Equal parts magic and wonder, Yoon Ha Lee brings the thrills of space travel and the magic of Korean mythology back to the pages with his third entry to the Thousand Worlds saga, Fox Snare. This time, Min and Sebin are brought together for a mission of peace.
The long-standing struggle between the Thousand Worlds and the Sun Clans has dragged on too long. Min, the guardian of the mystical and magical Dragon Pearl, with Sebin and Haneul all meet on the space station Asa-Achim which orbits a forbidden planet Jasujeong. While this is meant to be a mission of peace, soon Sebin, Min, Haneul, Jun (Min’s ghost brother) and Assistant Defense Minister Miho end up on an escape pod as the station explodes, landing on the forbidden world below, trying to survive.
Fox Snare unites two incredible characters in one story. Min has always fascinated me because she has obtained her special guardian role unintentionally. She controls and protects the Dragon Pearl, which has the power to terraform worlds with a simple thought. Min is the perfect candidate for the role. She has never shown selfishness and always displays a good heart. Who better should care for such a powerful object.
Sebin is a more confident cadet in the space forces, but never allows selfish desire to cloud success. While I admire and respect Sebin, it is when they are partnered with Min that we truly see the good hearts that each character holds.
My concept of science fiction and fantasy novels was enlarged having read Yoon Ha Lee’s books in the Thousand Worlds saga. Much like the previous two entries in the series, Yoon paints a complex portrait of human nature that is unique to the species and plays out the same whether it is in a castle in Denmark, or on a distant planet thousands of years into the future.
The notion of our internal strength and the ability to accept who we are is something that Yoon brings to life within Fox Snare. Our main characters of Sebin and Min have magical abilities, with Min being able to transform into a fox and Sebin into a tiger. Accepting your identity and being proud of who you are is an underlying theme to the story, but Fox Snare goes a step further by having the characters confront the notion of acceptance and letting go.
When the space station blows up, and the group of characters end up on the forbidden world, the preamble to the real mission of the book is laid bare for readers to see. I am not going to ruin the story, nor am I going to spoil the extent of the crucial message of the book. Yoon Ha Lee reminds readers that recognizing that committing atrocities in the present to right the wrong of the past is never an answer and should be abandoned. Revenge never serves anyone.
When Min succeeds at the end of the book, and the group comes together at the mythical ancient ship ‘Sejong-Daewong’ the group learns that sacrifices must be made, and that a sacrifice requires a promise to the ship.
Fox Snare is equal parts adventure and intrigue. The book might be geared to the middle grade audience, but all readers will enjoy the thrill of adventure as they follow along on the quest for galactic peace in the Thousand Worlds.
Connecting with a character is critical in the success of the story, but what makes me recommend Fox Snare to all readers is how easy it is to connect with a variety of the main characters. It’s hard to pick a favorite between Min and Sebin, so I won’t and just wish the next reader the best as they join their journey.
Yoon Ha Lee has built an incredible trilogy of diverse characters in a universe struggling to come to terms with the past and build a lasting peace. While Fox Snare would be a perfect ending for the saga, I hope for more of Min, Sebin, and Jun.
Fox Snare is now on sale wherever books are sold.