Here be dragons! (And books kids actually want to read!)

No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father, and a ragtag group of survivors are barely scraping by in this new reality. Kids scavenge not only for materials in abandoned homes, but also for leftover books at the library. Adults spend their time establishing a makeshift society and defending their shelter... with any means available. At least for the few months the dragons are hibernating, until it’s no longer safe aboveground.

Noah has seen the damage these creatures can do firsthand. When it comes to dragons: It's kill or be killed. But a chance encounter between Noah and a young dragon causes him to question everything he thought he knew. With rumors spreading that there’s a group of survivors living in harmony with dragons instead of hiding underground, Noah teams up with his fire-breathing ally to find out if peace between humans and dragons is really possible. But the division runs deeper than scales versus skin because trying to follow his heart might just cost Noah his family too. If Noah and his father can’t see eye to eye, can he really get humans and dragons to?

Lucas isn't having the best summer. While normally he'd be away at camp, this year he's stuck home, watching over his younger neighbor Noah and mourning the death of his beloved cat. Even going outside is dangerous, thanks to mysterious fires making the air unsafe to breathe. Fires that Noah claims are caused by real life dragons. At first Lucas laughs it off—Noah's dad has always been fond of conspiracy theories. But when the family suddenly flees town and strange rumors start spreading online, Lucas realizes he needs to find out for sure.   

Meanwhile, young Cinder and her dragon herd are just trying to survive in a strange new world. They’ve found a haven high in the mountains and hope to finally live in peace. But when Cinder suffers a terrible fall, she’s not sure she’ll live long enough to see it.

Searching for dragons, Lucas finds Cinder, and he can’t help but feel sorry for this tiny creature and together they begin to form an unlikely friendship. But a simple misunderstanding between scales and skin is all it takes to spark a worldwide inferno. As the dragon apocalypse looms, can Lucas and Cinder find a way to help keep their families safe?

It’s been five long months since Noah has seen his dragon, Asha, and he can’t wait to be reunited with her when she wakes from hibernation. His best friend, Maya, however, isn’t so sure. She still remembers what dragons did to their world and isn’t ready to forgive and forget. She’s also not ready to let Noah out of her sight again, after what happened the last time. So when Noah and his old friend Lucas join forces to aid a dragon who might be in trouble, she insists on coming along for the ride, even if that means on dragonback.

Together the three of them head to Boston, now known as the City of Scales. Championed as a new world order where dragons and humans have partnered to build a paradise of movie theaters, restaurants, libraries and even pro baseball games. To Noah, it’s a dream come true. A return to a world he thought he’d never see again. But Asha remains suspicious, believing something is rotten under this city’s shiny skin. And if she can't convince Noah to believe her in time, it may cost her and her dragons their lives.