Book Review: Dragon's Blood

Jane Yolen’s book, Dragon’s Blood, is a great book about a fifteen year old slave-boy named Jakkin. Jakkin lives on a planet called Austar IV at Master Sarkkhan’s dragon barn in the year 2485 after the Earth’s end. The writer is vivid and realistic; the great special-effects fantasy story starts on Austar IV which is a former colony of exiled convicts and their guards.

Jakkin wants to become a free man, and can earn his freedom by filling a bond bag with gold. Jakkin wears his small bond bag around his neck, but it will take him years to fill. His first plot is to steal a dragon egg, but he fails. Jakkin takes a hatching and begins the dream of raising and training his own dragon. He must train his dragon to fight other dragons in the pits. This is his only way to fill his bond bag with gold. His entire plan is done in secret and at night in his oasis.

The dragons on Austar IV are very unique animals. Dragons’ blood has magical powers. Once you develop a friendship the dragons can communicate telepathically by sending colors or feelings to you. The dragons are born with an egg skin which is sensitive to light. Dragons shed their egg skins many times until they reach their final layer of scales and they are mature. Their mature colors vary, from blood red to dark brown.

Dragon’s Blood appeals to me in many ways. It’s a fantasy and the main character is a boy my age, who struggles to get out of slavery. Dragons are mystical creatures and I could relate to the writer’s unique story. There are two things I don’t like about the book, slavery and stealing. Slavery and stealing are both wrong, but Jakkin is desperate and feels he has no choice to buy his freedom.

I like the book and would recommend this book to people who like fantasy or science fiction. The book is hard to put down, and I can’t wait to read about Jakkin’s new adventures. The book does have an intense dragon fighting scene and I would not recommend the book for kids younger than twelve.

I got the cover image from http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Blood-Pit-Dragon-Trilogy/dp/0152008667