City of Death (37 page)

Authors: Laurence Yep

The Silk Road,
NHK, Central Park. DVD, Media, 2000.

The Treasures of the Silk Road: Mysteries of the Taklamakan,
SBS, DVD, Madman, 2005.

Reader's Guide

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The information, activities, and discussion questions that follow are intended to enhance your reading of
City of Death
. Please feel free to adapt these materials to suit your needs and interests.

WRITING AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

1.
Go to the library or online to learn more about the Kushan Empire. Create an informational poster including a labeled map of where the key places in the Kushan Empire would be located today, and a border of illustrated informational paragraphs describing the influence of Greek, Chinese, and other cultures on Kushan language and ideology.

2.
Although
City of Death
is a fantasy novel, a note at the beginning of chapter 1 tells readers this is an alternate December 1941. Go to the library or online to learn what was happening in real-world history in December 1941. Use your research to make a timeline of actual historical events for the month. If desired, include key events from the years 1939â1945.

3.
Informed by your research from activities 1 and/or 2, above, write a short essay describing how you perceive the influence of the Kushan Empire era and mid-twentieth-century history and culture has inspired Laurence Yep's heroes and villains, human and nonhuman characters, or other elements of the novel.

4.
Create a PowerPoint or other type of software-based presentation that offers a tour of the fictional Bactra in
City of Death,
explaining the architecture, the types of beings living in the city, and the political situation, including people in key leadership positions.

5.
Natural land formations, such as mountains, and elements, such as wind, play critical roles in
City of Death
. Using descriptions from the novel, create a drawing, collage, sculpture, or other visual artwork representing one of these formations or elements. If desired, create a display by combining your work with that of friends or classmates.

6.
In the voice of M
Ä
ka in chapter 20, write a journal entry describing your understanding of your magical power and why you feel such a strong loyalty to Scirye.

7.
In the City trilogy, Roland, with the aid of Bayang's dragon nemesis, Badik, is trying to assemble the lost treasures of the Emperor Yu. In the voice of the character of Roland, write an order to Badik explaining why he must obtain the Archer's arrows and how he should deal with Sciyre and others who try to stop him.

8.
Research famous lost treasures, such as the Imperial FabergÃ© eggs or the Crown Jewels of Ireland. Inspired by your research, create a description and history for a fictional lost treasure of your own invention. Share your “lost treasure” information with friends or classmates and together create a brainstorm list of historical figures or fictional characters who would be best fit to search for the treasure.

9.
Throughout the novel, Leech and the Voice engage in many conversations and debates. Dramatize one or more of these dialogues for friends or classmates. Consider how you might costume a “Voice” and how you could stage the conversation so that one realizes that it is, in a way, an internal dialogue.

10.
Who (or what) is Kemshap? In the voice of Pippalanta or a Kushan elder, write and present a short speech answering this question, explaining the threat Kemshap presents to the world, and sharing your thoughts about Roland's role in this chaos. If desired, wear a costume to present your speech.

11.
Kles (Klestetstse) is Scirye's best friend, loyal servant, and advisor. Write an essay describing a moment in your life during which you could identify with Kles, such as how you acted as a teacher to a younger sibling, what you provided as the shortest player on your basketball team, or how you stuck with a friend through a crisis. Use quotations from the novel, along with your own experiences, to complete your essay. Conclude by surmising what Kles might think of your actions.

12.
In his afterward, Laurence Yep tells readers he hopes “they could also smell a hint of spices carried on the dry wind.” Can you? Write your answer to this question in the form of a poem or song lyrics.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.
As the novel begins, Scirye and her friends are riding on a magical wing. Why do you think the author chose to begin the story with this action scene? What do you learn about the “wing's” riders and their relationships in the first three chapters of
City of Death
?

2.
Like the previous novels in the series,
City of Death
is written from three points of view: Scirye, Leech, and Bayang. How do you think each of these characters brings an important perspective to the story? How do you think reading a story told by multiple narrators affects your experience as a reader?

3.
Who is M
Ä
ka? Do you believe she has magical power at the beginning of the novel? Had you been one of Scirye's friends on this adventure, would you also have trusted M
Ä
ka?

4.
Throughout the novel, Leech argues with another being, or spirit, trapped within him: the Voice. Describe their relationship. Do you think there is some sort of voice inside each of us? Explain your answer.

5.
Leech says to the Voice, “
It's nice to have people you can trust and depend on, isn't it?â¦
They're our friends. And friends are better than family because we choose them and they choose us.” Do you agree or disagree?

6.
What roles do geography and landscapes play in the novel? How do they help characterize the situations in which the friends find themselves? What might this tell readers about the connections between people and their environments?

7.
Name several characters from the novel that have the ability to change form. If you could choose to have the powers of one of these characters, which would it be and why? How would you use your abilities in your modern-day life?

8.
When Scirye is tempted by Dionysus, she wishes for Nanaia's help, then thinks, “Maybe it's better if the goddess doesn't change things for me.
I've got to do it myself
.” Soon after, Lord TsirauÃ±e tells Scirye and her friends to stay back while he investigates Roland's activities, but Lady Sudarshane disagrees, reminding him “
This is really their quest, not ours
.” How are these two statements related to Scirye's evolution as a hero and to her journey from childhood to adulthood?

9.
Throughout the novel, Scirye grapples with the risks of endangering herself and her friends to find Roland, and to honor the code of Tumarg. What is Tumarg? Why is it so important? Do you follow a code of ethics you learned from your family, faith, school, or community? Compare and contrast your own set of principles to your understanding of Tumarg.

10.
Scirye considers M
Ä
ka-Nanaia's insight about balance, realizing “
the Inside equalized the Outside
. Weakness matched strength.” Is the notion of balance, both literally and metaphorically, the central motif of the novel? Explain why, or make your case for another organizing concept in
City of Death
.

11.
What is the “City of Death”? Why is it so named? What type of leadership must Scirye exhibit to lead her friends to victory over the many types of opponents in the city?

12.
Where is Scirye at the end of the novel? Do you believe Bayang and Primo can ever truly reconcile? If so, on what terms? If there were to be a fourth City novel, what title would you like it to have, and why?

ALSO BY LAURENCE YEP

City of Fire

City of Ice

About the Author

Laurence Yep is the critically acclaimed author of more than sixty books for children and young adults, including two Newbery Honor Award winners:
Dragonwings
and
Dragon's Gate.
In 2005 he was the recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association for a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. Mr. Yep lives with his wife in Pacific Grove, California.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

CITY OF DEATH

Cover art by Yuta Onoda

A Starscape Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

175 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10010

www.tor-forge.com

ISBN 978-0-7653-1926-5 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-4299-9664-8 (e-book)

First Edition: February 2013