The Mark of the Golden Dragon

By: L. A. Meyer

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The irrepressible Jacky Faber, condemned for life to the English penal colony in Australia for crimes against the Crown, has once again wriggled out of the grasp of British authorities. Back on her flagship, the Lorelei Lee, she eagerly heads back to England in the company of friends and her beloved Jaimy Fletcher.But when the voyage is waylaid by pirates, storms, and her own impetuous nature, Jacky is cast into a world of danger that extends from the South China Sea to the equally treacherous waters of London politics. With the help of her friends, Jacky meets her enemies head on in this tale of love, courage, and redemption.

LA Meyer received a master of fine arts from Boston University, and is currently the curator and exhibitor at the Clair de Loon Gallery in Bar Harbor, Maine. He lives in Corea, Maine.

Katy Kellgren has recorded over 100 audiobooks including the Bloody Jack series which he won multiple Audie Awards and Odyssey Honor Awards. She has appeared on stage in London, New York, and Frankfurt. She is a graduate of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

©2012 LA Meyer (P)2012 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Great Escapes

This series takes listeners both young and old around the world and through history in an exciting manner. Wonderful performance!

Loved it

Would you consider the audio edition of The Mark of the Golden Dragon to be better than the print version?

I like them equally as much, but the book wouldn't be as great without the audio and not vice verse

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

Another perfect performance. She has to be the best at changing her voice to fit dialect , nationality, and sex. Well Done.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I so loved Ravi and all his Karmic fears. He starts out simply hoping to be reborn as a happy puppy, then soon realizes towards the end of the book that a beetle maybe all he can hope for, too cute

Any additional comments?

I am so over the Jamie and Jacky separation; I wish at this point he'd be written in to her life or completely out of the series.

Great Joy and Loss

Joy: L. A. Meyer's books are very entertaining and Kathryn Kelgren, the narrator does an amazing job. Loss: Both these talented people have gone ahead. They will be missed.

Enjoyable, but it has some downfalls.

This was not my favorite book of the series. The first half was fun, and I enjoyed it immensely. I especially love to see Jacky getting out of trouble by being shipwrecked, getting chased by tigers, and fighting off bullies/pirates. Although once Jacky got back to England it wasn’t as enjoyable. The whole Jamie thing (which has gotten old) was a bit much and Jacky is quite the trollop with Lord Allen, very much like in Mississippi Jack (which is my least favorite of the series.) Jacky just can’t keep faithful and leave them boys alone. The political part was a bit of a bore too. I love the narrator and there were lots of laughs to this story and as much as the second half annoyed me I still look forward to the next book.

Always An Adventure

This series is always exciting! There is humor, drama, and suspense. The narrator, Katherine Kellgren, is superb!

Love The Series

What did you love best about The Mark of the Golden Dragon?

Same old Jacky always getting into new troubles and adventures. I enjoy all the exotic locales and people.

Would you be willing to try another book from L. A. Meyer? Why or why not?

This has been a great series. I would always get another book from L. A. Meyer, but I think you can only drag out unresolved issues for so long before they become cumbersome. It's about time for Jacky to give up on Jaimy or commit to him. It has now dragged on for nine books. Characters need to evolve over time and I think Jacky has become a little stagnant.

Which character ??? as performed by Katherine Kellgren ??? was your favorite?

I enjoyed Ravi and all his laments about what he was going to come back as in the next life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think the scene where Davy is chastising Jacky for her behavior when they should be trying to help Jaimy. She initially becomes defensive and declares nobody is going to tell her how to live her life. That is spot on for her character, but I beleive the criticism may have hit home a little and given her something to think on.

Any additional comments?

To sum up I love the series but feel it's time for Jacky to do a little growing up and make some hard decisions about her life. To string Jaimy along for nine books is getting a little tiresome and what once was charming about her character now seems callous.

Always great

Would you listen to The Mark of the Golden Dragon again? Why?

Absolutely I would listen again. I would love my wife to hear it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Mark of the Golden Dragon?

The reunion of Jackey and the Nancy Alsop. Sp??

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her ability to take character is outstanding

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The reunion of Jackey and the Nancy Alsop. Sp??

Not my Favorite, but My Second Listen Nonetheless

They can't ALL be my favorite individually, but the series sure is!

Once again: I love the historical contexts. I am starting to get my early 19th century authors, wars and British Expansion history down!

Another smashing, consistent performance from Katherine Kellgren brings the unlikely, but oddly believable take of L.A. Meyers' Jacky to life.

Hey, it could happen.

Poor effort by LA Meyer

Would you try another book from L. A. Meyer and/or Katherine Kellgren?

I waited for a long time for this book to be recorded. I am a big fan of the whole series, so I bought the book in print before listening to it. I was extremely disappointed by how thin and predictable the entire plotline and content were.

What didn’t you like about Katherine Kellgren’s performance?

Katherine Kellgren remains one of the best character readers of all time. It is a shame the book reduces her effectiveness as a narrator.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The Mark of the Dragon is full of smoke and has no real fire coming out of its nostrels.LA Meyer is stuck in the doldrums along with Jackies ships....floating around looking for some wind to fill out his enthusiam for the plotlines.

Time to End...

Like others, I have been a fan since the beginning; but enough is enough. It's time for this series to go away. Every successive book in this series becomes more and more like a bad romance novel. Repetitive and irritating. Even Ms. Kellgren, who's performances on these books has been second-to-none appears to have become bored with the material. This series like so many others, literary or otherwise, that have outstayed their welcome (i.e., the Saw movies, Stephanie Plum, M.A.S.H. & Friends), should have ended long before now. And why James Fletcher would continue to waste his ENTIRE life chasing after a character who one minute seems to be totally devoted to him and the next whore's it up with every guy who shows an interest in her is beyond me. Here's hoping that #10 will be the last book in this series (an even number is a good number to end on -- too bad it wasn't number four). I gave this an overall 3 stars only because of Katherine Kellgren, not for the idiotic story.