Kingdom of the Golden Dragon

infobox Book |
name = Kingdom of the Golden Dragon
title_orig = El Reino del Dragon de Oro
translator = Margaret Seyers Peyden


image_caption =
author = Isabel Allende
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country =
language =
series = Alexander Cold Series
genre =
publisher = Rayo/ HarperCollins
pub_date =
english_pub_date = May 2005
media_type = Print ()
pages = 437
isbn = ISBN 0060589434
preceded_by = City of the Beasts
followed_by = Forest of the Pygmies

"Kingdom of the Golden Dragon" ("El Reino del dragon de oro") is a book published in 2004 by Isabel Allende. This novel's prequel has the title "City of the Beasts" and its sequel is called "Forest of the Pygmies".

Plot Introduction

The novel is about two youths – Alexander (or "Jaguar") and Nadia (or "Eagle") – with a "International Geographic" crew that seeks to find the legendary statue of a dragon made of gold. Legend says that the statue will tell your future. A disadvantage is it is located in the desolate Himalayas. The second-richest man in the world known as "The Collector" has hired "the Specialist" to get the statue, hoping to foresee future stocks and prices. With the help of a tribe of the yeti, a monk, his disciple, the youths are in for the adventure of their lives. Little do the youths know who the monk's disciple really is.

Plot Summary

The story begins with the monk Tensing and his disciple, the Prince Dil Badahur, traveling in a remote part of the Himalaya, on a journey to the Valley of the Yeti, in search of rare plants found only there, for use in medicines and balms.

As they arrive, they are greeted by Yeti warriors, until a larger female arrives, the ancient matriarch of the Yeti, Grr-ympr. She calls of the Warriors, and soon the lamas learn the sad story of the last of the Yeti. Grr-ympr is very old, from a stronger generation of Yeti, but with each generation of Yeti, they grow smaller, weaker and animalistic, in contrast to the great human-like Yeti of the past, whose society's were nearly as complex as humans. They believed this was due to the wrath of the gods, and that the lamas were the gods themselves, arriving to save the Yeti.

After observing the Yeti, they find that the Yeti breastfeed their young, but as it gives little nourishment, the milk does not strengthen the babies, which is why they are all so sickly and weak, and often die. Further investigation also shows all the Yeti have purple, diseased tongues, which seems to be a sign of something in their environment weakening them. The lamas teach the Yeti to milk the Chegnos, the only domesticated animal the Yeti have, to feed the milk to the babies, who show improvement from the diet.

They also soon discover the water from the thermal springs that the Yeti drink from is contaminated with toxic minerals, and is the cause of the weakness of the Yeti, and heir purple tongues. After the tribe ceases to drink from the springs, their energy and health rapidly improves, and in return for what the lamas have done, they help them collect the plants, and show them a short cut tunnel that cuts the journey back a great deal.

The novel then shifts to Kate Cold, writer for International Geographic, and her grandson Alexander Cold, arriving back in the New York from their adventures in Brazil from the previous novel. Alexander gives his Grandmother 3 large diamonds that Nadia had found in the Amazon, and tells her to use it to fund an Organization to protect The People of the Mist, and other Indians in South America. Although initially doubtful to the large eggs being diamonds, Kate goes to her Jeweler friend Isaac Rosenblat, who immediately tells her that they are the largest diamonds he has ever seen, and worth a fortune. The scene shifts six months and in that time the Diamond Foundation has been started, along with her old nemesis Archaeologist Ludovic Leblanc. Kate has also been assigned by International Geographic to travel to the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon to write an article. A call from Alexander asking to be able to come along and bring Nadia convinces her to have them come as well.

The scene shifts to the second richest man in the world, known as the Collector, talking with the Specialist, talking about acquiring the Golden Dragon, an artifact from the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon which allows people to see into the future, as well as instructions on how to use it. The Collector seeks this item to be able to foresee the stock market, and to use it to make himself much richer, and no longer be the second richest man in the world.

Once at Kingdom of the Golden Dradon as it's called, they get involved in a sinister plot to kidnap young girls and force them to be their slaves. Nadia who is mistaken as a girl from the kingdom is kidnapped along with Pema and a few other girls. Now it is up to Alexander and his annoyed grandmother to save the girls along with a little help from the country's forces, a lama, his dicipline, an of course Boroba's keen senses to find Nadia.

Characters in "Kingdom of the Golden Dragon"

*Alexander Cold – A teenager and the main protagonist of the novel. After having traveled with his grandmother Kate to the Amazon, he could not wait to go with her on her next adventure. He is a little full of himself, but has a really big heart. His biggest fear is losing his mother to cancer. He also has the ability to become his Totemic animal, the Jaguar.

*Nadia Santos – A Brazilian teenager and Alex's closest friend. Kate invites her along on the adventure and her father, Cesar Santos, reluctantly agrees to let her go. She also has the ability to become her Totemic animal, the Eagle, and is able to turn her self invisible. She is always accompanied by her monkey, Borobá.

*Kate Cold – Reporter for "International Geographic". She is characterized as unsentimental, but her love for her grandson is obvious.

*The Collector – The second richest man in the world. Crazed by greed, he wants nothing more than to obtain the Golden Statue in order to predict the stock market. Little does he know that the statue is completely useless to him in that regard.

*The Specialist – A mysterious character who is hired to obtain the statue.

*Tensing – A Buddhist leader who is in charge of training the young prince Dil Badahur for the throne and to be the spiritual leader of the nation.

*Dil Badahur – The prince. Although he is quite young, he is mature beyond his years.

*Tex Armadillo – A cowboy/hippie who is traveling on the same journey as Alex, Nadia, and Kate. he is a dubious character and Alex has a bad feeling about him immediately, in spite of the fact that Tex saved him from a crushing death in India.

*the King (Dorji) – The King of the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon who invited the crew. A wise man who occasionally allows his emotions to cloud his judgment.

*Judit Kinski – A cultured, well-traveled woman who the king hires to plant tulips, and then falls in love with. But does she return his affections?

*Pema – A beautiful 15-year-old girl who, in an effort to save the kingdom, sacrifices her long, beautiful hair, along with some other girls. She and Dil Badahur fall in love and she becomes queen.

*Isaac Rosenblat – Kate's jeweler friend

*The Sect of Scorpions - The Blue warriors as they're called who are hired by "the Specialist" to work with Tex Armadillo and steal the Golden Dragon.

*Timothy Bruce and Joel Gonzalez - Photographers for "International Geographic" who come along to take snapshots of the rare golden dragon.

Major Themes

* Continuing the journey toward adulthood, cultural difference, fantasy.

Literary Significance and Reception

Publication history

*Original imprint: ISBN 0-06-059170-6 (2003 Rayo, NY)
*English editions: ISBN 0-00-717748-8 (2005 HarperPerennial, UK); ISBN 0-06-058942-6 (2004 HarperCollins, US)

References

External links