Turn a page in the Year of the Dragon with these reads

In Chinese culture, the dragon is regarded an auspicious, even divine creature. Symbolising power, honour, nobility, and good fortune, dragon motifs decorate sacred places and are worn by Chinese rulers of old. People born under the Chinese zodiac sign of the dragon are said to have qualities suited for leadership.

According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, so we thought we'd suggest some novels with a draconian connection. But some of you are still in the middle of Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean series, while others may not have gotten over their Game of Thrones hangover.

No fear, let's see what we got...

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Corgi
9780552553209

The first novel in The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini is the beginning of an adventure for farmboy Eragon, who finds a blue dragon egg he thinks is some shiny stone he can sell for food. The egg hatches, and Eragon bonds with the baby dragon and names it Saphira. When minions of the tyrannical King Galbatorix kills his uncle and burns down his farm, Eragon and Saphira embark on a quest for vengeance that will take him to places beyond imagining and place a heavy burden on his shoulders.

Eon by Alison Goodman
Firebird
9780142417119

Young Eon trains diligently to become a Dragoneye apprentice, a living conduit for the power of one of the dragons in his world. But the odds are stacked against Eon because he is actually a girl named Eona, who is also crippled, and women are forbidden from using dragon magic. Discovery of her true gender means death and trouble for those around her. But on the day the Dragoneye apprentices are chosen, Eona is picked by the rarest dragon. Is this a boon, or a bane?

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Del Rey
9780345484260

First published in 1968! The world of Pern is threatened every now and then by Threads that fall from the sky, which are capable of destroying all organic matter. For years the Dragonriders of Pern countered this threat, but it has been centuries since the Threads last fell and only a few Dragonriders remain. The bond forged between a queen dragon and a dispossessed noblewoman is timely as the Threadfall looms again, but might it already be too late?

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
Putnam
9781984816511

The first book in Munda's The Aurelian Cycle series, a brutal revolution ends an old regime and in its wake a new order arises. Two orphans, a commoner and a former aristocrat, train to become dragonriders and, despite their friendship, compete for the top spot in the dragonriding fleet. When war looms, stirred by remnants of the old regime, the two friends will be tested to their limits as their world is upended.

Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight
Ace
9780451463630

A dragon's coming-of-age story featuring Auron, a rare, scaleless grey dragon who is brutally introduced to the world when a band of dwarves breaks into his cave and kills his family, forcing him and a sister to flee. Captured by traders and then fleeing their ship, Auron travels the world, crossing paths with various creatures and races before embarking on a quest to find the so-called secret weakness of dragons that might help save him and his race.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Ember
9780375866227

As the 40-year anniversary of peace treaty between a human kingdom and a nation of dragons approaches, tensions remain high in both species. Here, dragons assume human form, serving as ambassadors, scholars, teachers, and more. Talented musician Seraphina Dombegh joins the royal court of the human kingdom, just as a member of the royal family is murdered. She finds herself working with the captain of the Queen's Guard to solve the crime, and while a peace between two lands is at stake, Seraphina has her own secret to protect.

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb
HarperCollins UK
9780061561658

In this novel, the first in The Rain Wild Chronicles, sea serpents cocoon themselves before evolving into dragons capable of flight, but for some reason many of this batch perish while the hatched survivors are either weak or misshapen, unable to fly. The Traders are honour-bound to support these creatures, but fearing a drain on their resources and what might happen if they cut off support, they send the dragons along with a band of misfits on a journey to an ancient city that might not even exist...

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder (illustrations by Mary GrandPré)
Yearling Books
9780385392310

This middle-grade novel sees Miss Drake, a 3,000-year-old dragon, acquiring a new "pet" in Winnie, the grandniece of her previous pet human. In a San Francisco where magical creatures are a normal sight, pet and master get acquainted. But a magical sketchbook sends both on a quest to fix things before Winnie's come-to-life drawings wreak more mayhem. While suited for younger readers, this book might be enjoyable for grown-ups too.

We hope our selections will keep you company this Chinese New Year, and beyond. Whether or not you're born under the sign of the dragon, we invite you to soar high and set your heart ablaze with your hopes and ambitions this year!