School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-In this sequel to Dragon Keeper (Hyperion, 2005), young Ping has rescued Kai, the baby purple dragon, son of Long Danzi, the last of the Imperial dragons, and hidden with him on Tai Shan, the forbidden sacred mountain. The old dragon appointed Ping as Dragon Keeper and entrusted her with the dragon stone, from which Kai has hatched. Ping has escaped the dragon hunter and the evil shape-changing necromancer once, but she knows she must keep Kai's existence secret or his life will be in danger. When the necromancer appears on Tai Shan, Ping must flee again. Aided by her pet rat, Hua, and by her ability to summon her qi power, she escapes, only to be captured by the Emperor's guards. Mistakenly thinking her previous friendship with the young ruler will keep her safe, she is betrayed by him and his obsessive search for immortality. She barely manages to save herself for another possible sequel. Ping is an appealingly feisty heroine, and the author paints a vivid picture of life in the Imperial Ming Yang Lodge. Readers should be warned that some of the necromancer's practices are horrifyingly graphic. The dragon's baby talk that Ping hears inside her head makes him seem more real, if a bit silly. References to events in the earlier book are sometimes confusing, but should inspire readers to explore Ping's earlier adventures. This believable fantasy should help fulfill the demand for dragon books.-Quinby Frank, Green Acres School, Rockville, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this glacially paced sequel to Dragon Keeper (2005), Ping fusses, fumes, frets and eventually proves herself worthy of caring for the newly hatched dragon she's been given. Recaptured by Imperial troops after a few months in hiding, Ping and her purple, puppy-like charge find themselves (supposedly) back in the Emperor's good graces and (also supposedly) safe from the murderous Necromancer--who is inexplicably alive after falling down a cliff in the first episode, and still out to render the dragonling into an elixir of immortality. Many chapters of hand-wringing ensue as Ping chews on various, mostly fancied, failures. Eventually, she sets out to find her lost family--a quest that ends anticlimactically but at least jump-starts a chain of revelations and betrayals that culminate in a second, if even more obviously inconclusive, face-off with the Necromancer. A map's magical appearance at the end leads in to volume three (already out in Australia), and at least one more chance for the author to make good on the opener's promise. (Fantasy. 11-13) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Young Dragon Keeper Ping, now 12, is hiding deep in the mountains to prevent baby dragon Kai from being seized by the new emperor. Discovered by the imperial guards, the pair is taken to the palace, where at first it seems they have found a safe haven. However, treachery there leads to another perilous flight and pursuit by the evil necromancer. This sequel to Dragon Keeper (2005) is as exciting as its predecessor, and once again the tightly bonded relationship between girl and dragon forms the story's appealing heart.--Estes, Sally Copyright 2007 Booklist