Kingdom of the Golden Dragon

by Isabel Allende, Margaret Sayers Peden (Translator)

Overview

Alexander Cold, his grandmother Kate, and his closest friend Nadia return in the follow-up to City of the Beasts on a new quest to find the fabled Golden Dragon of the Himalayas, another fantastical voyage of suspense, magic, and awe-inspiring adventure from internationally celebrated novelist Isabel Allende.

Not many months have passed since teenager Alexander Cold followed his bold grandmother into the heart of the Amazon to uncover its legendary Beast. This time, reporter Kate Cold escorts her grandson and his closest friend, Nadia, along with the photographers from International Geographic, on a journey to another location far from home.

Entering a forbidden sovereignty tucked in the frosty peaks of the Himalayas, the team's task is to locate a sacred statue and priceless oracle that can foretell the future of the kingdom, known as the Golden Dragon.

In their scramble to reach the statue, Alexander and Nadia must use the transcendent power of their totemic animal spirits—Jaguar and Eagle. With the aid of a sage Buddhist monk, his young royal disciple, and a fierce tribe of Yeti warriors, Alexander and Nadia fight to protect the holy rule of the Golden Dragon—before it can be destroyed by the greed of an outsider.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063062924
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Series:	Memories of the Eagle and the Jaguar , #2
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	112,396
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 5.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Isabel Allende is the author of twelve works of fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Maya’s Notebook, Island Beneath the Sea, Inés of My Soul, Daughter of Fortune, and a novel that has become a world-renowned classic, The House of the Spirits. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, she lives in California.

Hometown:

San Rafael, California

Date of Birth:

August 2, 1942

Place of Birth:

Lima, Peru

Website:

http://www.isabelallende.com

Reading Group Guide

About the Book

In this sequel to City of the Beasts, sixteen-year-old Alexander Cold and his friend Nadia Santos accompany his grandmother Kate, a reporter for International Geographic, on an expedition into the Himalayas. They visit the remote Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, where Kate is in search of the secret of the dragon statue. Kate learns that only the king and his successor know how to traverse the trap-laden hallways of the palace and can enter the room of the jewel-studded dragon.

Soon there is uproar in the capital of the kingdom when several young woman, including Nadia, are kidnapped. Nadia escapes into the mountains and is rescued from a fall into a crevasse by Alex and the Buddhist monk Tensing with his disciple Prince Dil Bahadur. Using their totemic powers - Jaguar and Eagle - to help navigate, Alex and Nadia join the monk in order to stop a mercenary and the blue Warriors from taking the priceless Golden Dragon out of the Kingdom.

In this second book of a trilogy, Allende strengthens the relationship between the two teen protagonists and takes the reader on another adventure to an exotic location where one also learns about the flora, fauna, and people of the Himalayas.

Discussion Questions

1. Alex and Nadia use their totemic powers when in need. The mild-mannered Alex becomes a jaguar and Nadia, afraid of heights, becomes a white eagle. What do you think your animal totem might be? Why?
2. When Dil Bahadur asks Tensing about the Yetis, Tensing tells him, "They are like dragons, they shoot fire from their ears and they have four pairs of arms" (p.7). The young prince believes his teacher, who then laughs andtells him not to believe everything he hears and to "seek truth for yourself" (p.8). What do you think Tensing is trying to tell Dil Bahadur? Have you been in a situation where you had to seek out the truth in relation to what you have heard?
3. In 1950, when the Chinese government destroyed the monasteries, they thought they were destroying Buddhism. But instead, the monks went into exile and spread Buddhism through the world (p.19). How are the results of the Chinese government's actions similar to other political movements throughout history?
4. Alex received the skin of a ten-foot-long python from his grandmother for his sixteenth birthday (p.57). Think about all the unusual items described in Kingdom of the Golden Dragon. Which one would you like to receive as a birthday gift? Why?
5. According to the legend, the Golden Dragon makes predictions about the future (p.67). Why is this ability more priceless to the collector than the actual monetary worth of the jewel-studded statue?
6. After Alex is almost trampled to death by the untouchables in the streets of New Delhi while trying to hand out money, Kate says, "You can't change anything with a few dollars. India is India, you have to accept it as it is" (p.102). Alex does not agree with this philosophy in relation to India's caste system. Do you agree with Alex or with Kate?
7. The king falls in love with Judit Kinski and upon his impending death puts faith in her when he should not (p.368). How does his belief in her affect Judit Kinski? What role does the inscription on his medallion, "Change must be voluntary, not imposed" (p.202), play in her possible change of heart?
8. The Blue Warriors are a ruthless sect from Northern India who worship the scorpion and absorb scorpion venom in non-lethal does until they are immune to scorpion bits. How is this similar to vaccines used to prevent diseases and viruses?
9. The Yetis are slowly dying out, becoming smaller in stature and less able to fight off illnesses. Why is this happening? Is there anything that can be done to save them?
10. As Alex is about to leave the kingdom, Dil Bahadur gives him a very special gift. Alex is initially offended by the nature of the gift and by what the new king suggests he doe with it (p.431). What is it? How would you react to receiving such a gift?

Editorial Reviews

Fans of Allende's action fantasy City of the Beasts will be eager to sink their teeth into this equally tantalizing sequel. If the first book focused on environmental themes, this one takes on a strong spiritual flavor. Here Alexander (who has just turned 16) and his journalist grandmother, Kate, are off to the Himalayas accompanied by Brazilian native Nadia Santos (Eagle), whom they met during their excursion to the Amazon in the previous novel. Their mission is to find out about the Forbidden Kingdom, a remote mountain country that holds the invaluable Golden Dragon, a jewel-encrusted statue with magical powers. Alex and his companions are welcomed into the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, a place where greed, hostility and crime do not exist. While they are becoming acquainted with the benevolent king, a master thief and crew of evil "Blue Warriors" carry out a scheme to steal the precious statue and kidnap the king along with some young women of the village. Before long, Alexander finds himself once again tangled up in a dangerous quest as he sets off to retrieve the Golden Dragon and save the lives of the hostages. As the author promotes ideals of compassion, forgiveness and asceticism, she expertly blends all the ingredients of a great epic adventure. Her complex heroes, suspenseful tests of courage and the mystic aura that surrounds the story add depth and excitement to a classic battle of good versus evil. Ages 10-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 5-8-Buddhist monk Tensing and his disciple, Prince Dil Bahadur, are journeying through the Himalayan peaks in search of healing plants when they come face to face with a tribe of once-fierce Yetis. These legendary half-human, half-ape monsters inhabit a lush valley heated by thermal pools and hot springs and are unaware that it's the toxic minerals in the water that has weakened them and slowed their rate of reproduction. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Alexander Cold; his intrepid writer/explorer grandmother, Kate; and his soul mate, Nadia Santos, daughter of the guide who led Kate and Alex on their previous expedition into the South American rain forest, described in City of the Beasts (HarperCollins, 2002), are off on a new International Geographic expedition. They are headed for the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, a small, isolated sovereignty in the Himalayas. Criminals are on the same flight; they intend to steal the Golden Dragon, the fabulous jewel-encrusted statue that is both a symbol and a guide for the country, and to abduct its king to interpret the statue's oracular predictions. All of these characters are about to come together in another breathtaking Indiana Jones-style adventure. When Nadia is one of a group of young girls kidnapped by mercenaries, Tensing, Dil Bahadur, and even the Yetis become involved in the rescue. Allende combines empathetic young characters; exciting adventures; and an intelligent, sympathetic look at cultures, customs, and creatures of a remote and fairly unknown area. This is a must-read for fans of the first book, but it stands completely on its own. The biggest question readers are left with at the end is simply, where will these three go next?-Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

The adolescent heroes of City of the Beasts are off for another journey with primitive peoples and spectacular creatures in this clunky sequel. Alexander and his Brazilian friend, Nadia, join Alexander's grandmother Kate on an International Geographic journalistic expedition to the Himalayas. On their visit to the Forbidden Kingdom, they hope to see the mysterious Golden Dragon, an ancient artifact with prophetic powers. Unbeknownst to the adventurers, wicked agents of the second richest man in the world are also on their way to the Forbidden Kingdom, hoping to steal the Golden Dragon and its secret. With the telepathically communicated help of Prince Dil Bahadur, the ascetic teen heir to the throne, Nadia and Alexander must save the day. Bestial Yetis and Buddhist monks work alongside the animal totems Nadia and Alexander discovered in their prior enterprise. The legally enforced primitivism of the People of the Dragon is ultimately and incongruously preserved by Alexander's knowledge of 21st-century technology. Awkward and overly expository prose makes this otherwise promising offering waver between magical adventure and social-studies lesson. (Fiction. 13-15)

Kirkus Reviews