Forget ‘Game of Thrones,’ These Beloved Books Have the Best Dragons in Fantasy

Since the release of Game of Thrones in 2011, audiences around the world have become obsessed with the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise by George R. R. Martin. Though the show ended in one of the worst-received final seasons in television history, the franchise keeps people coming back thanks to its rich worldbuilding, gripping political intrigue, and stunning visuals, especially regarding the dragons. Two spin-offs have since come out: House of the Dragon, which focuses on a civil between House Targaryen that sees dragons burning entire armies, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, set many decades later, after the dragons are gone.

While iconic thanks to their size, bonds with their riders, and ties to magic, Martin’s dragons are far from the best in fantasy media, partially because Martin wanted the dragons to be more realistic, with only four limbs instead of six, and keeping their intelligence closer to animals than sentient, ancient creatures. Thus, they lack the presence and personality of dragons from J. R. R. Tolkien‘s Middle-earth, or the ancient majesty of the dragons of Ursula K. Le Guin‘s Earthsea. But another series has dragons that can stand alongside them in terms of their design and execution: Jennifer Rowe‘s (under pen name Emily Rodda) Deltora Quest.

What Are the Dragons of Deltora?

Image via Scholastic

The titular land of Deltora is part of a larger universe made up of Rowe’s other fantasy series, including Rowan of Rin, The Three Doors, and the sequel series Star of Deltora. It is notable for the seven different tribes of people who live on it, each of whom possesses a magic gemstone: a diamond, emerald, lapis lazuli, topaz, opal, ruby, and amethyst. Prior to Deltora’s unification under its first king, Adin, it was known as the Land of Dragons because of how many of the beasts lived there. They, too, were divided based on the seven tribes, resulting in unique visual distinctions, something further emphasized through illustrator Marc McBride‘s beautiful work, which not only gives the dragons vibrant colorations, but appearances that are inspired by marine life.

Like most fantasy series, the dragons of Deltora are sentient creatures, and their personalities vary based on their tribes. Topaz dragons are loyal and thoughtful; Ruby dragons are kind and good-natured; Opal dragons are meticulous and observant; Lapis Lazuli dragons are impulsive and eccentric; Emerald dragons are honorable and stubborn; Amethyst dragons are philosophical and wise; and Diamond dragons are aggressive and dutiful. Their diets are also different, such as Lapis Lazuli hunting vicious Sand Beasts from the Shifting Sands, Topaz hunting cruel gray-furred creatures called Granous who love to bite the fingers and toes off their victims, and Diamond grazing on Blood Lillies when they’re not hunting meat. The dragons have a unique identity compared to other franchises, feeling closer to distinct cultures of people while remaining powerful and ancient.

Deltora’s Dragons Are Woven Into the Bones of the World

Many times it is said that dragons are “of the land,” which the series demonstrates in two main ways: the first is physically. While dragons are sentient creatures, they feel more “natural” compared to other franchises. Their soft underbellies are a pale blue that blends into the sky, making them nearly impossible to see from the ground. The reason they kidnap maidens like in fairy tales is not to eat them, but because human hair makes for a great lining for their nests. They are solitary hunters whose territories overlap with other dragons of the same tribe, but socializing is reserved only for mates and their children. Even the way they speak to humans feels like an apex predator speaking to something far beneath them, but they don’t feel like killing unless angered. Winning a dragon’s trust is a very tricky thing; if they tell someone their name, it means they trust that person.

The other example is that their magical presence is tied directly to the land; dragons are an extension of Deltora itself. They cause the land to prosper, while their absence causes crops to fail and animals to reduce in number. They can tell at a glance what tribe a person belongs to, and can sense when things are off, such as disease or the presence of evil magic. In such cases, they try to destroy the source of corruption as quickly as possible, but know to show restraint if humans and non-human tribes of Deltora are caught in the crossfire.

Speaking of the tribes of Deltora, many of them have certain customs based around the dragons. The women of Broome in Ruby territory shave their heads to deter dragons from abducting them for their hair, while the warrior-like Jalis of the Diamond territory often seek out dragons as the ultimate challenge. Others, like the magical Torans of Amethyst territory, befriend dragons and enjoy philosophical conversations with them. Again, this lore helps the dragons feel like integral parts of the world rather than an arbitrary addition.

Deltora Quest Knows Not to Overuse Its Dragons

Image via Scholastic

With how much detail Rowe put into the dragons, you would think they are an ever-present force in the series. However, they are believed to be extinct by the time of the first book, The Forests of Silence. Most of the information about them comes from the in-universe writings of an explorer named Doran the Dragonlover, and is recorded in the companion book Secrets of Deltora. Dragons also feature prominently in the Tenna Birdsong Tales—a collection of myths gathered by a woman who could speak to birds—and the written history of Deltora, which are detailed in Tales of Deltora.

Of course, being believed to be extinct isn’t the same as actually being extinct. The longer the main series goes on, the more Rowe shifts from talking about the dragons in a mythological sense to a theoretical possibility. This approach mirrors how Martin handled the dragons in his first Ice and Fire novel, A Game of Thrones. Rowe isn’t as graphic in the return of her dragons as Martin is, but the result is no less magical. Like how Daenerys hatching her dragons comes at her lowest moment, the return of the dragons in Deltora Quest comes when the land is near its own breaking point. There is a clear shift in tone — not only does magic return to the world, but so too does hope.

Even once they appear, dragons do not dominate this story, an understandable trap that some franchises can fall into. After all, dragons are the most iconic creature in all of fantasy, and nearly every culture on Earth has its take on them. Naturally, authors want to get the most out of them to inject their world with more fantastical wonder. However, Rowe’s restraint in using the dragons sparingly ensures that they never feel mundane. They remain awe-inspiring manifestations of the will of Deltora itself that also serve as a physical representation of hope and renewal, presented in a more naturalistic way in terms of their culture and lifestyle. All these choices make Deltora’s dragons truly singular in the fantasy world, a crucial aspect of the saga’s lore and a natural evolution of the role they usually play in fantasy stories.