Do you love dragons and fantasy books? If so, then these are the books for you! There are so many incredible dragon books on the market that it can be hard to decide what is worth reading. But these 10 books are some of the best dragon books and series for fantasy lovers, whether you’re looking for books for adults or for children, so take a look and get started with your next amazing read!
1. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
When you’re looking for the best books about dragons, you’ll have lots to choose from. But one of the best is definitely Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. This book is a fun fantasy romp filled with common dragon lore as well as a few unexpected twists, and you’ll enjoy it from cover to cover!
When humans start to encroach on the valley where the last of the dragons live, it’s time for them to find their way to somewhere new to call home. And this new place they’re looking for happens to be their old home that has since fallen into legend—the Rim of Heaven! Not all the dragons believe this utopia still exists, but one brave dragon (Firedrake) sets out to seek this place and find a way for the dragons to survive.
With a brownie named Sorrell, a human named Ben, a host of helpful talking rats, and even a homunculus named Twigleg, Firedrake sets out on his mission and together they seek to find the Rim of Heaven. But with an ancient evil, The Golden One, on the loose, will they be able to accomplish their task or will this evil overtake them all?
With fun talking creatures and a magical world, this book seems part Narnia, part Harry Potter, and part completely its own deal. But it is definitely 100% fun! You’ll enjoy learning about how this fantasy world operates and will soon be cheering on the band of adventurers as they seek to find the home of the dragons. And even though this is one of the best dragon books for kids, it is also a delightful and fun read for adults as well!
Buy Dragon Rider now on Bookshop or Amazon!
2. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Another amazing dragon book series you’ll want to get your hands on right now is the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, starting with the first book Dealing With Dragons. This book is filled to the brim with all sorts of cool dragon elements, but also has a fairy tale side to the story that is really fun to read.
One of the best things about this book is how it takes common fairy tale/dragon story elements and turns them on their head. The main character, the princess Cimorene, is delightfully independent and headstrong rather than being a damsel in distress. In fact, she even sets out to move in with a dragon…rather than being stolen and waiting for a knight or prince to rescue her!
This fun plot leaves plenty of room for Wrede to play around with our expectations for dragon stories while still staying mostly within the confines of what we expect from a fantasy book. Soon, knights and princes are on their way to rescue Cimorene (even though she doesn’t want them to and tells them so!). But then strange things start happening in the dragon kingdom and everything starts to go wrong…
Can Cimorene and her human and dragon friends figure out what is happening before it’s too late? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out. And if you fall in love with this dragon fantasy series like I have, then you’re in luck as there are several other books in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles that you can read! You can buy the whole box set here—they’re definitely worth it!
Buy Dealing with Dragons now on Bookshop or Amazon!
3. Dragons at Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett
“Dragons at Crumbling Castle” is the titular short story in a book of short stories by Terry Pratchett, and when you’re looking for fun dragon reads this is a light and fluffy piece that you won’t want to miss!
Essentially, a group of dragons have taken over Crumbling Castle…but all of King Arthur’s knights are on holiday so can’t go to drive them out. What a disaster! However, King Arthur soon finds a small squire named Ralph who is the only one not on holiday and sends him out in a suit of armor to defeat the dragons. But when Ralph makes it to the castle, things aren’t what the seem and there’s a surprise in store for him and the whole kingdom!
This is such a short story that it won’t take you much time at all to read, but it’s uproariously funny from start to finish (particularly with Pratchett’s addition of footnotes to the story). When you want a tale with dragons that will simply leave you smiling, this is the story to choose. Plus, there are 13 other stories in this collection to read as well, and even though the rest aren’t dragon-related you will still find them to be fun and funny reads!
Buy Dragons at Crumbling Castle now on Bookshop or Amazon!
4. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
When you’re looking for dragon books for adults, A Natural History of Dragons is one of the most unique and one of the most fascinating to read. This story is told in a Victorian memoir style that simultaneously makes it feel realistic at the same time as the dragon content (and the place names like Scirland) set it squarely in the unrealistic and fictional category.
As you read this story, you’ll follow along with the famous dragon naturalist Lady Trent as she tells how she discovered her passion for dragons during childhood and early adulthood. She is quickly fascinated by dragons and longs to learn more about them even while she is forced by society to stay at home, but eventually she is able to defy societal conventions for women and set out on an expedition to study dragons in the wild. This book is the exciting tale of what happens on her first expedition!
Although the summary of this book (especially the Victorian memoir part) could easily sound boring, once you start reading it you’ll be caught up in this delightful parallel world where dragons exist. For anyone who wishes dragons existed in real life, this will be a treat to read!
Other aspects that make this story worth reading include that at its heart it is not just a book about dragons, but instead is about a remarkable young woman who defies society to enter a scientific field and study the dragons she finds so fascinating. I also love how Isabella’s husband ends up supporting her desire to study dragons, even when society condemns him for helping her defy the conventions of the day.
On the whole, this is an interesting and captivating read that is exciting and bittersweet by turns. It feels realistic at the same time that wildly unrealistic things are happening, but when you reach the end you’ll be happy to learn that there are more books in this series to enjoy…so go ahead and get started reading this delightful book series about dragons today!
Buy A Natural History of Dragons now on Bookshop or Amazon!
5. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
Dragon Slippers is the first book in another fantastic book series with dragons, and it’s one you will definitely want to add to your reading list! Similar to Dealing with Dragons, this book features a strong female lead and a host of other fun characters (especially some super fun dragons!).
The story starts when Creel’s aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon in hopes that a knight will rescue her (and subsequently rescue the entire family from financial ruin by marrying Creel and providing for them all). But no one’s seen the dragon in years, so Creel figures she’ll be dropped off at the dragon’s cave, stick around for a bit, and then be on her way.
But unlucky Creel is left at the cave and soon the dragon actually shows up! He’s upset about the bother of fighting a knight, and Creel obviously doesn’t want to be captured by the dragon, so she offers to take an item from his hoard in exchange for leaving him in peace. But dragons in this world don’t all collect gold—instead, each collects the style of item that strikes its fancy. This dragon collects shoes, and Creel just happens to select the one pair he doesn’t want her to take…
This sets off a chain of events that soon has Creel meeting other dragons, running into the princes of the realm, and discovering a plot to take over the kingdom. Can Creel save the day and the dragons she has come to love? Will she get her own happily ever after or will she accidentally destroy the kingdom instead?
This tale will keep you on the edge of your seat…and once you’re done reading, you have two sequels to look forward to: Dragon Flight and Dragon Spear. This is one of my favorite dragon books (even though it’s a dragon children’s book), so I highly recommend picking it up when you’re looking for something entertaining to read. And I can guarantee you’ll discover some favorite new dragon friends within its pages!
Buy Dragon Slippers now on Bookshop or Amazon!
6. A Book Dragon by Donn Kushner
This next dragon book, A Book Dragon, is cute, cute, cute and a must-read for anyone who loves both books and dragons. It’s a fairly quick read and enjoyable from start to finish, so if you can get your hands on a copy then this should be top of your reading list.
This story tells the tale of Nonesuch the dragon, who has a unique ability to change his size. One day while he is adventuring as a tiny insect-sized dragon, he discovers a monk illustrating a Book of Hours and becomes friends with him. The monk paints Nonesuch and some imaginary dragons onto the pages of the Book of Hours, and this book becomes Nonesuch’s treasure…which he continues to guard over the centuries as jealously as any dragon with its hoard of gold.
Throughout the book, Nonesuch meets a lot of delightful animal characters and we follow him and the medieval book all the way to a modern-day American bookseller’s store, where Nonesuch and his book face a threat they’ve never encountered before. The plot is easygoing and offers some historical lessons, but the true heart of the book and what makes it such a gem is found in the quips and scenes throughout the story. One moment that stands out is when Nonesuch’s grandmother advises him to “Be dauntless, valiant, tragic, whatever you like; but don’t be stupid.”
There are many moments like these throughout that will entertain and delight you, but there are also a few surprisingly violent moments at some points (in contrast with the gentleness of the rest of the book) when evil villains get what they deserve. But overall, this is a perfect read for those who think books are treasures and love the idea of a dragon who loves books and reading as well!
Buy A Book Dragon now on Amazon!
7. The Dragon and the George
When you’re looking for cool dragon books to read, The Dragon and the George is another book with an interesting premise that would be perfect to add to your list! This book is a sort of medieval time travel book (a little reminiscent of the antics in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court) but with a fun dragon twist to the story.
Through a series of mishaps in a lab, Jim Eckert and his fiancée Angie are sent back into the past and into the world of magic, dragons, and medieval mayhem. Angie arrives there as a normal human (or a “george,” as the dragons call humans in this world), but when Jim arrives he finds his world upended as he has somehow ended up in the body of a dragon named Gorbash!
With Angie captured by the dragons who want to eat or get rid of her, and Jim trapped in a dragon’s body while trying to get her safely back to their original time period, a whole host of hilarity ensues. But soon Angie is taken from the dragons by an evil force and locked up in the Loathly Tower, where Jim and his newfound human and dragon friends must try to rescue her and defeat the evil forces that are trying to take over the world!
This story has one of the most amazing premises (after all, who wouldn’t want to become a dragon like Jim for a day?), but it does suffer in some places from dragging on a bit. This is particularly true in the early chapters, but once you get to Chapter 3 where the dragons first appear then things start happening.
This book, published in the 1970s, also suffers a bit in some places from its ingrained societal conventions (and I was quite unhappy with how Angie just disappeared from a lot of the story and ended up giving in to whatever Jim wanted in the end), but on the whole it is a fun book to read when you’re looking for a fantasy book to put a smile on your face. It’s a bit introspective in places but with an overall lighthearted feel that is truly charming to read!
Buy The Dragon and the George now on Amazon!
8. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
If you’re looking for books with dragons, then clearly The Hobbit needs to be on your list. It is a well-known and beloved book, but unlike the majority of the books on this list, the dragon here is an evil creature and a villain instead of a dragon you’d want to call your friend.
This timeless classic novel follows Bilbo Baggins as he leaves his home at Bag End, at the persuasion of Gandalf, to set off on an adventure with a group of dwarves as they attempt to take back their treasure from the cruel dragon Smaug. As Bilbo and the dwarves journey, they come across all sorts of adventures, including fighting trolls, meeting elves, and being taking prisoner by goblins.
The goal is to get to Lonely Mountain where Smaug sleeps with the dwarves’ treasure, and of course when they arrive Bilbo must face off against the dragon to steal the golden cup from his hoard. Will he be successful? Or will they have to fight the dragon and engage in tons of other fights in order to return to their homes?
If you like the epic fantasy style and enjoy lots of fighting scenes, then The Hobbit is certainly a dragon-related book that you’ll want to read. And even though it’s a tad disappointing that Smaug is evil (at least to those of us who love friendly dragons in the works we read), this classic novel is still worth the time as it is a cultural staple that everyone should read at least once in their lives.
Buy The Hobbit now on Bookshop or Amazon!
9. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
My Father’s Dragon is the first book in one of the best book series about dragons for children…and while this one is clearly aimed at a younger audience than all the other books on this list, older readers will still find it cute and adults may even find themselves enjoying it when they read it to themselves!
This story tells the tale of a boy named Elmer Elevator who loves animals and becomes friends with an alley cat. When the cat learns that Elmer would love to be able to fly, he tells him about Wild Island where a baby dragon is being held captive as a transport method for the locals to get across the river.
Elmer is saddened by the plight of the dragon, so he sets off to Wild Island to rescue it from captivity. Along the way, the animals of Wild Island try to keep him from his goal, but Elmer is resourceful and uses his wits and the items in his pack (two dozen pink lollipops, rubber bands, chewing gum, and a comb) to get past every obstacle in his way.
This story is cute and the solutions Elmer comes up with are often funny as he uses his wits to rescue the baby dragon and fly them both away from the island. Younger kids will be enthralled and older readers and adults will find this to be a gently amusing read that is great for when you’re looking for something lighthearted to bring a smile to your face!
Buy My Father’s Dragon on Bookshop or Amazon!
10. Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
Of all the best dragon books on the market, there are few that combine historical/literary/fantasy elements together quite as successfully as Elle Katharine White does in Heartstone. This book is a diverting read that can best be summed up as “Pride and Prejudice…but with dragons!”
This historical fantasy follows the Bentaine family (and Aliza in particular) through love and loss in a tale that loosely follows the plot of Austen’s most popular work. But when a band of invading gryphons descend on Merybourne Manor, the locals must call in a band of Riders to rid them of this menace!
The Riders are the rich aristocrats of this fantasy world, who ride dragons and wyverns into battle and hunt down any threats to the kingdom. And who do you think shows up at Merybourne to take care of the grypons? Why, the good-natured Brysney and the haughty Alastair Daired, of course!
With threats from all sides including direwolves, banshees, and lindworms, Aliza and Daired must work through their romantic clashes and their clashes with the evil threats coming at them from all sides. When a threat greater than any the Riders have ever faced emerges, will the love between these two be enough to help them survive?
You’ll find this story to be a familiar world that feels ever-so-slightly bizarre with the addition of magic and dragons. But if you think that you know exactly what will happen because you’ve already read Pride and Prejudice, then think again because not all the characters behave as you’d expect!
This is a fun fantasy read that is not classic literature or Jane Austen by any stretch of the imagination, but it is still entertaining! Plus, if you’ve ever dreamed of reading about a battle-hardened Darcy with a gold hoop through his right ear and a friendly talking dragon at his side, then know that this is the book for you. (To be honest, I doubt this is anything any Darcy-lover has ever longed for, but instead it’s a case of not knowing what you’re missing until you see it 😉). So grab a copy of Heartstone and enter this exciting world of regency dragons!
Buy Heartstone now on Bookshop or Amazon!
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