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
