Dragonsword
#10853.40 adjusted 3.78 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 1988–1992 Reading commitment Medium Gael Baudino Last reviewed 2026-11-06
Overview
The Dragonsword Trilogy is a portal fantasy by Gael Baudino. Dragonsword was first published by Lynx Omeiga Books in 1988; after Lynx closed, Roc Books took over the trilogy and reprinted it in 1991, publishing Duel of Dragons (1991) and Dragon Death (1992). Suzanne Helling, a young woman in 1980 Los Angeles, is pulled into Gryylth, a land that resembles fifth-century Roman Britain but whose people speak modern English. She becomes the warrior Alouzon Dragonmaster, chosen by the dragon Silbakor to succeed the land's protector. The conflict is a war against the Dremords, who use the Tree of Creation as a weapon. Later books involve the nation of Vaylle and moves between Gryylth and Los Angeles. The trilogy is complete and is a separate world from the author's Strands books.
Portal fantasy, Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Dragonsword Trilogy Gael Baudino
| Cover | Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dragonsword; Lynx Omeiga Books 1988; Roc reprint 1991. Wikipedia lists ISBN-10 1-55802-003-9. | 1988 | 1 | core | 3.41 (207 ratings) |
 | Duel of Dragons; Roc Books 1991 per its Wikipedia page; the Dragonsword page lists 1989. | 1991 | 2 | core | 3.44 (122 ratings) |
 | Dragon Death; Roc Books 1992; ISBN-10 0-451-45147-3. | 1992 | 3 | core | 3.34 (100 ratings) |
Suzanne Helling is drawn from 1980 Los Angeles into Gryylth and becomes the dragon-rider Alouzon.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Dragonsword? Dragonsword's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Dragonsword? Publication order, starting with Dragonsword. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Dragonsword finished? Complete (1988–1992).
- How much reading does Dragonsword take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Dragonsword ranked? #1085 in this site's official ranking, based on 429 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1085?
Ranked #1085 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.40 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (429 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Remarkably consistent across the whole series: all 3 rated core books rate within 0.10 of each other.
- 0.37 behind #1084, Brooklyn Brujas.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 3 books · Complete · 429 ratings · Ranks #1085 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length portal fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Dragonsword (1988)
- Duel of Dragons (1991)
- Dragon Death (1992)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Dragonsword and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Soldier Son Trilogy Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.54
- Amberlight Epic fantasy · Unfinished · Medium commitment · 3.52
- Farlander (Heart of the World) Grimdark / Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.50
- Fire of Heaven Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.42
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.40 across 429 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 14 universes from the candidate register (Devil's Isle to El dimoni abans de nosaltres); 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-06
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Dragonsword Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Duel of Dragons Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Dragon Death Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Gael Baudino Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-06
Rule: Core Canon = Dragonsword (1988), Duel of Dragons (1991), Dragon Death (1992). (the trilogy is complete)