Garden Of The Purple Dragon (2015) - Plot & Excerpts
Berbeda dengan Dragon Keeper yang sangat simpel, sequelnya ini lebih kompleks dan menarik. Karakter-karakternya sudah tidak lagi hitam-putih, dan Ping banyak belajar tentang kebohongan dan pengkhianatan, tentang keinginan-keinginan yang saling bertolak belakang dan juga tentang rasa cemburu. Emosi-emosi yang tidak pernah dikenalnya dalam hidupnya yang lurus dan sederhana.Menyambung alur kisah beberapa saat setelah Danzi dan Hua pergi ke Pulau Penuh Berkah, Ping memutuskan untuk membesarkan Kai -sekarang sudah jadi anak naga yang usil dan penuh rasa ingin tahu- di lereng-lereng Gunung Taisan yang terlarang. Setelah beberapa bulan yang damai, Ping mendapati datangnya teman-teman dan musuh lama. Diawali dengan kembalinya super-Hua (yang diantar seekor Burung Phoenix), kemudian munculnya kembali si Necromancer, sampai pertemuan kembali dengan Sang Kaisar. Keadaan tampaknya masih baik-baik saja, bahkan Kaisar sudah memaafkan Ping dan memberikan jabatannya sebagai pengasuh Naga kembali, juga memberikan taman Pondok Ming Yang dengan nama Taman Naga Ungu. Tapi kemudian Ping nyaris terlambat menyadari bahwa Kaisar kini sudah terobsesi pada kehidupan abadi dan itu mendatangkan bahaya pada Kai. Kejutan-kejutan di akhir kisahnya cukup tak terduga. Tipu daya Kaisar. Pertemuannya kembali dengan keluarganya. Keputusan Putri Ming Yang. Kematian Dong Fang Suo. Keputusan Jun. Nasib Hua dan tikus-tikus Istana *serasa dongeng cinderella* #eaaa. Yang pasti, setelah mengecap pahitnya pengkhianatan, Ping kemudian belajar pula tentang memaafkan dan rasa persahabatan. Ending yang sangat pas dan memuaskan. Bukan hanya Kai yang tumbuh besar, Ping juga sekarang sudah lebih dewasa.(view spoiler)[Yang sedikit mengganggu adalah plot mengapa Kaisar harus perlu bersusah-susah membuat sandiwara penangkapan si Necromancer. (1) Dia adalah Kaisar yang memegang kekuasaan mutlak, kenapa peduli tentang keinginan Ping (2) Apa tujuannya? Agar Ping mau mencari pengurus naga lainnya? (Bukannya Ping sudah berkali-kali meminta hal itu sendiri) Biar Ping keluar dari lingkungan Pondok Ming Yang? (Sekali lagi, Ping sudah berkali-kali minta untuk keluar mencari pengurus naga lainnya) Untuk memisahkan Ping dan Kai? (Lah, dianya kan Kaisar, tinggal perintah saja to?) Lalu kenapa ya? Aneeh... (hide spoiler)]
Ping is on another adventure but this one is a bit different with dragon sized problems, old enemies and maybe some new ones. Poor Ping. She is just so lonely in the beginning of the book. We start off the book with Ping alone with Kai, the small purple dragon. Trying to raise a dragon all by yourself without knowing for certain how to do it is a tall order to ask of a young girl. Needless to say Ping is struggling and when she stumbles onto the chance to regain most of what she lost at the end of the last book she takes it without much hesitation. She and Kai are given security, food, and comfort. It is all Ping could hope for. Except that she has questions: about her family, about the dragon keeper books, Danzi, and maybe even the emperor. Things have changed. I liked Ping’s voice. She is clearly a girl at a loss of what to do but for the most part seeks to do what is right. She makes mistakes and pays dearly for them but she gets through it with a baby dragon in tow, with the help of a small furry friend. Ping was never annoying as some protagonists can be. The adventure wasn't half bad either. Ping sees more of her kingdom and discovers even more about herself. Kai proves to be a funny little dragon but like most babies he causes a world of trouble. Keeping him under control and finding a way to keep them both safe is quite tricky. They indeed had some narrow escapes. All of Ping's questions are not answered in this book so I will be looking forward to the next and final book of the series.
What do You think about Garden Of The Purple Dragon (2015)?
This is the 2nd book, here Ping not with Danzi anymore but with Danzi babies, Kai.That becoming grow up....and also Ping can get heard what Kai said. They can talking each other like her with Danzi.One day, the imperial guards found them from hiding on mountain. And took them to met with Emperor, Liu Che was Ping's friend.They get safe place on that castle. And Liu Che give named one of the garden with "Garden of the Purple Dragon. Like color skin of Kai.Here, Ping have to looking her self how to take care the young Dragon, due Danzi never told her.This Ping adventures more exited. How to make sure all people around her that she is the real of the Dragon Keeper, the last keeper and beside that only Ping that can heard what Kai said on his mind. How to keep Kai from bad people that want him every piece of. Ping also learning how to read teach by sister's Liu Che, to make her can read all books about Dragon. In here, Hua come back to Ping with new looking and more smart....always help Ping on every situation.It's make this story more complex when Liu Che was looking how to live longer...that took comparison from dragon, and with help from Hunter dragon, Liu Che drink Kai's blood.All of this, i was recommend to read this novel....;D. Nice adventurers...!!!!
—shanah
This book was exceptionally brilliant. The story of main character Ping is compelling, her development through out the series is inspiring.Carole Wilkinson's writing is writing at its best, the content is rich and very well researched and the mythology very believable compared to a lot of 'popular' books books on the market these days. (you all know the story i'm talking about :P)In the beginning of this book Ping is living on the mountains of Tai Shan which pretty much is forbidden, so she figures it will be a safe place for her and the baby dragon Kai she is in charge of raising. Until plot spoiling things happen and she is forced to leave and then captured.Overcoming many struggles and character building dilemmas concerning her destiny, Ping manages to defeat one of the 'baddies'.In a world where there is little trust in others the story ends with a sense of momentary security, but then again the trust issue arises and is surely going to set the third book marvelously.
—Elise P
I think that this is one of the best books i've ever read. it is alot better then the first but the first one is still good. I liked it better then the first one becuase I think that it has more detail and a better adventure. I think that the adventure is better because it is about a baby dragon who is positive instead of an older dragon who just confuses the main character. the main character is a girl who is 12 and her name is Ping. The story is basically about Ping. She struggles to take care of this baby dragon and she has to protect him. While protecting him she becomes more mature and motherlike. ,her survival skills improve becuase she has to help someone else survive. her wisdom improves becuase she has to teach the baby dragon. Her wit improves because she has to get herself and the dragon out of tricky situations. All in all Ping improves on almost everything because this baby dragon is depending on her fro survival.Ping worries because when she dies the baby dragon will stil be alive and will still need someone to take care of him. What will happen? I don't know becuse there is no 3rd book (at least not yet). So, for now they are in the king of China's palace, safe and sound so thats all I want to think about, not the fate of the baby dragon once Ping isn't around :)
—Jordan Arnold
