Dragon Cauldron [Paperback]

Laurence Yep (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 1994

Will the Dragon Homeland be Restored?

Monkey tells the tale as he joins the dragon princess Shimmer, and, along with two feisty humans, they embark on a mission to recover the dragon homeland. It has been Shimmer's personal quest for years, ever since Witch Civet stole the sea, and the dragons were evicted from their magnificent palaces of coral and pearl. Now the archenemy Civet is repentant, and she too has thrown in her lot with this fearless band.

Key to their success is the magic of the dragons' cauldron. But he cauldron is cracked, and to mend it they must reach the enchanted traveling mountain and engage the help of the fabled Snail man and the powerful Smith. Since the war against all dragons as escalated under the rule of the human king, Butcher, their journey is a dangerous one. The obstacles are endless, but so too are theqesters' determination and resourcefulness. just when they think hat they are within reach of their final goal, they face the biggest challenge of all....

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-- Shimmer, the dragon princess, pursues the quest she began in Dragon of the Lost Sea (1988) and continued in Dragon Steel (1985, both HarperCollins). Although she possesses the magic cauldron capable of reclaiming her clan's lost sea home, it is damaged. With her loyal companions, the children Thorn and Indigo; her former enemy Civet; and the trickster-hero Monkey, Shimmer now seeks the only being capable of repairing the cauldron. Monkey recounts their headlong flight from one adventure to another, with ever-higher stakes, until at last they inadvertantly release the evil Nameless One, who threatens the entire world. Cementing their friendship with insulting wisecracks, heroic rescues, and enormous sacrifice, these companions clearly value group loyalty above personal honor. Yep draws from Chinese folk tradition to paint landscapes and situations with an "Arabian Nights" extravagance. The characters in this action-adventure are sketched in broad strokes, without the subtle shading found in his realistic stories, Dragonwings (1975) and Child of the Owl (1977, both HarperCollins). Readers with a taste for dragons will want to join Shimmer on her quest, which is far from complete. --Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown, MA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

The further adventures of dragon Princess Shimmer (Dragon of the Lost Sea, 1982; Dragon Steel, 1985), who is still attempting to restore her lost home. Shimmer, the Monkey wizard, the witch Civet, and two human children (Thorn and Indigo) are all seeking the Smith and his wife Snail Woman in their fabulous flying mountain: only their old magic is strong enough to repair the fabulous Dragon Cauldron so that it can once again hold the sea and pour it back to form the dragons' home. They succeed, but only after loosing a terrible evil--the Nameless One, strongest of the wicked Kings from the past--and only after Thorn loses his human life and becomes bound in the Cauldron as its soul. Writing and images here are powerful enough for this to stand on its own; Yep's strong, earthy characters are notable as individuals even when a reader coming into the middle of the sequence doesn't know their history. Meanwhile, characters from Chinese folklore--the Monkey trickster, the dragon--continue to give this ripsnorting fantasy a special flavor. More to come. (Fiction. 10+) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 20, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006440398X
• ISBN-13: 978-0064403986
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,143,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurence Yep has been fascinated with tales of sibling rivalry from the day he was born. His older brother, Tom, chose his name Laurence - after a saint who died a particularly gruesome death. Laurence has been trying to get even ever since. Laurence Yep now lives in Pacific Grove, California, with his wife and is one of children's literature's most respected authors. His award-winning titles include Newbery Honor Books Dragonwings and Dragon's Gate.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dragon Cauldron, February 20, 2000

By 

Stephanie Hill (Kansas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon Cauldron (Paperback)

Dragon Cauldron

The main characters of the book are five companions, a dragon princess named Shimmer, a monkey called Monkey, a former servant boy called Thorn, the girl with blue spikes know as Indigo, and a witch stripped of her powers, Civet. Together they stride to restore the Inland Sea to its rightful place after Civet in vain moved all the water to flood and destroy a powerful city. In the previous books (Dragon of the Lost Sea and Dragon Steal,) the companions stole King Sambar's magic cauldron. While being chased through the sea, Shimmer accidentally cracks the cauldron on a rock. The book opens in the Green Darkness, a great forest that runs for miles upon miles. Together the companions trek across the land in search of the Smith and the Snail Woman, the only people who can possibly fix the magic bowl. The Smith and the Snail Woman live in a magic volcano that can be transported. They are also the last of the great masters still living in the present world. In the process, they inadvertently release the greatest evil the world has ever seen, the Boneless King and his faithful sidekick, Snowgoose. According to Civet's prophecies, two of the characters must make the ultimate sacrifice, and the whole world will bow to Thorn.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I ever read!, November 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Dragon Cauldron (Paperback)

I read this book and I thought it was super! I read Dragon Cauldron and it's sequels and it's prequels! They are very good books! I would suggest them to all readers between the ages of 11 and 16! I have never read a better book! It was great! I would love to own this book and it's prequels and sequels, too! They are all great! I absolutly give this book on a scale of 1-10 I give it an 11! It was so good I couldn't put it down! I also read the book Dragon Gate. It, too, was a great book and I suggest it, too, all readers between 11 and 16! They are all great books and after reading them I decided Laurence Yep was my favorite author ever!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly unique fantasy true to characters and storyline, March 17, 2001

By 

"kandladin" (Castle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon Cauldron (Paperback)

Much as I love all types of books, fantasy has been my favorite for as long as I can remember. So, considering that I have read extensively in this field, I have read all the cleshaes to the point where I can almost guess the ending two chapters into most books. This series I'm happy to say, is in a league all it's own. It's completely unlike any series I've ever read before, and I have to say I'm releaved that there actually is a fantasy series where male and female characters treat each other equaly, and female characters can be just as strong as male characters. Anyway, in this book (which is third in this incredible series) Monkey tells the tale as the book picks up basically where the previous one (told by Shimmer) left off, as they continue their quest to try to restore the inland sea. At first I was a little irritated at having Monkey tell this segment of the adventure; I wanted more Shimmer! but I quickly warmed up to him, and to the hillarious irony with which he tells the story. This book was also largely character based, focusing a lot of the interrelations of the characters, as Monkey begins to build a bond with Thorn, a saintly young human boy, who is very jealous of Shimmer's favoritism to newcommer Indigo. (a human girl) This book also has plenty of exciting action and adventure scenes though, and tons of suspense, so fans of action will not be dissapointed either. I would recommend reading the first two prior to this one, since it will make a lot more sense that way. Also, I would recommend these books to anyone from ten years old one up since in my opinion they are quite timeless.