Age of Fire

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Age of Fire is a fantasy series by E.E. Knight that follows the lives of three dragon siblings.


Tropes used in Age of Fire include:
  • Air Vent Passageway: Wistala and Auron's escape from the egg cave.
  • All Trolls Are Different: They walk with their hands, and eat and excrete from the same orifice. Troll my ass-mouth.
  • Alternate Animal Affection: Dragons "kiss" by crossing necks with each other.
  • Amazon Brigade: The Firemaids. Combative, sworn-to-celibacy dragonelles that serve as protectors of the Lavadome.
  • Ancient Aliens: Implied to be Anklemere, the ancient wizard. And aparently, the Lavadome is also a spaceship.
  • Babies Ever After: In the first novel, with AuRon and Natasatch. And in the last novel, Wistala and Dhar Sii.
  • Bizarre Dragon Biology: Dragons have 2 extra neck-hearts, grow their wings which emerge at puberty, and must eat metal to keep their scales healthy.
  • Body Surf: Revealed to be how the Red Queen can survive dying multiple times. Even dragons aren't immune to possession.
  • Brother-Sister Incest: Imfamnia and Tyr SiMevolent.
  • Bus Crash: Ayafeia sends Yefkoa to seek Wistala's help. When Wistala arrives, she's simply informed Ayafeia died during an ambush at a party.
  • The Caligula: SiDrakkon who is somewhat this even before he takes the Tyrancy.
  • Chased by Angry Natives: Auron at the fishing village.
  • Chekhov's Gun: The dwarsaw.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Infamnia, again and again. The people she has betrayed or backstabbed include all of the main cast, her current mate, and seperate Empires, including her own.
    • And betrays her mate again, after he thought to himself that she was too stupid to betray him.
      • Then it turns out that only the first betrayal was of her doing. Everything else was the Red Queen's doing.
    • The Copper does this to His mother and sister in the egg cave and later on to His brother and sister when they work for him though he regrets the first one
  • Clock Punk: Extensively used by the Dwarves.
  • Continuity Nod: Events from different books, which are each from a different dragon's perspective, are mentioned in the other books
  • Crossing the Desert: AuRon's search for NooMoahk
  • Cursed with Awesome: AuRon is a Gray Dragon, meaning that he lacks the scales that give dragons resistance against most weapons. However, his skin can also change colors, alowing him to blend in to his environment. Also, he can fly farther and swim better without scales weighing him down, and doesn't have to eat metal, allowing him to live far away from hominds.
  • Cycle of Revenge: A theme throughout the series, but especially highlighted in Dragon Avenger- Wistala eventually tries to end this as regards the Dragonblade line by making peace with the current one and his family, rather than take revenge on him for killing her father.
  • A Date with Rosie Palms: When Rethothanna is berating The Copper's appearance she asks if his thrall has been doing the one armed hominid pastime.
  • Doomed Home Cave: The 3 (originally 4) siblings grew up in a cozy cave, although the Copper got the worst part of the deal. Of course, that home gets invaded and destroyed.
  • Dragon Rider: A few somewhat nonstandard uses. The first encounter of them is the Wyrmasters' dragon riders, which are created by stealing eggs from their mothers and causing the hatchlings to imprint on humans, raising them to serve as dull-minded, obediant mounts. Later, RuGaard institutes a more traditional pairing of dragons and riders, but the dragons are very much the boss of the partnership.
  • Expy: Dharsii, for a certain Darcy.
  • Face Heel Turn: Rayg, of all people, in the final novel. It's safe to say this was a result of decades worth of tinkering with the crystal spheres, however.
  • The Faceless: The Red Queen.
  • Fainting Seer: Wistala plays the part of this for a time. Later played straight with Iatella.
  • Fantastic Racism: Most humans and elves hate Dragons, dwarves are divided among those who hate them and those who see them as potentially useful Dragons tend to see most other sentient races simply as food. There's also, in the first book, an increase of racism towards dwarves and elves by humans.
  • From Nobody to Nightmare: The Copper was ostracized from his family at early age and was considered a cripple and misfit by the Lavadome Dragons. By the end of his book, he's their leader, and has his sights set on conquering the world.
  • Guile Hero: You know RuGaard is this when he smooth-talks his way out of his dwarvish kidnappers, hires them later, and relies on them in the final battle.
  • The Infiltration: AuRon, on the Isle of Ice. Also Wistala with the Wheel of Fire.
  • Likes Older Dragons: At the end of the fifth book, Wistala falls for DharSii, who is at least 150 years her senior.
  • Life or Limb Decision: Twice. AuRon rips off most of his tail after Starlight bites the end of it, to prevent the lethal venom from killing him. Later, in Dragon Strike, Nilrasha chews off her own wing, pinned under rubble, to prevent being executed while helpless. Ouch.
  • Mad Doctor: Rayg, briefly, after his Face Heel Turn. His practice consisted of permanently crippling and lobotomizing several dragons.
  • No Name Given: Because he lost the egg shelf fight, the Copper recieves no name from his parents, as an outcast. Though he's later given the name RuGaard by another dragon, he's still mostly referred to as 'the Copper' in the non-dialogue text.
  • Not Hyperbole: The Red Queen once said she was far too busy to die. She wasn't lying, even decades after her aparent death.
  • Our Dwarves Are All the Same: And how. With both the gold-digging and war-mongering breeds.
  • Our Orcs Are Different: called blighters according to dragon legend they were the fist sentient race. In fact dragons were supposedly created to keep them from overrunning the world. once they had a high level civilization but are now just squabbling tribes who often fill the Mook slot.
  • Parental Abandonment: The Copper
  • Power Trio: the siblings.
  • Protagonist-Centered Morality: Justified in that AuRon is a dragon and to him a human child is just a protein source.
    • A lot of Dragons hold this view, sometimes gobling up thralls who've displeased them and attacking nations who refuse to pay ungdoly amounts of tribute. Other characters call them out for this, but only Wistala, being raised with hominds on her heart, seems to care.
  • Protectorate: This is what Tyr RuGaard's dragon empire is called, with a family of dragons overseeing a "state". In reality, it's more often a dragon setting up shop in the local government building, demanding tribute, and boasting of their possesions to attract a mate.
  • Psycho Supporter: Starlight
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When the dragonelles escape in Dragon Champion.
  • Scars Are Forever: The Copper has been crippled for life due to the plethora of injuries he's sustained, barely able to walk, half blind, and unable to fly without assistance. Used to a lesser extent with AuRon, who lost a tail and has a stiff replacement. Meanwhile, Nilrasha and No Sosoth have lost their wings, meaning they can't fly either.
  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: [[spoiler: After Infamia and Rayg both boast their victory to an immobilzed []Au Ron=], he points out that each of them would likely betray the other in short order. They actually stop their laughter, and all it takes is a shout as Rayg goes in to finish him for them to errupt into conflict.]]
  • Self-Made Orphan: The Copper, if indirectly. Whatever his intentions, he did knowingly lead assassins to his home cave.
    • Can be subverted due to the fact his parents pretty much left him to die.
  • Separated at Birth: The siblings, told at the start of all three books.
  • The Starscream: Silverstar but he got killed before he could put his plot into action.
    • Infamia and Rayg, enough that they end up betraying eachother after both betraying NiVom.
  • Take Over the World: Wyrmmaster and Tyr RuGaard.
    • Also Infamia and Rayg.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Balazeh
  • Unexpected Successor: The Copper, to the Tyrancy.
  • The Unfavourite: Male, living losers of the egg shelf fight, or 'outcasts'. Most notably the Copper.
  • The Power of Blood: Dragon blood has valuable alchemical properties, able to invigorate drinkers while also fetching a pretty coin. Sustained drinking cause biological shifts resulting in more draconic features.
  • Utopia Justifies the Means: Wyrmmaster and Tyr RuGaard again. (Of course, RuGaard's utopia is only for dragons, and he doesn't consider it a sacrifice to subjugate and kill humanoids, so it's debatable.)
  • Where I Was Born and Razed: Somewhat, as the Copper is quick to lead angry dwarves back to his home keep. Somewhat forgivable, as his family had all but ostracized him at that point simply for existing.
  • You Just Told Me: Averted. The Wyrnmaster calls AuRon by his real name while he is is under a false identity, but he catches himself.