The race for the red dragon by Rebecca Lim
Children of the Dragon book 2, Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN:
9781760297374.
(Ages 9-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Dragons, Magic, Adventure.
Rebecca Lim's Children of the Dragon series is an exciting
continuation of Harley's quest, another fast-paced adventure, filled
with dragons, magic and powerful sabotaging forces. In The
race for the red dragon thirteen-year-old Harley travels by
private jet with his father Ray Spark to Taipa Island Macau. On
board, Qing the blue dragon accompanies them preparing herself by
consuming tins of tuna for strength. Her special abilities to morph
into a Chinese girl, a glowing ghost, a glowing pearl and her
martial arts skills prove extremely advantageous in their quest to
find the second mysterious vase and save her sister the red dragon.
Harley's dad works closely with some shady characters, the criminal
underbelly of society, relying on these contacts to assist in their
travel arrangements to move them to Hong Kong and into the Wudang
Mountains in China. 'The entire criminal antiquities' world sees Ray
and Harley as walking bags of money'; there's a
twenty million dollar reward on offer.
Qing changes into a tiny glowing pearl to direct Harley's escape
through the dense crowd of people in Taipa airport and hide on the
Hong Kong ferry. Separated from his father and Schumacher their
German bodyguard, Ray and Qing bravely face obstacles, fight the bad
guys and seek direction. Harley's strength is equally tested as he
struggles to uncover the hidden dragons. With the assistance of an
old Chinese cook Ah Po and her getaway car, a beige 1970s hatchback,
Qing and Harley continue their dangerous journey. After an
interesting border crossing, they climb aboard the Jolly Bus and are
reunited with some heavily disguised but familiar characters. Harley
Sparks proves himself in the final struggle to unleash the dragon in
the lake. He draws on his inner strength and reasoning, listening to
his secret voice and works to ultimately save his dragon friend from
the villain's evil schemes.
The Race for the red dragon is a wonderfully descriptive
narrative, filled with a sensory feast of Asian food, colourful
scenes, back alleys and buildings, volcanic landscapes and
mysterious lakes. Her gorgeous dragons are richly written,
colourful, energetic and magically powerful. Qing and Harley's
character growth and their developing reliance on each other's
abilities underpins this exciting story. Rebecca Lim's thrilling
infusion of her Chinese heritage and understanding of Ancient
Chinese history, culture and mythology adds to the excitement. What
an incredible junior novel, perfect for readers who enjoy modern
fantasy adventures! What's next for Harley and Qing?
Rhyllis Bignell