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Zodiac - The Talismans Rising
Paperback
Publisher Price: $19.99
Publisher: Usemuse
Published: Feb 6 2026
Pages: 458
Weight: 1.16
Height: 0.93 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
5-Star Readers' Favorite Review
This is a spectacular epic fantasy. Very highly recommended.
- Asher Syed, Readers' Favorite
This winning meld of magic, sci-fi, and fantasy grips readers from the start, and Dunphy's skill with worldbuilding keeps them immersed.
- The BookLife Prize
Dunphy transports readers to the land of Sheng Xiao through beautiful imagery and creative worldbuilding.
- The BookLife Prize
In Sheng Xiao, zodiac spirits fuel everything-from ancient rituals to cutting-edge tech-until warlord X steals the sacred Yin Scroll from a hidden cenote temple. The ground trembles. An unnatural eclipse swallows the sun. And an old prophecy wakes up hungry: balance light and dark, or watch the world drown in chaos.
Empress Jade won't let that happen.
With her sharp, shadow-manipulating advisor Cade at her side, she summons the Twelve Zodiac Guardians-young warriors tied to their clans and the spirits that define them.
There's Veronica, the Rat clan's quick-witted sharpshooter from Souris's foggy pine forests, where you learn to aim true or go hungry. Alice, the Rabbit clan's genius coder in Coinin's neon-drenched data towers, rewriting spirit-code like it's second nature. And David, the Dragon clan's unshakeable swordsman from Doragon's smoldering volcanic lakes, his blade born in dragonfire-honor-bound, but starting to question what loyalty really costs when everything's on the line.
As X's army poisons sacred spirits, razes villages, and hunts the talismans, Jade's team tears across the realm: golden Kusini plains, obsidian Doragon shores, Souris wilds, Listra's jungles, Coinin's glowing core.
Ambush after betrayal. Friendships hammered in battle. Rivalries that spark. And a few connections that burn brighter-and more dangerously-than anyone planned.
To fix the balance, they'll have to seize the talismans' power... and pay whatever price it demands, before the light goes out for good.
A high-stakes YA fantasy adventure blending Chinese zodiac lore and Asian mythology with dazzling tech-magic. Perfect for fans of epic quests, found family, slow-burn tension, and worlds where ancient spirits meet neon futures.
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