Top Fantasy Books With Elves and Dragons to Read

Are you looking for fantasy books with elves and dragons? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are six great fantasy books with elves and dragons to read:

Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
The Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
The Dragonstone by Dennis L. McKiernan
Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

For a comparison of these novels side-by-side, here’s a chart.

Dragon Champion by E.E Knight

Description

High in the mountains, deep in the safety of a cave, a brood of dragons is born. The four young ones are among the last of a dying breed — the last hope for dragons’ survival.

But hope shatters when a murderous group of slave-trader dwarves breaks into the cave, leaving a wake of death and destruction…

Only young Auron, a rare, defenseless gray dragon, manages to escape. Armed with nothing but his claws and a boundless determination to survive, he sets off in search of his kind.

But to find other dragons — or, at least, find out who’s killing them off — Auron will have to search a world of mercenary elves, vicious humans, and dangers of all kinds.

Finding allies in the strangest places — and finding himself along the way — Auron is about to make the trek of a lifetime.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.98

Most Common Rating: 4

Positive Comments

First on our list of fantasy books with elves and dragons is Dragon Champion, a coming of age tale told from the perspective of a dragon. While this story includes elves, the main focus is definitely on Auron, Dragon Champion‘s scaled protagonist.

Readers characterized this as an action-filled story that adult fantasy readers and young adult readers would find delightful. They praised the story’s portrayal of Auron’s point of view, which several described as fascinating.

Unlike stories where the non-human characters come across as human in all but name, Auron has a perspective that comes across as inhuman.

Negative Comments

On the other hand, readers who didn’t enjoy Dragon Champion cited the on-going violence as a negative. Several of these readers felt there was too much brutality overall, but others focused on how much of it came from the hands of the protagonist.

For instance, the first chapter features the protagonist hatching – and then killing his siblings. Readers described the rest of the story’s tone as the same. It made the story’s antagonists disconcertingly justified and Auron seem like a cold-blooded killer.

Other readers, though, said that the fight scenes were so frequent that they lost their impact. Instead of inspiring excitement, the action-oriented moments lulled them into apathy.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Description

Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart.

They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then.

Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.

No one expected them to be heroes.

Least of all, them.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.99

Most Common Rating: 5

Positive Comments

Next on our list of fantasy books with elves and dragons is Dragons of Autumn Twilight. This book is considered a fantasy classic and many readers warmly recalled how much it drew them into the fantasy genre in their childhood.

Readers who reviewed it positively often said that Dragons of Autumn Twilight is the best of traditional fantasy done right. Every traditional trope readers loved – whether in plot, character type or setting – was here in great form. A common thread in their comments was how attached they grew to the characters, who all had different aspects for these readers to connect to them.

Fans also praised Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman for creating an uplifting, hope-filled and clean fantasy. Many current fantasy books lean toward a cast of anti-hero protagonists, grim tone and detailed violence. As such, these readers appreciated the different angle the story took.

Negative Comments

Readers overwhelmingly gave Dragons of Autumn Twilight a 5 star rating. Given that, what dragged readers’ overall rating down to a 3.99?

As you might expect, the ‘traditional fantasy’ aspect was exactly what grated on critics. Dragons of Autumn Twilight was written 1984, where the traditional fantasy tropes the book uses were fresh. By now though, the same character types, plot lines and world are prolific in the fantasy genre. All of these elements were painfully familiar to these readers.

Even details that would normally flesh out the characters and give them surprising depth are by now common. As such, these readers perceived the characters as bland stereotypes and just couldn’t grow attached to them.

In the end, these readers recommended the book for younger readers who would be unfamiliar with the fantasy genre.

The Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

Description

This is the story of Shana, a halfbreed born of the forbidden union of an Elvenlord father and a human mother.

Her exiled mother dead, she was rescued and raised by dragons, a proud, ancient race who existed unbeknownst to elven or humankind.

From birth, Shana was the embodiment of the Prophecy that the all-powerful Elvenlords feared. Her destiny is the enthralling adventure of a lifetime.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.95

Most Common Rating: 4

Positive Comments

Next on our list of fantasy books with elves and dragons is The Elvenbane. This coming of age story gripped readers with its believable characters and nuanced characterization.

Fans remarked that the characters, which include those from various age groups and species, were all unique. Moreover, as they interact with their world, they grew and learn from one another.

Paired with this, fans often said that the story’s world-building was intricate and rich. Not only was it immersive by itself, but seeing the characters interact with it made both the cast and the world wonderfully complex.

Negative Comments

If readers didn’t enjoy The Elvenbane, what did they say? Critics tended to have a common reason: the book’s pace. Several of them mentioned that it was slow and not much happened, plot-wise.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Description

One boy…
One dragon…
A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter.

But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power.

With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders?

The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.89

Most Common Rating: 5

Positive Comments

Next up is Eragon by Christopher Paolini. While its includes elves and a dragon, the book’s main focus is on Eragon, the titular human character, and dragon Saphira.

This epic story is known for taking beloved fantasy elements and mixing them into a swashbuckling, dragon-filled adventure.

Readers appreciated that much of what they loved seeing in fantasy books featured in this epic: supernatural abilities, sword-fighting, dragon riders, prophecies, elves, hidden realms and of course, the hero pitted against a seemingly invincible empire.

Readers said that Eragon swept them away into the world of Alagaësia and its many interesting characters. They often commented that fans of Lord of the Rings would find elements to this story that they’d enjoy.

Negative Comments

Unfortunately, the same reason that fans loved this fantasy book was the same reason that critics didn’t: the familiar tropes.

Its similarities to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars frustrated critics. Whereas ‘Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars with dragons’ delighted fans, these readers thought that Eragon was too predictable for their taste.

Because of this, several commented that the book might be better suited for first-time fantasy readers.

The Dragonstone by Dennis L. McKiernan

Description

For as long as she can remember, the Elven Lady Arin has been besieged by visions from the past — or the future.

But none has ever left her so shaken as the one that foretells the fall of Mithgar: images of raging dragons and brutal legions laying waste to everything in their path signifying a devastating war that will threaten the land.

There is more to the prophecy than a warning — riddles within the vision that Arin must decipher if she is to prevent the forthcoming destruction.

And it will take a journey across countless leagues — connected to a relic of immense power known as the Dragonstone — to find the answers to Mithgar’s salvation…

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.89

Most Common Rating: 4

Positive Comments

Last on our list of fantasy books with elves and dragons is The Dragonstone. This novel features many of the aspects of classic fantasy that fans loved: elves, dragons and mages, as well as epic quests.

Fans consistently highlighted the character cast as one of their favorite parts of the story, describing both the main and supporting characters as easy to enjoy and delightful to follow. These readers praised the book for its heartwarming friendships, romances and adventure.

Others mentioned that they appreciated that The Dragonstone is free of graphic content, and generally would make a good read for teen readers or those newer to the fantasy genre.

Negative Comments

If readers didn’t enjoy The Dragonstone, they generally focused on the romantic pairings.

Critics often commented that they struck them as unconvincing. However, since several couples formed throughout the book, it later began to seem overly convenient or outright forced.

Other critics focused on the book’s similarity to The Lord of the Rings, and thought it was too standard a fantasy tale.

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

Description

To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. But though his courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, he was ill at ease with the normal ways of wizardry.

Yet Pug’s strange sort of magic would one day change forever the fates of two worlds. For dark beings from another world had opened a rift in the fabric of spacetime to being again the age-old battle between the forces of Order and Chaos.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 4.17

Most Common Rating: 5

Positive Comments

Last on our list of fantasy books with elves and dragons is Magician: Apprentice. Like several of the prior stories, this novel includes classic fantasy creatures, settings and quests.

Fans mentioned that this book had everything they loved about traditional fantasy while exploring those elements more deeply. However, it also had enough twists to the overall tale that the book didn’t feel over-familiar.

In addition, fans praised the book for its excellent characters and the different fantasy cultures. They immediately connected to all the characters in the cast, whether they be elves, dwarves, or dragons. Experiencing the characters’ coming-of-age stories was a treat, as was walking with them as they explored their world and weathered its turbulent politics.

Overall, fans said that Magician: Apprentice was an highly enjoyable classic fantasy, with many feel- good moments. A few commented that, given how many grimdark fantasy books there are, it was refreshing to immerse themselves in this uplifting story and spend time with its upstanding characters.

Negative Comments

What did critics dislike about Magician: Apprentice? Mostly, these readers’ remarks focused on the book’s The Lord of the Rings influence or overall use of standard fantasy tropes. Whether it was the characterization of the main characters, the personalities of the fantasy creatures, or the locations in the story, the similarities came across too strongly to them.

Other critics focused on the characters themselves. Several of them mentioned that they either didn’t seem developed or that they were developed by narration rather than through character-defining actions or dialogue.