Do you know your Chinese Zodiac sign? Thanks to a placemat at a local Chinese restaurant growing up, I have known since I was seven that I am a proud dog. I am guessing that many of you, from one way or another, know what Chinese Zodiac sign you fall under. But what if the attributes of your sign came from a mystic power? What if someone could overload themselves with these powers? What if the good guys got some of these powers and the bad guys got others?
This is the premise of The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence. The book follows young Steven Lee, an American on a school trip to China. After following a mysterious girl, he stumbles upon ancient pools connected to the Chinese Zodiac. Unfortunately, the evil Vanguard organization has gained to power of several signs of the zodiac from the magical green energy in the pools. But luckily for the good guys, Steven is imbued with the powers of tiger. Now he and his ragtag group of allies are trying to stop the evil might of Vanguard.
The book is co-written by Stan Lee, the legend behind such Marvel characters as Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk. Sharing writing duties is Stuart Moore an accomplished prose and comic writer who wrote the prose adaptation of Marvel’s Civil War. The book is also filled with illustrations by Andie Tong, who has worked on projects such as Tron: Betrayal and Spectacular Spider-Man.
The novel is divided in to four parts that are like four different episodes in a larger story. This helps move the book along through several iterations. This helps keep the book fresh, as there are really several missions included in one book.
The illustrations that pepper the book are fun and placed well throughout. They add to the experience, but are done in such a way that they don’t detract from the images of your imagination. I found myself to smile every time I turned the page to discover one of Andie Tong’s magical illustrations. They really are a treat.
Ultimately, it is a fun adventure for kids and adults alike. This book is labeled as being “book one”. I hope that implies there will be many more books in the series to come. For those that want to learn more about the world of Zodiac, visit DisneyZodiac.com where you can find your Zodiac sign as well as download two free eBooks to help explain the world to you. The Zodiac Archives Part One teaches you about the good guys, while Part Two is all about the villains. They are a great primer for those wanting to explore the world of Zodiac. I hope you had as much fun reading the book as I did.
For those looking for a fun and enjoyable read, I cannot recommend The Zodiac Legacy any higher.