Frank Carlson Library

"It is the waning days of the Russian monarchy. A reckless man rules the land and his dragons rule the sky. Though the Tsar aims his dragons at his enemies--Jews and Bolsheviks--his entire country is catching fire. Conspiracies suffuse the royal court: bureaucrats jostle one another for power, the mad monk Rasputin schemes for the Tsar's ear, and the desperate queen takes drastic measures to protect her family."--

Jakkin, a bond boy who works as a Keeper in a dragon nursery on the planet Austar IV, secretly trains a fighting pit dragon of his own in hopes of winning his freedom.

Young Arthur meets a dragon and comes to accept him as a friend and mentor.

Falsely accused of sabotage, Jakkin and Akki are left to certain death in the wilderness of the planet Austar IV but, with the aid of five baby dragons, manage not only to survive but also to gain unusual powers and insights.

Having been presumed dead, Jakkin and Akki finally return to Austar IV with newfound skills, and the knowledge that what they have learned could either transform their planet or destroy it.