"Narrator Nancy Wu expertly conveys Peasprout's hilarious snarkiness and spunk...Wu's varied voices and accents help distinguish the characters, reflecting the friendships, sibling relationships, and rivalries, but it's Wu's eager and vulnerably sincere Peasprout who gives the story heart."— AudioFile Magazine
*Winner of a Parents' Choice Silver Award*
This program includes original songs written and recorded by Henry Lien.
“It’s Hermione Granger meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets the Ice Capades meets Mean Girls." —The New York Times
Now in her Second Year at Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, Peasprout Chen strives to reclaim her place as a champion of wu liu, the sport of martial arts figure skating. But, with the new year comes new competition, and Peasprout’s dreams are thwarted by an impressive transfer student.
Yinmei is the heir to the Shinian throne and has fled her country for Pearl. When she excels both academically and socially, Peasprout begins to suspect that Yinmei is not a refugee at all but a spy. When the Empress of Shin threatens to invade the city of Pearl, Peasprout makes a bold decision. To keep her enemy close, Peasprout joins Yinmei's “battleband," a team that executes elaborate skating configurations that are part musical spectacle, part defensive attack.
In Henry Lien's Peasprout Chen: Battle of Champions, Peasprout guides her battleband on a mission to save Pearl, and learns what it truly means to be a leader.
Songs and lyrics copyright 2019 Henry Lien
Recording (p) copyright 2019 Henry Lien
Praise for Nancy Wu as Peasprout Chen:
"The narrator, Nancy Wu, finds just the right blade edge between girlish naïveté and brashness for our protagonist" — New York Times
"Takes on weighty and relevant questions of gender, ability, leadership, immigration... with intelligence, deftness and precision." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"Wu glides deftly through the narration with distinct characterizations...This unique heroine will skate into the hearts of middle-grade listeners." — Booklist
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""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
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 FoundationThe narrator, Nancy Wu, finds just the right blade edge between girlish naïveté and brashness for our protagonist
— New York TimesMassively entertaining...Peasprout Chen is a future legend, indeed.
— Publishers Weekly, Starred ReviewWu glides deftly through the narration with distinct characterizations...This unique heroine will skate into the hearts of middle-grade listeners.
— Booklist, Starred ReviewThe 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 ReviewBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Henry Lien is a 2012 graduate of Clarion West, and his short fiction has appeared in publications like Asimov’s, earning several Nebula Award nominations. Born in Taiwan, Henry currently lives in Hollywood, California. He is the author of Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword.
Nancy Wu has narrated audiobooks since 2004, winning three AudioFile Earphones Awards. A New York theater, television, and film actor, she has recorded in studios all over the world—from Italy to Switzerland to Thailand. Her credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Hope & Faith, All My Children, Made for Each Other, and the Oscar-nominated film Frozen River.