Jewels of the Dragon

I read this book when it first came out and have since tracked it down to keep on my shelf. I loved the story line, the characters were believable, and I found the universe fascinating. In some ways this book reminds me of the Flinx series by Alan Dean Foster. Though Braeth is more of a 'man in black' than Flinx could ever hope to be.

Jewels of the Dragon is the begining of the Rikard Braeth saga. Our young hero is a university trained historian who is tracking down his father who abandoned him and his mother to return to his old life of adventuring, and seeking out the final fortune of all fortunes. For years Rikard has followed his fathers movements (though his father left over a decade ago, before Rikard was barely a teen). Rikard tracks his father to Kohltri, a sort of self-exiled penal planet, where the citizens cut you down in the middle of the street in broad daylight, if they think it's worth their while. Kohltri is not a planet for acedemic types, as Rikard soon discovers. He must learn either to blend in with the criminal element, be accepted as a tourist, or go home to the the safe halls of the university (providing he can find a way off-planet). While searching for his father on Kohltri, Rikard makes some unlikely allies, and quite a few enemies, as well as several amazing discoveries, that would seal his career as a historian and archaeologist, if he can survive Kohltri, and then find a way to leave the planet. There are several twists to the plot which keeps you glued to the book waiting to see what'll happen next. The characters are engaging, and spirited. I really enjoyed this book and have re-read it several times. The whole atmosphere of the book was intriguing, and I found myself wishing for more details, or possibly spin-off novels about the Belshpaer, or Atreef (alien lifeforms). This book however, did not bog down with a lot of insignificant details, there was enough to keep interest up, mixed with enough action that I do not recall one dull moment. I truly recommend this book to anyone looking for a something a little different, than the traditional interstellar-war or futuristic styled spaceaged-monarchy common in so much main-stream sci-fi.

The author introduces us to Rikard Braeth, a young man in search of his father. On a strange planet, our hero becomes involved in ancient mysteries and forgotten races. Rikard makes new friends and enemies in his search for his father, ending the story in an unforseen direction. This is the first book in a trilogy which combines archeology, adventure and strange alien races in a futuristic "Indiana Jones." The next two books in the series, "Crown of the Serpent," and "Lair of the Cyclops" are also highly recommended.