Eric Van Lustbader Reading Order

5 books (1980–2017)

Eric Van Lustbader compiled or edited four anthologies published between 1980 and 2017, spanning fantasy, mystery, and thriller genres. This complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Berkley Showcase: Vol. 2 and continuing through Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Suspense Magazine June 2014, and MatchUp. Each anthology features diverse stories and authors within its respective genre focus.

Start with The Berkley Showcase: Vol. 2, the first of 4 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	The Berkley Showcase: Vol. 2 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Out of Avalon 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Suspense Magazine June 2014 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	MatchUp 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1991–2007)

The Batman: Vampire series consists of four complete fantasy-thriller graphic novels published between 1991 and 2007. Begin with Red Rain and proceed through the volumes in publication order: Bloodstorm, Crimson Mist, and the final Batman Vampire. This series blends dark fantasy elements with mystery and thriller conventions within the Batman universe.

Start with Red Rain(By: Kelley Jones,Doug Moench,Malcolm Jones III,Les Dorscheid), the first of 4 books in the Batman: Vampire series.

#	Title
1	Red Rain(By: Kelley Jones,Doug Moench,Malcolm Jones III,Les Dorscheid) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Bloodstorm(By: Kelley Jones,Doug Moench,John Beatty,Les Dorscheid) 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Crimson Mist(By: Kelley Jones,Doug Moench,Gregory Wright,John Beatty) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Batman Vampire 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2006–2019)

Eric Van Lustbader's Bravo Shaw series consists of four fantasy thrillers following the same protagonist across interconnected adventures. Published between 2006 and 2019, the complete series should be read in publication order beginning with The Testament, followed by Four Dominions, The Fallen, and concluding with The Sum of All Shadows. This is a finished series with no additional books planned.

Start with The Testament, the first of 4 books in the Bravo Shaw series.

#	Title
1	The Testament 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Four Dominions 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Fallen 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Sum of All Shadows 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1985–1986)

Eric Van Lustbader's China Maroc series is a two-book fantasy and mystery thriller sequence consisting of Jian (1985) and Shan (1986). The complete series should be read in publication order to follow the story as intended. This closed-ended duology offers a finished narrative arc for readers seeking a compact, contained reading experience.

Start with Jian and read in order.

#	Title
1	Jian 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Shan 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2020–2025)

Eric Van Lustbader's Evan Ryder series comprises five fantasy-thriller novels published between 2020 and 2025, with the series currently ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Nemesis Manifesto and continuing through The Kobalt Dossier, Omega Rules, The Quantum Solution, and White Wolf. This series blends mystery and thriller elements with fantastical components across its interconnected entries.

Start with The Nemesis Manifesto, the first of 5 books in the Evan Ryder series.

#	Title
1	The Nemesis Manifesto 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Kobalt Dossier 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Omega Rules 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Quantum Solution 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	White Wolf 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2008–2013)

Eric Van Lustbader's Jack McClure and Alli Carson series comprises five mystery thrillers published between 2008 and 2013. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with First Daughter and concluding with Beloved Enemy. This series follows the intertwined stories of these two protagonists across cases involving espionage, conspiracy, and danger at the highest levels of power.

Start with First Daughter, the first of 5 books in the Jack McClure/Alli Carson series.

#	Title
1	First Daughter 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Last Snow 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Blood Trust 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Father Night 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Beloved Enemy 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

22 books (1980–2026)

The Jason Bourne series consists of 22 books spanning from 1980 to 2026, following the iconic character created by Robert Ludlum. The first three foundational novels were written by Ludlum, while subsequent entries have been penned by Eric Van Lustbader and Brian Freeman. This ongoing series should be read in publication order to fully appreciate the character's development and the interconnected plot threads across the thriller-mystery narrative. Begin with The Bourne Identity and progress through each installment chronologically to experience the complete saga.

Start with The Bourne Identity(By: Robert Ludlum), the first of 22 books in the Jason Bourne series.

#	Title
1	The Bourne Identity(By: Robert Ludlum) 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Bourne Supremacy(By: Robert Ludlum) 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Bourne Ultimatum(By: Robert Ludlum) 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Bourne Legacy 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Bourne Betrayal 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Bourne Sanction 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Bourne Deception 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Bourne Objective 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Bourne Dominion 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Bourne Imperative 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Bourne Retribution 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Bourne Ascendancy 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Bourne Enigma 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Bourne Initiative 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Bourne Evolution(By: Brian Freeman) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Bourne Treachery(By: Brian Freeman) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The Bourne Sacrifice(By: Brian Freeman) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Bourne Defiance(By: Brian Freeman) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	The Bourne Shadow(By: Brian Freeman) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	The Bourne Escape(By: Brian Freeman) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Bourne Vendetta(By: Brian Freeman) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Bourne Revenge(By: Brian Freeman) 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (1980–2016)

The Nicholas Linnear/Ninja Cycle is a complete fantasy thriller series consisting of eight books published between 1980 and 2016. This series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Ninja and concluding with The Oligarch's Daughter. Eric Van Lustbader's novels follow the protagonist through an interconnected narrative spanning multiple decades of intrigue and conflict.

Start with The Ninja, the first of 8 books in the Nicholas Linnear/Ninja Cycle series.

#	Title
1	The Ninja 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Miko 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	White Ninja 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Kaisho 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Floating City 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Second Skin 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Death and Life of Nicholas Linnear 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Oligarch's Daughter 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2001–2003)

Eric Van Lustbader's Pearl Saga is a complete fantasy trilogy published between 2001 and 2003. The three books—The Ring of Five Dragons, The Veil of a Thousand Tears, and Mistress of the Pearl—should be read in publication order. This series blends fantasy and thriller elements across its interconnected narrative.

Start with The Ring of Five Dragons and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Ring of Five Dragons 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Veil of a Thousand Tears 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Mistress of the Pearl 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2017–2017)

10 books (1981–2016)

Eric Van Lustbader's collection of standalone novels spans from 1981 to 2016 and comprises ten separate works across fantasy and mystery-thriller genres. Each novel in the series—beginning with Sirens and concluding with Any Minute Now—can be read independently without prior knowledge of the others. The books should be approached in publication order for those interested in following the author's creative evolution across three and a half decades. This complete series offers readers the flexibility to begin anywhere while also allowing for a chronological exploration of Lustbader's diverse storytelling over time.

Start with Sirens, the first of 10 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Sirens 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Black Heart 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	French Kiss 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Zero 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Angel Eyes 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Black Blade 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Dark Homecoming 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Art Kills 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Pale Saint 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Any Minute Now 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1977–1997)

The Sunset Warrior Cycle is a complete fantasy series by Eric Van Lustbader comprising five books published between 1977 and 1997. Readers should begin with The Sunset Warrior and proceed in publication order through Dai-San, Shallows of Night, Beneath an Opal Moon, and Dragons on the Sea of Night. The series blends fantasy and thriller elements across its connected narrative arc.

Start with The Sunset Warrior, the first of 5 books in the Sunset Warrior Cycle series.

#	Title
1	The Sunset Warrior 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dai-San 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Shallows of Night 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Beneath an Opal Moon 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Dragons on the Sea of Night 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

11 books (2017–2019)

The MatchUp Collection is a complete 11-book series published between 2017 and 2019, featuring collaborations between prominent mystery and thriller authors. Each installment pairs two writers who contribute complementary stories, creating a unique dual-narrative format. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Deserves to Be Dead and concluding with Taking the Veil. This collection showcases crime fiction and suspense through the lens of multiple acclaimed storytellers working in tandem.

Start with Deserves to Be Dead(By: John Sandford,Lisa Jackson), the first of 11 books in the The MatchUp Collection series.