Which mythical creature dominates fantasy books? In terms of non-humanoid ones, dragons take first place. But as fascinating as stories written about them are, what about those featuring griffins?
If you’d like to know what fantastic novels feature these feathered, sharp-beaked creatures, you’ve come to the right place.
Here are five gripping fantasy books with griffins to read:
- The Captive Flame by Richard Lee Byers
- The Last Flight by Liane Merciel
- Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce
- The Lost Heir by E.G. Foley
- Orphan’s Song by Gillian Bronte Adam
I’ve included books descriptions, ratings and summaries of what readers said below. In addition, here’s a comparison chart of all these stories side-by-side.
The Captive Flame by Richard Lee Byers
Description
Aoth and his band of mercenaries, the Brotherhood of the Griffin, are hired to put a stop to a disturbing series of ritualistic killings.
While they manage to defeat the perpetrators, Aoth can’t seem to shake the feeling that there’s more to these mysterious murders than meets the eye.
Still, he resists the urge to investigate. After all, it’s just business. Until an assassin’s knife almost finds a home between his shoulder blades, and Aoth finds himself tangled in a lethal web of intrigue.
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.11
Most Common Rating: 5
Positive Comments
First on our list of fantasy books with griffins is The Captive Flame. This thrilling fantasy story captured readers’ attention with its fast pace and engrossing twists and swerves. Once picked up, readers said, they found themselves flying through the pages to the end of the book.
Overall, while readers commented that the story doesn’t have ‘breakthrough’ elements, per se, but is a delightfully quick and entertaining read.
Negative Comments
So what did readers who didn’t enjoy The Captive Flame say? In general, critics commented that the story is a decent ‘hack-and-slash’ adventure, but not phenomenal.
For reasons why, some cited its characters, which they described as not particularly memorable characters.
Others, though, said that the story’s pacing was uneven. At times it seemed too slow, while at the other times it seemed too rushed. Because of this, some critics described the story as disjointed or seeming to jump around.
The Last Flight by Liane Merciel
Description
The Grey Wardens are heroes across Thedas once again: the Archdemon has been defeated with relative ease and the scattered darkspawn are being driven back underground. The Blight is over.
Or so it seems.
Valya, a young elven mage recently recruited into the Wardens, has been tasked with studying the historical record of previous Blights in order to gain insight into newly reported, and disturbing, darkspawn phenomena.
Her research into the Fourth Blight leads her to an encoded reference scrawled in the margins of an ancient map, and to the hidden diary of Issenya, one of the last of the fabled griffon riders.
As the dark secrets buried in Isseyna’s story unfold, Valya begins to question everything she thought she knew about the heroic Grey Wardens…
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
Most Common Rating: 4
Positive Comments
Next on our list of fantasy books with griffins is The Last Flight, a novel set in the Dragon Age universe.
Fans reported that readers didn’t need to be familiar with Dragon Age to enjoy the book. Instead, they praised the story’s dark fantasy atmosphere, its intriguing portrayal of griffins and their bond with their riders, and the story’s tragic anti-hero protagonist.
Isseya struck readers as a compelling character who was easy to empathize with – even when her ‘ends justifies the means’ mentality caused her to act ruthlessly.
Others said that the story overall moved them, broke their hearts, and even made them think. The story seemed to examine how desperation shapes people for good or for ill, as well as how effective (or not) ruthlessness is in the most dire situations.
Negative Comments
If readers didn’t enjoy The Last Flight, they had a few reasons. Several neither expected nor liked the tragic direction the story headed. Because of this, these readers reached the end of the novel upset and depressed.
Other readers, however, mentioned that they couldn’t connect with the characters. Because they didn’t feel attached to the cast, they didn’t feel invested in the characters’ victories or defeats. As a result, the story fell flat.
Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce
Description
Jan, the prince of the unicorns, is high-spirited, reckless – and the despair of his mighty father, Korr.
Reluctantly, Korr allows Jan to accompany the other initiate warriors on a pilgrimage. Soon Jan’s curiosity leads him, along with his friend Dagg, and their mentor, the female warrior Tek, into the greatest dangers – deadly gryphons, sly pans, wyverns, pards, and renegade unicorns.
Yet time after time they are rescued, leading Jan to wonder: Am I the heir to a special destiny?
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.14
Most Common Rating: 5
Positive Comments
Birth of the Firebringer is next on our list of fantasy books with griffins. To clarify, the griffins in this book are the antagonists, while unicorns are the protagonists.
Written with lavish and evocative prose, this novel powerfully brought its story to life for readers. Readers consistently praised the book for how beautifully its mythic world, characters and plot were crafted.
Other readers enthused over the storyline. They described the book as rife with twists and an electric pacing. Once they started reading, they found themselves charging through the pages until the very end.
Negative Comments
What did critics of Birth of the Firebringer say? They had two general reasons why they didn’t enjoy the story.
The first was that Birth of the Firebringer struck them as more of a prequel to a story than the story itself. In particular, these readers mentioned that because the book ends on a cliffhanger, they felt that it didn’t have a satisfying conclusion.
Others expressed disappointment that Birth of the Firebringer portrays unicorns without magical abilities. To these readers, this strayed too far from what appealed to them about unicorns in the first place.
The Lost Heir by E.G. Foley
Description
Jake is a scrappy orphaned pickpocket living by his wits on the streets of Victorian London. Lately he’s started seeing ghosts, and discovers he can move solid objects with his mind! He has no idea why.
Next thing he knows, a Sinister Gentleman and his minions come hunting him. On the run for his life, Jake is plunged headlong into a mysterious world full of magic and deadly peril. A world that holds the secret to who he really is: the long-lost heir of an aristocratic family-with magical powers!
But with treacherous enemies closing in, it will take all of his wily street instincts and the help of his friends – both human and magical – to solve the mystery of what happened to his parents, and defeat the foes who never wanted the Lost Heir of Griffon to be found…
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.15
Most Common Rating: 5
Positive Comments
Another fantasy book with griffins that readers loved was The Lost Heir. This fantasy book is ostensibly written for tweens and teens, but had many adult readers as fans.
These readers described The Lost Heir as a riveting, fast-paced book with lovable characters. In particular, its main character, Jake, struck them as humorous and noble – someone that they could root for and admire. In fact, even critics agreed that Jake and the character cast were a highlight.
Others mentioned that the novel reminded them of the Harry Potter series. For these readers, this was a treat because the Harry Potter books were some of their favorite stories.
Negative Comments
In contrast, critics of The Lost Heir tended to focus on the story’s similarity to the Harry Potter series. To them, the commonalities stood out to much: the story seemed unoriginal and standard.
Others thought there were too many magical concepts in the book. Some commented that the elements didn’t mesh together. However, others seemed to suggest that because there were so many, the individual elements came across as underdeveloped instead of wondrous or intriguing.
Orphan’s Song by Gillian Bronte Adam
Description
Her solo is a death sentence.
Deep within the world of Leira flows a melody that was sung at the beginning of time by Emhran, the Master Singer. Now it is broken, buried, forgotten. But in each generation, a Songkeeper arises to uphold the memory of the Song against those who want it silenced forever.
When Birdie first hears the Song coming from her own mouth, her world shatters. She is no longer simply an orphan but the last of a hunted people.
Forced to flee for her life, she must decide whom to trust – a traveling peddler, a streetwise thief, or a mysterious creature who claims to know her past.
With enemies at her heels and war threatening to tear her homeland apart, Birdie soon discovers an overwhelming truth: the fate of Leira may hinge on one orphan’s Song.
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.26
Most Common Rating: 5
Positive Comments
Last on our list of fantasy books with griffins is Orphan’s Song. This novels’ fans praised it as a fun read for younger readers in particular (the main characters are 13 and 14). They also described the character’s inner journey and growth as sweet, moving and inspiring.
Negative Comments
On the other hand, readers who didn’t rate Orphan Song highly commented that the story had unanswered questions by the end, even for a first book in a trilogy.
5 Gripping Fantasy Books With Griffins to Read Today
How Do These Fantasy Novels Compare?
5 Gripping Fantasy Books With Griffins to Read Today
- The Captive Flame by Richard Lee Byers
- The Last Flight by Liane Merciel
- Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce
- The Lost Heir by E.G. Foley
- Orphan’s Song by Gillian Bronte Adam
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