The Treasure of the Onyx Dragon

One of the better CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE books, TREASURE OF THE ONYX DRAGON earns points for being logically consistent. What you learn in each path fits in nicely with the other ones and they never contradict. To learn all the backstory and solve all the puzzles requires several tries, you don't get to learn everything by taking one path. The choices are also pretty nice, if a bit easy; the right course of action is usually fairly obvious, though sometimes the bold, foolhardy course is the right one. This book also has a nice atmosphere, but how could it not? Archaelogists, a gang of burglars, an international terrorist group, a Chinese smuggler and his family, a mysterious tribe of Native Americans, and a ghost ship. That's what you call a cast. I only have two gripes. While it is possible to find the Star of Asia, the most massive emerald ever found, you don't get to keep it; you turn it over to someone else. The only treasure you can keep for yourself are some gold coins from the Onyx Dragon. And you never find out exactly why your father disappeared. But aside from those, this is definitely an enjoyable book.

From the back...You're spending the summer with your aunt Lydia on Orcas Island, in the Pacific Northwest. You've always been curious about the island's legend of the Onyx Dragon, a treasure ship that mysteriously sank off the coast over one hundred years ago. When you stumble upon an old letter, you decide to search for the ship and its precious cargo-the infamous emerald known as the Star of Asia. The letter provides you with three clues. Where should you look first?