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How to Twist a Dragon's Tale is the fifth book in the How To Train Your Dragon book series. It was released in 2007 in the UK on July 1, 2008 in the US.

Summary[]

Plot[]

When an unexpected heat wave hits Berk, Old Wrinkly predicts it is an Omen of Doom that a new dragon will rain down fire and destruction, but his words are unheeded due to a poor track record of soothsaying.

Gobber decides to take the boys in the Hooligan Pirate Training Program on a Herding-Reindeer-on-Dragonback lesson, on a hillside Hiccup noticed was burnt by fire. Hiccup begins the lesson on his Windwalker, a weak riding dragon with a limp who he picked out of sympathy despite having first pick, but they are suddenly trapped in a ring of fire by 6 unknown black dragons. Gobber’s riding dragon, Goliath, carries out everyone but Gobber and Hiccup before being killed, but they are then rescued by a mysterious warrior on a White Dragon with the help of his fireproof cloak.

He is revealed to be Humongously Hotshot, a great Viking Hero who everyone thought had died years ago. He had actually been captured by Lava-Louts (enemies of the Hooligans, from whom Humungous had managed to steal his fireproof suit) and forced to work in a prison-forge for them for 15 years, until he escaped during an evacuation due to the island’s volcano being about to erupt, providing necessary conditions for around a million Exterminators to hatch, baby versions of whom had attacked them on the hillside. He advises them to leave the Archipelago until he realises he is on Berk and in Hiccup’s presence, at which point he agrees to be hired as Hiccup’s Bodyguard – he turns out to be very competent, even teaching Hiccup sword-fighting techniques, and saves his life multiple times – however he soon reveals that he actually was the one behind the assassination attempts, but couldn’t go through with it as he liked Hiccup.

Long ago, he fell in love with a woman but her disapproving father sent him on a quest to retrieve the Fire Stone from Lava-Lout Island. His Love gave him half of her ruby-heart necklace, promising to rescue him if he ever sent it to her (she was a great Quester), but he was captured and his hunting dragon killed. He befriended a prison guard soon revealed to be Alvin the Treacherous, and asked him to take the necklace and message back to his love in exchange for a favour – but Alvin returned 15 years later pretending she didn’t care about Humungous anymore due to his failure. He then reveals his love was Valhallarama, Hiccup's mother. Stoick had later successfully retrieved the Fire Stone, but it kept the volcano dormant, and its removal had started the events leading to its imminent eruption. Alvin had decided to stay and train the Exterminators to serve him as their leader and asked Humungous to fulfil his promise of a favour and kill Hiccup.

Old Wrinkly, who thinks this is all his fault for interfering with fate and setting the quests, helps Hiccup realise he has to return the Fire Stone to the volcano. At a meeting of the Viking tribes, Hiccup manages to convince them all to evacuate but the Hooligans – to save them, he steals the Fire Stone from Stoick and sets off to Lava-Lout Island with Fishlegs, Camicazi and Humungous.

Upon arrival, a massive Exterminator climbs out of the volcano with Alvin on its back. He tells them how he escaped the Sharkworms at the cost of an eye and leg and that he asked Humungous to bring him the Fire Stone as is controls the Exterminators (Humungous hadn’t told Hiccup that). He fights Hiccup for the Stone, during which Toothless steals his gold dragon bracelet and delivers it to Humungous – when he sees that Alvin fit the ruby-heart half he gave him into it, he comes to Hiccups aid and fights off Alvin. Toothless accidentally gives Alvin the Fire Stone, however, and the volcano begins to erupt hatching the Exterminators who follow Alvin’s command to kill Hiccup. Hiccup surfs down the lava stream on the Windwalker, and Toothless steals the Fire Stone back from Alvin and drops it in the Volcano, causing it to hatch as it turns out to be an egg for a rare Fire Dragon, a massive dragon which naturally preys on Exterminators and kills them all, swallowing Alvin as well. The eruption is stopped, and Humungous gives Hiccup the bracelet as a gift so he can move on, also receiving the Peregrine Falcon (a treasured, fast boat) from Stoick as a gift to start his new life.

In the epilogue, Hiccup thinks his mother wore the ruby-heart’s stone forever, and when she dies Questing years later, Hiccup puts both the ruby pieces in the bracelet and wears it forever.

Characters[]

Main Characters[]

Minor Characters[]

Dragons[]

Dragon Species[]

Locations[]

Objects and Practices[]

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