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| Plot Summary of Dragon King's Palace |
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St. Martin's, Apr 2003, 24.95, 336 pp.
ISBN: 0312282664
In 1682 (actually the Genroku Period Year 7) Lady Keisho-in, mother of the shogun, decides to take a trip. The imperial mother demands Reiko (the wife of Sano the samurai chief investigator), the pregnant Midori (the spouse of Sano's assistant Hirata) and Lady Yanagisawa (the wife of the second-in-command Chamberlain Yanagisawa) accompany her from Edo to Mount Fuji. None of the three invitees want to go, but each feels they must as loyalty demands so. The Dragon King attacks their retinue resulting in deaths of the protectors and the four females incarcerated at a ravaged island palace.
The Dragon King sends a note to the Shogun demanding the execution of Police Commissioner Hoshina if he wants the return of his mother. The shogun assigns Yanagisawa and Sano to work the kidnapping case, but anyone with ambition sees an opportunity to gain favor by rescuing Lady Keisho. Yanagisawa manipulates the situation to his own benefit, as he prefers men to his wife. The clock ticks closer to a demented individual killing harmless women even Midori who just gave birth in captivity.
Though THE DRAGON KING'S PALACE is typical of a historical abduction mystery, the locale and the characters make this novel unique and wonderful. The story line remains fresh though this is Sano's eighth tale because of the insightful look at an era when palace intrigue rivaled Machiavelli and the samurai code rules. Through the actions, reactions, and thoughts of a deep cast, readers obtain a delightful historical investigative tale whose enchanting center is seventeenth century Japan.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"The Dragon King's Palace takes place in Japan, in June 1682. Lady Keisho-in, Reiko (the wife of Sano Ichiro), Lady Yanagisawa, and Midori, have all decided to go on a trip. They get attacked, kidnapped, and taken to the Dragon King's Palace. They are kept in a tower, with nearly no food or water, and Midori is expecting a baby. When Reiko escapes the tower she gets caught by the guards, and meets the Dragon King, who seems to like her a little too much. Sano and Yanagisawa must now find and bring back the women safely. "
Tango-chan, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Dragon King's Palace |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 40%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- 17th century
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is....
- Get treasure/money from another criminal
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- escape/rescue from kidnappers
Mostly a criminal POV story
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- breaking up gang
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- Japanese
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Genius (really!)
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
- throughout most of the book.
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
The antagonists are:
- big business leader(s)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- Japan
Island?
Yes
Island:
- stranded
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 5-7
- hundreds or more
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
- licking
- actual description of sex
- descript. of other female areas
- rape (yeech!)
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Laura Joh Rowland Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Tango-chan
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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