Dragon Books
Burning Stars
(Rurik Redwolf)
Burning Stars is a standout dragon series in a number of ways. First and foremost is the way that these books focus on medical trauma, disabilities, depression, war, and disease: weighty themes that give the series a real sense of purpose without feeling edgy or overdone. This is also one of the only dragon worlds I know of that features a combination of fantasy and sci-fi elements. There's plenty of advanced technology to be found in the world of Fatea, from cybernetics, to flying vehicles, to a dragon form of internet. These two aspects blend together almost seamlessly, and book 1 in particular (Ashen Dreams) establishes a lot of the worldbuilding that keeps you coming back for more. There are no humans at all in the world of Burning Stars, which is rare in fiction. I always count this as a bonus.
Burning Stars is somewhat less character-oriented than many of my other favorite dragon series, but it still has its share of likable ones. The main character, Virith, is a one dragoness army, and much of the supporting cast, including Zethra, Ilayda, Barasul, Serthal, are memorable in their own ways too. There's a certain creature we meet in Ashen Dreams who is fascinating to me on just a conceptual level, and while I won't name her here, I can't wait to see what happens with her as the series progresses.
The pacing throughout Burning Stars (and Ashen Dreams in particular) is great. Each book felt shorter to me than it actually was; there's always something going on to keep you invested. The battle scenes are bloody and painful, making you appreciate the brief moments of calm even more. I'm picky when it comes to endings (as you can tell from my other recommendations here) but for once I have no complaints about Burning Stars. Imagine that.
I do of course have a short list of other problems. These books were self-published, which led to a number of spelling and grammar issues slipping through the cracks. Ashen Dreams is the better book of the two, mostly due to it having more character development. Afterdark, being less than half the length of Ashen Dreams, is worth a read too, but it's more focused on pure action and plot.
I eagerly await the rest of this series. A must read for dragon fans.
Length: 524 pages (Ashen Dreams), 36 pages (Requiem), 247 pages (Afterdark). The next book in the series will be called Blackout.
Axtara
(Max Florschutz)
Axtara is the newest arrival in Elnacier: a small kingdom sitting on the edge of civilization, full of untapped potential. The green dragon hopes to set up her own bank there, but of course, things aren't going to be as easy as they seem at first.
Axtara is a series that sits firmly in the slice of life category. These books are rarely concerned with big battles or world-changing magic (at least not yet), and are instead on the cozier side of things, looking at the everyday troubles a banking dragon and her human friends face.
The main dragon herself, Axtara, is a lovable character, and you can't help but get excited with her whenever one of her banking deals goes through. She's obsessed with banking, and a math nerd too, but under it all she has a good heart and she cares about the kingdom of Elnacier and its people. Equally lovable is the other main character of the series, Mia the human princess, and she plays an important role in the overarching story as well. The two of them make a great team.
The writing style of Axtara can be a bit slow and repetitive at times, but aside from that, this is one of my favorite dragon series out there. I'd recommend it most to slice of life fans.
Length: 314 pages (book 1), 484 pages (book 2). Book 3 should be releasing in the near future.
Wings of Fire
(Tui T. Sutherland)
Given this series' popularity, there's a good chance you've heard of it before. Different dragon tribes, travelling the world, saving dragonkind, etc.
Wings of Fire does have some serious issues when it comes to its worldbuilding and overall writing. Animus magic created thousands of plot holes due to a lack of rules in the magic system, the ending of each arc felt rushed (especially arc 3), several characters didn't get the time they needed to develop (Winter for example), and the series uses annoying tropes like characters instantly falling in love. WoF doesn't always work. When it does, though, this series can work very well.
One of the best things about WoF is its characters. There are so many lovable dragons in these books: Glory, Starflight, Turtle, Qibli, Thorn, Fathom & Indigo, Blue, Cricket, Swordtail, Sundew & Willow, Snowfall, and more. These dragons' stories are told in ways that are both easy to follow and hard to forget. It's the simple pleasures sometimes, and WoF delivers in terms of a straightforward and enjoyable kid's series with heavier topics in it that an adult can appreciate too. Arc 3 is my favorite of the bunch, even after the disappointing final book. I find the worldbuilding in Pantala to be one of the most interesting things in all of WoF; the hives and insect/plant inspired dragons stand out to me much more than the elemental dragons in the first 2 arcs. And, as I mentioned earlier, I like most of the characters in this arc.
Book 16 is a mixed bag.
Length: Currently WoF has 16 mainline books of varying lengths, 2 side books, 5 short stories, and several graphic novel adaptations. It's a real journey if you want to start from the beginning!
Wildhearts of the Kin
(David Scheglov)
The newest series on this list, Wildhearts is an adventure story that reminds me a bit of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. Dragons in the world of Wildhearts can train to become Guardians. Guardians protect other dragons, explore the land, and eliminate monsters, and they come in various forms, with "ruin runner" being the most coveted and dangerous job in the field.
The main dragon, Firflaert (what a name), is an interesting and sometimes all too relatable protagonist when it comes to his stubbornness and poor decision making skills. One important theme in Wildhearts is taking responsibility for your mistakes, and I found the overall plot to be both well intentioned and well focused on its goals. This book definitely didn't feel as long as it was, as the pacing was mostly even aside from a few middle chapters. Locations are detailed (maybe even too detailed - at the same time, this felt like an intentional part of Fir's character), and the world has a good sense of charm and mystery to it as you move between locations. Book 1 ends with plenty of unanswered questions, but this makes me want to read a sequel more than anything else, and that's a good sign.
There are some spelling/grammar mistakes and plot holes in here, but none of them ruin the overall experience. One of the central themes listed on the store page is "religion", and while this book did touch on the topic a few times, I felt like it wasn't as prominent as the other themes about mistakes and finding your place in the world. I'll be keeping an eye out on how Screaming-Wilds in particular fits into the larger storyline as this series progresses, and you bet I'll be picking up book 2 when it drops.
Length: 570 pages (Memories of the Void).
Silver, Sand, and Silken Wings
(Heiko Ehlers)
Sylph, a young dragon, has been searching for answers about her past, and she grows increasingly frustrated when the people around her seem to be hiding the truth. Eventually the dragon and her human friend, Brandon, decide to go on a journey to uncover answers for themselves.
Silken Wings didn't exactly stand out to me at first, but in the end it's a well-rounded adventure story about finding your own path in life and not letting the past drag you down. Sylph is quite the strong personality, and the series makes great use of the desert setting that takes up a large portion of the first book. There are several spelling and grammar errors throughout book 1, but it's not too bad.
Book 2 is an improvement over the first overall, although I did find myself getting a bit annoyed at the amount of innuendo and lewd jokes in it. The 4 main dragons work well together, and I was pleasantly surprised by the some of the connections that formed by the end of the book. If you've read it, you know exactly who I'm talking about!
Bonus points to this series for introducing the word "pfod" into my vocabulary.
Length: 488 pages (Silver, Sand, and Silken Wings), and 568 pages (Sapphire Stars and Sandstone Hearts).
Upon Wings of Change
(Crystal Scherer)
Humanity has been wiped out by aliens, and the only survivors are a group of people who were kidnapped by scientists and transformed into dragons. These people retain their memories and human brains, but new instincts also take over their unfamiliar, scaly bodies. The dragons now have to figure out a way to coexist with the aliens that have colonized Earth before things potentially get even worse for their kind.
Creative premise aside, Upon Wings of Change is a slice of life story which looks at the unusual but endearing relationship that can form between bonded pairs. The two main characters, Tasha and Taureen, work surprisingly well together, and I think the story starts to get very interesting as soon as the creatures known as sicora are introduced to the world.
The biggest downside to Upon Wings of Change is the ending: I think it missed the mark badly when it comes to the themes of bonded pairs and the sicora. The beginning of the book is also scatterbrained, and I almost dropped it entirely before we got to the good parts. As a whole, however, this is a relaxed and enjoyable slice of life read. It stands out as being one of the most unique dragon stories I've found so far.
Length: 386 pages.
Royal Red
(K. C. Shaw)
The third slice of life book on this list, Royal Red is a short standalone story about an artist dragon named Rose who journeys across the lands looking for inspiration for her paintings.
My favorite aspect about Royal Red is how the book looks at aging vs youth and rich vs poor. There's a particular side character named Beryl who I found to be both sympathetic and memorable despite her only showing up for a brief period of time, and the middle portion of Royal Red is especially worth a read due to its focus on the aforementioned themes.
I do wish this book had been longer, or at least more centered around one specific location. Rose doesn't like to spend too much time in one place, so I feel like we only got a taste of the larger world and characters that could've been. Regardless, Royal Red is a cozy and easily re-readable book, and an ideal pick for travelers and/or artists who also love dragons.
Length: 194 pages.
(Note that Royal Red is 18+ only, as it contains a short sex scene. The book itself warns you about this before it begins, but I figured I should mention it here too.)
Honorable Mentions:
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Dragon Prayers (MJ McPike) - A sad story about dragons who are raised as slaves under the hands of humans and elves. While not my absolute favorite dragon book out there, I like this one's choice of perspective, and I especially like its main character, Iniki. The author seems to have disappeared off the face of the internet, unfortunately, so it's unknown if we'll ever get a sequel.
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The Dragon's Call (Peter Dressler) - Part of me wants to recommend this book, and another part of me is very much against it. The Dragon's Call is a combination of frustrating, disgusting, interesting, and unforgettable all at the same time. It's the strangest dragon book I know of, and I've re-read it several times already. As you can tell, I have very conflicted feelings about this one. Read it if you never want to look at dandelions the same way again (seriously).