Marie Brennan Reading Order

20 books (2004–2026)

Marie Brennan has stories featured across 17 different anthologies spanning from 2004 to 2023, with the series appearing to be complete. These publications should be read in the order they were released, beginning with Summoned to Destiny and concluding with the final entries in 2023. The collection encompasses diverse fantasy and speculative fiction themes across multiple editors and publishers, providing a chronological view of Brennan's short fiction contributions over nearly two decades.

Start with Summoned to Destiny, the first of 17 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Summoned to Destiny 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Best of Talebones 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Bewere the Night 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Book of Apex: Volume 4 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Mythic Delirium 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Shared Nightmares 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Zombies: More Recent Dead 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2014 Edition 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Mad Science Café 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Best of Abyss & Apex, Volume Two 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Children of a Different Sky 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	It Happened at the Ball 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Worlds Seen in Passing 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Kaiju Rising II 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Shapers of Worlds Volume II 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Shattering the Glass Slipper 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	DreamForge Magazine Issue 13: Stories from DreamForge Anvil 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 153, February 2023 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	When Swords Fall Silent: An Assassination Anthology 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Adventitious, Issue Three: Strange & Literary Fiction 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2008–2016)

The Clockwork Phoenix is a five-book anthology series edited by Marie Brennan, featuring speculative fiction stories published between 2008 and 2016. This complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with the first Clockwork Phoenix and continuing through the fifth and final installment. Each volume collects original tales from various authors working in fantasy and related genres, with the third book notably subtitled New Tales of Beauty and Strangeness.

Start with Clockwork Phoenix, the first of 5 books in the Clockwork Phoenix series.

#	Title
1	Clockwork Phoenix 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Clockwork Phoenix 2 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Clockwork Phoenix 3: New Tales of Beauty and Strangeness 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Clockwork Phoenix 4 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Clockwork Phoenix 5 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2017–2027)

Marie Brennan's Collected Short Fiction series comprises four volumes of short stories published between 2017 and 2020. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Ars Historica and continuing through Maps to Nowhere, The Nine Lands, and Down a Street That Wasn't There. These collections showcase Brennan's work across fantasy and non-fiction storytelling.

Start with Ars Historica, the first of 4 books in the Collected Short Fiction of Marie Brennan series.

3 books (2006–2011)

Marie Brennan's Doppelganger series comprises three fantasy novels published between 2006 and 2011, completing a finished story arc. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Doppelganger (also titled Warrior) and continuing through Warrior, Warrior and Witch (also titled Witch) and Dancing the Warrior.

Start with Doppelganger / Warrior and read in order.

#	Title
1	Doppelganger / Warrior 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Warrior and Witch / Witch 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Dancing the Warrior 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2020–2020)

#	Title
1	Driftwood 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2019–2024)

Marie Brennan's Legend of the Five Rings series consists of three fantasy novels published between 2019 and 2024, with the series remaining ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Eternal Knot, followed by The Game of 100 Candles and The Market of 100 Fortunes. This sequence allows readers to follow the narrative as intended by the author.

Start with The Eternal Knot and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Eternal Knot 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Game of 100 Candles 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Market of 100 Fortunes 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2013–2017)

The Memoirs of Lady Trent is a complete fantasy series consisting of six books published between 2013 and 2017. Follow the adventures in publication order, beginning with A Natural History of Dragons and continuing through The Tropic of Serpents, Voyage of the Basilisk, From the Editorial Page of the Falchester Weekly Review, In the Labyrinth of Drakes, and concluding with Within the Sanctuary of Wings. Each book builds upon the previous installments to form a cohesive narrative arc throughout the series.

Start with A Natural History of Dragons, the first of 6 books in the Memoirs Of Lady Trent series.

#	Title
1	A Natural History of Dragons 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Tropic of Serpents 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Voyage of the Basilisk 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	From the Editorial Page of the Falchester Weekly Review 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	In the Labyrinth of Drakes 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Within the Sanctuary of Wings 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (2018–2025)

Marie Brennan's New Worlds series comprises eight books published between 2018 and 2025, with the series currently ongoing. The volumes should be read in publication order, beginning with New Worlds, Year One and continuing through Year Eight. Each installment builds on the previous entries, making sequential reading essential for following the complete narrative arc.

Start with New Worlds, Year One, the first of 8 books in the New Worlds series.

#	Title
1	New Worlds, Year One 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	New Worlds, Year Two 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	New Worlds, Year Three 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	New Worlds, Year Four 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	New Worlds, Year Five 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	New Worlds, Year Six 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	New Worlds, Year Seven 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	New Worlds, Year Eight 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2013–2013)

5 books (2008–2017)

The Onyx Court is a five-book fantasy series by Marie Brennan published between 2008 and 2017. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Midnight Never Come and concluding with With Fate Conspire. Each installment builds on the previous narratives and world-building established throughout the sequence.

Start with Midnight Never Come, the first of 5 books in the Onyx Court series.

#	Title
1	Midnight Never Come 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Deeds of Men 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	In Ashes Lie 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	A Star Shall Fall 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	With Fate Conspire 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2016–2017)

The Ree Varekai series consists of two complete fantasy novels published between 2016 and 2017. Cold-Forged Flame introduces the story, followed by Lightning in the Blood, and both books should be read in publication order to experience the narrative as intended.

Start with Cold-Forged Flame and read in order.

#	Title
1	Cold-Forged Flame 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Lightning in the Blood 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2021–2023)

The Rook & Rose series by Marie Brennan consists of three fantasy novels published between 2021 and 2023. The trilogy should be read in publication order, beginning with The Liar's Knot, followed by The Mask of Mirrors, and concluding with Labyrinth's Heart. The series appears to be complete.

Start with The Liar's Knot and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Liar's Knot 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Mask of Mirrors 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Labyrinth's Heart 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2014–2017)

Marie Brennan's fantasy short story collection spans three volumes published between 2014 and 2017, collecting standalone tales and novellas. The series is complete and should be read in publication order: Daughter of Necessity, Mad Maudlin, and Eloise and the Elephant. These works showcase Brennan's range across imaginative fantasy worlds and speculative fiction themes.

Start with Daughter of Necessity and read in order.

4 books (2014–2024)

Marie Brennan's Short Story Collections series comprises four fantasy and non-fiction collections published between 2014 and 2024, beginning with Monstrous Beauty and continuing through Dice Tales, Never After, and A Breviary of Fire. The series is ongoing and should be read in publication order. Each volume gathers Brennan's short fiction across the decade-long span of the series.

Start with Monstrous Beauty, the first of 4 books in the Short Story Collections series.

2 books (2019–2023)

Marie Brennan's two fantasy standalone novels should be read in publication order, beginning with Turning Darkness Into Light (2019) and continuing to The Waking of Angantyr (2023). While these are independent stories rather than a connected series, reading them in the order they were released allows you to follow the author's evolving narrative voice across this complete pair of works.

Start with Turning Darkness Into Light and read in order.

#	Title
1	Turning Darkness Into Light 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Waking of Angantyr 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2026–2026)

#	Title
1	The Eye of Leviathan 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2012–2016)

The Wilders series by Marie Brennan is a complete three-book fantasy collection published between 2012 and 2016. The novels should be read in publication order, beginning with Lies and Prophecy, followed by Welcome to Welton, and concluding with Chains and Memory. This finished series offers a self-contained narrative arc across its installments.

Start with Lies and Prophecy and read in order.

#	Title
1	Lies and Prophecy 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Welcome to Welton 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Chains and Memory 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible