Review: Dragon Defense - I'm still hooked on the 'Heirs to the Throne' series!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 13, 2012
I used to say that I wasn't a big fan of science fiction, but Diane Rapp changed that with the first book of her Heirs to the Throne series.  I just finished Dragon Defense, the third book in her series, and I confess to being hooked on this story of an evolving civilization on the planet Drako, peopled by descendants of intergalactic travelers, telepathic wolves, and cooperative dragons who all work together to build a life outside the influence of the "Institute."The Institute is a force of oppression, maintaining control through technological superiority.  The people of Drako reject technology until they are forced to embrace it to maintain their autonomy.  Ironically, the enabling technology of "Transfer" is fully understood only by Dr. Alexander, a physician on Drako.  Transfer technology allows a person to move to a new body periodically while accruing knowledge gained over multiple lifetimes, and it is critical to the Institute's ability to retain governing power.  Dragon Defense is the story of the Institute's effort to abduct Dr. Alexander and force him to work on their behalf.Many of the characters in Dragon Defense are familiar from the first two books, but in this book, we see their personalities evolve and grow, and watch their children mature into positions of leadership.  The drive of the people of Drako to achieve self government and the moderating influence of their burgeoning democracy are the core themes in Dragon Defense.  Read it and discover how a small group of determined people, wolves, and dragons can change the direction of a seemingly omnipotent malevolent government.Lest I have made Dragon Defense sound too serious, let me add that the story is told with humor and pathos.  It moves with the pace of a thriller, and the characters are personable - even the wolves and the dragons will engage the reader on a personal level.  It was great fun to read.  If you haven't already read Howl of the Wolf and the Havenshire Resistance, buy all three books today.  You'll want to read them straight through - they're that good.