Dragons have returned to the world... Guided by the dragon Tintaglia, the serpents came from the sea to fight their way up the Rain Wild River to their ancestral hatching grounds. But the fledglings that emerge from the cocoons are a travesty of the dragons of old. Flightless and fractious, they soon become a danger to all and must be moved. Thymara, a Rain Wilder born with scales and claws, answers the call to become one of the dragon keepers to accompany the creatures upriver. Their target is the legendary Elderling city of Kesingra. But no one knows if it even exists; and no one expects the dragon keepers to return, or even survive... "Hobb is a remarkable storyteller" -- Guardian "Hobb is superb" -- Conn Iggulden

A mythical city: a dangerous quest... As the fledgling dragons and their keepers forge a passage through the uncharted waters of the Rain Wild River, they are supported by the liveship Tarman, its captain Leftrin, and Alise Finbok, who has escaped her cruel marriage in Bingtown. A vial of dragon blood can earn a man enough gold to last a lifetime: there may be some in the party who see the dragons as more valuable as body parts than whole and alive. But it is the Rain Wilds themselves - mysterious, unstable, and ever perilous - that may provide the deadliest danger as they make their way towards the mythical haven of Kelsingra. The hazards of that journey will push them all to the very brink of survival. "Robin Hobb's books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons" -- George R.R. Martin "Hobb is superb" -- Conn Iggluden (from the back cover)

The secret is out ... The Tarman expedition has at last found Keslingra, a city filled with ancient treasures. Rumours of the city have floated down the Rain Wild River. Adventurers, pirates, and fortune hunters will soon be coming to pillage what they can. Among them, Hest Finbok, determined to claim back his errant wife, Alise. Meanwhile, Selden Vestrit finds himself a prisoner of the ailing Duke of Chalced, who believes the "dragon man's" flesh and blood may cure him. Where is Tintaglia, the greatest of the dragons, when there is need of her? She holds the memories that will unlock the mysteries of Kelsingra, and the power to defend it and dragonkind. Without her, all may be lost. "Robin Hobb's books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons" -- George RR Martin "Hobb is a remarkable storyteller" -- The Guardian