Legend has it, a Shaman used the Dragon Pearl to create Jinju, though Min doesn't think the pearl existed. She has two more years to live at home before she can take the Space Forces exam. Min lives with her mother and four aunties. Min's mother, Seonmi, does not want any member of the family using fox magic in an attempt to keep a low profile. She wants to join the Space Forces like her older brother, Jun, however, she is not old enough. She can also manipulate human emotions with an ability called 'Charm' and make people see things that aren’t there. Kim Min is a teenaged fox spirit that can shapeshift into anything. This story takes place on the backwater planet of Jinju. On September 10th, 2019, it was announced that Yoon Ha Lee would write a second book set in the same universe as Dragon Pearl, whether it is a direct sequel or spinoff has yet to be announced. He said the book is like Star Wars combined with Korean mythology, only better, and gave sneak peaks at the book every Sunday calling it #SciFiSunday. On October 28th, Rick Riordan said this book was unlike any of the other books in his imprint. Buswell Jr., for background on the smallpox spirits. Lee also read parts of Hong-Key Yoon's The Culture of Fengshui in Korea as inspiration for the mystical star ships and Religions of Korea in Practice, a collection of essays edited by Robert E. It contains information on things that include gumiho (fox spirit) stories and the legend of Hong Gildong. When writing Dragon Pearl, Yoon Ha Lee reread Folk Tales from Korea by Zong In-Sob which he was entertained by as a child.

A standalone middle grade novel starring Min, a teenage fox spirit whose brother is missing and thought to have deserted the Thousand Worlds Space Forces in order to find the pearl of the title, an artifact that may have the power to save their struggling space colony.

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee