Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword (Book 1)

By: Henry Lien

Narrated by: Nancy Wu

*Winner of a Parents' Choice Silver Award*

"Delivers all the joys of a classic new-kid-at-school story. . . . Wu liu may be an invented martial art, but Lien's descriptions of fantastically beautiful complicated moves and spins will doubtless inspire many young readers to wish it were real." —Parents' Choice Foundation

"The narrator, Nancy Wu, finds just the right blade edge between girlish naïveté and brashness for our protagonist" —New York Times

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

"Wu glides deftly through the narration with distinct characterizations...This unique heroine will skate into the hearts of middle-grade listeners." —Booklist, Starred Review

This program includes an original song written and recorded by Henry Lien

Welcome to Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, where the blades are sharp and the competition is fierce. Henry Lien's Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword is perfect for young listeners seeking adventure!

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.

Song and lyrics copyright 2017 Henry Lien
Recording (p) copyright 2017 Henry Lien

Critic reviews

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

Could have been do much better

Where was the editor?

There’s a lot of creativity, imagination, and novel ideas here. However, the plotting and the writing are a bit all over the place and repetitive.

If this book had been edited in terms of the mechanics of the plot, the emotional growth of the characters, and for the repetition of sentiments, it could have been so much better.

Unfortunately, I found it to be tiresome, too convoluted, and trying too hard to want to read the sequel. It’s unfortunate that the author wasn’t guided into making this a better book.

The narrator is very good.

Amazing story and voices

So good I wanna say so much but I don’t wanna spoil it definitely read it

Crouching Tiger + Harry Potter + Yuzuru Hanyu

If you like fantasy novels, ice skating and fantasy-school settings... This is a no-brainer! It really had some good twists and explored some great themes!! I'm so happy I found this book!