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Dragonback #5
Dragon and Judge
Dragon and Judge, the fifth Dragonback adventure from beloved author Timothy Zahn
Orphaned at the age of three, brought up by his Uncle Virgil, a con man, Jack Morgan has done things that are unusual even in the future in space. But when he rescued Draycos, a dragon-like symbiont, from certain death, his life became a series of breathtaking adventures. With the help of Draycos, who can leap onto Jack's back and become what looks like a tattoo, Jack has been doing everything he can to find out who ambushed the scout-fleet of Draycos's people, the K'da and Shontine, leaving Draycos the sole survivor. Now Jack thinks he may finally be on the trail of the information he needs. But before he can act on what he knows, he's kidnapped by aliens, who ask him to be a judge for them, as, they reveal to him, his parents had once been.
Jack's friend Alison Kayna and her newly acquired K'da symbiont are also kidnapped, by the people trying to ambush the K'da/Shontine fleet. Her captors will do almost anything to learn from Alison where the fleet will rendezvous. Jack and Draycos must rescue her before Alison is hurt--or worse. Using every trick in the book, Jack and Draycos race to her aid, but they aren't able to eliminate the threat to the endangered fleet...and precious time is running out!
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Orphaned at the age of three, brought up by his Uncle Virgil, a con man, Jack Morgan has done things that are unusual even in the future in space. But when he rescued Draycos, a dragon-like symbiont, from certain death, his life became a series of breathtaking adventures. With the help of Draycos, who can leap onto Jack's back and become what looks like a tattoo, Jack has been doing everything he can to find out who ambushed the scout-fleet of Draycos's people, the K'da and Shontine, leaving Draycos the sole survivor. Now Jack thinks he may finally be on the trail of the information he needs. But before he can act on what he knows, he's kidnapped by aliens, who ask him to be a judge for them, as, they reveal to him, his parents had once been.
Jack's friend Alison Kayna and her newly acquired K'da symbiont are also kidnapped, by the people trying to ambush the K'da/Shontine fleet. Her captors will do almost anything to learn from Alison where the fleet will rendezvous. Jack and Draycos must rescue her before Alison is hurt--or worse. Using every trick in the book, Jack and Draycos race to her aid, but they aren't able to eliminate the threat to the endangered fleet...and precious time is running out!
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2007
9 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Zahn
482 books8,493 followersTimothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 28, 2020
Jack is back in book five in the “Dragon” series.
This novel features 4 main characters:
Jack – a barely teenage thief and con artist who has to get by on his wit and ability to “read” those around him.
Draycos – a self-styled “warrior/poet” of the K’da species that is virtually unknown in Jack’s part of the universe.
Alison - another young thief and the new K'da partner to Taneem
Taneem - a K’da that we met in book four - much younger and less experienced than Draycos.
These “dragons” can go from a dragon-shaped “tattoo” two-dimensional form on somebody’s body to a three-dimensional terror at a moment’s notice. The bad guys are the same, though the efforts of the bad guy from book one are now in sync with the bad guy from book number four (Colonel Frost).
"“If there’s something there the Golvins are hiding, I doubt the One will want you examining it.”
“That may be what he thinks now,” Jack said. “But he’s never seen me in full persuasion mode, as Uncle Virgil used to call it. Neither have you, for that matter.”
“I’ll look forward to the show,” Draycos said dryly."
I won’t give you too much of the plot except to say that while journeying together they reach a planet where Uncle Virge has “hid” some “valuable” papers. Once there, Jack and Alison get separated and we follow their adventures in parallel.
There is something about Zahn’s style of writing that is very appealing to me. He has a lot of skill at world-building and his plots always contain imaginative beings and technology. Here, all of that is present but it doesn’t completely “click” for me. Perhaps, because its for a YA or younger audience. Here is an example of the style:
"“Tell me, Draycos,” he said. “What’s the official K’da poet-warrior ethic on the subject of hatred?”
For a moment Draycos didn’t answer. “Hatred is an emotion,” he said at last. “An honest expression of your feelings of the moment, and therefore nothing to be ashamed of.”
“But if I actually did what I want to do right now? I suppose you’d say that was wrong?”
“You cannot find satisfaction in revenge, Jack,” Draycos said. “Revenge is a trap which promises something it cannot deliver.” Jack hissed a sigh. “Only justice works, huh?” “That has been my experience.” Draycos’s tail twitched. “However, the end result of justice is often the same as the end desired by revenge.”"
Yet, this is the best book so far. The plot starts to become clearer. The sections where “Jupa” Jack grows into his judgeship are excellent. The layers of Braxton Industries and their relationship to Jack and the others are revealed. We are finally seeing some resolution of plot threads.
There’s only one more book in this series, and I am sufficiently intrigued that I will eventually get around to it. 3.5*
This novel features 4 main characters:
Jack – a barely teenage thief and con artist who has to get by on his wit and ability to “read” those around him.
Draycos – a self-styled “warrior/poet” of the K’da species that is virtually unknown in Jack’s part of the universe.
Alison - another young thief and the new K'da partner to Taneem
Taneem - a K’da that we met in book four - much younger and less experienced than Draycos.
These “dragons” can go from a dragon-shaped “tattoo” two-dimensional form on somebody’s body to a three-dimensional terror at a moment’s notice. The bad guys are the same, though the efforts of the bad guy from book one are now in sync with the bad guy from book number four (Colonel Frost).
"“If there’s something there the Golvins are hiding, I doubt the One will want you examining it.”
“That may be what he thinks now,” Jack said. “But he’s never seen me in full persuasion mode, as Uncle Virgil used to call it. Neither have you, for that matter.”
“I’ll look forward to the show,” Draycos said dryly."
I won’t give you too much of the plot except to say that while journeying together they reach a planet where Uncle Virge has “hid” some “valuable” papers. Once there, Jack and Alison get separated and we follow their adventures in parallel.
There is something about Zahn’s style of writing that is very appealing to me. He has a lot of skill at world-building and his plots always contain imaginative beings and technology. Here, all of that is present but it doesn’t completely “click” for me. Perhaps, because its for a YA or younger audience. Here is an example of the style:
"“Tell me, Draycos,” he said. “What’s the official K’da poet-warrior ethic on the subject of hatred?”
For a moment Draycos didn’t answer. “Hatred is an emotion,” he said at last. “An honest expression of your feelings of the moment, and therefore nothing to be ashamed of.”
“But if I actually did what I want to do right now? I suppose you’d say that was wrong?”
“You cannot find satisfaction in revenge, Jack,” Draycos said. “Revenge is a trap which promises something it cannot deliver.” Jack hissed a sigh. “Only justice works, huh?” “That has been my experience.” Draycos’s tail twitched. “However, the end result of justice is often the same as the end desired by revenge.”"
Yet, this is the best book so far. The plot starts to become clearer. The sections where “Jupa” Jack grows into his judgeship are excellent. The layers of Braxton Industries and their relationship to Jack and the others are revealed. We are finally seeing some resolution of plot threads.
There’s only one more book in this series, and I am sufficiently intrigued that I will eventually get around to it. 3.5*
January 25, 2021
Another great addition to the Dragonback series! I really enjoyed reading the latest adventure of Jack and Draycos! Not to mention Alison and Taneem. It's great visiting old friends you've gotten to know over several books...
This latest book gives us some background on what had happened to Jack's parents, which was something that I had not expected at all really. The main story takes place in a steep canyon where some exotic aliens live. Of course they end up catching Jack for their own reasons so he has a new mystery to solve. Alison meanwhile has her own task to do.
This was a very quick read. It's just plain fun and relaxing. Lots of action and some unexpected plot twists too.
I think by this point in, at book five, you either love this series or else you don't. And I happen to love it. I think the easy flowing writing style has a lot to do with it. Sometimes I do wish there were drawings of these different alien races so I would have a better idea of what they looked like. And I must say the names of the alien races, like the brommgas, is becoming very familiar.
I only have one more book to read (which I'll start after I write this) so I am wondering how it will end. But I can honestly say out of the books I read so far by this author, this series is my favorite. Maybe Draycos can't fly or breathe fire like a typical dragon, but you really come to care about the characters. And I think in any book series or even in a stand alone novel, that means a lot.
And the facts the book revealed about Jack's parents was a big surprise, possibly the biggest surprise in this series.
This latest book gives us some background on what had happened to Jack's parents, which was something that I had not expected at all really. The main story takes place in a steep canyon where some exotic aliens live. Of course they end up catching Jack for their own reasons so he has a new mystery to solve. Alison meanwhile has her own task to do.
This was a very quick read. It's just plain fun and relaxing. Lots of action and some unexpected plot twists too.
I think by this point in, at book five, you either love this series or else you don't. And I happen to love it. I think the easy flowing writing style has a lot to do with it. Sometimes I do wish there were drawings of these different alien races so I would have a better idea of what they looked like. And I must say the names of the alien races, like the brommgas, is becoming very familiar.
I only have one more book to read (which I'll start after I write this) so I am wondering how it will end. But I can honestly say out of the books I read so far by this author, this series is my favorite. Maybe Draycos can't fly or breathe fire like a typical dragon, but you really come to care about the characters. And I think in any book series or even in a stand alone novel, that means a lot.
And the facts the book revealed about Jack's parents was a big surprise, possibly the biggest surprise in this series.
August 31, 2023
Out of all the books in this series so far (I've got one more to go), this one was the best. I really liked the way it switched back and forth between what was happening with the main character, Jack and Alison. I loved Taneem's growth. And this is silly, but I liked the number names of the Golvins and I found it amusing that they used the first two letters together from each number to make their names.
See all my reviews at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.
See all my reviews at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.
December 12, 2022
In this fifth book of the series, Jack and Draycos make a quick stop at the planet where Jack's parents died in an accidental mining explosion. Jack is kidnapped by aliens from a remote area of the planet, and they think he is a Judge sent to mediate their petty legal matters. Jack begins to uncover clues that suggest that his parents were not just miners who died in an accident. They were most likely murdered, and they were not miners at all!
I loved this book so much! Every book in the series is action-packed and full of mystery and danger. I loved that the plot answers some of the questions that came up in the previous book, but then new mysteries and new questions are introduced, so you are always wondering and guessing what could possible happen next.
Alison Kayna is becoming more and more embroiled in Draycos' plans, and it is interesting to see how this group trusts each other, but only partially. They trust each other for now, but things could change quickly as the situation unfolds.
Draycos' warrior ethic of always doing what is right is rubbing off on the others more and more, and they find themselves taking risks to help innocent people even when it means going out of their way and losing valuable time or even risking their lives.
I love all the characters, the plot, the themes, the writing style! Everything about this book is just so delightful. I can’t wait to read more from the series!
I loved this book so much! Every book in the series is action-packed and full of mystery and danger. I loved that the plot answers some of the questions that came up in the previous book, but then new mysteries and new questions are introduced, so you are always wondering and guessing what could possible happen next.
Alison Kayna is becoming more and more embroiled in Draycos' plans, and it is interesting to see how this group trusts each other, but only partially. They trust each other for now, but things could change quickly as the situation unfolds.
Draycos' warrior ethic of always doing what is right is rubbing off on the others more and more, and they find themselves taking risks to help innocent people even when it means going out of their way and losing valuable time or even risking their lives.
I love all the characters, the plot, the themes, the writing style! Everything about this book is just so delightful. I can’t wait to read more from the series!
January 28, 2021
Check out my blog, One Man Book Club
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
STOP EVERYTHING!!!
Are you telling me there's a ScyFy series written by the king of Star Wars novels about an orphan with his own AI-controlled spaceship AND who has a symbiont relationship with a dragon warrior-poet who lives on his back as a giant golden tatoo?
Yes. Yes I am.
The story was a blast, and I'm a sucker for dragons. Slightly unfortunately, I found the Dragonback series to be well written for the demographic it's targeted for--upper middle grade--but not so well written for my grown up expectations. The writing and plot were both terribly simplistic. Conclusions to conflicts were resolved with unrealistic ease. The characters discovered or revealed a new skill that saved the day exactly when it was needed. The ebooks had an annoying number of misspelled words and misplaced punctuation. BUT, as I usually find with fun middle-grade stories, once I realigned expectations, I sat back, kicked-off my shoes, and enjoyed the story.
By the end of book 6 I was perfectly happy with the resolution and how things were tied up. The annoying things stayed annoying, and there was much more fiction than science. But the 13-year-old nerd in me was too happy to be reading about a quick thinking, 14-year-old thieving conman, his AI powered spaceship, and an awesome poet-warrior dragon living in a tatoo on his back!
Do you have a 13-year-old nerd somewhere inside of you? Or maybe you are a 13-year-0ld nerd! Either way, I bet you're going to enjoy this fun space romp. I did!
No content issues at all.
Best for 12 and up.
Happy Reading!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
STOP EVERYTHING!!!
Are you telling me there's a ScyFy series written by the king of Star Wars novels about an orphan with his own AI-controlled spaceship AND who has a symbiont relationship with a dragon warrior-poet who lives on his back as a giant golden tatoo?
Yes. Yes I am.
The story was a blast, and I'm a sucker for dragons. Slightly unfortunately, I found the Dragonback series to be well written for the demographic it's targeted for--upper middle grade--but not so well written for my grown up expectations. The writing and plot were both terribly simplistic. Conclusions to conflicts were resolved with unrealistic ease. The characters discovered or revealed a new skill that saved the day exactly when it was needed. The ebooks had an annoying number of misspelled words and misplaced punctuation. BUT, as I usually find with fun middle-grade stories, once I realigned expectations, I sat back, kicked-off my shoes, and enjoyed the story.
By the end of book 6 I was perfectly happy with the resolution and how things were tied up. The annoying things stayed annoying, and there was much more fiction than science. But the 13-year-old nerd in me was too happy to be reading about a quick thinking, 14-year-old thieving conman, his AI powered spaceship, and an awesome poet-warrior dragon living in a tatoo on his back!
Do you have a 13-year-old nerd somewhere inside of you? Or maybe you are a 13-year-0ld nerd! Either way, I bet you're going to enjoy this fun space romp. I did!
No content issues at all.
Best for 12 and up.
Happy Reading!
October 20, 2019
This is an awesome advancement of the dragonback series. When Jack, accompanied by Alison and newly enlightened taneem, visit Semaline to find out what lies hidden in uncle Virgle's lockbox, things don't go as planned. Jack is mysteriously kidnapped by a group of Golvins, who proclaim that he is a Jupa. In this book, jack must make hard sacrifices, and finds out the truth about his parents and Uncle Virge. This book has mystery, action, and a plot that twists at every turn. I highly recommend it. This book is 334 pages long.
February 24, 2013
Jack 14, human host to golden dragon Draycos, K'da poet-warrior, is dragged off by Golvins, aliens on planet Semaline, named by numbers's first two initials (Nionei = 918), who recognize his "Jupa" scent from their last two circuit judge-paladins, Stuart and Ariel Palmer p211. Meanwhile Alison and her newly intelligent grey symbiote Taneem are kidnapped (by Mustache and Sideburns) with the contents of Uncle Virgil's safety deposit box, to crack safes held at the Patri Chookoock Brummgas family compound (where Jack freed slaves before). Braxton Universis renegade Neverlin and mercenary Colonel Frost have joined the Veluhgas, who massacred the K'da and Shontine hosts in their home galaxy and want the refugees's destination in the Orion Arm to finish the genocide. On their quest to save their people and worlds, the wounds our heroes suffer are painfully believable.
Around every corner is another surprise. Every puzzle gets a clever answer. We can try to apply the wisdom of Solomon as Jack does for the Golvin quarrels. Just when we solve a secret, the solution is confirmed, no waiting in suspense. Our team gets justice, grow up together while approaching their goal - to save approaching K'da. I will be sorry when I finish the next and last book in the series.
Catchy morals come across with humor. "A K'da warrior strives always to do what is right. But that doesn't mean a K'da warrior is stupid" p307. Taneem, aspiring to K'da virtuous ethics, seriously works on decisions, while learning English slang adds fun "either trusts the other any farther than he can throw him" p152, or the word picture from "throw him to the wolves" p153. Jack says Alison is smart, not as a compliment, but when he is annoyed, again.
We still have plenty of questions. Alison's father "is one of the best in the business.. of theft. But there was no reason to burden Taneem with any more truth than she was already stuck with" p116. When our heroes feel lonely, fearful, discouraged, just as we do, we can hear the advice, even learn an easy K'da poem, about truth, or hope. Spending time in worlds with people of Zahn is rewarding. A clear double track plot line speedily tumbles us down a mountain avalanche of adventures to the edge of a cliff, series finale next.
Typo:
p152 "Alison's grasp of English was remarkably good" is "Taneem's grasp"
Around every corner is another surprise. Every puzzle gets a clever answer. We can try to apply the wisdom of Solomon as Jack does for the Golvin quarrels. Just when we solve a secret, the solution is confirmed, no waiting in suspense. Our team gets justice, grow up together while approaching their goal - to save approaching K'da. I will be sorry when I finish the next and last book in the series.
Catchy morals come across with humor. "A K'da warrior strives always to do what is right. But that doesn't mean a K'da warrior is stupid" p307. Taneem, aspiring to K'da virtuous ethics, seriously works on decisions, while learning English slang adds fun "either trusts the other any farther than he can throw him" p152, or the word picture from "throw him to the wolves" p153. Jack says Alison is smart, not as a compliment, but when he is annoyed, again.
We still have plenty of questions. Alison's father "is one of the best in the business.. of theft. But there was no reason to burden Taneem with any more truth than she was already stuck with" p116. When our heroes feel lonely, fearful, discouraged, just as we do, we can hear the advice, even learn an easy K'da poem, about truth, or hope. Spending time in worlds with people of Zahn is rewarding. A clear double track plot line speedily tumbles us down a mountain avalanche of adventures to the edge of a cliff, series finale next.
Typo:
p152 "Alison's grasp of English was remarkably good" is "Taneem's grasp"
March 11, 2014
The plot both thickens and expands as we careen ever closer to the fateful time of the K'da and Shontine refugee fleet arrival! Jack and Draycos get kidnapped by an alien group, and when Alison and Taneem head out to look for them, they're kidnapped by some mercenaries. They wind up on different planets, but each pair has their own part to play in the grand tangle of events as the past and the present collide. Delightful book, setting the stage for the sweeping conclusion of the Dragonback series in Dragon and Liberator.
April 1, 2013
Please vote on list Best Timothy Zahn novel.
This is my favorite one in the series so far. The plot was great, as was the character development. I liked getting the perspective of Alison and Taneem also. I didn't enjoy their chapters as much as Jack and Draycos's, but they were still very good. The backstory for Jack was interesting, and I also enjoyed the new development in the relationship between Jack and Draycos. I was a little disappointed that there was nothing in the book from the twist at the end of book 4. Still a great read and my favorite in the series. Looking forward to the conclusion in book 6.
This is my favorite one in the series so far. The plot was great, as was the character development. I liked getting the perspective of Alison and Taneem also. I didn't enjoy their chapters as much as Jack and Draycos's, but they were still very good. The backstory for Jack was interesting, and I also enjoyed the new development in the relationship between Jack and Draycos. I was a little disappointed that there was nothing in the book from the twist at the end of book 4. Still a great read and my favorite in the series. Looking forward to the conclusion in book 6.
April 4, 2019
Finally, five volumes in, we find out what really happened to Jack’s parents, and who they really were. I’ve been waiting a long time for this revelation, and it is just as good as I expected.
It wasn’t hard to suspect that Virgil Morgan wasn’t telling the complete truth about Jack’s parents, but on the other hand he did pretty well by Jack, even as he used him in his cons and trained him in an ethos of radical self-sufficiency. On the gripping hand, we also start to see that Jack and Draycos’ meeting on Iota Klestis was not mere happenstance, but rather a providential act that would ensure that justice can be done for everyone.
Justice is a key theme of the Dragonback series. Draycos needs justice for his harried and beleaguered people, fleeing from genocidal war. Jack wants justice for himself, to start anew after being conscripted into a life of crime by his benefactor. Jack needs justice because the unscrupulous are only too willing to try to take advantage of his checkered past to enlist him in dubious schemes. Justice is clearly in short supply in the Orion Arm.
Another key theme is birthright. Draycos and Jack are each special because of who they are. The key dramatic element in Dragon and Judge is, who is Jack? Where did he come from? Who are his parents, really? We don’t have to wonder much about Draycos, who is after all a dragon and a warrior, although some surprises are yet in store. Jack is an orphan, an archetype of import, and together they have a destiny to fulfill.
In Dragon and Judge, we also have a storyline involving Alison Kayna, Jack’s compatriot from book 2, and Taneem, a phooka turned K’da by bonding with Alison. With the mystery of Jack’s parents cleared up, we have a new mystery to ponder in Alison. We don’t truly know who she is or who she is working for. While we consider this, we also get to see Zahn explore her character. Everything Alison does is of necessity duplicitous, since she is observing Jack at the behest of an unknown party, but her charade is eased by what appears to be genuine agreement with Jack and Draycos’ mission to save the K’da refugee fleet.
Earnest and naive Taneem serves as a foil for Alison, as Zahn gently probes the moral dilemma of doing what is right versus maintaining your cover. Since this is a juvenile, we aren’t going to see Alison faced with an atrocity. That would have been an interesting setup with Draycos’ unyielding sense of right and wrong, but this isn’t that kind of a book. While the stakes are dramatically high, this is the PG version.
All of the pieces are now in place for the dramatic conclusion. Let us see how Zahn wraps it all up.
It wasn’t hard to suspect that Virgil Morgan wasn’t telling the complete truth about Jack’s parents, but on the other hand he did pretty well by Jack, even as he used him in his cons and trained him in an ethos of radical self-sufficiency. On the gripping hand, we also start to see that Jack and Draycos’ meeting on Iota Klestis was not mere happenstance, but rather a providential act that would ensure that justice can be done for everyone.
Justice is a key theme of the Dragonback series. Draycos needs justice for his harried and beleaguered people, fleeing from genocidal war. Jack wants justice for himself, to start anew after being conscripted into a life of crime by his benefactor. Jack needs justice because the unscrupulous are only too willing to try to take advantage of his checkered past to enlist him in dubious schemes. Justice is clearly in short supply in the Orion Arm.
Another key theme is birthright. Draycos and Jack are each special because of who they are. The key dramatic element in Dragon and Judge is, who is Jack? Where did he come from? Who are his parents, really? We don’t have to wonder much about Draycos, who is after all a dragon and a warrior, although some surprises are yet in store. Jack is an orphan, an archetype of import, and together they have a destiny to fulfill.
In Dragon and Judge, we also have a storyline involving Alison Kayna, Jack’s compatriot from book 2, and Taneem, a phooka turned K’da by bonding with Alison. With the mystery of Jack’s parents cleared up, we have a new mystery to ponder in Alison. We don’t truly know who she is or who she is working for. While we consider this, we also get to see Zahn explore her character. Everything Alison does is of necessity duplicitous, since she is observing Jack at the behest of an unknown party, but her charade is eased by what appears to be genuine agreement with Jack and Draycos’ mission to save the K’da refugee fleet.
Earnest and naive Taneem serves as a foil for Alison, as Zahn gently probes the moral dilemma of doing what is right versus maintaining your cover. Since this is a juvenile, we aren’t going to see Alison faced with an atrocity. That would have been an interesting setup with Draycos’ unyielding sense of right and wrong, but this isn’t that kind of a book. While the stakes are dramatically high, this is the PG version.
All of the pieces are now in place for the dramatic conclusion. Let us see how Zahn wraps it all up.
April 25, 2024
(4.5 / 5)
As Jack continues to try to help Draycos, the dragon-like symbiont that uses him for a host, track down who killed his people, the pair take what is meant to be a brief detour to a planet where Jack's Uncle Virgil used to visit a bank to replenish his funds. But as soon as they arrive on the planet, Jack is mistaken for a circuit judge, and he and Draycos are whisked away to an inescapable canyon to hear several years' worth of disputes.
I really expected this book to be quite a departure from the series, but I think it was a bit more connected even than the previous book. Real answers are given to the investigation into the impending K'da genocide, and secrets from Jack's past are exposed. The unusual race of beings that force Jack into presiding over their disputes showcases Zahn's worldbuilding abilities; however, I felt that there was a lot more that could have been explained about their system of uprights and number names. Though I'm not a huge fan of Alison Kayna, I also enjoyed her side story, as she's abducted and brought to Neverlin, due to being the one who actually ends up opening Uncle Virgil's bank box. Her growing connection with her own K'da symbiont is quite different from Jack and Draycos's but also an intriguing part of the story. Overall, I've really enjoyed this series and am highly anticipating the last book and hopefully the salvation of the K'da and Shontine.
As Jack continues to try to help Draycos, the dragon-like symbiont that uses him for a host, track down who killed his people, the pair take what is meant to be a brief detour to a planet where Jack's Uncle Virgil used to visit a bank to replenish his funds. But as soon as they arrive on the planet, Jack is mistaken for a circuit judge, and he and Draycos are whisked away to an inescapable canyon to hear several years' worth of disputes.
I really expected this book to be quite a departure from the series, but I think it was a bit more connected even than the previous book. Real answers are given to the investigation into the impending K'da genocide, and secrets from Jack's past are exposed. The unusual race of beings that force Jack into presiding over their disputes showcases Zahn's worldbuilding abilities; however, I felt that there was a lot more that could have been explained about their system of uprights and number names. Though I'm not a huge fan of Alison Kayna, I also enjoyed her side story, as she's abducted and brought to Neverlin, due to being the one who actually ends up opening Uncle Virgil's bank box. Her growing connection with her own K'da symbiont is quite different from Jack and Draycos's but also an intriguing part of the story. Overall, I've really enjoyed this series and am highly anticipating the last book and hopefully the salvation of the K'da and Shontine.
March 16, 2024
As the other books, this is YA. Jack is 14 years old, flying around the galaxy in the ship the used to be his con-man Uncle Vergil's. Vergil is dead, but the AI running the ship is based on his personality. In the first book in the series, Jack became the host of a K'da Dragon Warrior. The K'da can exist as a 2 dimensional tattoo on the body of their host or can be three dimensional and interact with the outside world. The K'da, Draycos, is the sole survivor of the forerunners of a race that was forced out of their home and moving to a new planet, which had been sold to them. They were escaping another race of evil beings who had a weapon called Death which was all powerful.
In this book, Jack has landed on a planet to try to continue looking for the meeting point for the fleet of K'da refugees. He is kidnapped by a group who force him to become the Judge Paladin for their community, deciding all the backlog of cases built up since the death of the last Judge-Palatins who died in the destruction of the big meeting hall.
Again my problem with the book is that Jack is thrown into the position of being the learned adult solving all the problems he encounters, with training only as a con-artist by his late uncle.
In this book, Jack has landed on a planet to try to continue looking for the meeting point for the fleet of K'da refugees. He is kidnapped by a group who force him to become the Judge Paladin for their community, deciding all the backlog of cases built up since the death of the last Judge-Palatins who died in the destruction of the big meeting hall.
Again my problem with the book is that Jack is thrown into the position of being the learned adult solving all the problems he encounters, with training only as a con-artist by his late uncle.
August 3, 2023
Still really enjoying this series! It kind of makes me think of rungs in a ladder--each step is self-contained, but also connected to the whole in a way that visually furthers the story toward the end game. This one answers some major questions we've had since the very beginning, and there are several tie ins to the earlier books, including a very satisfying return to a previous setting. The book is split into two storylines--one following Alison, and another following Jack, while Uncle Virge takes a back seat. There's a lot of nice character development for Alison & Taneem, and Jack & Draycos continue to explore new abilities. Each of the storylines were high stakes and kept me guessing, and it is very clear that we are now going into the endgame, in a way that almost made the book feel unfinished at the end.
July 22, 2017
I definitely think this series probably is just a bit too long. While we learn alot of answers to mysteries here... the story wasn't clamoring for them... settling the mystery of Jack's parents could easily have been undiscovered, or even been a side book. Tying it in to the bad guys of the K'da story is just a little much, it's a big universe, all the evil in it shouldn't come from one guy.
Also, there's alot of Allison in this book, and she's completely uninteresting, IMO, and I'll be a monkey's uncle if she doesn't turn out to save the day in the end. Hopefully I'm wrong, since that'll be disappointing, but we'll see.
Also, there's alot of Allison in this book, and she's completely uninteresting, IMO, and I'll be a monkey's uncle if she doesn't turn out to save the day in the end. Hopefully I'm wrong, since that'll be disappointing, but we'll see.
April 22, 2020
I’m so impressed by this series. Each book manages somehow to be completely new and fresh and different from the ones that precede it, but they all stay true to the overall plot, and the characters grow in consistent but surprising ways. And there are a lot of twists and turns I don’t see coming. I highly recommend these books. The only problem is that I’m losing sleep because I can’t wait to find out what happens next!
January 22, 2019
Another very enjoyable installment. I love all the story threads that are coming together here. It was also great to get so much of Alison and Taneem! Plus, I realized how much I love the little made-up phrases Zahn sprinkles in--"out of your apple-buttered mind," "spinning soap"--those can sound contrived but they were funny and natural to me.
May 14, 2021
This one started out a little slower, but it certainly picked up near the end and kept me on my toes. The characters were as great as always, and the twists were interesting. Not my favorite of the series, but still a great book.
March 7, 2022
This was good—I was beginning to be bored by the sameness of each twist, but this one gave some back story (what really happened to Jack's parents) and also split the story into two perspectives, featuring Jack/Draycos in one and Alison/Taneem in the other. And now, on to the last!
June 16, 2024
Fifth book in the series and it had the most cunning planning and biggest plot reveals of them all! I have some questions I pray gets answered in the final book 🙏. Excited to finish this series (finally) and discover the actual ending to this tale! So glad its such an easy read.
March 3, 2021
This book really starts to progress the main story. There were definitely parts where I found it hard to put down. Looking forwards to the next one.
March 15, 2022
Another exciting edition to this series. I really like the mystery elements added to this one and the two simultaneous narratives. I’m excited to see how the story will end.
July 4, 2022
Another solid outing in this series. It’s gaining momentum, both in finding the information they need, and in resolving Jack’s past. I think it was a great idea to split up Jack and Alison, and to have them focus on their parts in bringing the story forward. I’m amazed at how the author can bring to life different kinds of alien species, especially the Golvins, who literally force Jack to make rulings about their society. Alison and Taneem had time to get to know each other and learn, too, especially on board the cruise ship, and again on the planet where Jack had been a slave. I liked both parts of the story equally, as they each had their own share of danger and heroic sacrifices –and both characters, used to doing things on their own, are forced to do the right thing, because they know it’s the right thing to do, no matter their upbringing or the cost to themselves.
October 18, 2023
The series is really finding itself now as it winds down. All the loose threads are getting resolved and the last 3 books in the series seem destined to be much better than the first three.
December 24, 2024
The teamwork between the main characters Jack and Alison and their K'da partners is really well written - kudos to the author! I enjoyed the growth all the characters faced in this book.
This book sets up nicely for the last book in the series while also answering some questions over Jack's parents.
This book sets up nicely for the last book in the series while also answering some questions over Jack's parents.
April 7, 2015
Dragon and Judge (2007) 312 pages by Timothy Zahn.
Jack Morgan is a fourteen year old boy. Orphaned at three, brought up by his Uncle Virge a con man who teaches Jack how to open safes, trick and swindle people, etc. Virge died when Jack was thirteen, before he died he programmed the computer in the Essanay with his personality. Jack was hiding out on Iota Klestis when the advance party for the Shontine and K'da was ambushed and Draycos, a K'da poet warrior, was the sole survivor. Without a host for six hours, a K'da will die. Jack happened upon Draycos' crashed ship and it turned out the human was a suitable host for him.
In the fifth Dragonback book, Jack heads for Semaline, the planet where his parents died, and where Uncle Virge has a safe deposit box. Before Jack can get to the bank he is picked up by some Golvins and taken to a secluded valley. Taken there to be their Judge-Paladin, jupa. When Jack's comm goes silent, Alison takes it upon herself to go after him, and while she's at the bank, she might as well get the contents of the safe deposit box.
Now we really get to see some of the changes in Jack, how the influence of Draycos and his K'da warrior ethic have made Jack almost noble. Putting him in the position of Judge allows Zahn to demonstrate Jack's maturity. Plus while he's there he learns this is where his parents died. A lot of mysteries of Jack's past are unraveled.
Meanwhile Alison was taken by Frost and Neverlin back to Brum-a-dum and the Chookoock compound (the setting for book 3, Dragon and Slave) to open a safe from one of the Shontine/K'da ships. They have no idea who she is other than being a thief who broke into Virgil Morgan's safe deposit box. That doesn't make her safe, but it kept her from being killed right away.
This is another great Zahn story. Fast paced, fluid reading, plot hangs together, and characters that we can really care about.
Jack Morgan is a fourteen year old boy. Orphaned at three, brought up by his Uncle Virge a con man who teaches Jack how to open safes, trick and swindle people, etc. Virge died when Jack was thirteen, before he died he programmed the computer in the Essanay with his personality. Jack was hiding out on Iota Klestis when the advance party for the Shontine and K'da was ambushed and Draycos, a K'da poet warrior, was the sole survivor. Without a host for six hours, a K'da will die. Jack happened upon Draycos' crashed ship and it turned out the human was a suitable host for him.
In the fifth Dragonback book, Jack heads for Semaline, the planet where his parents died, and where Uncle Virge has a safe deposit box. Before Jack can get to the bank he is picked up by some Golvins and taken to a secluded valley. Taken there to be their Judge-Paladin, jupa. When Jack's comm goes silent, Alison takes it upon herself to go after him, and while she's at the bank, she might as well get the contents of the safe deposit box.
Now we really get to see some of the changes in Jack, how the influence of Draycos and his K'da warrior ethic have made Jack almost noble. Putting him in the position of Judge allows Zahn to demonstrate Jack's maturity. Plus while he's there he learns this is where his parents died. A lot of mysteries of Jack's past are unraveled.
Meanwhile Alison was taken by Frost and Neverlin back to Brum-a-dum and the Chookoock compound (the setting for book 3, Dragon and Slave) to open a safe from one of the Shontine/K'da ships. They have no idea who she is other than being a thief who broke into Virgil Morgan's safe deposit box. That doesn't make her safe, but it kept her from being killed right away.
This is another great Zahn story. Fast paced, fluid reading, plot hangs together, and characters that we can really care about.
April 23, 2018
Reader thoughts: So many clues! There may be a bit more about international law and ownership disputes than some young readers will care for, but they don't have to understand them to get the story (and there aren't many, but even a couple mentions might be boring to some).
Jupa Jack finds out his Uncle Virgil isn't really his uncle, and he learns who his parents really were. Draycos nearly dies, they stop an arsonist, Jack gains wisdom over alien disputes, and Draycos and Jack get a new skill (telepathy FTW!). They encounter a society where numbers are names, and they help prisoner zero escape (doesn't that sound like a Dr. Who thing?).
I love that Alison becomes a full pov character and that she and Taneem return to the slave compound on the Brummga planet where Jack was a slave. Her work there is at least as important as Jack's work undercover as Jupa. I love that some female characters get to be just as clever as the males, too.
Writer thoughts: Splitting the book into Jack and Alison's povs (and Draycos's and Taneem's) was a great idea. I do think it would have benefited had this happened sooner, though. Some young girl readers may never make it to book 5 just because they don't see a prominent female early on. Actually, I recommended this series to a young friend who loved to read (she was about 12 at the time), and she couldn't get into the first book. I wonder if it was because there weren't enough female characters.
Still, I love the story, and better late than never.
Jupa Jack finds out his Uncle Virgil isn't really his uncle, and he learns who his parents really were. Draycos nearly dies, they stop an arsonist, Jack gains wisdom over alien disputes, and Draycos and Jack get a new skill (telepathy FTW!). They encounter a society where numbers are names, and they help prisoner zero escape (doesn't that sound like a Dr. Who thing?).
I love that Alison becomes a full pov character and that she and Taneem return to the slave compound on the Brummga planet where Jack was a slave. Her work there is at least as important as Jack's work undercover as Jupa. I love that some female characters get to be just as clever as the males, too.
Writer thoughts: Splitting the book into Jack and Alison's povs (and Draycos's and Taneem's) was a great idea. I do think it would have benefited had this happened sooner, though. Some young girl readers may never make it to book 5 just because they don't see a prominent female early on. Actually, I recommended this series to a young friend who loved to read (she was about 12 at the time), and she couldn't get into the first book. I wonder if it was because there weren't enough female characters.
Still, I love the story, and better late than never.
December 7, 2014
Jack and Draycos are running out of time, and out of leads. But a minor detour to satisfy Jack's curiosity about a planet Uncle Virgil would never let him explore soon takes an unexpected turn. Jack finds himself in the alien village where his parents died, and Alison finds herself abducted. But both of them see an opportunity: Jack to learn the truth about his parents, and Alison to learn the plans of the enemy. The only problem is, can they stay alive long enough to win?
Like the previous books, this one plunges straight into the action. It had been a while since I read Dragon and Herdsman, so it was a little hard to remember exactly where I'd left off, but soon enough both Jack and Alison are on separate trips once again. Also like the previous books, Jack and Draycos get a chance to learn something new about themselves and what they are to each other as symbionts. And just as Jack found himself growing a set of morals once he picked up Draycos, Alison confronts her own budding conscience as well. Alison refuses to shed all of her mystery, but I get the sense she's starting to change.
What I didn't like so much was how yet again the book pulls a random scene out at the end, in order to leave off on a really bad cliffhanger. Also, it's probably best to read this right after reading all the previous books.
Overall, though, this is a good continuation for the Dragonback series. With only one month left, Jack and Draycos will have to find some miracle to save the day. I rate this book Recommended.
Like the previous books, this one plunges straight into the action. It had been a while since I read Dragon and Herdsman, so it was a little hard to remember exactly where I'd left off, but soon enough both Jack and Alison are on separate trips once again. Also like the previous books, Jack and Draycos get a chance to learn something new about themselves and what they are to each other as symbionts. And just as Jack found himself growing a set of morals once he picked up Draycos, Alison confronts her own budding conscience as well. Alison refuses to shed all of her mystery, but I get the sense she's starting to change.
What I didn't like so much was how yet again the book pulls a random scene out at the end, in order to leave off on a really bad cliffhanger. Also, it's probably best to read this right after reading all the previous books.
Overall, though, this is a good continuation for the Dragonback series. With only one month left, Jack and Draycos will have to find some miracle to save the day. I rate this book Recommended.
July 14, 2008
Dragon and Judge takes the series for an interesting turn of events, when Jack decides, against the advice of Uncle Virge, to go investigate something on the planet where his parents died. Naturally, the circumstances of his parents’ death are a bit more mysterious than Jack was initially lead to believe, and he quickly finds himself drawn into that mystery. Allison, for her part, is separated from Jack through unforeseen circumstances, bringing her back into contact with some old villains, and allowing her to dig up some clues about the big plot that has hovered in the background of the series for so long.
Like the other Dragonback books, this one is filled with a lot of intrigue and suspense; despite the title, there’s surprisingly little “judging” done by Jack, at least, not in a literal sense. Frankly, I was fine with that—Zahn shows enough of the judging Jack has to do to make it clear what his role is, and then backburners those scenes in favor of moving the action and story forward. The main characters all get to do some interesting personal evolution along the way. It’s not perfect—there’s a character introduced in the middle that takes an odd turn in the cliffhanger—but overall, I think it’s a solid, fun, space-opera kind of romp. I’m having fun reading it, and it’s the sort of thing I’d be happy to read with a kid, if I had one to read it too.
Like the other Dragonback books, this one is filled with a lot of intrigue and suspense; despite the title, there’s surprisingly little “judging” done by Jack, at least, not in a literal sense. Frankly, I was fine with that—Zahn shows enough of the judging Jack has to do to make it clear what his role is, and then backburners those scenes in favor of moving the action and story forward. The main characters all get to do some interesting personal evolution along the way. It’s not perfect—there’s a character introduced in the middle that takes an odd turn in the cliffhanger—but overall, I think it’s a solid, fun, space-opera kind of romp. I’m having fun reading it, and it’s the sort of thing I’d be happy to read with a kid, if I had one to read it too.
November 23, 2009
A very good installment of the Dragonback series. I waited quite a while after book 4 to read this. I wanted to have my hands on a copy of the 6th and final book, and then when I was finally able to, I couldn't find my copy of five. So, I was a little out of the loop when I picked this up, but it all came back quickly. That is a nice thing about Zahn's writing. He gives you just enough recap to bring it all back after a long hiatus, but not so much that it gets repetitive and annoying if you are reading them one after another.
I liked that this book was shown from two different perspectives. Half the book from Jack's, half the book from Alison's. Zahn does a nice job of distinguishing each persons voice as her writes, and even though the book is told third person, he carries that through not only to the dialogue, but to some extent, to the narration.
This book also seemed to go by faster than the previous four, not that it was any shorter. Just had a very nice pace to it. Can't wait to read the last one.
I liked that this book was shown from two different perspectives. Half the book from Jack's, half the book from Alison's. Zahn does a nice job of distinguishing each persons voice as her writes, and even though the book is told third person, he carries that through not only to the dialogue, but to some extent, to the narration.
This book also seemed to go by faster than the previous four, not that it was any shorter. Just had a very nice pace to it. Can't wait to read the last one.
November 26, 2010
This book bumps from three stars to four starts because the ending is so strong. The entire book moves pretty well, and furthers the overall story, but the ending is clearly a cliff-hanger for the next (final) in the series.
As for what it's about, the series is about a young boy that teams up with a "dragon" (symbiotic relation, although since the dragon would die without being able to be absorbed by the boy, symbiotic may not be quite right). Initially I didn't think this would work, but it has developed well. They need to save the "dragon's" race. He finds out along the way, what happened to his parents. Another character is added and you're never quite sure what her goal is. But one more book and everything will be revealed and answered, hopefully.
As for what it's about, the series is about a young boy that teams up with a "dragon" (symbiotic relation, although since the dragon would die without being able to be absorbed by the boy, symbiotic may not be quite right). Initially I didn't think this would work, but it has developed well. They need to save the "dragon's" race. He finds out along the way, what happened to his parents. Another character is added and you're never quite sure what her goal is. But one more book and everything will be revealed and answered, hopefully.
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