Garden of the Purple Dragon

Book series continues to be incredibly cute. Thought I missed Danzi in this book, Kai is also a pretty good dragon ... although the fact that it'll be several hundred, if not thousand, years before he can be a proper dragon and fly and stuff is a bit sad. Oh well.

Good twists in this one, they weren't super-obvious but were still set up in a way so that you could kinda see them coming. Ping's life really isn't easy though, is it? I kept waiting for her to run away with the princess and let's just say I was't too disappointed on that part.

Though do I believe Hua is gone forever after this book? I sure hope not, because that is one crafty rat. I also thought that Ping and Jun might go off on adventures together, but it turns out he was show more just a fake geek boy so she dropped him like a potato. Good going, Ping.

Based on the description of book three it sounds freaking awesome, so I hope it delivers! show less

I think I liked this book much better than the last in the series. Half of me didn't really want to get started on this one, but it turned out great.

The whole idea of everything I found easier to comprehend. While in the last book the plot wasn't very out there, you can see it showing through this time. I found it much less predictable and, though I felt it wasn't the same without Danzi, I'm certainly learning more and more about China in the Han Dynasty.

Garden of the Purple Dragon wasn't as deeply rooted in dragon culture as the first book in this series, Dragon Keeper, had been, but it was still a wonderful read for me. I simply could not put this book down. The author must have spent countless hours researching the culture of China and all of the myth and legend surrounding the dragon in order to continue this series, because there is not a moment that has slacked in this aspect in any way.

I wasn't as pleased with Ping in this book, perhaps because she had Danzai to contrast her in the previous one, but she came across as constantly unsure of herself and very clumsy. The entire theme of the book is learning; learning to trust yourself, learning to trust others, learning to trust your show more instincts, learning what it is to have someone under your care.

Overall, this is a wonderful continuation to the series and I can not wait for the conclusion because I so long to have Ping and Danzai reunited again. He brings so much to these books that I deeply felt the lack of him in this story. Young readers will look forward to the adventure of discovery and will gain strength from seeing someone their own age pulling through the tough times to find something more, knowing that no matter what happens there is always hope and there is always friendship. show less

If the first book in the trilogy was about Ping growing into her own person, this book is about trust and betrayal - by the end of it, it seems like Ping is the only person she can count on. As she struggled to look after an active baby dragon, old nightmares come back to threaten her, and old friends show that there are worse things than loneliness.

This is the second story in the series and interesting. However, there was a bit of a reading gap between book 1 and book 2 and I found it a little difficult to get into the swing of the book. Ping is a great character and her heart is with the Dragon.

I could see some of what was going to happen flagged pretty clearly in the story but it was the overall story and the growth in the characters that kept me going.

Interesting series and I'm going to have to keep going with it, possibly with a quicker turnover between reads.

GARDEN OF THE PURPLE DRAGON had been an intriguing read. The world-building was well written out. The emotion was dead on! It was the pacing of the book that didn't do quite well for me. Overall, a good read.

Sequel to Dragonkeeper. Ping now is looking after the dragon on a remote hillside when she realizes that someone knows where they are. She flees but is found by the new young emperor and starts living in the palace and caring for Kai in her re-established role as Dragonkeeper. Unfortunately there are those in the palace who wish to destroy her and take the dragon’s potential power for themselves. Even the Emperor himself is obsessed with living forever and can’t help her. The only one who seems to lend support is the sad princess who has been banished from an unhappy marriage. Then a new boy Dragonkeeper is found called Jun, and Ping’s future looks bleak indeed.p.18-22 The first time that Kai changes shape. Ping reminisces about show more the past. NOTE : 3rd book will be published in May 2007 show less