If what drew you in was the purposeful trek—consulting the djinn for directions, dodging Nettlebrand’s agents like Twigleg, and crossing deserts and oceans to reach the Rim of Heaven—you’ll love the straight-ahead adventure of The Hobbit. Bilbo’s road from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain mirrors that same classic quest energy, with perilous stops (trolls, goblins, spiders) and a dragon waiting at journey’s end.

If you were moved by watching Ben find courage beside Firedrake—standing up to hunters, outsmarting dangers, and choosing loyalty even when Twigleg’s past comes to light—Percy’s first quest in The Lightning Thief hits the same notes. You’ll follow a kid discovering who he is under pressure, learning to trust his friends, and proving himself on a high-stakes journey.

If you loved how Dragon Rider keeps unveiling new wonders—Sorrel’s brownie lore, Twigleg’s peculiar origins, the sea serpent passage, the hidden valley of the Rim of Heaven—then The Neverending Story will enchant you with Fantastica’s sprawling lore. Like Ben stepping deeper into a world of myths, Bastian explores realm after realm where every creature and landscape feels vividly alive.

If the heart of Dragon Rider for you was Ben and Firedrake’s trusting partnership—choosing kindness over fear, outwitting danger with humor (Sorrel’s snarky asides included), and believing in a peaceful refuge—then How to Train Your Dragon will make you grin. Hiccup and Toothless fumble, learn, and ultimately prove that empathy can change even the fiercest traditions.

If the opening of Dragon Rider—dragons forced from their valley by human expansion and setting out to find the Rim of Heaven—stuck with you, this will resonate. A band of animals flees bulldozers to reach a sanctuary, facing threats and moral tests along the way, echoing Firedrake’s hope to protect his kind without becoming the monsters humans fear.