14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gathering Intelligence, July 11, 2006
Dragon and Soldier (2004) is the second novel in the Dragonback Adventure series, following Dragon and Thief. In the previous volume, Jack had been framed for theft of cargo belonging to Braxton Universis and then was framed for murder; in fact, a BU security man had really killed the two aliens. Then Jack was extorted into stealing a cylinder from the purser's safe on a spaceliner.
Jack was persuaded by Draycos to buck the system and revealed this scheme to the victim. But then he learned that the victim was really Braxton himself and managed to defeat an attempt by the conspirators to space both of them. Braxton nullified the warrants for his arrest and profusely expressed his gratitude. Since Draycos had helped clear him, Jack left as quickly as possible to start looking for the people who had ambushed the Shontine/K'da advance party.
In this novel, Jack, Draycos and Uncle Virge discuss their options and decide not to report the situation to StarForce since someone in the government may be passing information to the ambushers. They cannot rely on mercenary units either. Instead, they decide to infiltrate one mercenary group and check their files for any relevant information.
Jack signs on with Whinyard's Edge as Jack Montana. Things start to go wrong from the first contact with the recruiters. However, he meets another recruit, Alison Kayna, who seems to know everything and is willing to pass on her knowledge.
Jack, Alison and the other recruits are put through a ten day training course to prepare them for army living and combat. The length of the course is not adequate for real training, so Jack assumes that they are being prepared as cannon fodder. If they survive their first combat, maybe they will receive further training.
When Jack tries to break into the camp computer net, Draycos notices someone else sneaking around the headquarters building. Jack climbs out the window and returns to his bunk before the general alarm, yet the recruits are not rousted out of bed. Later Jack, Alison and four other recruits are called in for a special briefing.
These six recruits are shipped to Sunright as computer operators. They are situated in an isolated camp far from other Whinyard's Edge troops. Then the regular troops in the area are withdrawn and the recruits are left alone in their bivouac.
This novel describes Jack's introduction to mercenary life. He doesn't like it very much. Moreover, he now has an excellent chance of getting shot, either by the enemy or by friendly troops. He is still mystified by Alison, who never seems to be lacking in the required skills.
Highly recommended for Dragonback fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure and sneaky gambits.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zahn rocks!, June 5, 2004
By A Customer
This knock-your-socks-off, rip-roaring-adventure from a master storyteller continues the story of former thief, fourteen-year-old Jack Morgan who teamed up in a symbiotic relationship with Draycos, a dragon-like warrior-poet in Dragon and Thief. This self-contained story stands alone but is such fun that readers will definitely want to read its predecessor. Trying to find leads that may help them save the refugee fleet coming from Draycos's planet, Jack infiltrates a mercenary organization as a raw recruit and ends up in the middle of a war. The combination of high-tech adventure and the philosophy and moral stands of Draycos give it wide appeal. Recently I was asked if anyone was still writing the kind of grand space adventure like Heinlein's juveniles or Andre Norton's tales that enticed so many people into science fiction fandom. Now I have the answer and it is a resounding yes! Zahn rocks!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
GOOD FAST PACED ACTION FOR THE YOUNG ADULT, September 17, 2004
As the sequel to DRAGON AND THEIF D and S continues the story of young Jack Morgan and his new symbiot Draycos as they try to discover the attacker's of Draycos' people before they are completely destroyed.
It is well written, and by that I mean it is written to a level that early teens will find easy and pleasant to follow. But not only that it has a simple, although interesting plot, with plenty of action to keep someone interested. I don't mean to infer that adults won't like it, if you like well crafted YA lit then you're probably going to enjoy D and S, especially if you enjoyed D and T.
Although Jack's and Draycos' don't evolve much in this volume we are introduced to another character, Alison, a girl about his age. It is plain to see Alison is not only going to be and interesting addition to the Dragonback sage but will play a critical role in the future.
A quick read D and S is a great complement to the first volume and I certainly RECOMMEND it. Not only was it fun to read but it definitely leaves you waiting expectantly for the next installment.
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