More SF and Fantasy

Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn

I just finished Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn and I enjoyed it. It isn't profound, but it does have an interesting alien and a decent plot. To whit: Jack Morgan is on the run on a remote planet when he witnesses a space battle that results in one of the ships plummeting down onto the planet. Since he keeps himself going in part by scavenging, he decides to investigate. He is set upon by the only survivor, a K'da poet-warrior, who is an obligatory symbiont - unable to survive for more than a few hours without contact with a host. Jack becomes, rather unwillingly, his host. Together they escape the beings who attacked the ships and go in search of a way to clear Jack's name and save Dracos' species. This is the first of a series that is currently at 4 books. Others in the series: Dragon and Soldier, Dragon and Slave, and Dragon and Herdsman. When I get through some of the other books I have stacked up, I may get back to this. I don't feel a tremendous amount of urgency, but I like SF and it is kind of rare to find SF that upper elementary or middle school kids could read with no untoward adult-like themes.


The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
and
Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce

I know this is one of the most popular of the Tortall books and one of the earliest - I haven't seen an exact chronology, but I actually liked the Protector of the Small Series a bit better. I just can't get all that interested in the evil protagonist in these books, Duke Roger. I like Alanna well enough, but her men troubles and her battles with various evil, powerful others aren't quite as compelling as I would like. Still, I enjoyed the books and will continue reading books about the Tortall Kingdom - and hope that I actually LIKE the heroines a little better than I like Alanna.