It is the beginning of the month so it is time for me to discuss some great books I have read. However, I am mixing things up a little bit from now on so instead of discussing great books I have read in the last month I am discussing great books that fit a certain theme or topic. My first choice was made to honor my blog name so I am discussing great books that feature dragons. However, that is rather broad category still as there are a lot of books that contain dragons so here are my specific criteria for my list. The dragons had to be central to the story in some way and they had to be at least semi-friendly. No evil or malevolent dragons on this list. There also had to be prominent characters that were not dragons, meaning there had to be characters that were a different race of some sort. It also had to be a series of books instead of a stand-alone so that it provided plenty of reading. The books also had to be sufficiently different that you could easily tell the difference between the series. I think I ended up with some good choices here and I hope that there is at least one series you are unfamiliar with as some of these are more popular than others.
My first choice is perhaps my favorite series of all time that contains dragons and it is also the only series on the list that is technically science-fiction. The Dragonriders of Pern is a science-fiction series written by the McCaffrey family. It was first written by Anne and then later her son Todd though her daughter Gigi has also contributed one novel in the series. The books take place far in the future on the planet Pern where humanity is routinely threatened by an organism known as Thread. A space-born organism that eats all organic matter and can only be stopped by fire or drowning. The humans that colonized Pern created a unique safeguard to protect the planet and the people that lived there by bio-engineering dragons. These dragons hatch and bond with human riders and they work together in groups known as weyrs to flame the thread right out of the sky. It may sound a little far-fetched but this series is by far one of the most well-developed and fleshed out depictions of dragons that I have seen in my extensive reading. One of the best parts about this series is that each book is a stand-alone story so you can read them in any order, in theory at least. Each one focuses on different characters and elements of the culture of Pern with only slight overlap at times so you end up with an incredibly well rounded portrayal of the planet, its culture and its people. All of them ones I have read so far are incredibly well written and thoroughly enjoyable to read. There is a reason is it one of my favorite series. I know it may not be as well-known now but in science-fiction circles they are extremely popular and have won numerous awards.
My second series is probably the most well-known of the series I have picked, at least in recent times anyway. It actually consists of several related series but it started with The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini but it has added books in The Tales of Alagaesia and the new series around Murtagh. I am referring to the Eragon franchise as you might have guessed. These books are in some ways similar to the Pern books in that the dragons are symbiotic with the other races as they hatch and bond with their riders. However, this is a fantasy series so those riders can be human but they can also be elves as well which creates a drastically different atmosphere for these books. They feel more magical in comparison. Much like the Pernese riders these riders do gain the use of telepathy to communicate with their dragons but both dragons and riders also have the ability to use magic, albeit in different capacities, so these riders gain other skills as well. These books are also one continuous story so you also need to read them in order to fully understand what is going on in each one. I feel like this series focuses more on the individual story of Eragon and his dragon Saphira so we get to really know him as a character. It creates a slightly more personal feel to the books. The world of Alagaesia in which these books take place is just as well developed and with just as rich a history so if you are looking for decent world-building either of these series would be suitable. Both of these series are great reads if drastically different in feel, genre, and plot though they retain some similar elements as well.
The third series I have picked fits my criteria I mentioned at the beginning but is also drastically different from the other two series in almost all regards. The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris D’Lacey is a fantasy series but it is a kids series and is meant for much younger readers than the other two. It is set in our world and is seemingly easily recognizable in many ways so readers will not have to become familiar with an entirely different culture. However, the dragons are what are drastically different for this series. Instead of having large full-size dragons that bond with other races in order to have a rider these are much smaller. The dragons in question, while technically alive in the loosest sense, are actually formed from clay and then brought to life with a fire tear. Not everyone can tell they are alive as they first have to believe they are alive. The dragons do bond with humans but not on a one-to-one basis and only some of them do so. Some of the dragons are what are called special dragons and they can bond with humans and in some ways actually communicate with them but it is not strictly telepathy like the other series depict. It is more like mild empathy and the sending of ideas or pictures instead of actual word based communication. As you might have gathered this also creates a different and unique feel to the series. Even more so when you also consider that each of the dragons are different as they each have different specialties such as guard dragons, listening dragons or writing dragons. Overall, an interesting and fascinating depiction of dragons that is a highly enjoyable, if slightly easy read, and a great way to while away an afternoon.
Each of these series are different in feel, age range of the readers, and in some cases genre all while containing beautiful and intriguing depictions of my favorite animal, dragons. While I have discussed my three favorite series that meet the criteria I mentioned I am also curious about what other people might have suggested for such a list. I hope that you will consider sharing your favorite series that would also have been suitable and perhaps I will publish an updated list in the future with more series based on your recommendations. Feel free to also share if you are familiar with these series and if so which ones.