One subgenre that hasn't really formally been defined is “dragon fantasy” – those books in which dragons feature as a major part of the book, even being cast as one of the major characters. Typically, these creatures are majestic, rarified, and have some ability to communicate with other individuals, either through speech or telepathy.
Many fantasy books have dragons, but few feature dragons as something other than wild beasts to be ridden or slain. This list gives you some of the best out that contain dragons as major parts of the story or even major characters in the story itself. In this specific list I rank the books here keeping in mind the strength of the story, the characters and setting, and how important dragons are to the story (which is why you may see some fantastic fantasy books feature lower on the list than you might expect as dragons in those books don't play as central a role as in the other books). If a dragon is not a central part of the story, plot, or a character itself in the novel, it WILL NOT BE ON THIS LIST.
Because I'll invariably receive comments asking about this: I've intentionally left off many books from this list which I don't consider 'the best' dragon fantasy. This includes Eragon and the Dragonlance novels.
by Hobb, Robin
The first in the The Rain Wild Chronicles, a party of deformed dragons and their handlers are on a journey to a safe haven for the dragons.
Noble houses scheme for a throne while an ancient winter gathers in the north, the epic that made grimdark mainstream.
This is a dark story about a girl who slaves in a dragon factory, building monsters that are part magical and part cybernetic.
by Novik, Naomi
This series explores a post-colonial world and both sides have their faults.
by Knight, E.e.
The first book in the One of Age of Fire series told from a dragon's point of view, a dragon who just might be the last of his kind.
by Walton, Jo
Different from other books in the Fantasy of Manners sub-genre in that the characters are dragons. It is a story about the death of a patriarch and love, money, and familial conflict.
Smaug is the classic dragon figure lying under the mountain—a scary creature who keeps the dwarves from their home and who must be defeated.
This series explores the relationship between dragons and their riders in detail.
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