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 relievedβ despite the dishonor she has brought upon her familyβto be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.
But now, something is after her. Something terrifyingβa 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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