'The most captivating children’s book I’ve seen so far this year,' Amanda Craig, The Times Ping is a slave in a little-used royal palace on the edge of the Emperor’s kingdom. Her tyrannic master is a cruel drunk who neglects his duties as Imperial Dragonkeeper and under his watch the Emperor’s dragons have dwindled from a magnificent dozen to a miserable two. When one dragon dies, only the ancient and wise Long Danzi remains. His fate seems sealed – until Ping comes to his rescue in a moment of startling bravery that reveals her destiny as a Dragonkeeper. Pursued by the Emperor’s forces and an evil dragon hunter, Ping, Danzi, and a rat called Hua, set off on a remarkable journey across the kingdom. Bound for the Ocean, they carry a mesmerising, beautiful dragon stone that must be protected at any cost. Surviving dangers of all kinds – a shape-shifting necromancer, and a ritual sacrifice among them – the trio finally arrive at Ocean, Danzi’s final place of rest. But as her dragon-friend leaves Ping forever, the dragon stone reveals its spectacular secret...
In the time of the Han Dynasty in ancient China, a young orphan struggles to fulfill her destiny. Ping has survived her days as a slave at Huangling Palace, but new challenges await her in the desolate mountains of Tai Shan. The aged dragon Danzi is gone, and now it is up to Ping to take care of the baby dragon, Kai. She does her best, but food is scarce, and she must be constantly on the lookout for her enemies. Things seem to get better when fate leads her back to the Imperial Palace, to the Garden of the Purple Dragon. Yet even within these hallowed walls, Ping and Kai are not as safe as they believe. This story of adventure, action, friendship, and loyalty will have readers cheering for Ping and the young dragon as they embark on their journey of faith and courage.
"[Mindy Mejia] is simply a beautiful writer…" —Twin Cities Pioneer Press"Mejia beautifully tackles the subjects of animal captivity, endangered animals, human-animal connections, and even evolution." —Global Animal"This is a thriller of the rarest form—one that touches both the mind and the heart. A wonderful read." —Mary Logue, author of the Claire Watkins mysteries"…impressive…ambitious…Mindy Mejia is a talent to watch." —Sheila O'Connor, author of Where No Gods Came and Sparrow Road A zookeeper fights to save the animal she loves, even as her own life crumbles around her… Meg Yancy knows she may be overly attached to Jata, the Komodo dragon that has been in her care since it arrived at the zoo from Indonesia. Jata brings the exotic to Meg’s Minnesotan life: an ancient, predatory history and stories of escaping to freedom. A species that became endangered soon after being discovered, Komodos have a legacy of independence, something that Meg understands all too well. Meg has always been better able to relate to reptiles than to people, from her estranged father to her live-in boyfriend to the veterinarian who is more concerned with his career than with the animals’ lives. Then one day, Meg makes an amazing discovery. Jata has produced viable eggs—without ever having had a mate. Faced with this rare phenomenon, Meg must now defend Jata’s hatchlings from the scientific, religious, and media forces that converge on the zoo to claim the miracle as their own. Finally forced to deal with the very people she has avoided for so long, Meg discovers that opening herself up comes with its own complications. And as she fights to save the animal she loves from the consequences of its own miracle, she must learn to accept that in nature, as in life, not everything can be controlled. Mindy Mejia’s gripping debut novel highlights the perils of captivity and the astonishing ways in which animals evolve.
Ancient China. Han Dynasty. Ping and Kai have travelled far, but their journey is not yet over. Danger stalks them. Ping must find Kai a safe place. But how? When a hidden message from Danzi makes the way clear, Ping knows that once again the journey of a thousand li begins with a single step. The triumphant conclusion to the multi-award-winning Dragonkeeper trilogy.
One Dragon Egg Holds the Key to the Future. When Kale, a slave girl, finds a dragon egg, she is given the unexpected opportunity to become a servant to Paladin. But on her way to The Hall, where she was to be trained, Kale runs into danger. Rescued by a small band of Paladin’s servants, Kale is turned from her destination. Feeling afraid and unprepared, Kale embarks on a perilous quest to find the meech dragon egg stolen by the foul Wizard Risto. But their journey is threatened when a key member of the party is captured, leaving the remaining companions to find the Wizard Fenworth, attempt an impossible rescue, and recover the egg--whose true value they have not begun to suspect. Weaving together memorable characters, daring adventure, and a core of eternal truth, Dragonspell--the first book in the Dragon Keepers Chronicles--is a finely crafted and welcome addition to the corpus of fantasy fiction.
An orphan slave girl becomes a Dragon Keeper when she heroically comes to the aid of an aging dragon and both go on a dangerous journey across China to protect a mysterious stone vital to the dragon's legacy.
Ancient China, Han Dynasty. A slave girl saves the life of an ageing dragon and escapes her brutal master. Pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter, the girl and the dragon begin an epic journey across China. They carry with them a mysterious stone that must be protected. Dragonkeeper is the story of a girl who believes she is not worthy even of a name, but finds within herself the strength and courage to make this perilous journey – and do what must be done. Dragonkeeper is the first novel in the internationally bestselling and award-winning Dragonkeeper series from Australian author Carole Wilkinson. This gripping junior fiction fantasy is the perfect read for secondary school age children. Continue the story with the other books in the series: Garden of the Purple Dragon (Book 2), Dragon Moon (Book 3) and Blood Brothers (Book 4). Carole can be found online at: www.carolewilkinson.com.au Winner, Younger Readers Category, Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, 2004 Winner, Best Young Adult Book, Aurealis Awards, 2003 Winner, Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards, 2004 Best Children's Book, Queensland Premier's Literary Award, 2004 Short-listed, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, 2004 Winner, Kalbacher Klapperschlange Award (Germany), 2006 Special Mention, International Youth Library’s White Ravens List, 2004 Winner, Older Readers, Kids Own Australian Literary Awards (KOALA), 2006 Short-listed, Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA), 2006 Short-listed, Canberra's Own Outstanding List (COOL) Award, 2006 “In Dragonkeeper, Carole Wilkinson transports the reader to a richly evoked ancient China during the Han Dynasty ... in an absorbing, textured, adventure story.” — Australian Book Review “I was riveted by the magical adventures, beautifully told, of a nameless Chinese slave girl.” — Katharine England, Australian Book Review “... entrancing, beautifully written story ... a wonderfully satisfying and unexpected climax.” — Adelaide Advertiser “An enchanting blend of fantasy and history.” — The Age “A journey ... is the essence of this outstanding novel ...It is a story that informs as it delights and leaves the reader with a yearning to know more.” — The Children’s Book Council of Australia, Judges’ Report “... an ambitious novel, marrying ancient Chinese history and culture with magic and fantasy ... the sights, smells and tastes of this fantastic ancient China are fully realised.” — Australian Bookseller and Publisher “... a superb novel ...” — Canberra Times “Enchanting and fascinating ... something worth celebrating.” — Kate Fewster, Viewpoint “... proof that the fantasy genre is still working its magic.” — Jodie Minus, The Weekend Australian “Wilkinson writes with elegant simplicity and her tale acquires the force of fable. Its appeal is broad: complex enough for adults yet accessible to younger readers.” — The Saturday Age
The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war inflicted on its citizens by outside forces–as well as from the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans’ hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It’s a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface of the idyllic countryside. Truth has never been more important, nor so difficult to discern. As Kale and her father are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons as helpers throughout the kingdom, the light wizard has little time to develop her skills. Her husband, Sir Bardon–despite physical limitations resulting from his bout with the stakes disease–has become a leader, serving on the governing board under Paladin. When Kale and Bardon set aside their daily responsibilities to join meech dragons Regidor and Gilda on a quest to find a hidden meech colony, they encounter sinister forces. Their world is under attack by a secret enemy… can they overcome the ominous peril they can’t even see? Prepare to experience breathtaking adventure and mind-blowing fantasy as never before in this dazzling, beautifully-crafted conclusion to Donita K. Paul’s popular DragonKeeper Chronicles fantasy series.
A New Quest Begins in the sequel to DragonSpell A dragonkeeper of Paladin, Kale is summoned from the Hall to The Bogs by the Wizard Fenworth to serve as his apprentice and tend his newly hatched meech dragon, Regidor. But Kale isn’t going alone. The Hall is sending a student to monitor her performance and report back to the scholars. Worst of all, it’s Bardon– an older boy Kale finds irritating, but who at least can hold his own in a sword fight. New Friendships Are Forged Meanwhile, the Wizard Risto has seized another meech dragon, bringing him dangerously close to gaining the power he seeks. So with only a motley band of companions, Kale sets out on a desperate quest to rescue the second meech, to free those dragons already enslaved, and to thwart Risto’s devious plans. It’s up to Kale to lead the search and to embrace the role that’s rightfully hers. But will her efforts be enough to save the land of Amara from the dark future that awaits at Risto’s hands?
