Book Review: F. C. Yee Takes Readers On A Political Thrill Ride In ‘The Dawn Of Yangchen’

TV & Film

Oct 22

Throughout the Avatar: The Last Airbender series and the Kyoshi novels, Avatar Yangchen’s name is invoked like a prayer. However, F. C. Yee’s latest novel, The Dawn of Yangchen, reveals the surprising genre of Yangchen’s adventures.

Yee’s novel opens with a young Yangchen experiencing her past lives and shows the Avatar has a strong spiritual connection. In a flash forward to the present day, Yangchen finds herself in a world on the brink. She travels to the city of Bin-Er, a haven for refugees and a harbor for criminals. The city is set up under a shang system with international ties cut off by the Earth King. Those who escape to Bin-Er can only leave with the King’s permission. A group of shangs has taken advantage of the system to recruit “errand-runners,” to do their dirty work. With the rise of a new and mysterious asset known as “Unanimity.” Yangchen finds herself making dubious deals with the leaders of the Earth Kingdom.

Image Source: The Avatarist

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The novel reads like a political thriller. Yangchen realizes that most of her attendants are spies reporting her actions to their true masters. After a near robbery by an independent errand-runner, Yangchen uses a combination of bribery and skillful manipulation to convince her would-be robber Kavik to become a companion of the Avatar.

While the Avatar maintains her public presence as a spiritual leader, Yangchen dives deep into a game of espionage as she tries to prevent Unanimity. She finds herself making deals with spirits and humans alike. One such deal has a fire nation clan keep their hair from growing for fifty years as an act of repentance for violating a previous agreement. Yangchen arranges this deal by convincing the spirits that it’s more punishment for the clan than keeping their children in endless sleep. Based on the member’s reactions to the agreement, Yangchen wasn’t lying.

It was a jarring twist to see such a revered character in the canon playing political games in an attempt to save the world. However, Yangchen comes in with an attitude that the ends justify the means, and she has no qualms about betraying the Air Nomad teachings to bring peace and balance to the world. This is reflected in Yangchen’s words to Aang in the original series: “Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to save the world.”

The Dawn of Yangchen reveals the human side of a character as steeped in myth and reverence as Guru Laghima. While this can take away some of the mystery of the original series and scandalize viewers who saw Yangchen as a holy figure, the novel is an excellent exercise in worldbuilding. F. C. Yee manages to shake things up without breaking the canon. The author treats the world of Avatar with great respect and shows in stunning detail how limited each Avatar is to the trials of their own time.

Image Source: Avatar News

/Despite its title, only half of the novel is about Yangchen’s journey. Instead, the point of view flips between the Avatar and her reluctant companion, the waterbender Kavik, with a few chapters focusing on a shang’s perspective. The author manages to show a sympathetic side to all characters, even the shang, and at times the author isn’t sure who to root for. Yangchen makes questionable moral choices in her quest for peace, while very few of Kavik’s choices could be called moral. In addition to the big players in the game, Yee manages to draw out compassion for all the unnamed vulnerable stuck in the shang cities. The Dawn of Yangchen is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Four Nations and for all who enjoy a political thriller.

Rating: 9/10

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Source(s): IMDB

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