In this sequel to Dragon's Blood, young Jakkin has reached his dream of owning his own dragon, and his freedom. But being a master is not exactly as he'd imagined. He often finds his new role awkward, especially in the strained relationship with one of his old friends and companions, who has become Jakkin's bondservant. Even though being a master gives him greater privileges, Jakkin still prefers to spend time working with his dragon rather than immersing himself in the seedier entertainments of the city. But when he learns that his girlfriend Akki, who he hasn't seen in a year, is mixed up with an underground rebel organization and could be in danger, Jakkin suddenly finds himself involved in a confusing world of politics and intrigue, and eventually on the run for his life. The plot of Heart's Blood gets a bit complex, and at first it was confusing for me (at a younger age) to follow. It was probably the first book I read that dealt with politics and kept me interested- because I could relate to the main character's perspective. At first he didn't care about political unrest, until he saw how changes in society would impact his personal life and those (people and dragons alike) he cared about. Then he could not help but get involved. A great story, set in a far-away world that is very believable. I find this book compelling every time I re-read it.Rating: 4/5 ........ 352 pages, 1984
...yep, definitely a series you need to read. And I don't think I'd even heard of it before your reviews. She's so prolific.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that Jane Yolen wrote anything about dragons. Dragons aren't my favorite subjects, so I'll probably pass on this one but Jane Yolen is a great author!
ReplyDeleteNymeth- I only knew of her Pit Dragon books when I first read them- I had no idea what a wide variety of books she'd written until I got older.
ReplyDeleteNatasha- The dragon books are quite different from her other stuff (at least what I've read).