Dragon Keeper

Dragon Keeper
Author(s)	Robin Hobb
Country	U.S.A
Language	English
Series	The dragon keeper series
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel
Publisher	HarperVoyager (UK)
Publication date	25th June 2009 (UK)
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	553 pp (both editions)
ISBN	ISBN 0-00-727374-6 (UK hardback edition)
OCLC Number	316002555
Preceded by	Fool's Fate
Followed by	Dragon Haven (released 4 March 2010)

Dragon Keeper is a novel by Robin Hobb, the first in the The Rain Wild Chronicles. It is written in third-person narrative from the viewpoint of several of the key characters. The narrative joins these separate threads together as a party of malformed dragons, their human keepers and other supporters set out on a quest for the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra.

Plot summary

The book opens as the sea serpents are in the final stage of their journey to cocoon and become dragons. The serpent Sisarqua recalls how many serpents died along the way, and many more would die on the beach or in their cocoons. She struggles to build her cocoon but is given aid by the dragon Tintaglia and the human attendants and she fades unconscious as the metamorphosis begins.

We then follow the riverman Leftrin, Captain of the barge Tarman, as he finds a wizardwood log washed away from the beach where the dragons made their cocoons. The dragon inside is dead and he initially plans on selling the log for a fortune, before deciding to keep it and use it himself on Tarman.

We also meet Thymara, an 11 year old girl from the Trehaug, in the Rain Wilds. She has been born with claws instead of fingernails as a result of the Rain Wilds. Rather than being left out to die ("exposed") as custom dictated, her father rescues her and decided to keep her, contradicting her mother and socially shaming the family. She lives a life where she is barely acknowledged by those around her. Thymara watches the dragons emerge from their cocoons and stops one eating her father by telling it he is not food. Sintara, a dragon who was formerly the sea serpent Sisarqua, emerges from her cocoon as Thymara watches.

Alise Kincarron, a Bingtown Trader's daughter, is courted by Hest Finbok, a Trader's son. He proposes a marriage of convenience, allowing Alise to pursue her scholarly interests in dragons and the Elderlings, and removing Hest from his father's nagging for him to get a wife and continue the Finbok line with a grandson. Alise accepts his proposal. We meet Sedric, a childhood friend of Alise, who is a close friend of Hest and is working as his secretary, to much disapproval from his family. It is revealed that he was the one who suggested that Hest proposes to Alise, as she is on the edge of spinsterhood and thus would be an easy catch.

Alise goes on to marry Hest, with the wedding night ending badly as she discovers he has no interest in her and is merely attempting to sire a son. This is the start of the gap that opens between Hest and Alise, as she discovers he is not the charming man who wooed her. Also, Swarge, a tillerman on Tarman decides to marry a woman from another boat, Bellin, and his Captain, Leftrin, gives them both a place on Tarman for life. This is to prevent the escape of the secret that Leftrin has illegally refitted his boat with new wizardwood.

Five years pass.

Leftrin is blackmailed into transporting a Chalcedean trader, Sinad Arich, into the Rain Wilds. Alise accuses Hest of being unfaithful after discovering various clues. Hest side steps the question by asking Sedric to confirm there isn't another woman in his life. There are heavy hints (later confirmed) that the relationship is actually between Hest and Sedric. We return to Sintara and the dragons who are depressed and living in squalor. The dragons hatch a plan to leave for the mythical city of Kelsingra, they make the humans think it is their idea.

Thymara hears about the positions being offered for dragon keepers. We also meet her only friend, Tats, a tattooed boy (and former slave) around her age who her father occasionally gives work to.

Alise announces she will go to visit the dragons, as stipulated in her marriage contract five years earlier. Sedric defends her right to do so and Hest, in an ill tempter, tells him he can in that case go with her and serve as her secretary instead of his for the duration. Hest perhaps unintentionally plants the idea of gathering dragon parts in Sedric's mind when he tells him he can carry Alise's bags, take notes for her and "sniff about in the muck for a dropped dragon scale."

The prospective dragon keepers are interviewed and given their contracts. Both Thymara and Tats are given contracts. It's made clear that only misfits are being sent on the mission and Tats is told he doesn't belong, but goes anyway. Part of each dragon keeper's pay is given in advance and Thymara gives hers to her father for safekeeping, and in the hope he will use it if needed. Tats tells Jerup he will look after Thymara. We meet two other dragon keepers, Sylve and Rapskal.

Alise and Sedric depart on the liveship Paragon, he asks to speak with her, tells her of the deformed dragons and how they are less a dragon than he is. Paragon's captain introduces Alise to Leftrin and helps secure her and Sedric's passage on Tarman for the remainder of their journey. Alise and Leftrin are attracted to each other. We meet the other dragon keepers and things get off to a good start, Thymara considering them all friends. Greft warns it is just the honeymoon. Greft tries to take leadership of the group by branding Tats an outcast from the group. Jerd follows Tats and a bond between them is established.

Leftrin and Alise both sign a contract with the Rain Wilds Council to escort the dragons. Leftrin will take Tarman as a supply vessel and quarters for the hunters. Alise will act as an impartial judge acting in the best interests of the dragons to determine when they are settled. The dragon keepers meet and choose their dragons. Sintara refuses to give Thymara her name, and instead asks Thymara what she would like to call her. Thymara calls her Skymaw. Alise and Sedric watch the dragons from afar, as Alise glowingly described Sintara the dragon hears her and asks her if she is talking about her.

Alise and Sedric approach the dragons. Sedric can't understand dragon speech, much to Alise's dismay. Thymara feels jealousy that Sintara is making time to speak to Alise and treating her with more respect than she treats Thymara. Sedric befriends Thymara so he can get close to the dragons.

The dragons and their party get ready to set off. Two dragons remain unclaimed, a silver and a copper one. Thymara, Sylve, Tats and Jerd taken on responsibility for the extra two dragons. Sedric, pretending to help an injured dragon, secures some scales and diseased dragon flesh.

The party of dragons and keepers make their way up river. Sedric and Alise fight about leaving, Alise complains to Sedric about her life with Hest. The hunters join the group on Tarman and the barge sets off. Sedric reflects on his first meeting Hest and how Hest seduced him and slowly took over his life. The dragons encounter river pigs and hunt them. They make their first kills.

Relationships form and break within the group of dragon keepers. Thymara, Tats and Sylve form one faction and Greft, Boxter and Kase another.

Sedric confronts Leftrin about his affection for Alise, and then goes on to confront her. He pushes both of them to agree to his plan to leave immediately. One of the dragons has been falling behind. Leftrin is in a panic brought about by his adventure the previous night.

Sedric is in a panic brought about by his adventure the previous night. He crept off Tarman and visited the slow dragon. Using butchers tools he extracted scales and blood. He licked some of the blood and can now hear a voice, perhaps a dragon or Tarman. The book ends as the weakest, copper dragon lies near death, Sedric hides in his cabin wondering if the dragons will notice his theft, and Alise Finbok confronts her feelings for the Captain, her previous life and the future as she thinks about leaving the mission or continuing on.

Characters in "Dragon Keeper"

• Alise Kincarron Finbok – one of the main protagonists, a self taught scholar of dragons
• Thymara – one of the main protagonists, keeper to Sintara
• Sintara – one of the main protagonists, a blue dragon (Thymara's dragon)
• Captain Leftrin – one of the main protagonists, Captain of the barge Tarman
• Sedric – one of the main protagonists, secretary to Hest Finbok, he is assigned to accompany Alise Finbok on her journey
• Tats – keeper of the dragon Fente, childhood friend of Thymara and a former slave
• Sylve – keeper of the dragon Mercor
• Rapskal – keeper of the dragon Heeby
• Greft – keeper of the dragon Kalo. In his mid twenties, he is the oldest keeper and their unofficial leader.
• Jerd – keeper of the dragon Veras, she is implied to be promiscuous.

Minor Characters

• Carson Lupskip – a hunter, a drunk and an old friend of Leftrin's
• Davvie – a hunter (bowman) and nephew to Carson
• Jess – a hunter
• Malta Khuprus – a scarlet scaled Elderling, recurring from the Liveship Traders series
• Ranculos – a scarlet, male dragon
• Sestican – an azure, male dragon, kept by Warken
• Mercor – a golden dragon, tended by Sylve. Implied to have previously been the sea serpent Maulkin.
• Heeby – a small red dragon queen, tended by Rapskal.
• Fente – a green dragon queen with a nasty temperament, tended by Tats.
• Veras – a dragon, tended by Jerd.
• Arbuc – a dragon (Alum's dragon)
• Kalo – a blue-black male dragon, the largest of their clan, tended by Greft. pg 336
• Spit – an unclaimed, stunted silver dragon with a wounded tail.
• Relpda – an unclaimed, sickly copper dragon queen.
• Kase – a dragon keeper, cousin to Boxter
• Boxter – a dragon keeper, cousin to Kase
• Alum – a dragon keeper to Arbuc
• Nortel – a dragon keeper; one of Greft's closest supporters.
• Warken – keeper of the dragon Sestican.
• Harrikin – a dragon keeper, foster brother to Lecter. He is the second oldest keeper at 20 years.
• Lecter – a dragon keeper, foster brother to Harrikin
• Skelly – Deckhand on Tarman and niece of Leftrin
• Big Eider – Deckhand on Tarman
• Hennesey – Mate on Tarman
• Paragon – A liveship Alise and Sedric travel on and speak with, recurring from the Liveship Traders series.
• Brashen Trell – Captain of Paragon recurring from the Liveship Traders series.
• Althea Trell – first mate of Paragon, wife of Brashen Trell and mother to their child (recurring from the Liveship Traders series.
• Sinad Arich – A Chalcedean trader, blackmailer of Captain Leftrin.
• Hest Finbok – Husband of Alise Finbok, a rich and important Bingtown trader
• Jerup – Father to Thymara
• Rogon – Friend of Jerup's
• Swarge – Tillerman of the barge Tarman
• Bellin – Wife to Swarge, a poleman on Tarman
• Tarman – A liveship river barge made from wizardwood (a liveship, see pg 106 and a barge see pg 123)
• Sisarqua – A sea serpent that will become the dragon Sintara
• Tintaglia – The last adult and fully functional female dragon (minor character, reappearing from past novels)

Release details

• 2009, UK, HarperVoyager ISBN 0-00-727374-6, Pub date 26 June 2009, Hardback
• 2009, Australia, HarperVoyager ISBN 0-00-727376-8, Pub date 1 July 2009, Paperback

References

• Hobb, Robin (26 June 2009). The Dragon Keeper. HarperVoyager.