Dragon and Slave

Great book. Well written with characters that you will love. The entire series will keep you enthralled.

The story line is great and it was nice to have some additional background themes for kids to read about, such as: freedom, choice, doing what's right, etc.

In the effort to help Draycos find the mercenaries that attacked his advance team, Jack gets himself sold into slavery. In the process, he finds the information he's seeking, and frees some slaves in the bargain. The climax of this story has to be read to believed. Zahn is at his best in getting his characters in a tight spot and then getting them out again.

Have you ever wanted a tattoo of a dragon? What if it was alive? Well, fourteen year old thief Jack Morgan has to deal with one and it is extremely hard for him. Jack is a fourteen-year-old thief who's been through a military struggle for a mine and a political war between Cornelius Braxton and Aurther Neverlin for Braxton Corporation. He has Draycos, a K'da poet-warrior, as an ally and a friend. His main frame computer is programmed like his dead uncle, Virgil Morgan. Jack is now a slave on Brum-a-Dum and needs to find out about the organization that is trying to stop K'da and Shotine trips. This is the third book in the dragonback series. Timothy Zhan is an awe inspiring writer. He makes it go at break neck pace and it nearly turns its pages itself. He makes you seem like you are with Jack and Draycos. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes weird aliens and battles on the sky and ground. Also I'd recommend it to any one who likes Star Wars. JJP

Dragon and Slave (2005) is the third novel in the Dragonback Adventure series, following Dragon and Soldier. In the previous volume, Jack managed to con both sets of mercenaries who were fighting over the deep mine of the natives. He also obtained an information dump from a Shamsir computer system. Although it did not contain any useful data on Djinn-90 fighters, Uncle Virge did note that various Brummgas who were working for the mercenaries had come from the same place. In this novel, Jack takes the Essenay to Brum-a-dum. All the Brummga mercenaries have come from the Chookoock slave compound on this planet. He sets up a scam that allows Uncle Virge to sell him to the Chookoock family estate so that he can rummage through their computers. Everything goes according to plan until Gazen, the human slavemaster, sends Jack to the hotbox to correct his manners. Maerlynn, a Ysanhar slave, takes a chance and gives him a blanket; it protects Jack from the severe chill of the night. Of course, it helps to have a large, warm dragon sharing the hotbox with him. The blanket also protects his back from burning on the hot metal during the day. As the slaves are escorting -- almost carrying -- him to the barracks, Jack returns to full consciousness. Although he declares that he can walk unassisted, Maerlynn suggests that he forget his pride and keeps on helping him to walk. She provides him with a hydrating drink and food and also takes away his clothes to wash as he changes into a sackshirt. Draycos checks out the gaps in the hedgerow across the slave area and finds that the one they had enterred by is abundantly alarmed. So he locates another place hidden somewhat by brush and starts a tunnel through the hedge. Later, he finds his tunnel being watched by Brummga troops. Jack comes up with Plan B: he displays his entertainment skills in front of a spoiled Brummga child and is chosen as her next toy. He is taken away to the Chookoock mansion, fed, bathed and clothed is a funny costume. Now he is charged with entertaining Her Thumbleness and her friends. Unfortunately today is her High Day and all her friends want to see her new toy perform. At the end of the second day, Jack is left to sleep at the foot of Her Thumbleness's bed. Jack waits for all activity to cease. Her Thumbleness sleeps like the dead, but older Brummgas and their servants are still about. He falls asleep as he waits, but Draycos wakes him when all is quiet. Jack heads down the stairs and breaks into Gazen's office, only to find that the computer uses an old Brummga operating system. He sets up a tap on the security camera. takes a crystal paperweight, and returns to Her Thumbleness's rooms. After a short nap, Brummgas wake him and carry his down to Gazen's office. Although Jack expects some reaction, he finds himself being out-maneuvered by the savvy slavemaster and is soon sent to the frying pan. This is a standard hotbox with modifications, including electric