The Copper Dragon is crippled while battling a brother for dominance of the nest. As the defeated dragon his is cast out and encouraged by his mother to seek a new life elsehwere.

He is given no name since he is an outcast. The Copper refuses to leave the cave and manages to survive by eating rats and the things that fall off the shelf that holds his the rest of his family.

One day while exploring, he is caught by dwarves and tortured. One of the dwarves tricks him into betraying his family. Their promise to allow his one sister to live is broken and the Copper leaves the cave in despair.

The Copper is saved from death by some bats with whom he forms a symbiotic relationship. In return for their protection, he gives them blood periodically. The bats will lead him to a land where dragons exist in great numbers giving him a chance at a better life.

The dragons live a good life using humans as slaves. The Copper uses his wits and intelligence to make a good life for himself. Just as he is making a place for himself, the king who allowed him to join the dragons is killed. The Copper will seek to bring down those who committed the atrocity and will find himself in peril.

This is a harsh look at the lives of dragons and presents them in a way that makes them seem almost human. They are driven by hate, fear, love and desires just like humanity. Even the Copper is driven by hate and vengeance until he discovers that his life will never improve unless he takes the steps necessary to redeem himself. It was interesting to watch him overcome the obstacles he faced as a cripple in world of strong dragons.