When Ai Ling's father fails to return from a two-month
journey to the Palace, her mother comes under pressure from
a local man to force Ai Ling into marriage. Knowing she
will place her mother in a terrible position if she is
forced to tell the awful man no, Ai Ling leaves to follow
her father's footsteps and bring him home.
On her journey, Ai Ling is confronted with creatures and
events that she had always considered mythological stories.
What she discovers about herself will change her life. She
was marked by the Immortals with special powers, protected
with an enchanted necklace and sent to defend the world
from an evil that has been stealing souls for centuries.
Ai Ling is accompanied on her journey by Chen Yong, a young
man determined to find the truth of his birth. The two are
drawn together and Ai Ling is grateful for Chen Yong's
presence, and that of his brother.
Ms. Pon's first book is an absorbing, fantastical tale
that -- despite Immortals, dragon rides and serpents --
touches the very real depths of human emotions. A very
enjoyable read for adults, as well as teens.
No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—
despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be
unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient
bride banished to the inner quarters.
But now,
something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she
cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to
fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her
journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a
quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes
larger than she could have imagined.
Bravery,
intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she
will need all of these things. Just as she will need the
new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also
need help.
It is Chen Yong who finds her partly
submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake.
There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her
under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that
help . . . and perhaps more.
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