Best Dragon Fantasy Books and Series: From Fourth Wing to Temeraire

Thanks to Fourth Wing, dragons are bigger than they’ve been in years — but the genre runs deep, from swoony romantasy to grand epic fantasy. Here are the best dragon books and series for every kind of reader.

For the romantasy crowd

The Empyrean (Fourth Wing) — Rebecca Yarros The series that lit the fuse: a deadly war college, bonded dragons with attitude, and a slow-burn romance that took over BookTok. If you want to know what the fuss is about, start here. Browse Rebecca Yarros →

For the epic-fantasy reader

Temeraire — Naomi Novik The Napoleonic Wars… with a dragon air force. Novik’s series pairs meticulous historical adventure with one of the great human-dragon friendships in fiction. Full reading order →

A Song of Ice and Fire / Fire & Blood — George R.R. Martin For dragons as instruments of dynasty and destruction. Fire & Blood (the basis for House of the Dragon) is the dragon-lover’s dream.

The beloved classic

The Dragonriders of Pern — Anne McCaffrey The foundational dragon-bonding series — telepathic dragons, their riders, and a whole world built around them. Decades of books to explore. See Anne McCaffrey’s books →

For younger (and young-at-heart) readers

Wings of Fire — Tui T. Sutherland The middle-grade dragon juggernaut, told from the dragons’ own point of view. See our Wings of Fire reading order →.

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle) — Christopher Paolini The gateway dragon fantasy for a generation, now headed for a new screen adaptation.

The dark horse

The Rain Wild Chronicles — Robin Hobb Hobb’s take on dragons is unlike anyone else’s — stunted, bitter, and utterly real. Best read as part of her Realm of the Elderlings saga.

How to choose

Want romance and spice? Fourth Wing. Want history and heart? Temeraire. Want a classic to sink into? Pern. Whatever flavour of dragon you’re after, the genre has never been richer.