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The Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison GoodmanTwelve-year-old Eon, aspiring apprentice to the zodiacal Rat Dragon, is playing a dangerous game: he is actually Eona, 16-years-old and a girl.Published 1 May, 2008 
The Two Pearls of Wisdom (Alison Goodman, HarperCollins, $32.99 tpb, ISBN 9780732288006, August) **** Twelve-year-old Eon, aspiring apprentice to the zodiacal Rat Dragon, is playing a dangerous game: he is actually Eona, 16-years-old and a girl. During the ceremony in which the sacred dragon chooses his new apprentice and conduit, Eona’s gamble pays off in spectacular fashion, and her new role sees her thrust unprepared into the centre of the lethal power struggles at the heart of the empire. Two Pearls of Wisdom distinguishes itself from other dragon-themed high fantasy with its rich and startling setting: a world and mythology based on that of ancient China. Similarly, while the premise of a girl posing as a boy to take on a masculine role is a well-worn one, Goodman has taken advantage of the possibilities it opens for gender subversion in a way few authors do. Eona’s uneasy masculinity/femininity is highly relevant to the plot, and she is not the only character whose sexual identity is unorthodox. This is an intricate world peopled with characters who are both complex and sympathetic (though Eona herself is sometimes overshadowed by the more interesting figures around her). The ending is rather abrupt, but it paves the way for the sequel to come. This book will strongly appeal to fans of more subtle high fantasy. Jarrah Moore works for the Global Books in Print database at Thorpe-Bowker This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker More from Fiction Book Reviews
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The Invisible Road, by acclaimed New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox (The Vintner’s Luck), is apparently aimed at the adult market, however has strong crossover potential to the young adult market.11 July, 2008 
Katie Horgan is a hard-working Sydney lawyer on the cusp of becoming a partner in her prestigious law firm. Just as she is about to be sent to Ireland as part of her training11 July, 2008 
The third thriller by David Rollins featuring his motormouthed sleuth Vin Cooper will definitely appeal to readers of high-tech, military-oriented murder dramas.11 July, 2008 
This is the second novel by the Queensland author of The Shifting Fog. The book opens with a little girl abandoned on a ship to Australia11 July, 2008 
Dissection is a skillfully written piece of work that charts the despair of a woman, a doctor, who begins to question her ability to function both professionally and personally.11 July, 2008 
The cover will tell you that this is the fourth volume of the ‘Dreaming in Amber’ series. While the quartet does stand alone in terms of readability, this is really the latest adventure in what is probably the most detailed world in Australian fantasy.11 July, 2008 
Barry Maitland has crafted a well-researched and solid thriller that takes you from London to Sydney, as well as up to the dizzy heights of steep and craggy cliff faces in New Zealand11 July, 2008 |
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