The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
Written by Stan Lee and Stuart Moore
Illustrated by Andie Tong
Disney Press
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Cover Price: $16.99

American-born Chinese teenager Steven Lee is on a class trip to a museum in Hong Kong, and instantly knows something is off. He follows some screams into an underground cavernous room with weird shimmering green pools, and his life will never be the same. Zapped with the Chinese zodiac Tiger sign, Steven is now filled with the power of The Tiger, which he must learn to control. There he meets a dragon-filled Jasmine and a techie Carlos on a mission to stop the evil Maxwell, who has already harnessed the power of 7 of the 12 signs. The rest of the signs have escaped to find the people they should belong to, and Jasmine, Carlos, and Steven must find those soon-to-be-surprised-and-confused powerful teens before Maxwell does and sucks the power from them. Can they help the others? Will they stop Maxwell? I cannot tell you that, but I can tell you that how you think the book will end is not how it does. You gotta love a twist!

Comic book icon Stan Lee tries his hand at prose for the first time with The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence, with co-author Stuart Moore. Stan Lee told EW, “We really wanted to tell a modern, super-powered, action-adventure story, a story with a lot of classic themes””themes that have run through not only superhero stories, but in plays and fables and fairy tales for hundreds of years. So I wanted to be able to do that, while still bringing a new tone and a wider cast of characters than we often get to see.”

The story is fast-paced and chock full of action, making it a perfect read for the late elementary-junior high school set. It is light-hearted and enjoyable for adults, but it doesn’t delve too deep into character development. It could be because it is the first book in a planned series. That remains to be seen. If you are in the mood for a little bit of adventure based on an interesting premise, coupled with excellent illustrations by Andie Tong, this is the book for you. It will also most likely end up being a movie (or three).

[Image credit: Disney Press]