Pit Dragon Chronicles Series by Jane Yolen

Dragons are trained to fight to the death, and two determined teens help free them in this spellbinding saga.Training a dragon to be a fighting champion is the only way to freedom for fifteen-year-old Jakkin.

Jakkin risks everything -- freedom, dragon Heart's Blood, even his life -- to rescue beloved Akki who vanished months ago in rebel cell on former prison planet Austar IV. He must become rebel spy Three for mysterious Senator Golden and carry an explosive satchel to the dragon pits. In this game he will lose no matter how well he plays.

Teens dragon master Jakkin and beloved healer-in-training Akki hide in mountain cave network beside Heart's Blood warm hatchlings, exchanging mind-picture "sendings". But who could leave a huge pile of stripped dragon bones neatly interwoven? The monstrous secret is bloodier than they could imagine. Can they save anyone, even sacrificing themselves?

The adventures of young dragon master Jakkin Stewart are brilliantly chronicled in this epic fantasy--from his apprenticeship in Dragon's Blood, to his breathtaking escape with his beloved Akki in Heart's Blood, and straight through to their harrowing discovery in the third volume, A Sending of Dragons... moreThe adventures of young dragon master Jakkin Stewart are brilliantly chronicled in this epic fantasy--from his apprenticeship in Dragon's Blood, to his breathtaking escape with his beloved Akki in Heart's Blood, and straight through to their harrowing discovery in the third volume, A Sending of Dragons. Revered by devoted fans for more than twenty years, these first three volumes of Jane Yolen's fierce and fiery dragon tales are published together for the first time--in a handsome boxed set that's sure to win over legions of new admirers. less

Austar IV isn't the planet it once was, and when Jakkin and Akki finally return to the dragon nursery, their homecoming arouses mixed emotions. Together they've survived the insurmountable, and now they can weather the brutal conditions of Dark After and communicate with the dragons they love. But with this knowledge comes responsibility. What they've learned about survival could transform the planet--or, if entrusted to the wrong hands, bring about its destruction... moreAustar IV isn't the planet it once was, and when Jakkin and Akki finally return to the dragon nursery, their homecoming arouses mixed emotions. Together they've survived the insurmountable, and now they can weather the brutal conditions of Dark After and communicate with the dragons they love. But with this knowledge comes responsibility. What they've learned about survival could transform the planet--or, if entrusted to the wrong hands, bring about its destruction. Akki's insistence that she return to the Rokk to finish her training and begin new experiments drives a chasm between her and Jakkin. Suddenly she finds herself in the midst of a political battle that could claim her life. Only Jakkin can save her. If only he could reach her. . . . less