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Book Series Reading Order

Find the correct reading order for 50+ popular book series. Search by title, author, or genre.

Starting a new book series and not sure where to begin? Our reading order tool covers 50+ popular series across fantasy, thriller, romance, sci-fi, and more. Each entry includes publication order, chronological notes, and direct links to buy the books.

54 series found — click any series to see the full reading order

ThrillerOngoing

Jack Reacher

by Lee Child & Andrew Child

Former military police officer Jack Reacher drifts across America, stumbling into trouble and dispensing rough justice.

28 books19972023
Historical RomanceOngoing

Outlander

by Diana Gabaldon

WWII nurse Claire Randall travels through time to 18th-century Scotland, where she falls in love with Highland warrior Jamie Fraser.

9 books19912021
FantasyComplete

Discworld

by Terry Pratchett

A flat world balanced on four elephants standing on a giant turtle, home to witches, wizards, a cynical police force, and Death himself.

41 books19832015
FantasyComplete

Harry Potter

by J.K. Rowling

An orphan discovers he's a wizard and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he must confront the dark wizard who killed his parents.

7 books19972007
Fantasy RomanceOngoing

A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)

by Sarah J. Maas

A mortal huntress is dragged into a magical land of faeries, where she discovers powers, love, and threats beyond imagination.

5 books20152021
FantasyComplete

Throne of Glass

by Sarah J. Maas

An assassin competes in a deadly tournament to win her freedom, uncovering ancient magic and a world-ending threat.

8 books20142018
Historical RomanceComplete

Bridgerton

by Julia Quinn

Eight siblings of the Bridgerton family each find love in Regency-era London, filled with wit, scandal, and society intrigue.

8 books20002006
FantasyOngoing

A Song of Ice and Fire

by George R.R. Martin

Noble families wage war for control of the Iron Throne while an ancient enemy stirs beyond a massive wall of ice in the north.

5 books19962011
FantasyOngoing

The Stormlight Archive

by Brandon Sanderson

On a world of stone and storms, ancient knights with magical armor must return to face a desolation that destroyed civilization millennia ago.

4 books20102020
FantasyOngoing

Mistborn

by Brandon Sanderson

In a world of ash and mist ruled by an immortal tyrant, a street thief discovers she has rare magical abilities.

7 books20062022
FantasyComplete

The Wheel of Time

by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

A young man from a remote village discovers he may be the Dragon Reborn, prophesied to save or destroy the world.

14 books19902013
Science FictionComplete

Dune

by Frank Herbert

On the desert planet Arrakis, a young nobleman must navigate political intrigue, religious prophecy, and ecological wonder.

6 books19651985
FantasyComplete

The Lord of the Rings

by J.R.R. Tolkien

A humble hobbit must carry a ring of immense power to the fires of Mount Doom to prevent the Dark Lord Sauron from conquering Middle-earth.

4 books19371955
FantasyComplete

The Chronicles of Narnia

by C.S. Lewis

Children discover a magical land through a wardrobe, embarking on adventures in a world of talking animals, mythical creatures, and the great lion Aslan.

7 books19501956
DystopianComplete

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

In a dystopian nation, a teenage girl volunteers to fight to the death in an annual televised competition, sparking a revolution.

4 books20082020
DystopianComplete

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago divided into five factions based on virtues, a girl discovers she doesn't fit into any single group.

3 books20112013
FantasyComplete

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

by Rick Riordan

A teenager discovers he's the son of a Greek god and must navigate a world where ancient mythology is very much alive.

5 books20052009
DystopianComplete

The Maze Runner

by James Dashner

A teenager wakes in a mysterious glade surrounded by an ever-changing maze, with no memory of who he is.

3 books20092011
ThrillerOngoing

Alex Cross

by James Patterson

Washington D.C. detective and psychologist Alex Cross hunts the most dangerous criminals in America.

33 books19932004
Crime ThrillerOngoing

Millennium (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

by Stieg Larsson & David Lagercrantz

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander investigate corruption, violence against women, and conspiracies in Sweden.

6 books20052019
FantasyComplete

Cradle

by Will Wight

In a world where martial artists cultivate supernatural power, the weakest boy in his clan begins a journey to become the strongest.

12 books20162023
FantasyComplete

The First Law

by Joe Abercrombie

A grimdark fantasy world where a barbarian, a crippled torturer, and a vain nobleman are drawn into war and political machination.

10 books20062021
FantasyOngoing

The Kingkiller Chronicle

by Patrick Rothfuss

A legendary figure tells the true story of his life from talented young musician to the most notorious wizard of his age.

2 books20072011
FantasyComplete

Red Queen

by Victoria Aveyard

In a world divided by blood — silver-blooded elites with superpowers and red-blooded commoners — a Red girl discovers she has abilities of her own.

4 books20152018
FantasyComplete

Shadow and Bone (Grishaverse)

by Leigh Bardugo

A mapmaker discovers a power that could unite her war-torn country in a world inspired by Tsarist Russia, where elite soldiers wield magical abilities.

6 books20122019
FantasyComplete

The Dark Tower

by Stephen King

The last gunslinger pursues the Man in Black across a post-apocalyptic landscape toward the Dark Tower, the nexus of all realities.

8 books19822012
ThrillerOngoing

Women's Murder Club

by James Patterson

Four professional women in San Francisco — a detective, a medical examiner, a reporter, and a lawyer — solve crimes together.

24 books20012011
FantasyComplete

The Witcher

by Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter for hire, navigates a morally grey world of magic, war, and destiny.

8 books19932013
Science FictionComplete

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

After Earth is demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass, Arthur Dent hitchhikes through the galaxy with increasingly absurd companions.

5 books19791992
Science FictionComplete

The Expanse

by James S.A. Corey

Centuries from now, humanity has colonized the solar system. A missing woman, a conspiracy, and an alien molecule threaten to tear civilization apart.

9 books20112021
Science FictionComplete

Foundation

by Isaac Asimov

A mathematician predicts the fall of a galactic empire and establishes a foundation to preserve knowledge through the coming dark age.

7 books19511993
Science FictionComplete

Ender's Game (Ender Saga)

by Orson Scott Card

A brilliant child is recruited to a military academy in space to prepare for an alien invasion, but the training may be more than it seems.

5 books19852008
Romantic SuspenseOngoing

In Death

by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)

In mid-21st-century New York, homicide detective Eve Dallas solves murders with the help of her billionaire husband Roarke.

56 books19952000
Spy FictionOngoing

Slough House (Slow Horses)

by Mick Herron

Disgraced MI5 agents, banished to a dumping ground called Slough House, keep stumbling into real intelligence crises.

8 books20102022
Fantasy RomanceComplete

Zodiac Academy

by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

Twin sisters discover they're the lost heirs to a magical kingdom and must survive a brutal academy run by four powerful heirs who want them gone.

8 books20192022
Fantasy RomanceOngoing

The Empyrean

by Rebecca Yarros

A young woman enters a war college for dragon riders where the curriculum is simple: survive or die. Then she discovers secrets that threaten everything.

2 books20232023
Urban FantasyComplete

Kate Daniels

by Ilona Andrews

In a post-apocalyptic Atlanta where magic and technology alternate in waves, a mercenary with a mysterious past fights monsters and navigates supernatural politics.

10 books20072018
Urban FantasyOngoing

The Dresden Files

by Jim Butcher

Chicago's only professional wizard works as a private investigator, tackling supernatural crimes while being hunted by increasingly powerful enemies.

17 books20002020
Urban FantasyComplete

Jane Yellowrock

by Faith Hunter

A Cherokee skinwalker who hunts rogue vampires in New Orleans discovers dangerous truths about her own nature.

15 books20092016
Crime ThrillerOngoing

Harry Bosch

by Michael Connelly

LAPD detective Hieronymus 'Harry' Bosch investigates murders with a relentless belief that everybody counts or nobody counts.

24 books19922004
MysteryOngoing

Chief Inspector Gamache

by Louise Penny

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec investigates murders in the picturesque village of Three Pines.

19 books20052014
Crime FictionOngoing

Cormoran Strike

by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

A war veteran turned private detective and his partner Robin Ellacott investigate crimes across London.

7 books20132024
Children's FictionOngoing

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

by Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley chronicles the hilarious and painful realities of middle school life through journal entries and stick-figure drawings.

18 books20072015
FantasyComplete

The Mortal Instruments

by Cassandra Clare

A New York teenager discovers she's a Shadowhunter — part of a secret lineage of half-angel warriors who protect the world from demons.

6 books20072014
Fantasy RomanceComplete

Crescent City

by Sarah J. Maas

Half-fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan seeks vengeance for her best friend's murder in a modern fantasy city of angels, demons, and ancient powers.

3 books20202024
Fantasy RomanceOngoing

Blood and Ash

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Maiden, chosen by the gods and forbidden to be touched, discovers that everything she's been told is a lie when a dangerous guard enters her life.

6 books20202024
Sci-Fi RomanceComplete

Ice Planet Barbarians

by Ruby Dixon

Human women abducted by aliens crash-land on an ice planet inhabited by large blue aliens, and discover that survival requires... close cooperation.

22 books20152017
MysteryComplete

Inspector Morse

by Colin Dexter

The brilliant, irascible, crossword-loving Chief Inspector Morse solves baffling murders in Oxford with his long-suffering sergeant, Lewis.

13 books19751999
FantasyComplete

The Broken Earth

by N.K. Jemisin

On a planet wracked by catastrophic seismic events, a woman with the power to control earthquakes searches for her kidnapped daughter.

3 books20152017
FantasyComplete

The Poppy War

by R.F. Kuang

A war orphan tests into an elite military academy, discovers shamanic powers, and is drawn into a devastating war inspired by 20th-century Chinese history.

3 books20182020
Science FictionOngoing

The Murderbot Diaries

by Martha Wells

A rogue security robot that hacked its own programming just wants to watch soap operas, but keeps getting dragged into saving humans.

7 books20172023
Science FictionOngoing

Andy Weir's Novels

by Andy Weir

Hard science fiction featuring protagonists who must use real science and engineering to survive impossible situations.

3 books20112021
Historical RomanceComplete

The Wallflowers

by Lisa Kleypas

Four young women who are wallflowers at society balls make a pact to help each other find husbands — and find love in unexpected places.

5 books20042008
Historical RomanceComplete

The Ravenels

by Lisa Kleypas

A Victorian family navigates love, scandal, and social change in this series connected to the beloved Wallflowers books.

7 books20152023

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Book Series Reading Order tool?
A searchable database of 50+ popular book series with the correct reading order, including publication order and chronological notes where the two differ.
Which series are included?
We cover popular series across fantasy (Harry Potter, Discworld, Stormlight Archive), thriller (Jack Reacher, Alex Cross), romance (Bridgerton, Wallflowers, ACOTAR), sci-fi (Dune, The Expanse), and more.
Should I read in publication or chronological order?
For most series, publication order is recommended for first-time readers. Our tool includes notes for each series explaining when chronological order might be a better choice.
Can I toggle between publication and chronological order?
Yes. For series where the two orders differ (like The Chronicles of Narnia), you can toggle between publication and chronological reading order.
Are the Amazon links affiliate links?
Yes, book links go to Amazon and include an affiliate tag. This helps support Reading Curator at no extra cost to you.