The first book in a two-part series (spanning into the broader Rain Wild Chronicles) from one of the greatest writers in the fantasy genre. Dragon Keeper returns fans to Hobb's best-loved world, full of dragons, magical ships, and unforgettable characters. The Return of the DragonsGuided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a Tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid waters and impenetrable forest, the Rain Wilds is a hard place for any to survive. People are changed by this environment, subtly or otherwise.  The Key PlayersThymara: Born with black claws and other aberrations, she should have been exposed at birth. Saved by her father, she lives as an outcast, fascinated by the dragons that symbolize hope for a war-torn world. Leftrin: The seasoned captain of the liveship Tarman, who finds his interests tied to the hatching. Alise Finbok: A Bingtown newlywed who has made it her life's work to study dragon lore and finally has the chance to see them.  A Travesty of LegendThe creatures which emerge from the cocoons are not the powerful, shining dragons of old. They are stunted, deformed, and flightless; some are witless and bestial. Soon, they become a danger and a burden to the Rain Wilders. Something must be done. The dragons claim an ancestral memory of Kelsingra, a fabled Elderling city far upriver. Perhaps there, they will find their true home. The Journey to KelsingraKelsingra appears on no maps, and the dragons cannot get there alone. A band of dragon keepers, hunters, and chroniclers must attend them. To be a dragon keeper is a dangerous job: their charges are vicious and unpredictable, and there are many unknown perils on the journey to a city which may not even exist...