Dragon Rider

Dragon Rider (1997), a children’s novel by Cornelia Funke, follows a silver dragon named Firedrake, a brownie named Sorrel, and a human boy named Ben, who must join together to search for a mythical area in the Himalayan mountain range known as the Rim of Heaven. They are seeking a safe location for Firedrake’s family to live after they discover that humans are going to flood the valley in which he and the other dragons live. On their journey over distant lands and shining seas, the trio encounters strange new creatures, a merciless villain bent on ending their quest, and a secret destiny they never could have imagined.

When the book opens, we meet Firedrake, a young dragon who lives with other dragons in a hidden valley just outside of London. He learns that nearby humans are planning to flood the valley and realizes the dragons are no longer safe there. After receiving guidance from the oldest member of his dragon clan, Firedrake decides to set off to find the legendary Rim of Heaven, a fabled haven where all dragons can go.

Firedrake heads to London alongside his friend Sorrell, who is a brownie, which is a kind of spirit, in order to locate Gilbert Graytail, a mapmaking rat. Soon after he lands on the docks of London, Firedrake rescues Ben, a young orphan boy, from dangerous dockworkers. To repay him, Ben gives Sorrel human clothes so she can wear a disguise as she searches for Gilbert, while Firedrake hides. Sorrel finds and pays Gilbert for a map that leads to the Himalayas. Gilbert marks dangerous areas they will encounter along their journey. Firedrake and Sorrel decide to take Ben along with them, and the three set off into the night—the only time Firedrake can travel because the moonlight allows him to fly.



Ben and Sorrel argue about when they should turn eastward, and they wind up landing in a mountain range that is full of dwarves. Firedrake rests while the sun is up, and as he sleeps, a dwarf Gravelbeard runs to a nearby castle to inform Nettlebrand of their presence. Also known as the Golden One, Nettlebrand is a fearsome monster who lives to hunt, kill, and eat dragons. Nettlebrand decides to follow the trio in the hopes of finally killing the last of the dragons, which he failed to do decades before.

Firedrake, Sorrel, and Ben continue their journey but, finding themselves off course, arrive on the shores of Egypt. There, they meet Professor Greenbloom, a scientist who gives them two cold metallic scales, which—unknowingly—once belonged to Nettlebrand. The trio seeks information about the Rim of Heaven from a Djinn, who tells them to look for a path that is marked by the Indus River, a mountain range, and a monastery. The Djinn also gives them a mysterious prophecy about Ben, who must “break the moonlight on the stone dragon’s head.”

As the three set off, a lunar eclipse occurs, and Firedrake cannot fly. The group falls, landing on the back of a sea serpent. She agrees to take them to Pakistan, where they plan to meet Zubeida Ghalib, a Dracologist who can teach Firedrake how to fly without moonlight. In Pakistan, they meet Zubeida and also find Professor Greenbloom. They compare information and realize that Nettlebrand is hunting for the Rim of Heaven and following Firedrake in the hope of being led there.



Dr. Ghalib tells the legend of a Dragon Rider, revealing that Ben is his reincarnation destined to save the dragons. She also shows Firedrake a flower that collects moonlight as dewdrops on its leaves. Firedrake drinks the dew and is then able to fly during the day. The two groups part; meanwhile, Nettlebrand continues to pursue them.

Soon, Firedrake and his friends come upon a valley, where they meet Lola Graytail, Gilbert Graytail’s niece, who is also a cartographer. She guides them to the monastery in the Djinn’s vision. There, they are greeted by monks, who view the dragon’s visitation as a sign of good fortune. Ben fulfills the Djinn’s prophecy by breaking a moonstone, which summons a brownie named Burr-Burr-Chan. He agrees to take the trio to the Rim of Heaven.

They arrive at the dragons’ cave in the Rim of Heaven and discover that all but one dragon, Maia, have been turned into stone due to the lack of moonlight. They come upon the dwarf Gravelbeard, whom they overpower and take as a prisoner. As Nettlebrand heads their way, no one knows how they will defeat him because he is twenty times stronger than one dragon and immune to their fire. Sorrel, whose saliva is incredibly sticky, spits on one of the golden scales Professor Greenbloom gave to Ben. Firedrake then breathes fire on it, which reduces it to gold paint, causing the group to develop a plan.



They free Gravelbeard, who returns to Nettlebrand. Nettlebrand orders the dwarf to polish his armor, but the armor polish has been replaced with Sorrel’s spit. When Nettlebrand enters the dragons’ cave, Firedrake, Maia, and Lola divebomb him, and the dragons then set Nettlebrand aflame. Sorrel’s spit dissolves Nettlebrand’s armor, and he is destroyed.

The dwarf reveals he knows a way to reawaken the dragons, and in a few days, they are brought back to life. The group flies back home to retrieve the rest of the dragons. Ben goes to live with Professor Greenbloom and his family.