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The Zero Chronicles #2
Dragon Planet
Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
The much-anticipated sequel to Zero G and the middle grade debut by Dan Wells.
The colonists from the Pathfinder have arrived on Kaguya, a planet with low gravity but a very dense atmosphere. It’s fun to jump around, but the air makes you loopy. Even worse than that, the heavy atmosphere means that wind storms, although rare, are absolutely devastating.
Zero and Nyx help to get everything locked down before the first big storm, but they stumble onto a group of thieves who have stolen some mining equipment. Before the kids have a chance to get away and tell anyone, the storm hits and the massive winds carry them far away. Zero and Nyx are stranded on an unknown planet with no way to communicate, being chased by thieves, and with another storm bearing down on them.
And, oh yeah, this planet has dragons.
It will take more than just good luck to get back to the colony. It’s going to take science.
Categories: Kids, Ages 8-10
©2019 Dan Wells (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC
The much-anticipated sequel to Zero G and the middle grade debut by Dan Wells.
The colonists from the Pathfinder have arrived on Kaguya, a planet with low gravity but a very dense atmosphere. It’s fun to jump around, but the air makes you loopy. Even worse than that, the heavy atmosphere means that wind storms, although rare, are absolutely devastating.
Zero and Nyx help to get everything locked down before the first big storm, but they stumble onto a group of thieves who have stolen some mining equipment. Before the kids have a chance to get away and tell anyone, the storm hits and the massive winds carry them far away. Zero and Nyx are stranded on an unknown planet with no way to communicate, being chased by thieves, and with another storm bearing down on them.
And, oh yeah, this planet has dragons.
It will take more than just good luck to get back to the colony. It’s going to take science.
Categories: Kids, Ages 8-10
©2019 Dan Wells (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC
4 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 12, 2019
50 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Dan Wells
88 books6,046 followersDan Wells is a thriller and science fiction writer. Born in Utah, he spent his early years reading and writing. He is he author of the Partials series (Partials, Isolation, Fragments, and Ruins), the John Cleaver series (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don't Want To Kill You), and a few others (The Hollow City, A Night of Blacker Darkness, etc). He was a Campbell nomine for best new writer, and has won a Hugo award for his work on the podcast Writing Excuses; the podcast is also a multiple winner of the Parsec Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
April 14, 2020
Could and probably should have been three stars, if it weren't for one terribly annoying character.
No more "Home Alone" for Zero, as the colonization ship with him and his family, and new friend Nyx, has arrived at its destination, on the Planet Kaguya. But soon the kids get into trouble again, because Zero seems to be some kind of thug magnet. This time around someone is trying to steal mining equipment and Zero and Nyx walk into them. They can't get back to the other colonists to tell them, though, as a storm hits and the winds carry them away from the colony. What follows is the two kids trying to disrupt the thieves' plans, without getting caught, while at the same time they have to get accustomed to the exoflora and exofauna of their new home.
Nice setting, with some cool flora and sometimes cute, sometimes threatening fauna. Two very likeable main characters (aged 12 and 13 respectively). Some basic biology lessons for the target group on the side. And of course there’s also the struggle with those thieves. This could have been as good as the first book in the series. But, unfortunately, one of the bad guys heavily got on my nerves. That woman is a complete lunatic and the narrator almost made me go crazy as well. Midway through I came very close to dnf this. But fortunately then that person faded into the background for long enough to not make me completely lose my mind. And I was able to enjoy most of the rest of this story.
Maybe this would be better read than listened to. But it’s a shame really, as once again this is narrated by a full cast, and also offers some nice music and sound effects.
Alas, 2.5 stars, rounded down.
No more "Home Alone" for Zero, as the colonization ship with him and his family, and new friend Nyx, has arrived at its destination, on the Planet Kaguya. But soon the kids get into trouble again, because Zero seems to be some kind of thug magnet. This time around someone is trying to steal mining equipment and Zero and Nyx walk into them. They can't get back to the other colonists to tell them, though, as a storm hits and the winds carry them away from the colony. What follows is the two kids trying to disrupt the thieves' plans, without getting caught, while at the same time they have to get accustomed to the exoflora and exofauna of their new home.
Nice setting, with some cool flora and sometimes cute, sometimes threatening fauna. Two very likeable main characters (aged 12 and 13 respectively). Some basic biology lessons for the target group on the side. And of course there’s also the struggle with those thieves. This could have been as good as the first book in the series. But, unfortunately, one of the bad guys heavily got on my nerves. That woman is a complete lunatic and the narrator almost made me go crazy as well. Midway through I came very close to dnf this. But fortunately then that person faded into the background for long enough to not make me completely lose my mind. And I was able to enjoy most of the rest of this story.
Maybe this would be better read than listened to. But it’s a shame really, as once again this is narrated by a full cast, and also offers some nice music and sound effects.
Alas, 2.5 stars, rounded down.
April 12, 2020
This book was amazing! Perfect sequel, and now one of my favorite dragon stories of all time. Also, great for children. Perfect middle grade. I cannot recommend this enough for you, your family, or your child. The narrator is fantastic too.
August 15, 2024
Audiobook (3 hours 45 min) narrated by a full cast, including:
Emily Woo Zeller
Steve Rimpici
Margaret Ying Drake
The second installment of The Zero Chronicles is narrated and scored just as beautifully as the first. The production crew should be proud on such a well put together production.
Dragon Planet opens on a new planet. Dan Wells is incredibly creative and has a way of delivering sciencey things in a really fun, respectful, and informative way, like your favorite elementary school science teacher! Zero and Nyx (12 and 13, despite over a hundred years of space travel time) are also really into the science of it all, calling themselves scientists as they explore the new world! They are careful in their discoveries, come up with some fun names, and just really have a lot of fun, making this chapter super fun for the reader.
The actual story line is pretty great, but the world building and the character interactions are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥!!!
I am fully enjoying this series, and look forward to what I believe is the conclusion, Stargazer.
For science! 👩🏻🔬 🚀 ⚛︎ 🌿 👨🏻🔬
Recommend for all ages!
Emily Woo Zeller
Steve Rimpici
Margaret Ying Drake
The second installment of The Zero Chronicles is narrated and scored just as beautifully as the first. The production crew should be proud on such a well put together production.
Dragon Planet opens on a new planet. Dan Wells is incredibly creative and has a way of delivering sciencey things in a really fun, respectful, and informative way, like your favorite elementary school science teacher! Zero and Nyx (12 and 13, despite over a hundred years of space travel time) are also really into the science of it all, calling themselves scientists as they explore the new world! They are careful in their discoveries, come up with some fun names, and just really have a lot of fun, making this chapter super fun for the reader.
The actual story line is pretty great, but the world building and the character interactions are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥!!!
I am fully enjoying this series, and look forward to what I believe is the conclusion, Stargazer.
For science! 👩🏻🔬 🚀 ⚛︎ 🌿 👨🏻🔬
Recommend for all ages!
January 14, 2024
Dragon Planet was another lovely MG book from Dan Wells! This time, the colonists make their way to their planet which only has 1/6 of Earth’s gravity and the air knocks you unconscious if breathed for too long. Dragon like creatures also inhabit this new world. Our hero Zero and his friend Nyx once again save the day from a group of colonists who want to steal a mine.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED how Wells incorporated the science of air and gravity and fauna and creatures into this book. The audiobook performances were so well done!!
If book 3 comes out on audiobook, I’ll definitely be listening to it!
I LOVED LOVED LOVED how Wells incorporated the science of air and gravity and fauna and creatures into this book. The audiobook performances were so well done!!
If book 3 comes out on audiobook, I’ll definitely be listening to it!
April 3, 2020
These are so cute. I'm not mad about them.
September 15, 2021
This was great fun, such a cool immersive experience.
March 23, 2024
It’s a middle reader with an incredibly high production value for the audiobook. Fun story too.
June 14, 2025
Surprisingly ok, and the full cast stuff isn't anywhere near as annoying as it normally is.
April 22, 2025
It's an interesting children Scifi/fantasy book. over all it's a good story with lots of science things in the mix.
May 22, 2021
Check out my video review of The Zero Chronicles: https://youtu.be/TpbgXj_ZC84
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A stunning sequel to Zero G, but this time, out of space and onto a strange new world. The colonists from the Pathfinder have finally arrived on Kaguya, a planet with low gravity but a very dense atmosphere. Kaguya is home to a plethora of exciting exoflora and exofauna that are very different than the plants and animal of earth. Zero now has a "partner in crime", the recently reformed pirate, Nyx, from the previous book. Once Zero and Nyx discover that a very important piece of mining equipment has been stolen, they dive headfirst into a thrilling mission to confront the thieves and retrieve the lost loot.
In my review of Zero G I claimed that it was Home Alone in space. If that's the case, then Dragon Planet is Home Alone 2...on an alien planet...with dragons. Oh what? I didn't mention that in the plot? Say what? You didn't think dragons were allowed to be in sci-fi stories? Well, surprise! Dan created a very fun and very vivid planet in Kaguya. Again, if I were a kid, I would have eaten this story up. As an adult, it's a nice appetizer or maybe a scrumptious dessert.
Now, other than our two protagonists, the gang of villains in this story each fit one of those comical villain stereotypes. While the planet and its quirks provide newness in this story, it's honestly just more of the same as Zero G. The plot points are near identical. This is probably a fine tactic for middle grade books, but not one I'm too fond of. I like evolution as series progress. You don't get tons of that here in The Zero Chronicles.
While Dragon Planet fails to live up to its predecessor, it is still a wonderful listening experience, narrated by a vibrant cast, and is a lot of fun for children and adults alike.
---
A stunning sequel to Zero G, but this time, out of space and onto a strange new world. The colonists from the Pathfinder have finally arrived on Kaguya, a planet with low gravity but a very dense atmosphere. Kaguya is home to a plethora of exciting exoflora and exofauna that are very different than the plants and animal of earth. Zero now has a "partner in crime", the recently reformed pirate, Nyx, from the previous book. Once Zero and Nyx discover that a very important piece of mining equipment has been stolen, they dive headfirst into a thrilling mission to confront the thieves and retrieve the lost loot.
In my review of Zero G I claimed that it was Home Alone in space. If that's the case, then Dragon Planet is Home Alone 2...on an alien planet...with dragons. Oh what? I didn't mention that in the plot? Say what? You didn't think dragons were allowed to be in sci-fi stories? Well, surprise! Dan created a very fun and very vivid planet in Kaguya. Again, if I were a kid, I would have eaten this story up. As an adult, it's a nice appetizer or maybe a scrumptious dessert.
Now, other than our two protagonists, the gang of villains in this story each fit one of those comical villain stereotypes. While the planet and its quirks provide newness in this story, it's honestly just more of the same as Zero G. The plot points are near identical. This is probably a fine tactic for middle grade books, but not one I'm too fond of. I like evolution as series progress. You don't get tons of that here in The Zero Chronicles.
While Dragon Planet fails to live up to its predecessor, it is still a wonderful listening experience, narrated by a vibrant cast, and is a lot of fun for children and adults alike.
February 2, 2020
I enjoyed the first audiobook, Zero G, and its sequel is just as entertaining.
The colonists from the Pathfinder have arrived on Kaguya, a planet with low gravity but a very dense atmosphere. It's fun to jump around, but the air makes you loopy. Even worse than that, the heavy atmosphere means that wind storms, although rare, are absolutely devastating.
Zero and Nyx (ex-pirate girl) have arrived on Kaguya, their new home planet. The colonist must build their base and the scientists must explore this strange new world. Except one of the drills is missing stalling the progress of everyone's work.
Of course, Zero and Nyx figure out that the drill has been stolen, but before they can alert anyone, the planet's dense atmosphere has created a wind storm and it blows our heroes and villains out into this alien planet.
The listener gets to discover this world and how it works along with Zero and Nyx. A lot of it felt like a science special. It was a bit like watching an episode of The Magic School Bus - but it was fun. I enjoyed it.
A nice read for ages 8 and older.
The colonists from the Pathfinder have arrived on Kaguya, a planet with low gravity but a very dense atmosphere. It's fun to jump around, but the air makes you loopy. Even worse than that, the heavy atmosphere means that wind storms, although rare, are absolutely devastating.
Zero and Nyx (ex-pirate girl) have arrived on Kaguya, their new home planet. The colonist must build their base and the scientists must explore this strange new world. Except one of the drills is missing stalling the progress of everyone's work.
Of course, Zero and Nyx figure out that the drill has been stolen, but before they can alert anyone, the planet's dense atmosphere has created a wind storm and it blows our heroes and villains out into this alien planet.
The listener gets to discover this world and how it works along with Zero and Nyx. A lot of it felt like a science special. It was a bit like watching an episode of The Magic School Bus - but it was fun. I enjoyed it.
A nice read for ages 8 and older.
October 24, 2021
Book two in Dan Wells's middle grade space opera. Zero and his friend Nyx the ex-pirate girl have arrived on planet Kaguya. The colony is full of excitement and adventure for a couple of tweens with no responsibilities to speak of. Wells writes this as a fairly hard SF story, describing the atmosphere and gravity of the planet, which enables enormous "dragons" and blimp-like exo-fauna, and devastating windstorms. There is lots of xenobiology and xenoclimatology in this book, at an appropriate level for bright middle-grade readers.
Zero and Nyx discover a plot to steal some of the colony's mining equipment, and if the first book was Home Alone in space, this book is Home Alone 2 in space.
Dan Wells is no Heinlein, but these books would not be a bad introduction to SF for young readers.
Zero and Nyx discover a plot to steal some of the colony's mining equipment, and if the first book was Home Alone in space, this book is Home Alone 2 in space.
Dan Wells is no Heinlein, but these books would not be a bad introduction to SF for young readers.
February 13, 2020
I waited a little for this one, but it was amazing.
I loved the way it is done with a full cast for the voices, it's so compelling and nice to hear so many voices for different people.
Being for middle graders, for me that i'm an adult it has so much to give still, I love this ones since they're so imaginative and exciting, it had a super cool plot actually, loved it a lot.
Do hope for it to more to Zero's and Nix's story in the future.
I loved the way it is done with a full cast for the voices, it's so compelling and nice to hear so many voices for different people.
Being for middle graders, for me that i'm an adult it has so much to give still, I love this ones since they're so imaginative and exciting, it had a super cool plot actually, loved it a lot.
Do hope for it to more to Zero's and Nix's story in the future.
September 25, 2020
Again, the audio production is excellent and the story is fun, if not particularly novel. This one reminded me a bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender with the way the alien creatures are blends of familiar things.
February 9, 2020
A fun but short read.
February 1, 2024
Cute YA space story. Love Zero!
June 14, 2020
Just finished listening to this with my seven year old and we both really enjoyed it. The narration was spot on and the story was fun and engaging. I would certainly continue to listen to any future installments of Zero and Nyx.
December 3, 2020
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
- Great narration by Full Cast of Narrators
- Another fun adventure story for kids. The intro was loaded with knowledge bits for kids but it didn't take long for the actual story to get going.
Currently on Audible Plus
- Great narration by Full Cast of Narrators
- Another fun adventure story for kids. The intro was loaded with knowledge bits for kids but it didn't take long for the actual story to get going.
January 23, 2022
I loved the fun, new setting on the Planet Kaguya.
August 16, 2024
The audio on this is graphic audio and it's great. My kids really enjoy this series. It's one of the only books all my kids can agree on.
April 2, 2025
This was a cute audiobook that I enjoyed with my son
September 11, 2025
AUDIBLE very cute and imaginative
June 1, 2020
I was so glad to see Dan Wells wrote a follow up to Zero G! And Dragon Planet did not disappoint! My kids and I are going to listen to this on our next car trip!
December 6, 2021
*4.5 stars
So much fun!! Am loving this series.
So much fun!! Am loving this series.
August 17, 2022
This was pretty flat. The first had all the fun of a space adventure, and I can see where they tried to replicate that, but it fell flat. Most of the story was just talking about the planet, and how evolution made it all possible. I also felt like it was unlikely that literally all the animals on the new planet would be flying ones.
But, the dragons were really fun.
But, the dragons were really fun.
March 29, 2023
This sequel picks up right after the events in Zero G but could be read out of sequence and still be its own story. Naturally, it is best to read Zero G first. This is a quick engaging read, predictable but it is great at explaining natural science to young children. Adults can also learn some concepts they might have missed.
The story has a similar action plot to its predecessor, but I really enjoyed the full cast narration and the look at science, family dynamics and friendship. This is a great series to listen when in a slump or as a palate cleanser with tough books. Great to listen with the entire family.
The story has a similar action plot to its predecessor, but I really enjoyed the full cast narration and the look at science, family dynamics and friendship. This is a great series to listen when in a slump or as a palate cleanser with tough books. Great to listen with the entire family.
August 26, 2024
The sequel to Zero G wasn't as great as I wanted it to be, but it was a great read nonetheless.
Zero, his family, Nyx and the rest of the colony finally arrived on Kaguya, a new planet they traveled 105 years to get to. However, when they get here, they aren't allowed outside because the air is somewhat poisonous, and they stay in some underground chambers.
However, not long after their arrival, they realise that a mining equipment is nowhere to be found. So Zero and Nyx go to search and find out that a bunch of scientists stole it. But before managing to do something about it, a powerful storm comes and throws them very far away from the colony.
This is how their journey begins and on their way back to the colony, they discover interesting species of exofauna, delicious exoflora that consist in soft petals, and a new way of travelling around and escaping the mad scientists.
Plus, a dragon lurks around menacingly.
The story wasn't extraordinary. It had some unheard elements but it just dragged a little. The idea of betrayal from the first book was present, so nothing I wasn't expecting. Plus, the excitement of a new planet and the exploring of it was killed by the disappointment from the beginning.
3.5 stars overall.
Zero, his family, Nyx and the rest of the colony finally arrived on Kaguya, a new planet they traveled 105 years to get to. However, when they get here, they aren't allowed outside because the air is somewhat poisonous, and they stay in some underground chambers.
However, not long after their arrival, they realise that a mining equipment is nowhere to be found. So Zero and Nyx go to search and find out that a bunch of scientists stole it. But before managing to do something about it, a powerful storm comes and throws them very far away from the colony.
This is how their journey begins and on their way back to the colony, they discover interesting species of exofauna, delicious exoflora that consist in soft petals, and a new way of travelling around and escaping the mad scientists.
Plus, a dragon lurks around menacingly.
The story wasn't extraordinary. It had some unheard elements but it just dragged a little. The idea of betrayal from the first book was present, so nothing I wasn't expecting. Plus, the excitement of a new planet and the exploring of it was killed by the disappointment from the beginning.
3.5 stars overall.
October 2, 2025
Story: Exciting, fun, entertaining adventure. Feel good. Love! 5 stars
Narration team: Absolutely amazing! Great basic narrative and great voices. Distinct. Wonderful. 5 stars
Narration team: Absolutely amazing! Great basic narrative and great voices. Distinct. Wonderful. 5 stars
April 9, 2021
I didn't expect to like it as much as the first BUT I DID!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews