It is followed by Blood Brothers, Shadow Sisters and Bronze Bird Tower [2] The trilogy, based in ancient China, during the Han dynasty, has won many awards.

Meanwhile, Ping decides to wake Kai up from his winter hibernation for his safety, and finds that he has not only grown greatly in size, but knowledge as well.

On the way, they find the emperor, Liu Che, wounded with a shard of Kai's dragon stone in his hand.

As they near the Great Wall of China, they are held hostage by imperial soldiers, who ignore her claim of being the Dragonkeeper.

On the way, she meets Jun, and together they find an old man, "Lao Long Zi", one of Danzi's former dragon keepers, at Tinkling Village.

Ping is distraught as she watches Kai pick up many of the wild dragons' habits and feels him slowly drawing away from her.