Book Series · 7 Books

The Last Dragon Chronicles Books

In order from The Fire Within to The Fire Ascending.

Seven adventures begin with clay dragons and a cozy neighborhood mystery, then grow into an expansive environmental fantasy spanning dragons, polar bears, and linked worlds.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated

The Fire Within
Icefire
Fire Star
The Fire Eternal
Dark Fire
Reading order

How to Read The Last Dragon Chronicles

Read The Fire Within through The Fire Ascending in numbered order. The first book is gentler and more self-contained, but the mythology and continuing conflict expand quickly, and the later novels depend heavily on earlier events.

Rain & Fire is a companion guide created after the seven-book story concluded. It contains background, glossaries, images, and behind-the-scenes material about the full series, so save it until after The Fire Ascending if you want to avoid learning later developments early.

Sources: Scholastic's official Last Dragon Chronicles catalog, Scholastic's official Rain & Fire catalog entry.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

The tone changes substantially after the cozy opening. Later books include fires, battles, frightening supernatural forces, environmental destruction, animal peril, severe injuries, grief, and important character deaths. The mythology also becomes denser and more philosophical, with shifting worlds and timelines that may challenge readers who expected the first book's small-scale story throughout.

Where to start

Where Should a New Reader Start?

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

The Fire Within
Sale price
$999
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001

The Fire Within

A young man must save his magical clay dragon from dying of neglect and unlock its hidden powers.

340 pages· 49,959 words· Est. 7 hour read
Paperback
Summary: David discovers magical clay dragons with mysterious powers when he moves in with Liz and Lucy. His dragon, Gadzooks, can predict the future and inspires him to write a story that uncovers a local mystery. But when the story's unhappy ending threatens Gadzooks' life, David must act quickly to save his friend. Can he unlock the dragon's hidden powers and change their fate? Dive into a world where love and magic intertwine, and the stakes are life and death.
In reading order

The Last Dragon Chronicles Series

7 books · Published 2001–2012

#1
Sale price
$999

The Fire Within

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001

A young man must save his magical clay dragon from dying of neglect and unlock its hidden powers.

#2
Sale price
$899

Icefire

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2003

Uncover the ancient secret of dragons and icefire as David's quest leads him to the Arctic.

#3
Sale price
$958

Fire Star

Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2005

A dark sorceress aims to revive a dragon. Can David stop her in time?

#4
Sale price
$958

The Fire Eternal

Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2007

A girl must stop rising dragons and a restless goddess to save the world.

Sale price
$999

Dark Fire

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2009

A girl must rescue her father and face the return of dragons.

Sale price
$1899

Fire World

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2011

A boy and dragons face dark forces in a parallel world.

Sale price
$999

The Fire Ascending

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2012

Time is suspended as dragons and foes clash. Can destiny be rewritten before it's too late?

A companion guide for after book 7

Rain & Fire

1 book · Published 2010

This illustrated guide explores the people, dragons, ideas, and secrets behind all seven novels; it does not continue the story as book 8.

Rain & Fire
Sale price
$1699

Rain & Fire

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2010

Uncover hidden secrets and insights from the Last Dragon Chronicles.

Good to know

Common Questions

How many books are in the Last Dragon Chronicles series?

There are 7 books in the Last Dragon Chronicles series. It began with The Fire Within in 2001, and the newest book, The Fire Ascending, was published in 2012.

What order should you read the Last Dragon Chronicles books in?

Start with The Fire Within and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #7.

What ages are the Last Dragon Chronicles books best for?

The series is best for ages 8–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.

Which Last Dragon Chronicles book is the longest?

The Fire Ascending is the longest book in the series at 103,324 words (559 pages).

Which Last Dragon Chronicles book is the shortest?

The Fire Within (Book #1) is the shortest at 49,959 words (340 pages).

The people

The Creative Behind the Books

The people who bring The Last Dragon Chronicles to life.

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