Confession time.
You know those girls in middle school that lived, breathed, and dreamed of horses? That was me — except swap in dragons for horses. I was completely obsessed with books featuring all types of mythical creatures, but if it had dragons, that made it an automatic add to my To Be Read shelf.
Between books like Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle (still haunted by that movie adaptation), and Gail Carson Levine’s The Two Princesses of Bamarre, my imagination was hooked on the idea of huge winged beasts roaming the skies snorting fire and carrying off livestock.
Fortunately for me and my fellow dragon enthusiasts out there, this beloved fantasy trope is hardly limited to children’s books and middle grade tales. From epically bloody sagas about dragon shapeshifters like Dragon’s Winter, to more humorous takes on the fearsome creatures like Guards! Guards!, there are some truly fantastic dragon books for adults out there.
It’s 2024 and, according to the Chinese zodiac, it’s the Year of the Dragon. In other words, there’s no better time than the present to dive into fiery dragon adventures.
1. Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
Imagine our world, except with dragons (in other words, awesome). Unfortunately, dragons have become endangered as a result of poaching and seem to be practically nonexistent (not so awesome).
So the last thing Jake expects is to come face to face with one of the elusive creatures, let alone a baby. Young Jake takes the orphaned dragon into his care and sets off a chain of events that will affect the fate of the small remaining population of dragons.
Breaking away from her signature fairy-tale retellings and third-person narration, McKinley’s Dragonhaven (not to be confused with Robin Hobb’s Dragon Haven) is a first-person recounting of Jake’s experiences and reads like a realistic urban fantasy.
2. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Violet, the bookish daughter of a formidable mother, must put aside her fear to become a dragon rider. But first, she has to graduate (read: survive) Basgiath War College, where everyone and everything seems out to kill her.
Yarros’ Fourth Wing has inspired a fervor amongst BookTokers and Bookstagrammers, especially for admirers of epic female warriors and morally gray book boyfriends.
The blend of fantasy, romance, and survival is sure to appeal to readers who want an action-packed dragon book that doesn’t skimp on spice and bloodshed.
3. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
The Priory of the Orange Tree is a brilliant beast of a book that features confident badass women in power, superb worldbuilding, and of course, dragons. In short, a read that absolutely slays.
Starring a cast of fascinating narrators, Shannon’s novel takes place in a world that’s free of homophobia and has an intricate magic system. As idyllic as this sounds, unless Queen Sabran produces an heir, she risks the loss and destruction of her queendom. Furthermore, the imminent return of an evil dragon who threatens to burn the mortal world to ash and bone looms large over the land of Inys.
4. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
A dragon propelled by a rocket-blasting butt. Legally licensed thievery. A drunkard police captain who can’t remember why he started drinking in the first place, but now drinks to forget about his drinking. Guards! Guards! is Pratchett’s wild absurdism at its best. Taking place in the city of Ankh-Morpork, this fan favorite has long been regarded as one of the best books to start with for Discworld series newbies.
A plot to establish a monarchy in the otherwise lawless land of Ankh-Morpork involves a ridiculous plan to summon a dragon so a puppet king can rise up to slay it and take the throne. It’s up to an endearing (but incompetent) City Watch to save the city.
Like many of his other works, Pratchett’s first installment of the excellent City Watch sub-series is written in a witty and comedic style that pokes fun at the stupidities of the human condition. It’s fun, but make no mistake: everything is fair game for Pratchett’s biting sarcasm.
5. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
In some fantasy books with dragons, the protagonist stumbles upon the creature and goes, “Oh, wow, a dragon,” already having a preconception of the supposed fictional creature’s grandeur. In other books, dragons are already very much a part of the established world.
Brennan takes a unique approach to an age-old fantasy trope by instilling an awe-struck sense of wonder in a universe where dragons are newly discovered — a sense of wonder that drives an insatiable curiosity to investigate and learn more about these fascinating creatures.
Humor, romance, science, and a headstrong female protagonist collide in a Victorian England setting to create a charming story that recounts the many adventures of Lady Isabella Trent. Readers discover how — as unlikely as it may be given her gender and society — a woman came to be the foremost dragon expert of her time.
Of all the books on this list, this one admittedly features the fewest dragons. But Lady Trent’s infatuation with the majestic winged beasts is so contagious, you can’t help but get swept up in her obsession.
6. Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn
Rohan, a young prince, unexpectedly takes the throne in a divided kingdom continuously plagued by war. Rohan’s desire to rule according to his personal ideals is in constant conflict with his royal duty to protect his land and people at all costs — no matter how bloody that cost may be.
For generations, Rohan’s people have hunted dragons for sport; Rohan’s father was killed while engaging in the practice. Despite this, Rohan believes there’s more to dragons than his people know, and gaining that knowledge may hold the key to his people’s survival.
While Rawn incorporates her fair share of fantasy action, there’s a much stronger focus on political maneuvering, romantic entanglements, and the pursuit of power. Published in 1988 (coincidentally the Year of the Dragon), Dragon Prince kicks off an epic romantasy trilogy.
7. Joust by Mercedes Lackey
Long oppressed by the dragon-riding Jousters of Tia, the people of Alta yearn for salvation that may never come. Hope arrives in the unlikely form of Vetch, a serf boy whose fortune changes drastically when he’s selected to work as a dragon-boy for Jouster Ari and his gentle dragon, Kashet.
Much of the story revolves around Vetch’s day-to-day duties tending to Ari and Kashet (with a great deal of detail devoted to the care and biology of dragons) and his determination to learn the art of dragon taming.
Lackey’s coming-of-age fantasy, set in a world reminiscent of ancient Egypt, is an enchanting start to the Dragon Jousters quartet.
8. Dance for the Dragon by L.E. Wilson
Kohl is a rare half-dragon, half-vampire hybrid, making him unique even amongst his adopted coven of vampires. He’s spent his life trying to hide his fiery side, only to unleash it when he meets Devon, a woman who is on the run and in need of help.
Inexplicably drawn to her, Kohl is forced to choose between protecting his newfound love or staying loyal to his family. Action-packed and supremely spicy, Wilson’s exciting start to the Southern Dragons series puts a spin on the paranormal romance genre.
9. Dragon’s Winter by Elizabeth A. Lynn
After a long hiatus following the completion of her award-winning The Chronicles of Tornor series, Lynn delivers a shockingly dark tale rife with bloodshed and betrayal that’s hailed as a “triumphant return” by the San Francisco Chronicle,.
In a bid to take the throne for himself, Prince Tenjiro masters an evil, forbidden magic and casts a spell to steal the dragon shapeshifting ability of his twin, Karadur. Tenjiro also kidnaps and tortures Karadur’s lover, setting Karadur off on a harrowing quest of vengeance.
A warning: Don’t get too attached to anybody in this epic high fantasy, as Lynn freely kills off, tortures, and brutalizes multiple characters in manners worthy of comparison to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion and George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.
Follow it up with the second half of the duology, Dragon’s Treasure.
10. The Book of Dragons edited by Jonathan Strahan
The title doesn’t lie. This is a superb collection of nearly 30 tales featuring dragons in all forms — big, small, scary, demonic, benevolent, vulnerable. And these stories are written by some of the biggest authors in fantasy and sci-fi, including R.F. Kuang, Ken Liu, Zen Cho. What more could you want?
The Book of Dragons will delight fans of the fire-breathing mythical beasts — and capture the hearts of new ones.
11. Rise of the Dragons by Morgan Rice
A young girl shrouded in a prophecy’s mystery. A brother who takes his sibling’s place in the draft. A former mercenary seeking redemption. These seemingly disparate storylines converge to create an epic saga of high fantasy, one that plunges readers into a world teeming with magic, dragons, and evil trolls.
With imaginative world-building and an action-packed plot, this is a fantastic choice for readers looking to sink their talons into a YA fantasy book with dragons.
12. Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
Technically, this falls more on the science fiction side of the spectrum when it comes to books with dragons, but I couldn’t resist including Lee’s wholly original story about a nonbinary artist and a dragon automaton infused with an intelligent personality.
“The tale moves swiftly and unpredictably, and all the action is well-staged. In short, this is a lovely fantasy that eschews epic sturm und drang for small-scale challenges, full of tenderness, brutality, and quotidian living,” Paul Di Filippo wrote in a review for Locus Magazine.
