DRAGON'S BLOOD
Pit Dragon Trilogy Book 1
Delacorte/Dell/Harcourt Brace 1982
ISBN# 0-440-02087-5 Delacorte hardcover
ISBN# 0-440-91802-2 Dell Laurel Leaf paperback
ISBN# 9-15-200866-7 Harcourt paperback

The first of the Pit Dragon trilogy, (second is Heart's Blood) this science fiction novel takes place on another planet--Austar IV--where great dragons are fought in pits. This is the story of a young bond boy who buys his way out of servitude at a dragon nursery by raising up a great red fighting dragon. The book started as a short story--"Cockfight" (which can be found reprinted in Here There Be Dragons.) But it grew and grew because there was so much I wanted to explore on this planet, which had been a penal colony. I wrote the pit dragon books because I love dragons. Jakkin and Akki are based on my children who are now in their thirties. Austar is of course named after Australia, which was a penal colony for the British two hundred years ago. I hope in the future to write a fourth book--if I can come up with a plot! There have been British, Danish and Swedish editions of the book and the Science Fiction Book Club edition which was an omnibus of all three books.

       Available in the hardcover and paperback.

Parents Choice Award Book 1982
ALA Best Books (YABB) 1983
Colorado Blue Spruce nominations 1986
California Young Readers Medal nomination 1987
American Booksellers Pick of the List 1996
2003 YALSA Popular Paperbacks List

See the review of the CD from Rambles - a cultural arts magazine (on the Web).

What reviewers have said: "An original and engrossing fantasy." -- The Horn Book

"Yolen has an enormous talent for creating a 'real' world in which the details are ayered in vivid descriptions. . .full of exciting and emotional passages and should have wide appeal."--KLIATT

"Yolen's attention to detail, along with her prose--clean, unsentimental, evocative--makes it an engaging and absorbing read."--New York Times

"A fascinating glimpse of a brand new world."--School Library Journal

"Yolen has created a world that is convincing both in physical and societal aspects. . .her characterizations have vitality and charm."--Booklist

"A consummate storyteller. . ." Christian Science Monitor

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