'The Two Pearls of Wisdom' is a tale of political intrigue that takes place in a fantasy setting based on imperial China. The emperor is supported by twelve 'Dragoneyes', conduits for the nation's twelve dragons. Each year one Dragoneye steps down and a new one takes his place. The novel's central character, 'Eon' is one of the candidates hoping to be chosen. But the emperor is ailing, the line of succession contested, and Eon is about to become a pawn in a game he doesn't understand.
The political sections of this novel are its strongest. The characters are believable, their Machiavellian intrigues absorbing and the plot moves along at a satisfyingly fast pace. What I struggled with, was how Eon's magic worked, and how the Dragoneyes' linked to their dragons. There is lot of information that Goodman needed to give to the reader and it is dumped like an avalanche in the opening sixty pages. Though sumptuously described, I found passages that dealt the with the effects of the magic confusing and inconsistent.
In addition, though the political sections were interesting, Eon rather conveniently, always had around him, exactly the people he needed to help him out. An apparently simple bodyguard, turned out to be an expert in whatever was required, as did the wily courtier assigned to help the young and naive Eon. This meant that some sections felt forced. That said, the novel's range of characters is strong and diverse, particularly for a fantasy novel, which adds greatly to its colour.
Above all 'Two Pearls of Wisdom' is a compassionate tale, as much about our capacity to forgive, as it is about magic and dragons. It is an entertaining page turner and ends with an excellent cliffhanger. I look forward to reading the sequel.
I will also add that
Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye is the same novel as this one, rejacketed for the teen fiction market. Don't be caught out, it is not the aforementioned sequel, of which, at the time of writing this review, there is no sign.
