She will be shunned, but she is the true Dragonkeeper. What ensues is a dramatic and dangerous flight toward freedom as dragon and child find themselves pursued by not only a vicious dragon hunter but also an evil necromancer.Ping's birth and role as a Dragonkeeper was actually foretold by a prophecy: In the second year of Empress Wu, a new Dragonkeeper will appear. After one dies, and the remaining, elderly dragon is threatened with death, the child takes a brave stand and helps it escape. Only two of the dozen or so beasts are still alive. Fearing dragons, China's emperor sent Lan and his charges far from the court, and the dragons have been kept locked in a dark, dank pit ever since. An 11-year-old slave girl without a name has lived at a remote palace in ancient China since her parents sold her to Lan, the brutal Imperial Dragon Keeper.

This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams Copyright В© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. The ending, though satisfying, makes way for a sequel.вЂ“Margaret A. That said, the dramatic plot and competently crafted writing make this a good choice for voracious readers of fantasy, especially those who have enjoyed Anne McCaffrey's dragon fantasies. 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. 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. Beset with self-doubt, often making mistakes, she slowly becomes aware of her innate powers, which includes second sight. 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. He entrusts Ping with his precious and beautiful purple stone, which he is determined to take to the ocean. 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. 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. From School Library Journal Grade 5-9вЂ“An action-packed adventure set in China in 141 B.C. (Ages 9-14) -Jennifer Hubert -This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Young dragon keepers in training will want to follow up this novel with the equally excellent The Hunting of the Last Dragon by Sherryl Jordan and The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean. Ping grows from a frightened slave girl with no name into a strong, self-sufficient young woman who knows her purpose, and witty, warm Danzi will have every reader wishing for a scaly companion of his or her very own. Dragon Keeper is a humorous, wise quest tale with strong, identifiable characterizations. But how is it that a grubby slave girl has come to be the keeper of the last imperial dragon? Only when the friends reach their destination will Ping be able to see herself as Danzi sees her, and learn to use the unique talents she alone possesses.

Early on in the journey, Ping knows the dragon and the mysterious purple stone he carries are very special. When the next to last dies, the remaining dragon, Long Danzi, coaxes Ping into helping him flee to the faraway ocean. Under his watch, the EmperorВ’s dragons have dwindled from a magnificent dozen to a miserable two. Her master is a boorish drunk who neglects his duties as Imperial Dragon Keeper. In the year 141 B.C., Ping is an illiterate Chinese orphan who lives on the edge of one of the EmperorВ’s least-used royal palaces. Review Dragons fascinate children of all ages, and Carole WilkinsonВ’s inspired mix of myth and historical fact will leave young readers wistfully listening for wing beats.

Danzi dragon keeper