'The most captivating children’s book I’ve seen so far this year,' Amanda Craig, The Times Ping is a slave in a little-used royal palace on the edge of the Emperor’s kingdom. Her tyrannic master is a cruel drunk who neglects his duties as Imperial Dragonkeeper and under his watch the Emperor’s dragons have dwindled from a magnificent dozen to a miserable two. When one dragon dies, only the ancient and wise Long Danzi remains. His fate seems sealed – until Ping comes to his rescue in a moment of startling bravery that reveals her destiny as a Dragonkeeper. Pursued by the Emperor’s forces and an evil dragon hunter, Ping, Danzi, and a rat called Hua, set off on a remarkable journey across the kingdom. Bound for the Ocean, they carry a mesmerising, beautiful dragon stone that must be protected at any cost. Surviving dangers of all kinds – a shape-shifting necromancer, and a ritual sacrifice among them – the trio finally arrive at Ocean, Danzi’s final place of rest. But as her dragon-friend leaves Ping forever, the dragon stone reveals its spectacular secret...

In the time of the Han Dynasty in ancient China, a young orphan prepares for a difficult journey. Ping has grown to become a skilled Dragon Keeper, but her greatest challenge is yet to come. After rescuing the baby dragon, Kai, from the evil Emperor, she brings him to a safe haven near the border of the Empire. Now, as Kai grows into a restless young dragon, Ping faces a tough decision. She must find a way to take Kai to the ancient haven of the dragons. Following cryptic clues left by the wise dragon, Danzi, Ping and Kai set off on a long and dangerous journey filled with old friends and new enemies. But the biggest surprise awaits them at the end of their travels, when Ping quickly learns that the hardest part of being a Dragon Keeper may be realizing when it’s time to let go. With this story of tender friendships and heroic adventure, Carole Wilkinson brings her epic trilogy about dragons in ancient China to a thrilling and satisfying end.

When a train crash destroys a shipment of mysterious dinosaur bones that might be the source of dragon myths, something forgotten whispers from the past... Judith Mills is a scientist who discovered the bones in the remote North, and determined to save whatever might be left. Creek Morgan is a Native Indian railroad mechanic troubled by nightmares he doesn't understand, while Eva Reed is a grieving young woman whose husband lies comatose in a hospital bed. George Pakuchek is a big-city lawyer working on a case he didn't want, and Neil Dayton is a young man running in terror. In the last moments of a winter night, their lives are changed forever when the freight train carrying the dinosaur bones crashes in an isolated forest. But Creek's elderly great-grandmother remembers disturbing fragments of a Native Indian legend going back to the ancient days of the tribe, and cryptic clues written on an abandoned city apartment wall echo warnings few understand. For a tiny group of ordinary people, courage and compassion will be their only weapons against revenge, corruption and greed. For the Dragon's Keeper is coming, and the line between myth and reality is about to be wiped away forever...

Here be Dragons... Not the slavering, whimsical monsters from childhood fancies, but real Dragons—fierce, complex, wondrous, and wild. They do not require our belief; they never have. With hard science and myth, empirical wisdom, and original line drawings, The Dragon Keeper's Handbook is the draconic enchiridion for the modern world, providing everything you need to know about these extraordinary beings. From disparate theories of Dragon evolution and the golden geometry of their form to modern conservation efforts and how to release a well-weaned orphan back into the wild, this book answers all your questions, even those you didn't know to ask. From awe-inspiring Cosmic Creators to wee pisuhänds guarding hearth and home, discover the habits and habitats of Dragons and pseudo-dragons both familiar and rare. The Dragon Keeper's Handbook shows us how human and Dragon lives are bound together and why Dragons are now and ever-will-be relevant: In their wildness lie lessons for us all.

Goldwell's fantasy book series Dragon Keepers can be considered a prelude for young readers before reading the Harry Potter series. This dragon fantasy book series is imaginative and adventure-filled. Dragon Keepers is a dragon book series by Bruce Goldwell whose main character is Merlin the Wizard. It is written in third-person narrative. The narrative is about the fantasy life of Merlin which includes dragons, fairies, mermaids, unicorns, and other fantasy creatures popular in mythology around the world. While the story uses aspects of Arthurian legend, much of the story is based on fantasy characters and events made up by the author. "The author has a very wise intention for choosing the fantasy world, a fantasy genre illustrates a gateway to stories and imagination that is beyond the narrow convention of this known world. The series will certainly allow the readers to escape from the reality and get back to the world of mystery. Through the characters, readers often find crisis, inequality, pain, and loss, those issues are valid and challenging ones that we are confronted with in our real world, whether as individuals or socially. More importantly, using the fantasy world, the author tries to engage more connectivity with those issues and instruct how to avoid them in a realistic setting." - The Ritz Herald, Article April 2022 ** Dragon Keepers is a dragon fantasy book series for teens and adults. The series follows the life of Merlin the Magician. In Book I, Merlin turns 13 years old and is made an official dragon keeper, a position that requires him to learn how to control and care for dragons. The story includes a romance between Merlin and a young girl from the World of Dragons named Aeem. This fantasy book series is for kids 9-13, however, it can be enjoyed by teens of any age as well as adults.**

As an immortal mercenary and all-around badass, Axeviathon Saphyrius has spent the last two centuries in service to a fearsome dragon lord, while biding his time awaiting his fated female – the one woman he is destined to claim and love. He never expected to be cast into a nightmare fraught with shadow-walkers, sin-eaters, and lethal pagan enemies – he never expected his chosen mate to be up to her eyeballs in the same malevolent cult or to be used as an unwitting pawn in an epochs-old rivalry. So when his amulet heats up and her eyes turn sapphire blue, he knows he is in for a wild ride. This won’t be an ordinary claiming. Amber Carpenter’s life may as well have been cursed. From her rocky upbringing in the foster-care system to her terrifying abduction at age fifteen by a ruthless pack of thugs, she has learned to play the hand life deals her. And somewhere along the way, she has even made peace with her tragic fate. When a gorgeous, yet savage warrior strolls up to her teller line in King’s Castle Credit Union, Amber knows right away that something is wrong… The way he looks at her… The way he approaches her… The fact that he already knows her name. And his unnatural, hypnotic eyes—raven-black pupils surrounded by sapphire irises, a hidden fire blazing in their depths. Amber knows he’ll be back. When the savage demands of a dragyri male collide with the tragic misfortune of a human woman’s life, a race against time begins, and two very different worlds erupt into fire, passion, and devastation. AXEVIATHON – SON OF DRAGONS

Ancient China, Han Dynasty. Ping and Kai have travelled far, but their journey is not yet over. Danger stalks them. Ping must find Kai a safe home. But how? When a hidden message from Danzi makes the way clear, Ping knows that once again the journey of a thousand li begins with a single step. Dragon Moon is the third novel in the internationally bestselling and award-winning Dragonkeeper series from Australian author Carole Wilkinson. This gripping junior fiction fantasy is the perfect read for secondary school age children. Continue the story with the other books in the series: Dragonkeeper (Book 1), Garden of the Purple Dragon (Book 2) and Blood Brothers (Book 4). Carole can be found online at: www.carolewilkinson.com.au Winner, Younger Readers Category, Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, 2008 Short-listed, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, 2008 Short-listed, Children’s Longer Fiction, Aurealis Awards, 2007 Short-listed, Book of the Year for Older Children, Australian Book Industry Awards, 2008 Winner, Fiction for Years 7-9, Canberra’s Own Outstanding List (COOL) Award, 2008 Winner, Fiction for Years 7-9, Kids Reading Oz Choice (KROC) Award, 2008 “Simultaneously heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Beautifully crafted with stunning imagery, this has ageless appeal” — Children’s Book Council of Australia “I was riveted by the magical adventures, beautifully told, of a nameless Chinese slave girl.” — Katharine England, Australian Book Review “... entrancing, beautifully written story ... a wonderfully satisfying and unexpected climax.” — Adelaide Advertiser “An enchanting blend of fantasy and history.” — The Age “A journey ... is the essence of this outstanding novel ...It is a story that informs as it delights and leaves the reader with a yearning to know more.” — The Children’s Book Council of Australia, Judges’ Report “... an ambitious novel, marrying ancient Chinese history and culture with magic and fantasy ... the sights, smells and tastes of this fantastic ancient China are fully realised.” — Australian Bookseller and Publisher “... a superb novel ...” — Canberra Times “Enchanting and fascinating ... something worth celebrating.” — Kate Fewster, Viewpoint “... proof that the fantasy genre is still working its magic.” — Jodie Minus, The Weekend Australian “Wilkinson writes with elegant simplicity and her tale acquires the force of fable. Its appeal is broad: complex enough for adults yet accessible to younger readers.” — The Saturday Age