The Dragonback Series Books 1–3

Dragonback #1-3

by Timothy Zahn

The first three adventures in the Dragonback series.
 
Dragon and Thief: Young thief and con artist Jack Morgan is hiding out on an uninhabited planet after he’s falsely accused of a crime. But his solitude is interrupted when Draycos, a warrior whose reptilian race is being targeted for extinction, makes an emergency landing. The two will be able to survive, but only if they literally bond together . . .
 
Dragon and Soldier: When all is well, Draycos looks like nothing more than a tattoo on Jack Morgan’s back. But when Jack’s threatened, the K’da warrior appears in his true, dragonlike form. Together they go undercover to investigate a mercenary outfit connected to the extermination of Draycos’s people, and it turns out Jack isn’t the only new recruit with a secret . . .
 
Dragon and Slave: Following a lead, Jack becomes a slave on a Brummga alien estate where he must find out all he can while under the cruel watch of a vicious slave master who has no problem killing the help. Fortunately, Draycos always has his back.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Dragons, Young Adult, Ebooks, Aliens

637 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Timothy 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.

Reviews

[Paul]

I'm not going to rate this -- it's all a bit too YA for me.

Book 1 had it's moments, but I can't see myself ever wanting to read books two or three.

[Linda]

I had read Dragon and Thief when I realized I had purchased this series edition of the first 3 books. I picked up on Dragon and Soldier where Jack Morgan, who acquired Draycos, an unusual alien that looks much like a dragon and goes between 2 & 3 dimensions in the first book sets them on a quest to find the mercenary group which is out to destroy his people. Jack joins a mercenary group and altho you can tell that Jack is not meant to be a soldier he survives. That takes us to Dragon and Slave where their continuing quest for information has Jack get himself sold as a slave and he finds out that there are things worse than being a soldier. This is a riveting series that keeps you reading.

[Grant English]

The series starts slow but push through, it will not disappoint. The longer, grand conspiracy plays out over the course of the seemingly unconnected misadventures of Jack and Draycos, the dragon.

The first book reads slow and clunky but sets up the grander story. It’s a short book and just as it finds it’s feet - it’s over. Book 2 is a definite leap forward in both the story and the characters. And it’s where this series really takes off. No spoilers here…. But Zahn fans (particularly Thrawn fans) will settle in nicely in Book 2. You’re hooked for the rest of series.

Book 3 is the most developed in terms of story and characters. It’s a fun, exciting tome that you won’t be able to put down.

Must read series for Zahn fans.

[Travis]

Very well done story. I'm fairly certain the electronic versions of these books were made via OCR from print copies, because there's too many odd errors that just wouldn't make sense otherwise.
If you like your scifi with some spaceships, a con artist gon straight (well, as much is the universe allows), and a strange new alien life form thrown to the mix, then you'll enjoy this series. If you liked the mobius missions, then this one is right up your alley, you won't be disappointed by this series, it's great fun, and I highly recommend it.

[Larissa Distler]

There are three books in "Dragonback Bargain." I found the first book enjoyable, but I lost interest somewhere int the middle of the second book. The characters stopped developing, particular Draycos, but Jack too. I loved the concept and I would really like to read a more in depth version of the books. I understand they are YA, but they were more like JFIC really.

[Junius Johnson]

Solid and easy to read. Not as good as the Quadrail books, but a really interesting character concept surrounding by a sufficiently engaging world.

[Kandi J Wyatt]

I love this series. This is the second or third time I've read it.

[Ford Miller]

Enjoyable and like the series and characters. Third book feels a little forced to get story moving, still, look forward to rest of series.

[Gerald]

Fast Moving Books — Easy to Read

Enjoyed these books you will need all six books in series to complete the story. I’ve always enjoyed the books by Zahn

[T]

Nicely written YA science fiction adventure.

[Bill Ramsell]

Perhaps a trifle juvenile, but a very fun read.

[Unazaki]

Comprising the 1st half of the Dragonback Series, this collection gives us a good introduction into the science fiction world that Timothy Zahn has weaved for us, starting us off with Dragon and Thief where our 2 main protagonists first meet and have to learn to survive together.

Draco, our K'da and titular dragon in the series, is a very interesting character, especially once we account for his species. Unlike humans, he appears to be somewhat native to a 2D universe and can't live long in our 3D universe without "resting" in a compatible species' body in 2D form. Kind of like the Changelings in Star Trek, except without the malevolence.

He's an honourable warrior and always seeks to do what is right, which is quite the contrast to his initially unwilling human companion Jack, who is essentially a thief and street rat, constantly trying to just survive another day on his own.

It makes for quite the interesting dynamic as they learn to understand and work with each other, with Draco trying to steer Jack onto a better path in life, and Jack trying to get Draco to understand that sometimes, its better to live to fight another day and that u can't always save everyone, no matter how hard u try or want to.

I really like how both of them grow closer together and start to become more than just allies of convenience in Dragon and Thief where they barely managed to thwart a corporate conspiracy that they somehow landed themselves in, to close friends and allies by the time Dragon and Slave concludes, each 1 trusting the other to have their back.

Its also very gratifying to see how they rub off on each other, especially with Draco's influence on Jack. Had the human been dropped off into the slave compound situation in Dragon and Slave as their 1st adventure together, I'm pretty sure there's a good chance Jack would've bailed only himself out and screwed the other slaves.

But having spent so much time with his more honourable K'da companion, Jack himself also develops a sense of honour, making sure to save as many slaves as he could on the way out as he makes his escape.

All the while, we get to see glimpses of the overarching threat that comes from Draco's arch enemies, the Valaghua, as both protagonists work to uncover how did Draco's advance party get ambushed at the very beginning, kicking off the whole plot of the book series.

While largely in the background for now, it is nice to see Jack and Draco working to uncover what appears to be an unholy alliance between them and someone in Jack's side of the solar system as I this will be a key plot point in the remaining 3 books.

Overall, I'd say this is a great series with a fascinating world, great character development and well executed ideas that make for a cohesive story arc.

[Gavin Stephenson-Jackman]

Draycos is near the end of his six hours of three dimensional life when he finds Jack exploring the wreckage of his spaceship which has crash landed on the planet his two races were to inhabit. With his host dead Draycos acts in desperation forming his two dimensional self on the human's skin. Thus starts the adventure of a dragon warrior and an orphan their. Jack needs to clear his name of crimes he didn't commit and Draycos needs to find out who has attacked his people before the rest of the refugees arrive. A very engaging read as these two put their very different talents together to help each other over the objections  of Jack's late uncle who has managed to imprint his voice and personality into the ship's computer system.

[Gerry Mason]

A Good Read

Especially when you need a light bit of entertainment while on guard duty! Hopefully I can find more about Jack and Draycos

[Roger Lawrence]

Definitely YA which was unexpected for me from Timothy Zahn. Fun read nevertheless.

[The Third Place A Teen Library]

F ZAH da bk.3
Fantasy

[Carolyn]

3.5 stars

[Tara]

Not terribly deep but a fun read.