In a kingdom terrorized by a dragon, a young apprentice must confront the creature to save his people from a cycle of sacrifice. Galen, an inexperienced sorcerer's apprentice, finds himself thrust into a desperate mission when he is tasked with destroying the dragon Vermithrax Pejorative. He faces not only the physical threat of the beast but also the skepticism of the local populace and the moral ambiguity of his own master. The narrative follows a linear progression, detailing the transition from naive youth to reluctant hero within a grim, medieval-inspired setting.

This novelization is often viewed as a companion piece that expands upon the visual storytelling of the 1981 film. The prose captures the dark, gritty tone of the source material while providing additional context for the characters' motivations. Readers typically appreciate how the text fleshes out the lore of the dragon and the political instability of the kingdom. It stands as a representative example of the film-to-novel adaptation process from the early 1980s.