Mary Robinette Kowal Reading Order
8 series · 76 books · Born 1969-02-08
Mary Robinette Kowal is a four-time Hugo Award-winning author whose career spans speculative fiction, children's literature, and translation work. Her novels blend historical settings with fantastical elements, most notably in the Lady Astronaut series and Glamourist Histories, which combine alternate history with character-driven storytelling. Beyond writing, she brings imaginative worlds to life through her work in puppetry, art direction, and her former role leading the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Anthologies Series
Ongoing41 books (2007–2025)
Start with Prime Codex, the first of 39 books in the Anthologies series.
Start this series with Prime Codex
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Children's Series
Complete1 book (2022–2022)
Clockwork Phoenix Series
Complete5 books (2008–2016)
Start with Clockwork Phoenix(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Deborah Biancotti,Laird Barron,Mike Allen,Vandana Singh,Catherynne M. Valente,Cat Rambo,Cat Sparks,John Grant,Ekaterina Sedia,Leah Bobet,Erin Hoffman,Michael J. DeLuca,Jennifer Crow,C.S. MacCath,David Sandner,Marie Brennan,Joanna Galbraith), the first of 5 books in the Clockwork Phoenix series.
Start this series with Clockwork Phoenix(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Deborah Biancotti,Laird Barron,Mike Allen,Vandana Singh,Catherynne M. Valente,Cat Rambo,Cat Sparks,John Grant,Ekaterina Sedia,Leah Bobet,Erin Hoffman,Michael J. DeLuca,Jennifer Crow,C.S. MacCath,David Sandner,Marie Brennan,Joanna Galbraith)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
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| 1 | Clockwork Phoenix(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Deborah Biancotti,Laird Barron,Mike Allen,Vandana Singh,Catherynne M. Valente,Cat Rambo,Cat Sparks,John Grant,Ekaterina Sedia,Leah Bobet,Erin Hoffman,Michael J. DeLuca,Jennifer Crow,C.S. MacCath,David Sandner,Marie Brennan,Joanna Galbraith) |
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| 3 |  Clockwork Phoenix 3: New Tales of Beauty and Strangeness(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Gregory Frost,Michael M. Jones,Mike Allen,Cat Rambo,John Grant,Kenneth Schneyer,Shweta Narayan,C.S.E. Cooney,Gemma Files,Georgina Bruce,Marie Brennan,Nicole Kornher-Stace,Tori Truslow,S.J. Hirons) |
| 4 |  Clockwork Phoenix 4(By: Tanith Lee,Richard Parks,A.C. Wise,Mike Allen,Yves Meynard,Cat Rambo,Kenneth Schneyer,Gemma Files,Alisa Alering,Ian McHugh,Benjanun Sriduangkaew,Shira Lipkin,Barbara Krasnoff,Patricia Russo,Camille Alexa,Marie Brennan,Nicole Kornher-Stace,Yukimi Ogawa,Corinne Duyvis) |
| 5 |  Clockwork Phoenix 5(By: Alex Dally MacFarlane,A.C. Wise,Mike Allen,Keffy R.M. Kehrli,Rich Larson,Cassandra Khaw,C.S.E. Cooney,Carlos Hernandez,Benjanun Sriduangkaew,Sonya Taaffe,Beth Cato,Barbara Krasnoff,Patricia Russo,Gray Rinehart,Marie Brennan,Sam Fleming,Shveta Thakrar,Holly Heisey,Jason Kimble,Rachael L. Jones,Rob Cameron,Sunil Patel) |
Glamourist Histories Series
Complete5 books (2010–2015)
Start with Shades of Milk and Honey, the first of 5 books in the Glamourist Histories series.
Start this series with Shades of Milk and Honey
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Lady Astronaut Series
Ongoing11 books (2012–2025)
Start with The Lady Astronaut of Mars, the first of 11 books in the Lady Astronaut series.
Start this series with The Lady Astronaut of Mars
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Short Stories/Novellas Series
Ongoing8 books (2008–2024)
Start with Evil Robot Monkey, the first of 8 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.
Start this series with Evil Robot Monkey
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Short Story Collections Series
Complete2 books (2009–2015)
Start with Scenting the Dark and Other Stories and read in order.
Start this series with Scenting the Dark and Other Stories
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Standalone Novels Series
Likely Complete3 books (2016–2022)
Start with Ghost Talkers and read in order.
Start this series with Ghost Talkers
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Mary Robinette Kowal written?
- Mary Robinette Kowal has written 76 books across 8 series. Their published works span from 2007 to 2025.
- What is the first book in each Mary Robinette Kowal series?
- Here are the first books in Mary Robinette Kowal's series: Anthologies: Prime Codex; Clockwork Phoenix: Clockwork Phoenix(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Deborah Biancotti,Laird Barron,Mike Allen,Vandana Singh,Catherynne M. Valente,Cat Rambo,Cat Sparks,John Grant,Ekaterina Sedia,Leah Bobet,Erin Hoffman,Michael J. DeLuca,Jennifer Crow,C.S. MacCath,David Sandner,Marie Brennan,Joanna Galbraith); Glamourist Histories: Shades of Milk and Honey; Lady Astronaut: The Lady Astronaut of Mars; Short Stories/Novellas: Evil Robot Monkey.
- What order should I read Mary Robinette Kowal's books?
- We recommend reading Mary Robinette Kowal's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Mary Robinette Kowal still writing new books?
- Yes, Mary Robinette Kowal has 3 ongoing series: Anthologies, Lady Astronaut, Short Stories/Novellas.