So I was chatting with another user, and realized that if there were ever a perfect resource for people who knew about books with dragons in them, it'd be this site. So what are your recommendations, your favorites, and ones you know of but perhaps don't much like?
EDIT 5/11:
NAME THAT BOOK:
User @kannadono wants to know if anyone's heard of this one:
"Oh man, maybe you guys can help me out. I remember as a child, my grandparents had a book that was full of colorful pictures of different types of dragons, including some that were long and lanky and hid in bubblebaths and pots or jars, or just being pets to children. It was definitely an art book, I don't remember any text, per sey, and it was a rather large book, though maybe not too thick.
I've been trying to track it down for yearssss. ;; I need my childhood back. I was pretty little when I read it, and I'm 22 now.... orz Any help guys?"
BOOKS ORGANIZED BY AUTHOR LAST NAME:
The MYTH Series, by Robert Asprin
@Mayetra leads us to this series, saying of it: "Really fun fantasy series. One of the character is a dragon named Gleep."
Discovery of Dragons, by Graeme Base
A kid's picture book following the story of intrepid "explorers" who are discovering the various dragons of each of their homes. Beautiful art and adorable story-telling. Super, super cute with many different types of mostly dragons with animal sentience.
Dragon Sword, by Gale Baudino
@DragonGirl1031 recommends this one, "Follow Suzanne Helling as she becomes Alouzon Dragonmaster! Silbakor (the dragon) is the link between our world and the world created by Solomon, a professor of medieval times. Not everything is what it seems."
Dragonlord, by Joanne Bertin
@dracocharky directs us to this series, which GoodReads.com gives 4/5 stars, although some readers on that site warn "this is a romance novel set in a fantasy setting."
A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan
@Chippish points us to this one, "This book is freaking amazing. If Charles Darwin and Jane Austen had a baby, and that baby lived in a universe with dragons, that baby would write this book. It's so good, though I can understand how some might not like it if they hate that Jane Austen-esk style (19th century woman's diary)."
Hurog Series, by Patricia Briggs
@Mayetra recommends this one, warning that: "Dragons more in passing but still pivotal to story."
Flying Blind: The Dragon Diaries, by Deborah Cooke
@Psycho directs us to these, "It's about a girl who realizes that she can shapeshift into a dragon, she's like the only female I think. She meets a group of similar people. It's a teen book which I usually dislike but I think the dragon parts made up for the "AWKWARD ROMANCE OMG EVERYONES FANCIES MEH WHY PUBERTY WHY" bits."
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, by Bruce Coville
@Lagertha recommends this one, " young boy buys an egg from a magic shop and it hatches. It's a young adults book (I assume) but it was pretty good if I remember correctly." VVV: Definitely YA. I remember Bruce Coville, but I didn't recall that he wrote one with a dragon .. I'm going to have to find it, I loved his stuff as a kid! Very silly, very fun stuff.
Dragonsdale Series, by Salamanda Drake
@Psycho recommends these as "pretty good." Goodreads.com rates them 4/5 stars -- from the summary they seem to be kids books, where instead of stables of horses or ponies, young girls have pet dragons.
The Last Dragon Chronicles, by Chris d'Lacey
@DragonGirl1031 recommends this trilogy, "A boy comes to live with a woman and her daughter. The woman makes dragon statues, later he learns that the statues are alive. Who wouldn't want living dragon statues?"
The Chronicles of Kazam, by Jasper Fforde
@gootarts points us to this series, where "it's written slightly satirical like Discworld is. It's about the last dragon being close to death, so a girl is chosen as a dragonslayer to kill it. It's modern-day, with magic. I've only read the first, so can't vouch for the rest of the series, though."
Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke
@SoaringRat points us toward this one, a children's book. Wikipedia summarizes it with "Dragon Rider follows the exploits of a silver dragon named Firedrake, the Brownie Sorrel, and Ben, a human boy, in their search for the mythical part of the Himalayas mountain range called the Rim of Heaven."
My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannet
Children's chapterbook trilogy about a little boy who makes friends with a talking cat who tells him how to rescue a baby dragon. I actually owned the first of these, and didn't realize until I was an adult that it was a trilogy! Still makes me laugh out loud when I read it -- reminds me of a slightly older 'If you give a moose a muffin ..' sort of style.
Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George
@Pann recommended this one; "I liked it because it twisted the damsel in distress trope around. The main character is human, but her family stuck her in a cave with a dragon so a knight would come save and marry her, and their financial problems would be over. But instead the dragon didn't want to eat her at all, and let her go. She also meets another dragon and becomes good friends with him."
The Companion Quartet, by Julia Golding
@AdderSnakeBite says this one has dragons in it, although "I've only ever read the first book, Secret of the sirens." (VVV's note: can anyone vouch / provide a summary?)"
Eon and Eona, by Alison Goodman
@Shannen points us to these, which are "about a girl who has to pretend to be male in order to be a candidate to become a Dragoneye, someone who can utilize the powers of a dragon of good fortune (the zodiac). Awesomeness ensues."
Blue Moon Rising, by Simon R. Green
The whole story's not about dragons or a dragon, but one of the characters is one, and I love him. Very nice for a non-traditional depiction of a dragon. Fully sentient dragon.
Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman
@Chippish directs us to this one, "A world where dragons and humans are negotiating an uneasy peace, dragon racism is rampant, and human-dragon hybrids are thought too disgusting to even exist. Some people find it slow, but as I ADORE world building, I quite enjoyed the universe the author built."
The Saint of Dragons, by Jason Hightman
Would not recommend. I had high hopes for this one (St. George could be an interesting twist in a modern dragon mythos) but dragons are depicted as "pure" evil, hating each other as well as all life, incapable of goodness or redemption. Harkens back to the term 'dragon' being interchangeable with 'demon.' Human characters are shallow and not very interesting.
The Liveship Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
@Zholtaniusar recommends this trilogy, "Same universe as the [other books by Robin Hobb], fewer dragons but this is where they started re-appearing in the world, lots of good dragon lore as well as awesome characters and setting."
The Rain Wilds Chronicles, by Robin Hobb
@NomiGold recommends this one, "There are four of them, Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons and Blood of Dragons. The rest of the Realm of the Elderlings trilogies have some dragons in them as well, and they are all great stuff."
Havemercy, by Jaida Jones
@Lokadaisii recommends this one, "I mean...technically the dragons are mechanical constructs of technology and magic but they have personalities and they call them dragons!!! also they're the best omg" (VVV says, that's perfectly fine with me! I mean if they're dragons, they are dragons amirite?!)
The Hunting of the Last Dragon, by Sherryl Jordan
@AdderSnakeBite points us toward this one, which Amazon gives 5/5 stars, and describes as a tale about an unwilling dragon-slayer: the last survivor of a village burnt to the ground by a dragon, when everyone thought dragons were long gone.
Firelight, by Sophie Jordan
@Risper recommends this book, with a "clan of people who could turn into dragons." Amazon gives it 4/5 stars!
The Dragon Quartet, by Marjorie B. Kellogg
Four books, each kind of told from the perspective of a different character, which is kind of fascinating when you think about what it means for the ability of the writer to be able to narrate from such different persons. There were a lot of really heart-wrenching moments. :< Four fully sentient dragon entities.
Kolmar Series, by Elizabeth Kerner
@Altan recommends this trilogy with Song in the Silence, The Lesser Kindred and Redeeming the Lost, saying of it: "The protagonist has dreamed of finding the true dragons all her life, and takes her chance following the death of her father. It's first person perspective, and a bit of a romantic fluff, but the dragons are pretty unique. I've heard a few complaints about the story being simplistic, but it's nice to have an easy read in your library sometimes."
The Age of Fire, by E. E. Knight
@Popethulhu recommends these, "amaaaaazing books with dragon protagonists where the story is told from their perspective. There's 6 books in the series and all are definitely worth a read!"
The Dragon Jousters, by Mercedes Lackey
Not my favorite of her books, but not bad either. Kind of an ancient Egyptianish setting, if I remember correctly; dragons have animal sentience and imprint on their riders.
The Obsidian Trilogy & The Enduring Flame, by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
@DragonGirl1031 recommends the second of these two connected trilogies, "Two young men suddenly find their lives turned upside down, when one preforms high magic. Magic that has not been seen in the world for many ages. They become like those out of legend. The pair embark on a quest to find help from the elves, and to determine who is trying to kill them. Darkness is returning to the world."
@Snuffles reminds us that The Obsidian Trilogy is the first set of books in this setting, saying: "Totally recommend .-. My favorite book series ever is the Obsidian Trilogy. Like ... so much so that I named my son after the main character >.> *cough* Anyways, they start off sooooo slow and you'll be all "Ewww, why did Snuff recommend THIS?!" But then it gets better and you'll be like "Oh now I see 8D""
The Darkest Age, by A.J. Lake
@dracocharky points us toward this trilogy, "It's got dragons AND Loki. What more could you want? :D"
Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
@dracocharky also recommends this series, which "has dragons in, in a big way."
Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis
@dracocharky asks us not to forget that dragons are in these books, too.
Song of Fire and Ice, by George R. R. Martin
@wingdingdong reminds us not to forget this one .. does anyone really need a description at this point? (VVV's note: am I the only one who couldn't bear to read these? :< Too sad.)
Dragon Age, by James Maxey
@Altan also recommends this one: "(Bitterwood, Dragonseed, Dragonforge, not the game!) is another series with a neat "twist" by the end. Bipedal dragons rule the land, and Bitterwood is an old rebel that reaches mythical status for his prowess at draconic murdering. Humanized dragons are super iffy for me, but this world pulls it off fantastically and the books got placed on my top shelf."
Pern, by Anne McCaffery
A classic mix of sci-fi & fantasy, with semi-sentient big & small dragons. Confession: although the books were kind of considered groundbreaking for their time when they first came out and I devoured them as a kid, as an adult I can't go back and read them now.
The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
@xelhaspixiestix says of this book, "True, Maur is the villain, but it's an interesting take on dragons-- and I kind of fell in love with staid, steady Tor, all the same."
Dragons of Darkness, by Antonia Michaelis
@darkspookers recommends this one, "it is pretty interesting two boys try to help and invisible prince win back the kingdom from an evil dude and invaders invading nepal and the dragon is made up of butterflies if I remember correctly and is rainbow colored and everything it touches turns to stone or bronze. It's a pretty fun book to read."
The Halfblood Chronicles, by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey
@DragonGirl1031 recommends these, "Human slaves, elven master, forbidden half breeds, and hidden dragons. A young halfbreed is born and raised by dragons. There is a prophecy that a crossbreed will bring an end to the Elven rulers." (VVV: Fully sentient dragons.)
His Majesty's Dragon, by Naomi Novik
Near and dear to my heart because she started out her career as a slash-fiction writer online: I like to describe her books as a sort of alternative-history fiction with dragons as the ultimate weaponry. Especially epic due to diving into the cultures of multiple nations. Sentient dragons of all different breeds.
@rubyrouge wants to chime in that this book needs more attention: "Come on, guys! It's like Master and Commander! WITH DRAGONS! I repeat: the Napoleonic wars. WITH DRAGON AVIATORS!"
The Inheritance Cycle, Christopher Paolini
@Psycho recommends this series, starting with the book Eragon. A young boy finds a dragon egg and adventures follow.
Immortals Quartet, by Tamora Pierce
@emeralddragons reminds us of this young adult series, saying "All of her series are good, but this one has the most dragons in it." VVV's note: Oh, gods, I'd forgotten the dragons in this! I think fully sentient, and this one has the very best kind of dragon: a baby dragon! So much love.
Discworld, by Terry Pratchett
@Fianna reminds us that there are dragons in this infamous series of satire fantasy, both of animal sentience & sentience-as-entities. The latter is a VERY interesting take, found in Guards! Guards! Although @Fianna hasn't read these books, I have, and Pratchett is one of my favorite authors of all time.
The Dragon Prince & Dragon Star Series, by Melanie Rawn
@DragonGirl1031 recommends these two series, "Dragons are killed as a proof of manhood. Rohan becomes Prince after his father is killed battling a dragon. He alone of the kingdoms is the dragon's champion and their secret that can save his people. He hopes to become High Prince and put an end to the current High Prince's treacherous ways, and bring peace to the lands."
@Altan chimes in, "pretty great, if terribly sad and depressing by the end of Dragon Star. Stop the books at the end of Sunrunner's Fire if you're not a complete masochist with your reading. It's mostly centered around politics and Sunrunners, though dragons play a few pivotal roles throughout both series and are a big part of the world."
Harry Potter, by J. K. Rowling
@dracocharky rightly scolds me for forgetting these; several different types of dragons with animal sentience over the course of the books.
The Dragon Chronicles: Lost Journals of the Great Wizard, by Malcolm Sanders
@dracocharky directs us to this illustrated children's book, which depicts the story of a wizard hunting four evil dragons for his king. High ratings on Amazon, although it seems to be out of print.
Pillogy Trilogy, by Olbert Skye
@erdswaggle points us to this children's trilogy, the first book of which has 4.5/5 stars on Amazon. It begins with a 15 year old boy being sent to live with an estranged uncle and finding a family history that references dragons.
Dragonology Chronicles, by Dugald A. Steer
@Psycho points us to these, "There are a few books, written as factual journals about dragons.. It's kind of steam-punky and really fun. I think those are just called Dragonology. There is also a story series based on them , I have the first book next to me it's called The Dragonology Chronicles - The Dragon's Eye about two dragonology apprentices."
The Wings of Fire Series, by Tui T. Sutherland
@Orbitz recommends these; "It's about these five dragonets who got stolen as eggs to fulfill a prophecy. It's full of excitement, humor, dragons. LOTS of dragons."
Iron Dragon's Daughter, by Michael Swanwick
@SoaringRat recommends this book, a 3.5/5 stars on Goodreads.com, where it's summarized as: "A slave in a dragon factory that manufactures flying fighting machines, Jane changes her destiny when a voice from a dragon promising freedom and revenge prompts her to escape and challenge the foundations of the world." (VVV's Note: oh gods, I swear I've read this one before -- I think I remember it being good but vaguely creepy.)
Dragons!: Magical Poems, by Nick Toczek
@dracocharky points us to this book of mostly humorous children's poems on dragons, which has high marks on Amazon.
Books of MiddleEarth, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Do I need to say anything about this? No? Good.
Tooth and Claw, by Jo Walton
@Peony recommends this one, "its basically based on the lives of this family of dragons after the head of the clan dies. The whole society dynamic is wonderful! And the family ties and all kinds of things. 100% would recommend!"
Enchanted Forest Chronicles, by Patricia C. Wrede
Like the Dragon Slippers book suggested by @Pann, this is another twist on the dragon legend, particularly where the capture of princesses is concerned. Enjoy sassy princesses, practical witches, dragons with sweet tooths, and wizards that melt! Written for young adult,, but a fun reread for all ages. Fully sentient dragons with their own culture.
@tellingetienne agrees - "They are AMAZING YA books. Hilarious." Shame on me for forgetting them at first!
Pit Dragon Chronicles, by Jane Yolan
@SweetFlowers recommends this young adult series, also 4/5 stars on Goodreads.com, where dragons are trained as fighting beasts.
EDIT 5/11:
- Can someone do a brief summary of the Earthsea stuff?
- Also looking for a summary of the dragons in the Narnia books.
NAME THAT BOOK:
User @kannadono wants to know if anyone's heard of this one:
"Oh man, maybe you guys can help me out. I remember as a child, my grandparents had a book that was full of colorful pictures of different types of dragons, including some that were long and lanky and hid in bubblebaths and pots or jars, or just being pets to children. It was definitely an art book, I don't remember any text, per sey, and it was a rather large book, though maybe not too thick.
I've been trying to track it down for yearssss. ;; I need my childhood back. I was pretty little when I read it, and I'm 22 now.... orz Any help guys?"
BOOKS ORGANIZED BY AUTHOR LAST NAME:
The MYTH Series, by Robert Asprin
@Mayetra leads us to this series, saying of it: "Really fun fantasy series. One of the character is a dragon named Gleep."
Discovery of Dragons, by Graeme Base
A kid's picture book following the story of intrepid "explorers" who are discovering the various dragons of each of their homes. Beautiful art and adorable story-telling. Super, super cute with many different types of mostly dragons with animal sentience.
Dragon Sword, by Gale Baudino
@DragonGirl1031 recommends this one, "Follow Suzanne Helling as she becomes Alouzon Dragonmaster! Silbakor (the dragon) is the link between our world and the world created by Solomon, a professor of medieval times. Not everything is what it seems."
Dragonlord, by Joanne Bertin
@dracocharky directs us to this series, which GoodReads.com gives 4/5 stars, although some readers on that site warn "this is a romance novel set in a fantasy setting."
A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan
@Chippish points us to this one, "This book is freaking amazing. If Charles Darwin and Jane Austen had a baby, and that baby lived in a universe with dragons, that baby would write this book. It's so good, though I can understand how some might not like it if they hate that Jane Austen-esk style (19th century woman's diary)."
Hurog Series, by Patricia Briggs
@Mayetra recommends this one, warning that: "Dragons more in passing but still pivotal to story."
Flying Blind: The Dragon Diaries, by Deborah Cooke
@Psycho directs us to these, "It's about a girl who realizes that she can shapeshift into a dragon, she's like the only female I think. She meets a group of similar people. It's a teen book which I usually dislike but I think the dragon parts made up for the "AWKWARD ROMANCE OMG EVERYONES FANCIES MEH WHY PUBERTY WHY" bits."
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, by Bruce Coville
@Lagertha recommends this one, " young boy buys an egg from a magic shop and it hatches. It's a young adults book (I assume) but it was pretty good if I remember correctly." VVV: Definitely YA. I remember Bruce Coville, but I didn't recall that he wrote one with a dragon .. I'm going to have to find it, I loved his stuff as a kid! Very silly, very fun stuff.
Dragonsdale Series, by Salamanda Drake
@Psycho recommends these as "pretty good." Goodreads.com rates them 4/5 stars -- from the summary they seem to be kids books, where instead of stables of horses or ponies, young girls have pet dragons.
The Last Dragon Chronicles, by Chris d'Lacey
@DragonGirl1031 recommends this trilogy, "A boy comes to live with a woman and her daughter. The woman makes dragon statues, later he learns that the statues are alive. Who wouldn't want living dragon statues?"
The Chronicles of Kazam, by Jasper Fforde
@gootarts points us to this series, where "it's written slightly satirical like Discworld is. It's about the last dragon being close to death, so a girl is chosen as a dragonslayer to kill it. It's modern-day, with magic. I've only read the first, so can't vouch for the rest of the series, though."
Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke
@SoaringRat points us toward this one, a children's book. Wikipedia summarizes it with "Dragon Rider follows the exploits of a silver dragon named Firedrake, the Brownie Sorrel, and Ben, a human boy, in their search for the mythical part of the Himalayas mountain range called the Rim of Heaven."
My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannet
Children's chapterbook trilogy about a little boy who makes friends with a talking cat who tells him how to rescue a baby dragon. I actually owned the first of these, and didn't realize until I was an adult that it was a trilogy! Still makes me laugh out loud when I read it -- reminds me of a slightly older 'If you give a moose a muffin ..' sort of style.
Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George
@Pann recommended this one; "I liked it because it twisted the damsel in distress trope around. The main character is human, but her family stuck her in a cave with a dragon so a knight would come save and marry her, and their financial problems would be over. But instead the dragon didn't want to eat her at all, and let her go. She also meets another dragon and becomes good friends with him."
The Companion Quartet, by Julia Golding
@AdderSnakeBite says this one has dragons in it, although "I've only ever read the first book, Secret of the sirens." (VVV's note: can anyone vouch / provide a summary?)"
Eon and Eona, by Alison Goodman
@Shannen points us to these, which are "about a girl who has to pretend to be male in order to be a candidate to become a Dragoneye, someone who can utilize the powers of a dragon of good fortune (the zodiac). Awesomeness ensues."
Blue Moon Rising, by Simon R. Green
The whole story's not about dragons or a dragon, but one of the characters is one, and I love him. Very nice for a non-traditional depiction of a dragon. Fully sentient dragon.
Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman
@Chippish directs us to this one, "A world where dragons and humans are negotiating an uneasy peace, dragon racism is rampant, and human-dragon hybrids are thought too disgusting to even exist. Some people find it slow, but as I ADORE world building, I quite enjoyed the universe the author built."
The Saint of Dragons, by Jason Hightman
Would not recommend. I had high hopes for this one (St. George could be an interesting twist in a modern dragon mythos) but dragons are depicted as "pure" evil, hating each other as well as all life, incapable of goodness or redemption. Harkens back to the term 'dragon' being interchangeable with 'demon.' Human characters are shallow and not very interesting.
The Liveship Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
@Zholtaniusar recommends this trilogy, "Same universe as the [other books by Robin Hobb], fewer dragons but this is where they started re-appearing in the world, lots of good dragon lore as well as awesome characters and setting."
The Rain Wilds Chronicles, by Robin Hobb
@NomiGold recommends this one, "There are four of them, Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons and Blood of Dragons. The rest of the Realm of the Elderlings trilogies have some dragons in them as well, and they are all great stuff."
Havemercy, by Jaida Jones
@Lokadaisii recommends this one, "I mean...technically the dragons are mechanical constructs of technology and magic but they have personalities and they call them dragons!!! also they're the best omg" (VVV says, that's perfectly fine with me! I mean if they're dragons, they are dragons amirite?!)
The Hunting of the Last Dragon, by Sherryl Jordan
@AdderSnakeBite points us toward this one, which Amazon gives 5/5 stars, and describes as a tale about an unwilling dragon-slayer: the last survivor of a village burnt to the ground by a dragon, when everyone thought dragons were long gone.
Firelight, by Sophie Jordan
@Risper recommends this book, with a "clan of people who could turn into dragons." Amazon gives it 4/5 stars!
The Dragon Quartet, by Marjorie B. Kellogg
Four books, each kind of told from the perspective of a different character, which is kind of fascinating when you think about what it means for the ability of the writer to be able to narrate from such different persons. There were a lot of really heart-wrenching moments. :< Four fully sentient dragon entities.
Kolmar Series, by Elizabeth Kerner
@Altan recommends this trilogy with Song in the Silence, The Lesser Kindred and Redeeming the Lost, saying of it: "The protagonist has dreamed of finding the true dragons all her life, and takes her chance following the death of her father. It's first person perspective, and a bit of a romantic fluff, but the dragons are pretty unique. I've heard a few complaints about the story being simplistic, but it's nice to have an easy read in your library sometimes."
The Age of Fire, by E. E. Knight
@Popethulhu recommends these, "amaaaaazing books with dragon protagonists where the story is told from their perspective. There's 6 books in the series and all are definitely worth a read!"
The Dragon Jousters, by Mercedes Lackey
Not my favorite of her books, but not bad either. Kind of an ancient Egyptianish setting, if I remember correctly; dragons have animal sentience and imprint on their riders.
The Obsidian Trilogy & The Enduring Flame, by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
@DragonGirl1031 recommends the second of these two connected trilogies, "Two young men suddenly find their lives turned upside down, when one preforms high magic. Magic that has not been seen in the world for many ages. They become like those out of legend. The pair embark on a quest to find help from the elves, and to determine who is trying to kill them. Darkness is returning to the world."
@Snuffles reminds us that The Obsidian Trilogy is the first set of books in this setting, saying: "Totally recommend .-. My favorite book series ever is the Obsidian Trilogy. Like ... so much so that I named my son after the main character >.> *cough* Anyways, they start off sooooo slow and you'll be all "Ewww, why did Snuff recommend THIS?!" But then it gets better and you'll be like "Oh now I see 8D""
The Darkest Age, by A.J. Lake
@dracocharky points us toward this trilogy, "It's got dragons AND Loki. What more could you want? :D"
Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
@dracocharky also recommends this series, which "has dragons in, in a big way."
Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis
@dracocharky asks us not to forget that dragons are in these books, too.
Song of Fire and Ice, by George R. R. Martin
@wingdingdong reminds us not to forget this one .. does anyone really need a description at this point? (VVV's note: am I the only one who couldn't bear to read these? :< Too sad.)
Dragon Age, by James Maxey
@Altan also recommends this one: "(Bitterwood, Dragonseed, Dragonforge, not the game!) is another series with a neat "twist" by the end. Bipedal dragons rule the land, and Bitterwood is an old rebel that reaches mythical status for his prowess at draconic murdering. Humanized dragons are super iffy for me, but this world pulls it off fantastically and the books got placed on my top shelf."
Pern, by Anne McCaffery
A classic mix of sci-fi & fantasy, with semi-sentient big & small dragons. Confession: although the books were kind of considered groundbreaking for their time when they first came out and I devoured them as a kid, as an adult I can't go back and read them now.
The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
@xelhaspixiestix says of this book, "True, Maur is the villain, but it's an interesting take on dragons-- and I kind of fell in love with staid, steady Tor, all the same."
Dragons of Darkness, by Antonia Michaelis
@darkspookers recommends this one, "it is pretty interesting two boys try to help and invisible prince win back the kingdom from an evil dude and invaders invading nepal and the dragon is made up of butterflies if I remember correctly and is rainbow colored and everything it touches turns to stone or bronze. It's a pretty fun book to read."
The Halfblood Chronicles, by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey
@DragonGirl1031 recommends these, "Human slaves, elven master, forbidden half breeds, and hidden dragons. A young halfbreed is born and raised by dragons. There is a prophecy that a crossbreed will bring an end to the Elven rulers." (VVV: Fully sentient dragons.)
His Majesty's Dragon, by Naomi Novik
Near and dear to my heart because she started out her career as a slash-fiction writer online: I like to describe her books as a sort of alternative-history fiction with dragons as the ultimate weaponry. Especially epic due to diving into the cultures of multiple nations. Sentient dragons of all different breeds.
@rubyrouge wants to chime in that this book needs more attention: "Come on, guys! It's like Master and Commander! WITH DRAGONS! I repeat: the Napoleonic wars. WITH DRAGON AVIATORS!"
The Inheritance Cycle, Christopher Paolini
@Psycho recommends this series, starting with the book Eragon. A young boy finds a dragon egg and adventures follow.
Immortals Quartet, by Tamora Pierce
@emeralddragons reminds us of this young adult series, saying "All of her series are good, but this one has the most dragons in it." VVV's note: Oh, gods, I'd forgotten the dragons in this! I think fully sentient, and this one has the very best kind of dragon: a baby dragon! So much love.
Discworld, by Terry Pratchett
@Fianna reminds us that there are dragons in this infamous series of satire fantasy, both of animal sentience & sentience-as-entities. The latter is a VERY interesting take, found in Guards! Guards! Although @Fianna hasn't read these books, I have, and Pratchett is one of my favorite authors of all time.
The Dragon Prince & Dragon Star Series, by Melanie Rawn
@DragonGirl1031 recommends these two series, "Dragons are killed as a proof of manhood. Rohan becomes Prince after his father is killed battling a dragon. He alone of the kingdoms is the dragon's champion and their secret that can save his people. He hopes to become High Prince and put an end to the current High Prince's treacherous ways, and bring peace to the lands."
@Altan chimes in, "pretty great, if terribly sad and depressing by the end of Dragon Star. Stop the books at the end of Sunrunner's Fire if you're not a complete masochist with your reading. It's mostly centered around politics and Sunrunners, though dragons play a few pivotal roles throughout both series and are a big part of the world."
Harry Potter, by J. K. Rowling
@dracocharky rightly scolds me for forgetting these; several different types of dragons with animal sentience over the course of the books.
The Dragon Chronicles: Lost Journals of the Great Wizard, by Malcolm Sanders
@dracocharky directs us to this illustrated children's book, which depicts the story of a wizard hunting four evil dragons for his king. High ratings on Amazon, although it seems to be out of print.
Pillogy Trilogy, by Olbert Skye
@erdswaggle points us to this children's trilogy, the first book of which has 4.5/5 stars on Amazon. It begins with a 15 year old boy being sent to live with an estranged uncle and finding a family history that references dragons.
Dragonology Chronicles, by Dugald A. Steer
@Psycho points us to these, "There are a few books, written as factual journals about dragons.. It's kind of steam-punky and really fun. I think those are just called Dragonology. There is also a story series based on them , I have the first book next to me it's called The Dragonology Chronicles - The Dragon's Eye about two dragonology apprentices."
The Wings of Fire Series, by Tui T. Sutherland
@Orbitz recommends these; "It's about these five dragonets who got stolen as eggs to fulfill a prophecy. It's full of excitement, humor, dragons. LOTS of dragons."
Iron Dragon's Daughter, by Michael Swanwick
@SoaringRat recommends this book, a 3.5/5 stars on Goodreads.com, where it's summarized as: "A slave in a dragon factory that manufactures flying fighting machines, Jane changes her destiny when a voice from a dragon promising freedom and revenge prompts her to escape and challenge the foundations of the world." (VVV's Note: oh gods, I swear I've read this one before -- I think I remember it being good but vaguely creepy.)
Dragons!: Magical Poems, by Nick Toczek
@dracocharky points us to this book of mostly humorous children's poems on dragons, which has high marks on Amazon.
Books of MiddleEarth, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Do I need to say anything about this? No? Good.
Tooth and Claw, by Jo Walton
@Peony recommends this one, "its basically based on the lives of this family of dragons after the head of the clan dies. The whole society dynamic is wonderful! And the family ties and all kinds of things. 100% would recommend!"
Enchanted Forest Chronicles, by Patricia C. Wrede
Like the Dragon Slippers book suggested by @Pann, this is another twist on the dragon legend, particularly where the capture of princesses is concerned. Enjoy sassy princesses, practical witches, dragons with sweet tooths, and wizards that melt! Written for young adult,, but a fun reread for all ages. Fully sentient dragons with their own culture.
@tellingetienne agrees - "They are AMAZING YA books. Hilarious." Shame on me for forgetting them at first!
Pit Dragon Chronicles, by Jane Yolan
@SweetFlowers recommends this young adult series, also 4/5 stars on Goodreads.com, where dragons are trained as fighting beasts.
xxx. THRICE AS NICE .xxx
triple color tg hatchery - several colors available!
triple color tg hatchery - several colors available!
