Well there couldn’t be a better choice of read to usher in the advent of the Year of the Dragon! Paper Dragons is an intoxicating new adventure from Siobhan McDermott. Be sure to read Siobhan’s piece about how she developed the magical setting of Wengyuen.
“An extraordinary destiny unfolds . . .
Twelve-year-old Zhi Ging has always been an outcast. Until she receives an invitation to Hok Woh, an underwater school that offers her the chance to become immortal, and to finally belong.
There, she battles in hair-raising boat races, meets ageshifting tutors and competes in thrilling trials.
But there are rumours of a growing dark force . . . and students who fail the trials are disappearing. Can Zhi Ging uncover the truth before it’s too late?”
Developing setting and characters in ‘Paper Dragons’
Wengyuen, the world where Zhi Ging lives, is one that’s been swirling around in my mind for years. It’s built up slowly in layers of colour and detail, inspired by real places I’ve visited and loved. I originally had quite a different version of Fei Chui, the village where Zhi Ging grows up, sketched out in my internal map. However, in 2019 my cousin brought me on holiday to Taiwan.
On a day trip out of Taipei, we visited Houtong, Shifen, and Jiufen. Although each of these spots is unique and magical in its own right — cat lovers should absolutely visit Houtong, while the air above Shifen is filled with floating lanterns, and the glowing tea house in Jiufen is said to have inspired one of my all time favourite movies, Spirited Away — what I loved most about the three areas was what connected them: clouds. My Cantonese name (舒雲) translates as “comfortable cloud” and, at least to me, there’s always been something mesmerising about watching them drift and shift across the sky. Unlike the clouds back home, those in Taiwan can often be found floating beneath you.
By the time we reached Jiufen, dusk was setting in. My cousin and I peered back down the mountain, steaming cups of tea in our hands, and watched as the clouds rolled across the valley beneath us, concealing buildings beneath a soft blanket of haze. Lights would occasionally shine up through thin patches of cloud, as if the world had flipped upside down and the constellations were now glittering up at us. We sat in silence, long after finishing our drinks, and I knew I had to bring this moment into my book. The cloud sea that now marks the border of Zhi Ging’s village is an homage to the very real, and very magical, sea of clouds that decorate mountain ranges across Taiwan.
To me, a measure of a good book is one containing a world so entrancing that you get totally sucked into it along with the characters. Wengyuen is one of those worlds. As Zhi Ging strove to become a mysterious Silhouette, I was right there alongside her exploring the floating market and watching messages being sent via jellyfish. There are so many other-worldly details which will totally delight readers!
Steeped in legend and tradition, ‘Paper Dragons’ is not only a wonderful adventure but also a touching story of discovering your own worth.
Jo.
*Many thanks to Hachette Children’s Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*
