I'd certainly start with Dragonsbane, and the two sequels. Besides being down to earth about killing dragons, it's a great power struggle story. The dragonkiller is from the hinterlands, and is sort of treated in the Royal Court as a backwoods baron that has to be dealt with, but doesn't really have to be taken seriously.

The thing is, he knows all this full well, and uses that image to his advantage in lots of situations. So, besides practical dealing with magic, you also get a dose of clever court politicking.