Hey Jared,
I read an abridged/short story version of this in school and had no clue there was a (slightly) bigger version out there for the longest time. Finding it has been nearly impossible but I figured it out eventually.
Title: Dragon’s Blood
Series: Pit Dragon Chronicles; Book 1
Author: Jane Yolen
Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Audience: Youth
ROTS Setting: CU, distant future, dragons, dragon fights
Synopsis: 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.
Recommendation: Highly recommended for pre- and early teens.
There’s something enchanting about the simplicity of it all. Simple concept, simple plot, and even simple characters…..but there’s something deeper amongst it all and it’s wonderful.
Jakkin is competent while still needing to learn a lot because natural talent only goes so far. I enjoyed sitting in his head and experiencing his strangely alluring world. The dragons are classic beasts while also having their own alien flare. There’s a Pern or Dragon Prince flare to the world that I love and I’m going to try and finish the other books in this series soon. No point in waiting if they’re as short as this one.
In summary, it’s a great read for an early teen or pre-teen and I highly recommend it.
Robert
Reading Over The Shoulder 
You have this listed as book 2, when it is actually book 1. Also, if you want cheap copies, I think you can find the sfbc omnibus on amazon for pretty cheap. Just search for pit dragon trilogy and it should be the only hardcover option.
Just checked, yep, just over $5 for a hardcover omnibus. Of course, the print is pretty small but if that doesn’t bother you, it’s cheaper than buying each individual paperback at those outrageous prices!
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Woops! Something got lost in the shuffle. Good catch!
I might end up buying them if they stay good. Thanks for the info.
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