See my review of the first three books in this series on [[A Sending of Dragons]]. ( )

In 1982 this would have been obviously a McCaffrey YA follow on with pit fighting instead of thread fighting. The world building makes Hunger Game's look solid and in spite of a spunky resourceful girl giving our hero substantial help it doesn't quite overcome the women default to whores assumption of the ex-prison world setting. ( )

I always enjoy Jane Yolen's books; I think she really knows how to craft a story and characters. The Pit Dragon Chronicles is one of my favorite series of hers and it definitely holds up over time. I do think the first couple books are the strongest and then it does tail off a bit after that. There are many dragon stories but this does not feel repetitive or similar to others. ( )

Austar IV started life as a prison planet, over the generations and years it has evolved into a deeply segregated, almost feudal society. Jakkin was born free, but in order to survive his mother sold herself and her son into “bond”. Every bonder wears a bag, and when they fill this bag they will be free. They will be a master. But many bonders never make it that far. Jakkin is determined that he will fill his bag himself and he has a plan. He intends to steal a dragon egg, hatch it out, and raise it to be a champion pit fighter.

http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2015/11/dragons-blood/ ( )

I mostly enjoyed this, though the "thee"s and "thou"s directed at dragons annoyed me. It didn't make even handwavium sense.

Also, the ending was nauseatingly pro-eugenics and pro-indentured servitude. ("None of that false compassion--picking a runt or one with an injured wing. You went right to the best." And nonsense about some people not being man enough to get out of their servitude?? Yuck, yuck, yuck.) ( )