I'm always attracted to friendly dragons. Herein, I fell in love with Stick's world (an alternative London), his Gutterling language, and of course, the curmudgeonly dragon. Penny Chrimes is an excellent world-builder with just enough detail to leave the rest to the reader's imagination. It is a hard world, but one full of loyalty among the homeless, tumbling, surviving childen. Despite their hardships, they'd rather be free on the streets then imprisoned in an orphanage/workhouse. A bit reminiscent of Dickens' Oliver Twist. In the "Author's Note on Stick's World" Chrimes describes it as "a kind of time-slip betwen the wild rumpus of Georgian England and the brilliant inventiveness and energy of the Victorians." Includes "Stick's Guide to Gutterling." ( )