The Dragon Jousters is a series of fantasy novels written by Mercedes Lackey. The books primarily follow the story of Vetch (or Kiron, from the second book onward), and center initially around a war between the neighboring countries of Alta and Tia, both of which use Dragon Jousters as their most powerful weapons. The books are based on the predynastic period of Ancient Egypt and (very loosely) the myth of Atlantis. This series began with a short story entitled "Joust" which was published in The Dragon Quintet (ISBN 076531035X). This short story was later expanded into the series with the first novel holding the same name and overall plot as the short story. In order, the novels are Joust (2003), Alta (2004), Sanctuary (May 2005), and Aerie (Oct 2006)