So, after my last post, I realized that I kind of liked the idea of going through a book by each of my top five authors. And since I had just done a YA Leguin novel, it seemed only fair to follow it with another YA novel; this time, I went to Timothy Zahn, specifically back to his Dragonback series.For those who don’t feel like playing catch up: the Dragonback series is a Young Adult Science fiction series by Timothy Zahn, which follows the adventures of a young con artist/thief named Jack Morgan, and the alien warrior Draycos who has become bonded to him. Their bond is a literal, physical one; Draycos’s people, the K’da, are symbiotic creatures, incapable of surviving for long without a host to attach themselves to. When Draycos bonds with Jack in a moment of desperation, he drags Jack into a world of adventure and intrigue.After their first adventure together, Jack and Draycos begin a long, galaxy wide quest to figure out who attacked the scouting party Draycos was part of, and why, before the rest of Draycos and his people are annihilated.The latest book, Dragon and Herdsman, sends Jack and Draycos on an unexpected wilderness expedition, after an attempt to hack into the database of the Malison Ring mercenary company. Rescued by his former mercenary companion Alison Kayna, Jack gives her a ride to a nearby planet, only to be ambushed and forced into hiding by the arrival of a group of Malison Ring soldiers.Ambushes and mercenaries aren’t the only thing that Jack finds on Rho Scorvi—he also discovers the Phooka, a race of creatures that bear a striking resemblance to the K’da, but lacking any apparent intelligence. On the run from the Malison ring mercenaries, Jack must also become a herdsman to a race of creatures that may be some sort of remnant of Draycos’s people.Like many of Zahn’s books, and the Dragonback series in particular, this is fast-paced space opera at it’s height. Jack and Draycos are propelled through the wilds of Rho Scorvi with very little opportunity to catch their breath—but enough time to do some interesting introspections about the nature of Draycos, the K’da, and the Phookas. There’s a bit more development of Alison, who promises to be an interesting character in her own right, and a great deal of development of Jack, a character who gets (appropriately) more interesting with each novel in this series.For an adult reader, this isn’t really a challenging read, nor is it necessarily deep and thoughtful. But it is fun, exciting, and filled with some great plot twists (the book ends on a great twist/pseudo-cliffhanger). If you enjoy Zahn’s work, or are just looking for a fun, light read, there are a lot worse places to start than this.
Dragon and Herdsman (2005) 299 pages by Timothy Zahn.Fourth book in the Dragonback series. Jack Morgan is a fourteen year old boy. Orphaned at three, brought up by his con man Uncle Virge. 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.Jack and Draycos are trying to save main fleet of Shontine and K'da, and have gone through adventures in the first three books trying to get information that will help. In this book after a brief scuffle at a Malison Ring mercenary base where Jack is captured and then Alison Kayna helps him escape. Jack and the Essanay drop Alison off on Rho Scorvi, which is inhabited by the Erassvas, a peaceful almost oblivious people. Jack notices the Phookas which look exactly like K'da. While Jack is just getting introduced the Malison Ring shows up. Jack and Alison retreat into the forest. Jack knowing the Phooka would be slaughtered takes the Phooka with him. The really interesting part of the story is whether Jack and Draycos can trust Alison or not. As the group is on their trek through the forest some secrets are revealed.I didn't quite read the book straight through, but I did finish it in less than a day. It was another great Zahn book.
What do You think about Dragon And Herdsman (2007)?
Well, it was quite okay. The overall plot doesn't move forward much in this book but I enjoyed their journey on Rho Scorvi and the questions it raises about the K'da and their history (are the really the victims or is there the possibility that they are the agressors and so on). I just don't really like the development of the last four pages in which we learn that Alison is working with the people Jack and Draycos are trying to flee/stop. :/
—Saphirablue
K'da poet-warrior Draycos requires time like a tattoo every six hours on his host, orphan Jack Morgan 14, and tries to teach the former thief con-artist his honorable ethics. When former fellow student Alison demonstrates her superior mercenary training and rescues them from an ambush, she provides fuel credits to planet Rho Scorvi. Fat lethargic native Erassvas have K'da lookalike symbiotes, dumb mute Phookas rooting for grubs. After the Uncle Virge intelligence pilots their spaceship Essenay down in a blazing explosion to silence, Jack herds the docile animals to safety in the unexplored forest, while enemy Colonel Frost sends soldiers against them. In the series, a boy takes on different roles, to mature from the selfish amoral attitude of his Uncle Virgil, guardian since the age of three, to the sacrificial ethics of his alien mentor. Whatever the dangers from wild or humans, brains and tactics take precedence over impossible brute force. While running, they evade, trick, and ambush. Our side tries not to kill; Frost has orders to take (only) Jack alive. (view spoiler)[After sliding onto Alison's skin, alert silver-eyed grey female Taneem, named after a long-dead like-colored friend of Draycos, learns to speak, fight, and kill. Both sleep a day away, for a successful, if nerve-wracking, test. When angered, the dozen Erassvas, led by interpreter Hern, start to emit an odor that repels local wildlife threats, so they seem safe to leave. The ending, where Alison radios to a mysterious Smith, deal with all the natives - "wild cards. We can't let them stay on the playing field". We can hope the sentence is not death, but we do not know. "We don't want to lose" Frost sound suspiciously like betrayal. (hide spoiler)]
—An Odd1
Draco and Jack are still searching for information on the mercenary group that attacked Draco's people. Whilst undercover for information, Jack is captured and later rescued by Alison Kayna. Alison needs a ride so the Essenay takes off to a backwater planet where Alison going to be picked up. But on that planet they discover phookas, which are the same species as Dracos, but lacking his sentience. Now Jack and Dracos must herd the phookas away from the mercenaries that want to capture Jack and kill Dracos.Dracos changes more in this book than does Jack. Dracos discovery that the intelligence and culture of his people may be borrowed from their hosts. He is somewhat rocked by this and it takes him awhile to recover. Jack, on the other hand, is still trying to find his place in the universe. He does learn that being good at something doesn't necessarily mean you should take it up as a profession.This entry in the Dragonback space opera takes place mainly on the world of Rho Scorvi, a densely forested planet. Jack and Draco spend most of the book on the run. Actually Jack and Dracos have spent most of the series on the run.
—Arwen
