Dragon and Thief: A Dragonback Novel (Dragonback, 1) Paperback – October 25, 2016

I remember In Middle school, i went to the library to check out a different book every day. The librarians were amazed someone so young read so much, but thats because I was reading this series. I literally couldnt put it down. I recently bought the whole series on kindle and re read it, and its still a great read years later. The characters are fleshed out and interesting, the story draws you in, and the writing is impeccable, Timothy Zahn is a fantastic author and this is a fantastic series. My one complaint is that the books arent long enough, but luckily its a good length series overall

The Dragonback series is a what they now call a YA [Young Adult] series, but I still like the older designation of a juvenile novel, since I grew up with it, and also because a lot of what is branded as YA seems like utter crap. Here is what Jerry Pournelle had to say in 2011 about juveniles:I followed Robert Heinlein’s rules on ‘juveniles’ when I wrote it: no sex scenes, and as Robert used to say, a juvenile has young protagonists and you can put in more science and explanations of what’s going on in juvenile works; which is to say it’s a good story, and has always appealed to adults as well as to the 10 – 15 year olds it was sort of written for.I like re-posting Jerry’s re-iteration of Heinlein’s definition because I find that my appreciation for a well-done juvenile novel only grows with time. I am of course influenced by having small children that I want to share stories with, but I also just like this kind of story, and I have for a long time. Something that is truly only fit for children cannot really be a juvenile novel in this sense, because the author needs to craft something as interesting to adults as to teenagers. A good juvenile is also mildly didactic, which fits well in the general hard sci fi mold. In this case, Zahn’s juvenile series is less about some useful aspect of science than about a young man learning what it means to be a good man after growing up as the orphan apprentice of a con man and a thief.The hook which sets this series in motion is our young protagonist, Jack Morgan, stumbling across the wreckage of an unfamiliar starship. Within, he finds a lone survivor, desperate and near death. That survivor is dying precisely because he is alone. The K’Da are interdimensional symbionts. Draycos can push himself into three-dimensional space for brief periods, but in order to rest he must allow himself to relax by becoming two-dimensional on the surface of a compatible host. Unfortunately, his host, and all the other crew of his ship, were killed either in battle or in the subsequent crash.Lacking recourse, Draycos gambles his life upon the possibility that Jack may provide the sanctuary he needs. Gathering his failing strength, he jumps! Zahn will likely have a lot of fun working out the implications of what this means over the next five novels in this series, but for now, Jack Morgan has gained an impressive tattoo/traveling companion with fierce claws and a strong sense of justice.After this unlikely meeting, Jack and Draycos find that their lives are entwined in more ways than either initially suspects. Jack, despite [or because of?] his past life of crime, is hiding on this desolate planet because he has been unjustly accused of a crime. Draycos and his former crewmates were there seeking a new home, refugees of the losing side of an interstellar war. Somehow, this all hangs together, and part of the fun is finding out how and why.Jack and Draycos immediately find themselves in each other’s debt, for Jack saves Draycos from dimensional dissolution, and Draycos returns the favor by saving Jack from the mercenary soldier prowling about the crashed ship looking for survivors, or witnesses. Fear and necessity bind them together initially, but the rest of the book, and presumably the following books in the series, are about Jack and Draycos learning about one another while trying to unravel the mystery in which they find themselves entangled.The structure of Dragon and Thief is primarily a caper, as Jack uses his apprenticeship in crime to good advantage. This makes the novel rather fun, as we get to see Jack and Draycos bluff and scam their way through various adventures. However, Draycos himself makes for an interesting contrast, because his rather grand sense of honor is a continual foil for Jack’s primarily self-serving survival skills.Jack is simultaneously fascinated and annoyed by Draycos, who like a knight of old, is fierce in battle, but he will not press an unfair advantage or abandon a fallen enemy in distress. Draycos, for his part, is occasionally appalled by Jack’s instincts, but mostly sees their fortuitous meeting as an opportunity to set Jack back on the straight and narrow in recompense for saving his life.The interplay between them, mediated by the ship’s AI which houses the memory of the con man who raised Jack, is what raises this from an entertaining caper novel to a disquisition in very very applied ethics. The stakes in the story are dramatically high, but the basic questions are more fundamental: do you help someone because you expect recompense, or simply because it is the right thing to do? Do you defend yourself with maximum ruthlessness and force, because your enemies will not deign to extend you the same consideration, or do you seek the minimum of force which will allow you some measure of safety? Who can you really trust? And what hidden agendas lie behind offers of help and good intentions?Since this is a juvenile novel, and not a work of historical fiction or political intrigue, these questions receive relatively straight forward answers. Which is in my opinion appropriate for the intended audience. At some point, harder questions and harder answers need to be proposed and given, but the result will be better built upon a foundation like this. It is far too easy to drift into nihilism otherwise.I really liked this book, and I recommend it to fans of adventure fiction and juvenile novels in the Heinlein mold. You can pick the first three of six volumes up on Amazon right now for $2.99 USD, which is a great deal. I’ve got reviews coming of volumes two and three, so don’t fret.

A fun story! Great writer! Wonderful characters and world building. I’m getting the entire series🥰. Absolutely love the dragon and his interesting skills❣️

Timothy Zahn's Dragon And Thief, the first novel in what became a six-book series, is space opera at its very best. The pair of main characters are actually an old tradition in fantasy novels - a streetwise orphan boy thief and a chivalrous warrior who are thrown together by circumstances - but this time they're in a science fictional setting.Jack Morgan is fourteen, alone and surviving by his wits - and the help of Uncle Virge, an AI left in his ship's computer by his now-deceased Uncle Virgil, a notorious interstellar con-man. and the warrior happens to be a dragon-like alien. Draykos is a K'da warrior/poet, the K'da being an alien race of dragon-like creatures who have the ability to become two-dimensional. Zahn adds an additional twist with the K'da being symbiotes who require a humanoid host in order to survive, spending part of their time as living tattoos on the host's skin.Although Dragon And Thief might well be viewed as a juvenile novel, it is in fact a highly enjoyable read for readers of any age. Zahn starts things off at a fast pace and keeps them moving, with twists and turns thrown in to keep things from being predictable. Jack is on the run, framed for a crime he didn't commit, and is hiding out on a remote and uninhabited planet while he tries to think things through. Draycos ends up stranded on the same planet when he and his companions - fellow K'da and their Shontine hosts, all fleeing from a race called the Valahgua who are bent on their extermination - are ambushed in space above the planet. After his ship crash lands, Draycos finds he is the only survivor. And without a Shontine host to return to, his life expectancy has become a matter of hours. When they meet up, each quickly realizes they will need the other to suvive.Zahn's characterizations are great, showing just how different his two protagonists are and the challenges they face in learning to trust each other. The chapters alternate between Jack's and Draykos' points of view and so you get to see how each views the other - the orphan teen who has been taught to look out only for himself, that he can't rely on or trust anyone, and the warrior/poet who lives by a code and whose own life is secondary to the need to save the remaining K'da and Shontine from annihilation by the Valahgua:"Thoughts of Uncle Virgil flickered through Draycos's mind. Uncle Virgil, and his ghostly echo inside the Essenay's computer. That human had taught Jack to think only about himself, to do that which only benefited him. Was the boy even capable of thinking about higher things? Would he understand the idea of sacrificing something you valued, or something you cared about, for something even more valuable?--Even if he did, would he think the K'da and Shontine were worth the sacrifice of his life?-- Probably not. Given time, Draykos knew he could teach the boy about such things as honor and integrity and justice. Jack had the potential to stand with the very finest of the K'da and Shontine.-- But he wasn't there yet. Would he be able to find the strength to calmly die so that the K'da and Shontine might live? Draykos didn't think so.-- But if he did his job right, neither of them would have to find out."I'm tempted to give this book 5 stars for sheer enjoyability, but in the end I settled on four. I can't say it's a must-read, but I can say that if you like space opera, and in particular if you like reading stories about streetwise orphan thieves who end up as companions to chivalrous warrior-types, then you will definitely enjoy this book. For myself, I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Dragon And Soldier. Highly recommended.

The author writes well enough and spins an interesting tale, it just all seems a bit nebulous at times. There is a reasonable amount of character development by the end of the book but more sooner would be an improvement. The interaction between Jack and the K’Da seems a bit lax for the reality of their bonded status. There is a bit of action and a convoluted plot line for this book and while the story does not end here, it does arrive at a suitable stopping point. I enjoyed the journey enough to give the next book a chance.

Really good start to a series if a bit short. I'm invested enough to get the next book and see where this goes.

Light space fantasy read. Enjoyable book for all ages, but more appropriate for pre-adults. Perfect read for a day on the beach.

The series of Jack Morgan (reformed thief), Uncle Virge (AI on board Jack's ship) and Draycos (K'Da poet-warrior) begins.Jack is 14 years old and on the run in a spaceship from the authorities who try to set him up for a crime he did not commit. On the planet he hides out on he discovers a spaceship that has just crashed after a fierce battle. Onboard Jack meets Draycos - who in order to live has to bond with a symbiont (in this case Jack). Jack decides to save Draycos' life and takes him on as an extremely alive tattoo.Then Jack and Draycos go on trying to figure out what to do first - find the people who betrayed Draycos' people - who are coming in a year's time - or clear Jack's name. They settle for beginning with Jack's name but at the same time keeping their eyes open for Draycos' betrayer.The action is ready to begin. I liked this beginning. Zahn writes in such a way as to make his characters come alive. Enjoy! I certainly did.

The book's hero Jack is 14 years old. I was tempted to buy this book when one of the reviews said that Jack's behaviour was far older than that and I have thoroughly enjoyed some YA books. Having now read it I agree that Jack behaves older than his age but I found myself skimming much of the book as I found the story itself juvenile and with far too many inconsistencies. I didn't dislike it but won't be buying more of these.