7 Fantasy Books About Dragons That Are 10/10, No Notes

Image via Collins Modern Classic Published Sep 13, 2026, 11:22 PM EDT Sign in to your Collider account If there's one thing fantasy fans can't seem to get enough of, it's dragons. You know, large flying, fire-breathing lizards? They've been a staple of the fantasy genre for decades, if not centuries, as they stem from mythology. Many cultures all across the world feature some variation of dragons in their folklore, probably because they inspire such a sense of wonder and majesty. Since fantasy books are genuinely pretty in line with mythology and folklore, a lot of them have featured these flying beasts over the years. Sometimes they are allies, other times they are villains. Sometimes they are intelligent and capable of speech, other times they are animalistic predators. Either way, these are the best fantasy books featuring dragons, all of which can be considered perfect. 'Dragons of Deltora' (2004) Image via Scholastic Deltora Quest 3, or, as it's known in North America, Dragons of Deltora, is a compilation of four smaller YA fantasy novels. It's a whole series in one, basically. The book comes from Australian author Jennifer Rowe, under her pen name of Emily Rodda. Like the first two books, the story is about Lief, a young man who seeks to free the land of Deltora from the clutches of the evil Shadow Lord. The first series (which received an anime adaptation) follows Lief as he reassembles the gems of the magical Belt of Deltora, while the second is about rebuilding a magical flute called the Pirran Pipe. In this third series, Lief, along with his usual companions, Barda and Jasmine, must travel to the four corners of Deltora to destroy evil spirits called the Four Sisters. However, these sisters can only be destroyed with dragon fire, which means they must reawaken the last remaining dragons, who have been locked away in an eternal slumber. While this is primarily a book for kids aged 8–12, adults can still find enjoyment in this easy read. The Deltora series has always been a stellar introduction to fantasy for young readers, with a surprising amount of lore and incredible world-building to boot. 'The Rage of Dragons' (2017) Image via Hachette B and Blackstone Publishing Evan Winter's The Rage of Dragons is a really interesting read with an even more interesting setting. Instead of opting for a medieval European setting that a lot of high fantasy novels favor, his world is more analogous with Bronze Age Africa. For two centuries, the Omehi people have been locked in an eternal cycle of war and chaos. A very rare few are able to call dragons to aid them in the fight, though this power is exclusive only to women. In the midst of the chaos, a young swordsman sets out on a quest for revenge. Author Rick Riordan gave the book his personal seal of approval, accompanied by a wordy, odeful review. Apart from the praise of one of YA fantasy's most prominent figures, fans and critics alike have expressed their adoration for the book's unique setting and story. It's truly a spectacular read that doesn't always get the attention it deserves, which is why any dragon-loving fantasy fan needs to pick it up as soon as possible. 'The Sword of Destiny' (1992) Image via Orbit Books The Sword of Destiny is one of the first short story collections published as part of The Witcher saga by Andrzej Sapkowski, which, as many know, has been adapted into a live-action Netflix series. This anthology of stories follows Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter known as a Witcher who travels across a high fantasy world, seeking contracts from local villagers. Not all the stories contain dragons, but there is one towards the end of the collection that does. More specifically, it's about the glittering golden dragon named Villentretenmerth, who is a bit of a shaky ally at best. Most of the monsters in The Witcher are ripped straight from various mythologies and folklore across a variety of cultures, so it's to be expected that dragons would show up at some point. As far as books in The Witcher series go, this one is one of the best ones because it's easy to digest and even easier to get lost in. 'Tress of the Emerald Sea' (2023) Image via Tor Books Tress of the Emerald Sea is a stand-alone novel in Brandon Sanderson's shared literary universe known as the Cosmere. The basic premise of this universe is that each series or stand-alone story is set on its own planet, all of which are in the same galaxy. The story takes place on the backwater planet of Lumar, which is closely orbited by 12 moons. The moons continuously pump spores into Lumar's atmosphere, which make up the oceans in lieu of water. When the spores come into contact with moisture, they produce a destructive effect, which varies depending on the color of the spore. The oceans can even be sailed on due to gas jets on the planet's surface, which fluidize the spores. On the remote Emerald Sea island called Diggen's Point, a young girl named Tress has fallen in love with the mayor's son, Charlie. However, when Charlie goes missing on an overseas trip, Tress becomes determined to save him. She eventually gets wound up with a pirate crew and comes face-to-face with the dragon Xisisrefliel. While the dragon's appearance is only a small part of the story, he is a looming background presence throughout. It's a heartwarming, easy to read, romantic fairytale inspired by The Princess Bride. It's one of the most underrated entries in Sanderson's extensive repertoire. Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz Which Lord of the RingsCharacter Are You? One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide. 💍Frodo 🌿Samwise 👑Aragorn 🔥Gandalf 🏹Legolas ⚒️Gimli 👁️Sauron 🪨Gollum BEGIN YOUR QUEST → 01 You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do? The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders. AAccept it. Someone has to, and running changes nothing. BStay by the side of whoever carries it. They shouldn't go alone. CStep forward and lead. This is exactly what I was made for. DIt's mine now. I won't let anyone else have it. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You: True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis. AFollow them without hesitation. I'd rather die beside them than live without them. BRally others and forge a plan to help — strength in numbers. COffer wisdom and guidance. My counsel may save them where swords cannot. DLet them go. Only the strong survive, and sentiment is a weakness. NEXT QUESTION → 03 Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is: Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it. ADestroy it. Nothing good comes from power this absolute. BUse it to protect those I love — just this once. CWield it wisely. I have the will and the knowledge to do good with it. DSeize it. I have waited long enough. It belongs to me. NEXT QUESTION → 04 What does "home" mean to you? Where we long to return reveals who we truly are. AA simple, peaceful place — green hills, good food, no adventure required. BWherever the people I love are. Home is a feeling, not a place. CA kingdom I must earn before I can truly claim it as mine. DI lost it long ago. That loss is what drives everything I do. NEXT QUESTION → 05 When a battle is upon you, your approach is: War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not. ASurvive by any means. I'm not a fighter — but I'll do what I must. BFight for the person beside me, not for glory or honour. CLead the charge. Nothing inspires an army like a king at the front. DStrike from range, fast and precise — never let them get close. NEXT QUESTION → 06 Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You: Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it's knowing which questions to ask. AListen, then offer honest encouragement. Sometimes people just need belief. BGive them practical help — words are fine, but action is better. CSpeak carefully. I have seen much, and I know what counsel can cost. DTell them what they want to hear. Trust is a tool like any other. NEXT QUESTION → 07 How do you see yourself, honestly? Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind. ASmall and ordinary — but perhaps that's exactly why I was chosen. BDefined entirely by who I serve and love. I am nothing without them. CForged by hardship into something the world has not yet fully seen. DDiminished from what I once was — and consumed by the need to reclaim it. NEXT QUESTION → 08 Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world? Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen. AI find peace in it — forests, rivers, open skies. Nature restores me. BI prefer the earth underfoot — stone, mines, solid and real things. CI have watched the world change for longer than most can comprehend. DNature offers hiding places, cold water, raw fish. That's enough for me. NEXT QUESTION → 09 You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You: How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character. AShow mercy. Even the most broken souls deserve a chance at redemption. BPity them — but never trust them. They made their choices. CSee them as a tool. Their knowledge or skills may still serve a purpose. DDestroy them before they can cause more harm. Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford. NEXT QUESTION → 10 When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you? In the end, we are all just stories. AThat an ordinary person did an extraordinary thing — and came home. BThat I never abandoned the person who needed me most. CThat I was worthy of the crown — and everything it demanded. DNothing. I don't need songs. I needed it, and now it's gone. REVEAL MY FATE → The Fellowship Has Spoken Your Place in Middle-earthThe scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people. 💍 Frodo 🌿 Samwise 👑 Aragorn 🔥 Gandalf 🏹 Legolas ⚒️ Gimli 👁️ Sauron 🪨 Gollum You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don't have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is. You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you'd do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one. You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you. You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late. Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them. You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don't do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything. You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you're not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct. You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 'A Storm of Swords' (2000) Image via Bantam Books A Storm of Swords is the third book in the acclaimed, but unfinished A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. This series famously became the cultural phenomenon that is Game of Thrones. While all the books are amazing in their own right, this third novel is considered one of the best. It's also one of the longest, at roughly 1,000 pages. The story, as always, is about nine royal families who are feuding over the throne of Westeros while a primordial threat is silently gathering strength to the North, preparing to bring about the end of the world. One of the major characters in this series is Daenerys Targaryen, from an exiled Westerosi house who had an affinity for dragons. After being gifted three dragon eggs during her wedding in the first book, she now possesses three young dragons that are just learning to breathe fire. While the dragons aren't as large or mighty as they are in the later books, they are still a major part of the story. They might be small, but they are still a force to be reckoned with. In any event, this book is truly superb, and is among Martin's finest work. 'Dragonflight' (1968) Image via Del Rey Dragonflight is the first novel in the critically-acclaimed The Dragonriders of Pern series, which went on for 50 whole years, seeing its most recent installment in 2018. Not all the books are written by original author Anne McCaffrey, since she passed away in 2011. This first book is actually a compound book, made up of two novellas smashed into one cohesive volume. Believe it or not, the series follows dragon riders in the land of Pern. Humans have colonized a distant planet filled with dragons, but have lost their technological capabilities, reverting them back into the Middle Ages. On this new planet, they form a relationship with the dragons, using them to combat a rising darkness eroding organic matter. This series was so long-lived and acclaimed for a reason: it's absolutely brilliant, adventurous, and it revolutionized the fantasy genre. 'The Hobbit, or There and Back Again' (1937) Image via HarperCollins The Hobbit is the first book published by J. R. R. Tolkien, and the very first published work in his vast Middle-Earth legendarium. This includes The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as thousands of pages of extensive history and mythology. In this novel, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins is unexpectedly swept up in a quest to slay the dragon Smaug and reclaim the kingdom of Erebor along with 13 dwarves and the wizard Gandalf. The book was famously adapted into a trilogy of films in the early 2010s. Even if there's only one dragon in the story, he's still a commanding presence and certainly counts as the main antagonist. It's pretty much a classic dragon story, too: Smaug hordes gold, lives in a mountain, breathes fire, loves flattery... the only thing he's missing is a kidnapped princess and a knight in shining armor. This is considered one of the finest fantasy books ever written, as it sounds like a father telling a story to his children. Beyond that, it's family-friendly, adventurous, and full of profound moral wisdom. It's simply a must-read for any fan of fantasy.