I’ve adored dragons in media from a young age, whether it’s Toothless in Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon book series or Theoradus in Jessica Day George’s Dragon Slippers. Over the years that childhood interest has never really faded, and even as an adult attending university I’ve found numerous draconic titles to my liking in adult fiction as well.
In 2026, from the sheer constancy of dragons in children’s fiction and entire dragon-focused series now being available like Wings of Fire, I suspect there may be many other children and adults who feel the same way I do. Earlier this year, I wrote a review for When Dealing with Dragons by Dana Swift, which lit up that old spark about dragons in my brain. So in the interest of exploring the modern state of available draconic fiction, I’ve endeavored to put together this list of recent and upcoming book titles featuring my favorite fantasy creatures.
Call of the Dragon follows a girl named Moremi, who lives in the peaceful kingdom of Kwa guarded by two dragon gods. Her entire world is turned upside down when an ambitious king seeks to claim the dragon gods’ power for himself, as the now injured gods abandon the posts they’ve held against an evil shadow looming over Kwa. As all seems lost and Moremi is afraid she has no choice but to watch monsters descend on her loved ones, she makes a discovery about herself that will change her life forever—she has become magically connected to both dragon gods, and now, she’s the only hope Kwa has to restore them
This debut to a new young adult (YA) series came out earlier this February, and I want to highlight it for its fantastic use of African mythology in its world-building. For example, instead of horses, they have guiamalas which are like hybrids of camels and giraffes. Though the modern publishing industry is doing an amazing job uplifting the creative works of authors who choose to draw on unique influences, sometimes it’s hard to find works which showcase culture and mythology from around the world, so I was really excited to give this title a place on the list.
Umber is the youngest among his MudWing siblings, and is the smallest out of his brothers and sisters. But his role as the carefree younger brother is put in jeopardy when his sister becomes the catalyst of a disaster that has him on the run and struggling to find out how to be not just the youngest brother, but a guardian with responsibility. In the process of fleeing he meets the charming dragon Prince Mulberry, who introduces him to the Court of Refuge to live with dragons who are all on an island to escape their own pasts. But Umber and his sister’s new home isn’t the dream come true it appears to be, and he will have to navigate its mysteries along with his own feelings and his new role.
The Wings of Fire series started all the way back in 2012, but it’s still going strong today in 2026—this one is book 16 as of its publication in March, wow! Xenofiction is nostalgic for me, even if I don’t gravitate towards it often anymore, and Sutherland has turned this series into a flagship for dragon lovers to congregate under. The book also has LGBT representation in the romance between Umber and Mulberry, as unexpected a place as it seems to be to find it, so anyone interested in a new take on queer romance tropes should give it a try! (You can read a guide to the series here!)
Told from a dual point-of-view (POV) perspective, Fire to the Stars takes place in the kingdom of Florent—a place cursed by a recurring solar event called the Ignition which turns people into bloodthirsty dragon shapeshifters. Claire, a girl living on her own after the Ignition took her family away from her, is surviving in an organization of female thieves. Until she meets the only person who may be able to give back the family she lost.
That person is Abel, a dragon slayer who has lost his honor for conducting forbidden research and been banished by the Slayers Guild he once was a part of. Seeing that his research may be the key to changing everything, Claire hires Abel under a false premise. Held together by a lie, they each pursue their respective quests for redemption.
This one excited me because the shifter concept was actually integrated as an immovable piece in the world of Florent, with real consequences and morality that isn’t easily determined. I’m normally cautious of romantasy for the reputation it’s gained on social media in some niches, but looking at what Watchorn has built with both these characters and the world, I anticipate an explosive plot when the book comes out on August 4th this year!
This is a shorter list, but I hope it gives a range of options, from outright dragons, shifters, and draconic gods, for anyone who loves dragons to find a book to suit their taste.
Julia Smith, Pine Reads Review Writer and Editor