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Overview
Jakkin, a bond boy who works as a Keeper in a dragon nursery on the planet Austar IV, secretly trains a fighting pit dragon of his own in hopes of winning his freedom.Jakkin, a bond boy who works as a Keeper in a dragon nursery on the planet Austar IV, secretly trains a fighting pit dragon of his own in hopes of winning his freedom.
Synopsis
Training a dragon to be a fighting champion is the only way to freedom for fifteen-year-old Jakkin. “An original and engrossing fantasy.”—The Horn Book
Kathleen Karr - Children's Literature
Book One of the prolific Yolen's fantasy series, "Pit Dragon Trilogy," sets up her premise: Austar IV, originally a convict planet in a distant galaxy, has evolved into a popular intergalactic R&R destination featuring dragon pit fighting. Enter fifteen-year-old bonder Jakkin who means "to fill his bond bag"—attaining master, or free status—by stealing and training a dragon for the pits. Such theft is apparently looked upon as a right of passage for the brightest of bonders, but few succeed. Needless to say, Jakkin is more than motivated; he also has a natural affinity for dragons. Yolen's coming-of-age tale is filled with believable (once one makes the leap into the fantasy mindset) details on dragon husbandry and physiology, a suitable villain, and the beginnings of a romance with the equally independent-minded Akki. Yet the best parts describe Jakkin playing with his very own dragon—turning this into a kind of edge-of-the-universe boy and his dog story. 2004 (orig. 1982), Magic Carpet/Harcourt, Ages 12 up.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"An original and engrossing fantasy."—The Horn BookChildren's Literature
Book One of the prolific Yolen's fantasy series, "Pit Dragon Trilogy," sets up her premise: Austar IV, originally a convict planet in a distant galaxy, has evolved into a popular intergalactic R&R destination featuring dragon pit fighting. Enter fifteen-year-old bonder Jakkin who means "to fill his bond bag"—attaining master, or free status—by stealing and training a dragon for the pits. Such theft is apparently looked upon as a right of passage for the brightest of bonders, but few succeed. Needless to say, Jakkin is more than motivated; he also has a natural affinity for dragons. Yolen's coming-of-age tale is filled with believable (once one makes the leap into the fantasy mindset) details on dragon husbandry and physiology, a suitable villain, and the beginnings of a romance with the equally independent-minded Akki. Yet the best parts describe Jakkin playing with his very own dragon—turning this into a kind of edge-of-the-universe boy and his dog story. 2004 (orig. 1982), Magic Carpet/Harcourt, Ages 12 up.—Kathleen Karr