many others here have said, the book is lowkey a coming of age teen boy story and Yangchen is just the story's cab driver, more a device to drive the plot than a character with real feelings or growth. Looking back on the book, I can say, if it passed the bechdel test, it was with a D- because while the franchise put a female lead forward in the marketing, almost every other character the author surrounds her with is male.
Without giving away plot details, the theme of this novel and avatar is a hard-boiled "ends justify the means" approach. Basically hyper-authoritarian anti-capitalism. It is a disappointing direction that the whole world has taken from anticolonialism for kids to showing us that in the greater context of the world, the avatar is not so much a spiritual inspiration for enlightenment, but a manipulative authority figure to be feared and obeyed.
Apart from the authoritarian issues, as many others here have said, the book is lowkey a coming of age teen boy story and Yangchen is just the story's cab driver, more a device to drive the plot than a character with real feelings or growth. Looking back on the book, I can say, if it passed the bechdel test, it was with a D- because while the franchise put a female lead forward in the marketing, almost every other character the author surrounds her with is male.
September 16, 2023
This rating is heavily influenced by personal opinion on the story. The writing is fabulous but I just am not into super political stuff so I was extremely bored reading this. That being said Yangchen is my favorite character avatar universe and possibly one of my favorite characters of all time. She is so interesting and complicated but I feel like this book did not do nearly enough to explore her. It felt more like the Dawn of Kavik, the man she partners with in this book. He took over the spotlight for 70% of it and he has to be one of the most boring characters I’ve ever encountered. Like he’s fine and he had some interesting moments and aspects to him but between him and the politicking I was just so bored for most of this book. Will defo be reading the next one because again Yangchen herself is amazing but this was a let down for me personally after how much i enjoyed the Kyoshi books but I would still highly highly recommend for fans of the avatar.
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