Dragon Books

[Those marked with * are my personal favourites.
Recommend titles but please don't berate me on how
I must like this book or that book. I'm entitled to my taste :P.]

* 1. Dragons, A Natural History
Dr. Karl Shuker

He's an expert on dracontology - enough said. A real wealth of information here. One of the best.

* 2. The Flight of Dragons
Peter Dickinson

Highly recommended book, first published in 1979. The physics of flight, details of dragon evolution and specific techniques of
dragon-slaying are discussed.

3. Dragoncharm
Graham Edwards

* 4. The Book of the Dragon
Ciruelo Cabral

A lavish book of illustrations by the Spanish artist. The scenes are accompanied with text explaining the dragon's legends.

* 5. Here There Be Dragons
Jane Yolen

A wonderful collection of published stories and poems by Jane Yolen, combined with realistic pencil illustrations. It's one of those books that is irresistable if you see it on a shelf or at a bookstore (or on Amazon).

* 6. Pern Series
Anne McCaffrey
[in recommended order of reading]: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums, Moreta:Dragonlady of Pern, Nerilkla's Story & The Coelura, Dragonsdawn, The Renegades of Pern, All the Weyrs of Pern, The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall, The Dolphins of Pern, Red Star Rising [Dragonseye in the U.S], The Masterharper of Pern, The Skies of Pern

I have to put the asterisk because EVERYONE recommends this series.

One of the most recommended & famous fantasy books of all time. Readers are pulled into the world of Pern, and the series has captivated the imagination of booklovers worldwide.

7. The Last Dragonlord
Joanne Bertin

* 8. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Patricia C. Wrede
[in order]: Dealing With Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, Talking to Dragons

Fun and unique fantasy plots. Princess Cimoreen of Linderwall uses her quick wit and courage to deal, search and save the mostly kind dragons.

9. Dragonlance Chronicles
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
[in order]: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning

* 10. The Pit Dragon Trilogy
Jane Yolen
[in order]: Dragon's Blood, Heart's Blood, A Sending of Dragons

A wonderful and captivating series written with vivid descriptions and emotion revolving around 15-year old bonder Jakkin Stewart and the dragons on planet Austar.

* 11. Dragon's Bait
Vivian Vande Velde

A relatively short book compared to others, but the plot is still exciting and humorous. The cool dragon, Selendrile, that can take the form of a human is unforgettable. One of my personal most favourite of all books!

12. Dragonsbane, Dragonshadow
Barbra Hambly

13. Dragon Chronicles
Susan Fletcher
[Dragon's Milk, Flight of the Dragon Ryn, Sign of the Dove]

14. The Ultimate Dragon
A compilation of stories written by some of the world's leading authors like Tanith Lee, Ursula Le Guin and Harlan Ellison.

* 15. The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien
Smaug the Famous!

16. The Girl Who Heard Dragons
Anne McCaffrey

17. The Dragon Prince
Laurence Yep
Children's book. Superb artwork.
It's a Chinese 'Beauty and the Beast' tale.

18. Dragon Steel
Laurence Yep

* 19. The Discovery of Dragons
Graeme Base

Full of escapades and gripping encounters with dragons around the world. The huge full-color paintings of dragons, maps, and drawings are delightful as well.

20. The Dragon Chronicles
Malcolm Sanders

A wizard's journal on the existence of dragons. Authenticity is complete with an old weathered-looking cover and paper made to look like parchment.

21. Paint Your Dragon
Tom Holt
Very funny in a black comedy kind of way. Basically it turns the idea of George and the dragon (good versus evil) on its head. The dragon is the good guy as are the demons on a busman's holiday from hell! Well worth a read on a dull sunday afternoon and a lot lighter than the normal dragon novels. After all, dragons are worth a smile.
- Recommended & reviewed by: Emma

22. Eragon
Christopher Paolini

* 23. Dragonology
Dr. Ernest Drake

Here's a very attractive encyclopaedia!

24. The Realm of The Gods
Tamora Pierce
In the fourth book of The Immortals Quartet, the main character Daine is in the Dragonlands. This installment follows Emperor Mage (book 3), Wolf-Speaker (book 2), and Wild Magic (book 1). The second book also features a basilisk.
- Recommended & reviewed by: Barbara Jordan

25. The Dragon Nimbus trilogy
Irene Radford

* 26. Dragons: The Greatest Stories (Hardcover)
Martin H. Greenberg (editor)

Features a spectrum of stories from Ray Bradbury, Anne McCaffrey, Mickey Zucker Reichert, etc.

27. Secret of the Dragon's Eye: Book One (Paperback)
Derek Hart
A tale of fantasy for all ages, with a high-spirited dragon named Thaddeus Osbert and three adolescents who befriend him. Faced with danger and intrigue, the children band together with the dragon, to thwart a German top-secret mission, aimed at seizing the mystical and magical sword of King Arthur—Excalibur.
[on Amazon.com]
- Recommended by: Bob Lenthart

28. Secret of the Dragon's Breath: Book Two (Paperback)
Derek Hart
Continues the adventures of 13-year olds Gavin Kane, Emily Scott, and Bunty Digby. Faced with danger and intrigue, the teens call upon their dragon friend to help them battle the Nazis, who are determined to win the war, no matter what the cost. With a terrible new force threatening their beloved England, it’s up to Gavin, Bunty, and Emily to seek out a magical solution.
[on Amazon.com]
- Recommended by: Bob Lenthart

* 29. Draconomicon
D&D Rules Builder Supplement
Andy Collins, James Wyatt, Skip Williams

Released in 2003, this book is an intensive focus on the dragons of the D&D world. There are statistics on dragons of every type and of every age. Luscious graphics throughout.

30. Society On Da Run (11/11/11)
Nipaporn Baldwin

Includes various stories about people during the Dragon's War, including a guide to the dragons of the Draconizica Empire (with their history, traits, weaponry, ships, government and more); a song guide to singing in the Dragon Language; poem-songs by the Dragon Gods; and hidden information at the end of the book!

31. The Dragon of Mith
Kate Walker

The Dragon Mith is a novel for children. This book has its villains, wicked deeds and nail-biting moments, but at heart it's a tale in which gentleness, understanding and good manners triumph. The book was first published in Australia in 1989 and was awarded second prize (an honour listing) in the Australian Children's Book of the Year Awards - Younger Readers.

Fantasy Illustration Books

These aren't fully on dragons, but are all good.

1. Drawing and Painting Fantasy Figures:
From the Imagination to the Page
Finlay Cowan
Art instruction manual focusing on fantasy figures.
Easy-to-follow and doesn't intimidate the newcomer to fantasy drawing and artwork.

2. Fantasy Workshop: A Practical Guide
Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell

3. Anatomy for Fantasy Artists: An Illustrator's Guide to Creating Action Figures and Fantastical Forms
Glenn Fabry

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