Here’s a list of my top 6 favorite dragon books of all-time! What dragon books are at the top of your list?

#1 Dragon Weather

Author: Lawrence Watt-Evans

Series: Obsidian Chronicles

Adrian was only 11 when a dragon destroyed his village, killing everyone but him. Left alone and defenseless, he is soon captured and sold into slavery, sent to work the mines of the Lord Dragon. As Adrian grows through the story, he seeks vengeance on those who wronged him. I have to say I loved every moment of this trilogy – so much so that I bought them in hardcover. Watt-Evans is an excellent writer. He has a way of drawing you in, making every moment is engaging and entertaining. Not only is it an amazing dragon book, it just plain good fantasy!

#2 Joust

Author: Mercedes Lackey

Series: Dragon Jousters

Vetch is a young slave who yearns to become a jouster – a warrior who rides a dragon into battle. Sold into a house of riders, he soon finds himself caring for the great beasts. It isn’t long before he gets the idea to raise one in secret… Not only is this my favorite Mercedes Lackey series, but it’s quite arguably one of my favorite series of all-time. I love books that teach you things and after reading “Joust” I felt like I knew a lot more about how to care for and train dragons (useless knowledge, I realize, but filled with awesomeness nonetheless). Yet another series I had to have in hardcover, it was the ultimate fun-read!

#3 Dragon Champion

Author: E.E. Knight

Series: Age of Fire

This one I’ve already highlighted in a review. Told from the point of hatching, Auron is an anomaly, lacking the rock-hard scales of his species. Forced to make his way alone in the world long before he’s ready, he starts out on an unforgettable journey. The coolest thing about this book is that it’s told from the dragon’s perspective, and I’ve yet to read one done better. The author does an excellent job at keeping the integrity of the beast, rather than “humanizing” them as you see in other works. I loved it for its originality, and knew it had to be near the top of my list.

#4 The Last Dragonlord

Author: Joanne Bertin

Series: Dragonlord

Linden Rathan is a weredragon and the last of his kind. In an endless search for a mate, Rathan has to deal with constant threats from those who would see him destroyed. I’ve mentioned in an earlier post that this book was initially released back in 2000. Because the final book in the trilogy was twelve years in the making (and only announced recently), I never went back and reread these. Honestly, I only remember three things about these books: Rathan was a dragon-shifter, there was an excellent love-story, and I finished them eager for the next book because I loved them so much. Now that the final book is almost here, I’m definitely going to go back and enjoy these for a second time. In cast you were wondering, these were also deemed hardcover-worthy!

#5 Dragonflight

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Series: Dragonriders of Pern

A ragged kitchenmaid, Lessa struggles to take back her birthright. Her whole world changes after she meets a queen dragon, and bonds with her. Now, woman and dragon must fight to save their world from death that falls from the sky. This is a classic, and likely the series that sparked the passion for dragons in a lot of readers. There’s no way I can have a complete dragon list without including the Pern series. The initial trilogy should be on every fantasy-lover’s “must read” list!

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#6 Dragon’s Blood

Author: Jane Yolen

Series: Pit Dragon Chronicles

As a bond boy in a dragon nursery, the only way Jakkin can earn enough money to buy his freedom is to train a champion fighting dragon. As all the hatchlings are fiercely guarded and accounted for, Jakkin somehow manages to steal one, raising him in secret. What I loved about this series is that it both dazzled me with originality while still reminding me of other series that I loved. Set on another planet, it had elements of Lackey’s Joust, McCaffrey’s Pern, and even a touch of Harry Potter. Yup – I got them in hardcover. :)

There are many others that deserve mention, but none of them rocked my world quite like the six listed above. That said, there are still quite a few dragon books I’ve yet to read, and perhaps one day soon I can add a few more excellent titles to the the list.

What dragon books are YOUR favorites?

By Niki Hawkes