The Last Dragon Chronicles facts for kids

The Last Dragon Chronicles is an exciting series of seven fantasy novels for young readers, written by Chris d'Lacey. The books tell the story of a college student named David Rain. He discovers that the clay dragons made by his landlady are actually alive! This popular series includes:

• The Fire Within (2001)
• Icefire (2003)
• Fire Star (2005)
• The Fire Eternal (2007)
• Dark Fire (2009)
• Rain and Fire (2010) - This is a guide book about the series, written by Chris d'Lacey's wife, Jay.
• Fire World (2011)
• The Fire Ascending (2013)

Story Overview

The Fire Within

In The Fire Within, David Rain moves in with Liz Pennykettle, a potter who makes amazing clay dragons, and her daughter, Lucy. David soon realizes there's something very mysterious about Liz, their house, and especially the dragons. While trying to figure out these secrets, David also helps Lucy search for her lost squirrel, Conker. Sadly, Conker is badly hurt and doesn't survive.

David writes a story for Lucy about squirrels, and strangely, his story starts to come true in real life! He realizes this magic might be connected to Gadzooks, his special writing dragon. David must believe in the impossible to save his friends and uncover the truth.

Icefire

In Icefire, Lucy creates a new dragon named G'reth. This dragon can grant wishes that help dragon-kind. David becomes G'reth's owner because he helped name him. David's college teacher, Dr. Bergstrom, offers a research trip to the Arctic for the best essay on whether dragons exist.

As David researches, he finds a link between dragons and the Arctic. He also learns about a polar bear in the neighborhood. David starts to wonder if these are just coincidences or if something bigger is happening. He discovers ancient secrets about dragons and their connection to Arctic polar bears.

An evil sibyl (a person with special powers) named Gwilanna appears with a bad plan. David must find the link between an old legend about the last dragon, Gawain, and the frozen north to stop her. His new girlfriend, Zanna, and Dr. Bergstrom hold important clues.

Fire Star

Fire Star brings back the evil sibyl, Gwilanna. She wants to bring back the last dragon, Gawain, to open a portal to the dragon world, Ki:mera. If she succeeds, a huge amount of dragon fire could melt the already fragile Arctic.

The wishing dragon, G'reth, is briefly taken to another dimension and returns with a mysterious being called the Fain. Meanwhile, David and Zanna are on their Arctic trip. David is writing a new book about dragons, polar bears, and a strange fire star. Just like before, his book starts to mirror real life. Zanna is kidnapped, and the trip ends early.

Back home, David finds Lucy has been taken by Gwilanna for a ritual to raise Gawain. Zanna is found alive, learning from the Inuit people. Gwilanna's plans are revealed, and Liz reunites with her former husband, Arthur, who is using a powerful dragon relic to change time. In a big battle, David, Zanna, Arthur, the Pennykettles, and the clay dragons team up with a polar bear army to stop Gwilanna and an even darker evil. David is hurt and seems to disappear.

The Fire Eternal

The Fire Eternal takes place five years after David mysteriously vanished in the Arctic. Life for the Pennykettles has become somewhat normal. But as the weather gets wilder and the ice caps melt, everyone looks north. The spirits of polar bears and Inuit ancestors are working together to find a solution, which involves David and Zanna's child, Alexa.

Lucy is now about 16 years old and meets a reporter named Tam Farrell, who is writing about David's disappearance. At the end of the book, David reveals that he is not dead. He has actually merged with the dragon, Gawain, and his special fire tear.

Dark Fire

In Dark Fire, the elder dragons of Ki:mera order David to find and destroy a spark of dark fire. This means he might have to sacrifice Gwillan, a beloved housework dragon. David's first girlfriend, Sophie, dies in Africa while David is there trying to stop a dangerous creature called a darkling. He tries to use the fire tears of Gwillan and Grace to bring the clay dragons back to their original forms.

As David tries to find a solution, dragons around the world begin to awaken, starting a new "Dragon Age" on Earth. But during a huge battle between the dragon queen and the heroes against the evil Ix:cluster, the power of the Fire Eternal is reversed. Gadzooks, the writing dragon, ends with writing the word 'sometimes' in the dragon language.

Fire World

Fire World introduces a new character, a 12-year-old boy named David, who lives in a place called Co:pern:ica. He and his friend Rosanna spend their time in a museum of books, with the curator, Mr. Henry, and mysterious firebirds. When they accidentally hurt a firebird, they begin a dangerous adventure.

The evil Ix have found a way into Co:pern:ica and have taken over a firebird, turning it to the side of darkness. The firebirds know a secret about dragons. With David and Rosanna's help, the firebirds must reach across the universe to ask the dragons for help. But will the dragons arrive before the Ix destroy everything?

The Fire Ascending

The story of the entire series comes to a close with the seventh novel, The Fire Ascending. This book reveals that the whole universe is connected by the word and symbol "Oomara," which means "sometimes." This final book shows Alexa's important role in the series and how she came to be. The series ends with a huge final battle: the polar bears and the dragons against the Ix and the darklings.

Main Characters

David Rain

David is the main character. He is a college student who lives with the Pennykettles. He is a writer whose stories magically come true, and he gets ideas from his writing dragon, Gadzooks. He also owns Gollygosh, a healing dragon, and G'reth, a wishing dragon. David learns he is a "Fain," a special being, and can even turn into a polar bear. He has a daughter named Alexa with Zanna. David also becomes a dragon when he connects with the young dragon, Grockle.

Elizabeth "Liz" Pennykettle

Liz is a woman who makes beautiful clay dragons and sells them. She made most of the Pennykettle dragons. She is Lucy Pennykettle's mother, Arthur's wife, and David Rain's landlady. Liz has a special power called "icefire." She is pregnant with a baby boy at the end of "Dark Fire."

Lucy Pennykettle

Lucy is Liz's daughter, who is eleven at the start of the series. She is the youngest in a special line of "dragon princesses." In Icefire, she creates a very powerful wishing dragon named G'reth, which is amazing for someone her age. When David returns, she is sixteen. Lucy likes a journalist named Tam and looks up to David because he wrote a story for her. She is also the one who awakens the Dragon Queen Gawaine.

Gwilanna/Aunty Gwyneth

Gwilanna is Lucy's "aunt" and a very powerful sibyl. She used to be served by Gretel, a potions dragon. She kidnaps Lucy to help her bring back the dragon Gawain, hoping to merge with him. Gwilanna is frozen in ice at one point, losing her powers, but they are later restored. She has helped deliver all the babies in Lucy's family line. Despite her dangerous actions, Liz Pennykettle still respects her because Gwilanna delivered her daughter and has saved Liz's life before.

Sophie Prentice

Sophie was David's first girlfriend. She tried to help when Lucy's squirrel, Conker, was hurt. Sadly, Sophie dies in Dark Fire.

Suzanna "Zanna" Martindale

Zanna first appears in Icefire and becomes David's girlfriend. She is a college student and a sibyl, like Gwilanna, but not as powerful. When Gretel stops serving Gwilanna, she becomes Zanna's dragon. Zanna is often funny and lively. She is also the mother of David's child, Alexa. She has a special mark on her arm that gives her many abilities, including turning into a raven.

Alexa Martindale

Alexa is David and Zanna's daughter. It is later revealed that she is meant to become an "angel." She can also draw pictures that show the future. Because her father is a Fain and her mother is a sibyl, Alexa has a lot of power and is very smart.

Dr. Bergstrom

Dr. Bergstrom is a geography teacher at Scrubbley College. He is from Scandinavia and can turn into a polar bear. He has a dragon named Groyne who can become invisible and change shape. He was a polar research scientist and met the spirit of Thoran, the first polar bear. He became a mix of man and polar bear.

Henry Bacon

Henry Bacon was the Pennykettles' neighbor. He dies in Dark Fire. He often helped the Pennykettles and David. His sister is also a sibyl.

Tam Farrell

Tam is a journalist who has the spirits of two bears, Avrel and Kailar, in his hands. He first appears in The Fire Eternal trying to learn about David. He later becomes a friend and helps rescue Lucy.