Fire World facts for kids
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| Author | Chris d'Lacey |
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| Cover artist | Angelo Rinaldi |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Last Dragon Chronicles |
| Subject | Dragons |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. |
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Publication date
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Hardback: 6 January 2011 Paperback: 1 September 2011 |
| Pages | 562 |
| ISBN | 978-1408309582 (hardback) ISBN: 978-1408309599 (softcover) |
| Preceded by | Dark Fire |
| Followed by | The Fire Ascending (5 April 2012) |
Fire World is the sixth book in The Last Dragon Chronicles series by Chris d'Lacey. It's the second-to-last story in the series. Chris d'Lacey said that Fire World takes place in a different universe. All the characters you know from earlier books appear, but they are a bit different.
Contents
Story Summary
Part One: A Strange New World
The story begins on a planet called Co:pern:ica. David Merriman has been having strange dreams. In these dreams, special creatures called Firebirds blow fire over him. People on Co:pern:ica use something called "fain" to become more powerful. A wise person named Strømberg thinks David's dreams mean someone from another universe is calling him.
David's parents, Harlan and Eliza, want another child. They need permission from an "Aunt," who works for a powerful group called The Higher. Aunt Gwyneth denies their request. Instead, Eliza agrees to become an Aunt herself. She goes to the "Dead Lands" to learn more about their world.
Meanwhile, Harlan, a scientist, works on a machine. This machine is meant to open a "temporal rift," like a portal, to another universe. Strømberg suggests David go to a huge building called the Librarium for an "adventure." David meets a girl named Rosa there. They become friends and help organize the countless books. They learn that to move around the Librarium, they just need to think where they want to go.
David and Rosa discover a secret. There's a Firebird home, called an eyrie, on the upper floors of the Librarium. One day, a large, scary Red Firebird named Azkiar takes Rosa's Firebird, Runcey. David becomes very sad. Rosa finds a book about "drargones" (dragons) and hides it. Aunt Gwyneth appears and forbids Rosa from reading it.
Eliza, in the Dead Lands, finds special clay. She uses it to make an egg and clay dragons. The dragons come to life! Firebirds later find Eliza and the egg. Two days later, Harlan's machine opens the rift. Rosa and David, still in the Librarium, suddenly age about eight years.
Part Two: Changes and Discoveries
David and Rosa are shocked to find they've aged. They realize a "time quake" happened. Rosa finds a way to open a locked door on floor 43 by speaking "Dragontongue." Inside, they find books already organized. David finds a book called Alicia in the Land of Wonder. They see Azkiar, who seems confused by David.
David finds Mr. Henry, the Librarium's curator, dead from aging. Harlan steps through the rift, also aged. He explains his experiment failed and caused everyone connected to it to age. Harlan gives David a tiny pen with important information. Aunt Gwyneth, also slightly aged, tries to take the pen. David quickly changes it into a ring using his "imagineering" power. Gwyneth takes Harlan away. Rosa cannot leave the Librarium because her parents are gone.
David returns home to his mother Eliza and new sister, Penny. Penny was born from the egg Eliza made. Eliza tells David she saw strange things outside their world. David uses the pen to find out his father's research. He learns Firebirds tried to close the rift, but something else came through. Penny finds a black Firebird feather, which is very unusual.
David reads Alicia in the Land of Wonder to Penny. They imagine the story, but something goes wrong. They see a mirror showing another world with clay dragons and a unicorn. Strømberg takes David to bed. David later learns Strømberg is in hiding. Strømberg tells David that their society is failing. He urges David to return to the Librarium to find the "Book of Agawin." This book holds the history of Co:pern:ica and dragons.
Back at the Librarium, Rosa is unhappy with the Aunts. They make her block windows with books, even tearing pages. Rosa runs away. Firebirds, including Aurielle, worry about the changes. Aurielle decides to speak to The Higher, a powerful being living at the top of the Librarium. The Higher tells Aurielle that David must become the new curator.
Rosa tricks the Aunts by giving them drugged mushrooms. She finds they are draining the "auma" (energy) from books. The Aunts escape and accidentally brand Rosa with the Mark of Agawin. They start a fire. David climbs through a window and takes control of the Librarium.
Part Three: The Dead Lands and New Alliances
Harlan and his partner Bernard are taken to the Dead Lands. They meet Matthew LeFarr and other people who were also sent there. They form a settlement on the Isle of Alavon. They learn Firebirds bring them gifts. Harlan, Matthew, and Bernard visit a tower on Alavon. Harlan is briefly taken over by a spirit named Gawain. He learns about "the shadow of the ix" (evil creatures).
Harlan gets a special "Creator" claw from the tower. But a darkling (a shadow creature) appears and steals it, flying back to Co:pern:ica Central. Harlan realizes the darklings are targeting David. He learns that water can destroy the "Re:movers" (people who take others to the Dead Lands). Harlan plans to turn the tower into a beacon to get everyone back to Co:pern:ica.
The darkling goes to the Librarium, which is on fire. It tries to take over Aurielle's body. Aunt Gwyneth appears, captures the darkling, and takes the Creator claw. She agrees to "commingle" (join forces) with the Ix (the darkling's group). The Ix tell Gwyneth that three worlds are connected: Ki:mera, Co:pern:ica, and Earth. They also reveal that David can travel between these worlds.
Part Four: Secrets and Transformations
Gwyneth learns more from the Ix. She finds out David can move his "auma" (energy) between the three worlds. The Creator claw can make whatever is written by its user come true. This is how Harlan accidentally called the darkling by writing "Isenfier." The Ix also tell Gwyneth that she is connected to Gwilanna, a character from the previous books.
Eliza and Penny visit David and Rosa in the Librarium. Gwyneth is put in a cage. Eliza brings a clay dragon that can write. It starts to write its name, "Gadzooks," but then a time rift appears. The Ix in Gwyneth (who looks like a cat) attack David. David turns into a bear to fight them and seals the rift.
Aurielle tells David and Rosa to bring the clay dragon to floor 108. Penny tags along. Gwyneth, still caged, talks to Eliza. She reveals that she is Eliza's mother! Gwyneth explains she had Eliza's childhood memories removed. Eliza eventually frees Gwyneth.
David and Rosa climb to floor 108. They find a hatched egg and the "Book of Agawin." The book is split into sections about dragons and the history of Co:pern:ica. The Librarium then starts to change. Books and shelves turn into trees and vines. Rosa meets a white horse named Terafonne.
The transformation happens because Penny opened a book called Snigger and the Nutbeast. A winged girl named Angel appears from a raindrop. Gwyneth reveals the Librarium is actually the "Ark of Co:pern:ica." It was built to protect animals during a big event called the Great Re:duction. Penny tries to escape with Eliza, but Gwyneth stops her.
Aurielle, Aleron, and Azkair turn into small dragons and try to burn Gwyneth. But the Creator claw makes her more powerful. Gwyneth turns into a raven and flies away. She enters The Higher's domain, a cold, icy world. The Higher, appearing as a polar bear, tells Gwyneth to join them. But Gwyneth wants to overthrow The Higher. She tries to attack The Higher with the claw, but it turns against her and throws her into an ocean.
Harlan, Bernard, and Matthew escape the Dead Lands in a boat. They pull Gwyneth from the water. She is dying but uses the claw to write: "I, Gwyneth also known as Gwilanna live..."
Part Five: The Tapestry and New Beginnings
Gwyneth's body is placed in a casket on the Ark. The Merriman family reunites. Eliza reveals Gwyneth is her mother. Rosa is angry and tries to harm Gwyneth's body, but David stops her. Harlan gives David the Creator claw.
Rosa tells David that the special tapestry on floor 108 has vanished. David meets Angel, who gives him a talisman. It is revealed that Angel is the daughter of David and Rosa. She hatched from the egg on floor 108, which was formed from David's tear, Rosa's daisy chain, and Eliza's clay egg.
Harlan and David discuss Gwyneth's strange state. They wonder why she didn't come back to life. Harlan tells David about the battle in the Dead Lands. A man named Abbot Hugo sacrificed himself to save Harlan. Angel appears and heals Harlan's injured eye.
Rosa returns on Terafonne. The Ark stops at the Dead Lands, and all the animals are released. David suggests using Firebirds to share books with everyone on Co:pern:ica. Rosa agrees, and Firebirds begin delivering books.
Matthew LeFarr decides to leave. David stops him and tells Harlan that Matthew is in the tapestry on floor 108. Harlan convinces Matthew to stay.
Later, David shows everyone a copy of the tapestry from his memory. Harlan explains that past, present, and future are all connected. He also talks about parallel dimensions. David explains the tapestry shows a battle frozen in time by the dragon Gadzooks. Gadzooks sent a distress call to other worlds, which David received. The Ix were tracking this call.
Harlan points out that Gwyneth wrote "Gwilanna" when she tried to save herself. This was her name on Earth. Rosa then brings the real tapestry, and everyone is shocked. Gwyneth has appeared on it! This means Gwyneth didn't want to come back to life on Co:pern:ica. Instead, she was resurrected on Earth, during the battle shown in the tapestry. This could completely change the past events.
Finally, Aurielle gets caught in the tapestry, pulling a thread. This causes Gwyneth and a strange boy to appear more clearly. David slowly moves towards the "Shadow of the Ix." At the very end of the book, the water around the Ark turns to fire.
Characters
The Merriman Family
- David Merriman: He is like David Rain from the other world. David is special because he can "imagineer" things and doesn't follow the usual rules of Co:pern:ica. He becomes the new leader of the Librarium.
- Eliza Merriman: She is like Elizabeth Pennykettle. Eliza becomes an Aunt and discovers she can have a child without help. She learns that Aunt Gwyneth is her mother.
- Penny Merriman: She is like Lucy Pennykettle. Penny is born from an egg. She is curious and accidentally causes the Librarium to change into the Ark.
- Harlan Merriman: He is like Arthur Merriman. Harlan is a scientist. He tries to open portals but causes a "time quake." He ends up in the Dead Lands but later reunites with his family on the Ark.
Friends and Allies
- Rosanna ('Rosa'): She is like Zanna Martindale. Rosa is an orphan. She is smart and helps David. She is very upset when the Aunts try to ruin the Librarium.
- Angel: She is like Alexa Martindale. Angel is David and Rosa's daughter, born from a special egg.
- Thorren Strømberg: He is like Anders Bergstrom. Strømberg helps David and encourages him to find the Book of Agawin.
- Bernard Brotherton: He is like Brother Bernard. Bernard is a scientist who helps Harlan. He escapes the Dead Lands with Harlan.
- Mathew Lefarr: He is like Tam Farrell. Matthew is a natural leader in the Dead Lands. He helps Harlan and later joins the Ark.
Aunts
- Aunt Gwyneth: She is like Gwilanna. Gwyneth is powerful and knows many secrets about Co:pern:ica. She tries to take control but eventually dies. However, her actions change the timeline.
- Aunt Primrose and Aunt Petunia: These Aunts are strict and try to control Rosa in the Librarium. They are caught draining energy from books.
Mystical Beings
- Gadzooks: This is David's special writing dragon. He can write the future. Eliza makes him from clay.
- Boon: He is like Bonnington. David created Boon, a flawed cat, using his imagineering.
- Terafonne: She is like the unicorn Teramelle. Rosa rides Terafonne on the Ark.
- Agawin: A mysterious winged creature who once lived on the Isle of Alavon. He knows a lot about dragons.
- Fire Birds: These are special creatures on Co:pern:ica. They are highly respected. Key Firebirds include Runcey (Aleron), Azkiar, and Aurielle.
- Katts: These are like domestic cats on Co:pern:ica.
- Gawain: A wandering spirit that Harlan encounters.
Places
- Bushley: This town on Co:pern:ica is similar to Scrubbley in the other world. The Merrimans live here.
- The Dead Lands: These are barren areas outside the main cities. Eliza trains here, and Harlan is sent here. It's where Eliza finds the special clay.
- The Librarium: A huge building with countless books. It's a strange place where people use their "fain" to move around. It is later revealed to be the "Ark of Co:pern:ica," a special ship that protects animals.
