by Kristen B.

One of the hottest titles at the moment is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. It has Hunger Games energy, plus dragons! Violet, a young woman who expects to follow her deceased father into a scholarly life, is instead enrolled into the military academy by her mother, the general. From there, the story takes off into a school story, but with death of cadets an inevitable, acceptable outcome. On top of not wanting to be in the dragon academy, Violet has physical issues (which seem similar to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) that make it even more difficult for her to succeed. However, she does have a fair amount of stubbornness and unwillingness to die – gotta love her! The story only gets more complicated with conscripted children of a failed rebellion and ever-increasing military action at the country’s borders. I suspect there’s more going on here, but I will have to wait for answers until the next book in the series, which comes out in November.

Speaking of waiting – go ahead and get yourself on the list for Fourth Wing (print, e-book, or e-audiobook). In the meantime, here are more great books with dragons:

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
Pride and Prejudice, with dragons! This one leans more toward Austen and Regency romance than modern dystopian fantasy. It has everything: country houses, fights with monsters, terrible misunderstandings, class issues, and one true love. But, you know, with dragons. Aliza Bentaine, second of five sisters, resides at the family’s country estate of Merybourne Manor. A flock of wild gryphons has infested their land and, tragically, killed the youngest sister. Riders come to the rescue, and the rest follows from there. Reader, I devoured it – plus, there are sequels.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

Native Americans and colonization, with dragons! In this alternate timeline, the Viking explorations became permanent settlements of this continent, with a Spanish-equivalent nation to the south. In what maps to current-day New England, Anequs, a young Native woman, lives a traditional island lifestyle with her family, until a rare indigenous dragon lays an egg and the ensuing hatchling bonds with her. She is compelled to attend a dragon academy, which brings her in close contact with “regular society,” and not particularly subtle culture clashes ensue. Anequs, though, is determined to do what is best for herself and her dragon, as well as her family and friends, while actively avoiding assimilation.
Also available as an e-book.

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik (Temeraire series)

The Napoleonic wars, with dragons! Will Laurence is an officer and a gentleman serving in the Royal Navy when his ship captures a French frigate carrying important, secret cargo – a dragon egg! The dragon Temeraire chooses Will, causing him to leave the Navy and, for the most part, good society to become a member of the Aerial Corps along with his new charge. Class structures provide much of the drama, outside of the war raging across the continent. The subsequent political and military maneuvers are wonderfully entertaining, especially with Temeraire as the outsider who often needs to have things explained. The mystery of the dragon’s origins continue through this book and the next. Over the course of the series, Laurence and Temeraire travel the world, always looking to advance the cause and care of the intelligent, capable species of dragonkind.
Also available as an e-book and e-audiobook.

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons (Chorus of Dragons series)

Kitchen boy to … well, more … epic fantasy, with big, bad, scenery slaying dragons! This sprawling series takes on many standard tropes and has a lot of fun with them. Prophecy, immortal elves, scheming merchant families, named swords, battles for the throne, absent and all-too-present deities, and dragons combine in Jenn Lyons’ huge (finished!) series. Khirin is the main character, but not necessarily the hero, of a story that is the most recent chapter in a epic that spans millennia. A seeming orphan thief who lives in a brothel, Khirin’s life is turned upside down when he’s condemned to slavery and again when it seems he’s a lost scion of a noble house. The plot moves fast, and things are never quite as they appear. The stories are written as a sort of historical account, complete with dry, snarky footnotes. Discovering the “author” and the role he plays is part of the fun. Despite the doorstop size of the five volumes in this series, they move fast and require you to read carefully.
Also available as an e-audiobook.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).