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“Guest superbly captures each character.”
— School Library Journal (audio review)
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“Listeners will cheer Pinmei along on her mission as Kim Mai Guest’s narration reflects Pinmei’s growth from a timid, quiet girl to a brave, strong adventurer.”
— ReadBrightly (An Ultimate Audiobook Pick for Summer 2017)
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“A rich interweaving of ancient tales with fast-paced adventure, fantasy, and slowly unfolding mysteries told through captivating language with beguiling similes.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“A stunning addition to a deservedly beloved set of novels; recommended for all middle grade collections.”
— School Library Journal (starred review)
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“Lin’s evocative language sweeps readers away, and the stories within the story are juicy and delicious.”
— Booklist (starred review)
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“Beautifully told…[with] lyrical storytelling.’"
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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“A richly complex adventure story.”
— Horn Book Guide (starred review)
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“Lin’s characteristic elegant prose…keeps its enchanting, luminous quality.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
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*"On its own, this third volume contains a richly complex adventure story that revisits previous themes....The three books together, however, offer one grand epic that spans generations....Lin's stonecutter claims that storytellers 'can make time disappear...bring us to places we have never dreamed of...feel sorrow and joy and peace'; the description is a fitting one for author-illustrator Lin herself, who has proven herself a master.
— The Horn Book, starred review
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*"The meticulous craft delivers what Lin's fans have come to expect... This beautifully told companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Starry River of the Sky (2012) offers lyrical storytelling, bringing 'us to places we have never dreamed of.'
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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*"Lin's vibrant chapter decorations and full-color, full-page paintings add to the work's beauty....A stunning addition to a deservedly beloved set of novels; recommended for all middle grade collections.
— School Library Journal (starred review)
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*"Compelling....Lin's fans will not be disappointed: she again delivers a rich interweaving of ancient tales with fast-paced adventure, fantasy, and slowly unfolding mysteries told through captivating language.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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*"Lin's evocative language sweeps readers away, and the stories within the story are juicy and delicious....[A] worthy companion to her Newbery Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Starry River of the Sky (2012).
— Booklist (starred review)
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Pinmei's journey has a compelling urgency that quickens the pace and enlivens the adventure, while the short stories are smoothly integrated and provide sly, subtle connections to plot events, making satisfying the climactic scene in which the elements converge....Lin's characteristic elegant prose...keeps its enchanting, luminous quality.
— BCCB
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In this captivating tale... readers will not only enjoy the 'frame' story revolving around Pinmei and Yishan, but will also like (and recognize) some of the other stories being told.
— School Library Connection
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* "The lively mixture of adventure, mystery, and fantasy, supported by compelling character development and spellbinding language, will captivate a wide swath of readers.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review