Book containing Dragon riders, boy from fishing town, wizard earns staff

[synic]

Hey guys.

Im in desperate need of help finding a book and its driving me insane lol.

I remember the book being vaguely about dragon riders (mainly towards the end) but the major part of the story involves a boy from a fishing town who
goes to a large city to train to be maybe a wizard of some sort to earn a staff and to go about the country. There is also a slave race involved who he befriends. There is also a women he falls in love with and one of the invading race who is captured. They all end up going across some mountains too find the last dragon rider.

There is also an invading army that i think use red hot air balloons to invade (may not be true but might help anyway)

I remember the cover being a green dragon over a valley (may also not be right haha)

Sorry to be so vague. Thanks in advance for any help.
Anything that sounds vaguely like this please let me know

 

[antiloquax]

Could it be one of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series? I haven't read them, but it sounds close.

The Clute / Nicholls SF Encylopedia also mentions Jack Vance's The Dragon Masters and Avram Davidson's Rogue Dragon.

 

[ashewyntr]

It's not Pern. Dragons are integral to the society.
Could it be the Dragon Jousters series?

 

[synic]

Nah neither of those.

If i remember correctly the book is a standalone and sort of like a coming of age type book. Dragons arent the central part of the story and more toward the end.

 

[Montero]

Any idea of when it was you read it? Five years, ten years ago?

 

[synic]

3 years ago perhaps. It was a large book, Not a kids book.

But im sure it is an older book

 

[Kylara]

It sounds a little like The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari but that is a children's book and doesn't fit all of what you can remember...I'll have a look and think through my dragon books...

 

[synic]

I dont know if it is a Dragon book per say. I remember there being dragons in it. More like animals. But its more towards the end of the book. But i cant remember any key plots besides what i have described and i cant remember names :\

One other thing i remember is that some of the slave race are allowed to leave and cross a border when they are either old enough or have done enough service. Something along those lines anyway. And the protagonist eventually goes across that border.

The people in the main city take a hostage from the invading country who loses his memory and is befriended by the protagonist. Who along with the love interest eventually become dragon riders. The invading army is also very 'samurai' style strict rules and code of honor.

So much is flooding back but noone seems to have any idea >.<

 

[dwndrgn]

Eragon maybe?

 

[Rodgie]

Could it possibly be one of the Karen Miller stories? Not all the parts match up but it seems very similar, Prodigal Mage or one of those?

 

[jastius]

is it one of the janny wurts ones?

 

[Westpoint]

Raymoned E First Magician?