Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
'You are no more than a dragon, created by me.' The Master swept an arm at the many things of power that filled the cavern. 'It is impossible for you to feel anything. Dragons can't feel. Dragons can only rust.' In a fantastic and frightening future world, a dragon of any kind would naturally feel more than a little out of place. Unsure if his existence is a blessing or a curse, Gonard flees the safety of the only home he's known to go on a search for a soul he isn't really sure he has. He is accompanied on his quest by an android-like medtech--with a hidden and perhaps deadly agenda--and the Outler, a young woman from a mining asteroid who will use any means at her disposal to be allowed to remain on Earth. Even if she must sacrifice the dragon to do so.
Is Dragons Can Only Rust appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
A philosophical fantasy quest about a dragon seeking to prove he has a soul, accompanied by companions with hidden agendas. Contains themes of identity and existential questioning with moderate peril.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include deception, manipulation, and existential crisis.
Who'll love this
Teens who love dragon protagonists and deep questions about what it means to be alive will connect with Gonard's journey to find his soul.