Ratings7
Average rating3.7
set in China in 141 B.C. In a remote western palace, Ping, a slave girl of unknown origin, serves the emperor's Dragon Keeper, an incompetent drunkard who neglects the two last-known dragons in his charge. When one of them dies and an evil hunter threatens to kill the other for his magical body parts, the old dragon, Danzi, escapes with the girl. He entrusts Ping with his precious and beautiful purple stone, which he is determined to take to the ocean. As they make their long journey east, Ping develops plausibly from a terrified, abused child into a confident young woman who truly deserves the official title of Dragon Keeper. Beset with self-doubt, often making mistakes, she slowly becomes aware of her innate powers, which includes second sight. The plot twists and turns, cinematic action comes in bursts, and villains are vile, while Danzi, Ping, and her pet rat are heroic, appealing companions who can fight or scheme their way out of every tight spot. Danzi sometimes speaks like a Daoist philosopher, but his telepathic communication with Ping too often resembles the truncated phrases of a Chinese speaker still learning English
Series
2 primary booksDragonkeeper is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2003 with contributions by Carole Wilkinson.
Reviews with the most likes.
1001 Children's Book You Must Read
Ping accompanies the dragon to Ocean, carrying the precious dragonstone, and having many adventures along the way. The dragon is wise and speaks mystically; Ping is just learning about her own abilities in life. Dragonkeeper is a fun series for anyone who loves stories of danger and intrigue.