The Yellow Dragon: A Demon Queller novel

by Resa Nelson, Eric Wilder (Illustrator)

When summoned to a neighboring province, a little girl known to be a demon queller struggles to find and then thwart the Yellow Dragon before it kills the emperor.  But after discovering who and what the Yellow Dragon really is, she uncovers an even greater danger that threatens to destroy her entire homeland.
A little girl who quells demons. An aging dragonslayer. Can they stop the Yellow Dragon before it's too late?

Pingzi Po is the only demon queller in the medieval Far East. So far, she has quelled exactly one demon: Benzel of the Wolf, a dragonslayer from the Northlands. Now, she must act as Benzel's interpreter when he's charged with slaying a dangerous yellow dragon seen only by an emperor.

But the emperor reveals the Yellow Dragon isn't an animal--it's an unidentified citizen in his province, who has threatened to murder the emperor.

Convinced that this unknown citizen is a demon that must be quelled, Pingzi races to unravel the mystery that will reveal the identity of the Yellow Dragon. Can she expose the Yellow Dragon before the emperor is killed and the entire Far East is put in danger?

If you like original stories, great characters, and plots that twist and turn, then you'll love Resa Nelson's page-turning fantasy mystery.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2019

About the author

Resa Nelson is the author of the 4-book Dragonslayer series: The Dragonslayer’s Sword (nominated for the Nebula Award, finalist for the EPPIE Award), The Iron Maiden , The Stone of Darkness , and The Dragon's Egg . Her 4-book Dragonfly series takes place after the Dragonslayer series.

Her standalone novels include the mystery/thrillers All Of Us Were Sophie and Our Lady of the Absolute .

Resa has been selling short stories professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America), and she is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop. Resa was the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years as well as a regular contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom.

You can contact Resa at ContactResa@aol.com. Follow Resa on Twitter @ResaNelson.

Reviews

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about a young girl who lived in a Far Eastern land where the word of the Emperor was law and where women were seen as inferior and everything was done in order to save face and honour. Yet even though she was still very young Pingzi Po relished her freedom and believed in justice and in doing her duty as the only demon queller in the land. She is sent to help the lesser Emperor of the Chang-Low Province who said that his life had been threatened by a yellow dragon, so Pingzi and her demon, Benzel the wolf went to check this problem out. What she finds is a big mystery which she does her best to unravel but the decision she takes does not lead to the ending she sought. Pingzi solved the mystery through her cunning and stealth but she did not consider the politics that came into play in order for justice to seem to have been served. Though she would always strive to fight for justice she found out that she did not always have the power to do what she felt was right and though this pained her the final decision was not hers to take. Though the protagonist of the story is a young girl the novel leads to many truths in life which are quite adult and I love the courage this young girl shows even when confronting her Emperor. This is an interesting and compelling read almost like a detective story of who done it!

[Jena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Technically a DNF but I haven’t made a DNF shelf.

I didn’t even make it 2 hours into the 6 hour audiobook. The story itself wasn’t bad, and I may have enjoyed this more if I had read it instead of listened to it. But I have never heard a more boring narration. There is no differentiation between the voices, the narrator is nearly monotone, and she over-enunciates every word. It’s narrated by the author and she sounds even less interested in her book that I was. I lost all interest and was trying to force myself through this. This audiobook made me want to fall asleep, and considering I listen to them while driving, you can see how that might be a problem.

[Sayuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

God I know this is so late.Resa I'm so sorry!!
I like the basic concept of the book but I think it could be polished a bit more. I'll add more when I get a little more into the book but at the moment it seems a bit confusing to me.
(I received an arc in return for an honest review)

[Ysobella Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming of age fantasy
Pingzi is a clever girl, and also a demon queller. She overestimates herself a bit, but she's young and does a lot of growing up in the story.
It was interesting and fun to follow the clues with Pingzi as she solved the mystery of the Yellow Dragon, although neither the dragon, nor the outcome were what I was expecting. She has to overcome a lot of obstacles, including her gender, age, and disdain from her family. Fortunately, Benzel is always there for her.
Good world building with lots of politics, subterfuge, and intrigue.
Excellent narration by the author.

[PAR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that the story line is quite good, but I would like to talk about the narration. I believe that if you had picked a different voice your novel would have been wonderful. If I would have had the written word I believe I could have written a positive review. I am sorry to give this a three but it is based on the narration. It is quite mono, with very little variation in voice. I received this novel from story origin. This is my true and honest opinion.

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book and I have history. I started reading it 1 or 2 years ago and abandoned it about 15% in. I finally picked it up on 7/6 and forced myself to get through it just to get it out of my library. While the story could have been compelling, the way it was written was a struggle for me to get through.

[Kyla Sixkiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pingzi's journey shines in this coming-of-age fantasy. The world is richly built with political intrigue, but the story pacing could benefit from tightening. Despite underestimating herself, Pingzi tackles a surprising Yellow Dragon mystery and overcomes societal hurdles. Benzel's unwavering support adds warmth. A fun read for those seeking a twist on classic tropes.

[Mary T · Rating 5 out of 5]

good story
Pingzl Po and Benzel of the Wolf are off on another adventure. The Lessor Emperor of Chang-low Province has seen a yellow dragon inside his palace and has asked Emperor Po for help.

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Fantasy isn’t my normal genre, I have to admit to enjoying a good fantasy story now and then. The Yellow Dragon happens to be more than a good fantasy story, it is an excellent story weaving element of mystery, intrigue, historical elements and fantasy elements. Along with providing a solid plot, with characters who are easy to follow as they proceed on their quest to find and quell the Yellow Dragon. It was refreshing to find a story that didn’t “end” on a cliffhanger. The Yellow Dragon has an ending that ties up this episode of Pingzi & Benzel’s story. I received an Advance Reader Copy and chose to provide this review.

[Larry Dietz ii · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series when they become available.

If you like fantasy, you absolutely must read this book!!!

[Quilting Tangent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing Pains!
A simply story about a young girl who finds her calling in life. She learns the rules of court with how they apply to everyday life. A hard lesson to learn.

[Abigail Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness!!!!!

Resa Nelson is officially one of my favorite authors. All of her books are amazing and unique and its almost impossible to put down.