Monday, November 26, 2012

Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson

This book for young adults is listed in the collection, "1001 children's books you must read before you grow up". After finishing the novel I am not sure why it is considered a must read.

The story itself is interesting: A young orphan girl in the western mountains of the Han Empire is held captive by a cruel master. In a sudden moment of bravery, the girl frees a dragon named Danzi, who is also imprisoned by the master. Following their escape, they proceed on a journey across China towards the eastern sea, in which they come across kind peasants, cruel dragon hunters, the emperor and necromancers. Throughout the journey they protect a mysterious dragon stone.

As a fan of fantasy the story caught my interest, and I was definitely predisposed to enjoying this book. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be a bit stale, and by the end of the novel was not that particularly engaged. The characters sounded wooden, while the action seemed contrived, reminding me of a forgettable action movie filled with obligatory explosions and car chases. Although this is the first book in a series, I am not sure if I will read the other volumes.

2 out of 5 stars