Wilbur Smith Reading Order

10 books (1994–2025)

Wilbur Smith's Ancient Egypt series comprises ten historical fiction novels following events across ancient Egyptian civilization, beginning with River God in 1994 and continuing through House of Two Pharaohs in 2025. The series should be read in publication order to follow the interconnected narratives and character arcs spanning multiple time periods. From the fourth book onward, Smith co-authored with Mark Chadbourn, bringing fresh perspectives to the later entries. The series remains ongoing, offering readers an expansive exploration of this legendary civilization through adventure and drama.

Start with River God, the first of 10 books in the Ancient Egypt series.

#	Title
1	River God 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Seventh Scroll 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Warlock 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Quest 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Desert God 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Pharaoh 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The New Kingdom(With: Mark Chadbourn) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Titans of War(With: Mark Chadbourn) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Testament(With: Mark Chadbourn) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	House of Two Pharaohs(With: Mark Chadbourn) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (1980–2024)

The Ballantyne series is an eight-book historical fiction saga by Wilbur Smith that spans from 1980 to 2024 and remains ongoing. Set in Africa and drawing on adventure and action elements alongside historical detail, the series should be read in publication order beginning with A Falcon Flies. The later entries, starting with King of Kings, are co-written collaborations with other authors including Imogen Robertson and Corban Addison.

Start with A Falcon Flies / Flight of the Falcon, the first of 8 books in the Ballantyne series.

#	Title
1	A Falcon Flies / Flight of the Falcon 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Men of Men 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Angels Weep 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Leopard Hunts in Darkness 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Triumph of the Sun 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	King of Kings(With: Imogen Robertson) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Call of the Raven(With: Corban Addison) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Fire on the Horizon(With: Imogen Robertson) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

26 books (1964–2026)

The Courtney series spans 24 books of historical fiction and adventure published from 1964 to 2025, following the saga of the Courtney family across centuries and continents. Beginning with When the Lion Feeds, the series should be read in publication order to experience the interconnected narratives that unfold across generations. Written primarily by Wilbur Smith with later collaborations on some entries, this ongoing series combines action-driven storytelling with historical detail across multiple time periods and settings.

Start with When the Lion Feeds, the first of 24 books in the Courtney series.

#	Title
1	When the Lion Feeds 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Sound of Thunder / The Roar of Thunder 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Sparrow Falls 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Burning Shore 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Power of the Sword 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Rage 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	A Time to Die 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Golden Fox 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Triumph of the Sun 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Birds of Prey 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Monsoon 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Blue Horizon 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Assegai 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Golden Lion(With: Giles Kristian) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Tiger's Prey(With: Tom Harper) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	War Cry(With: David Churchill) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Courtney's War(With: David Churchill) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Ghost Fire(With: Tom Harper) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	King of Kings(With: Imogen Robertson) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Legacy of War(With: David Churchill) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Storm Tide(With: Tom Harper) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Nemesis(With: Tom Harper) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Warrior King(With: Tom Harper) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Crossfire(With: David Churchill) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Flashpoint(With: David Churchill) 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Vengeance(With: Tom Harper) 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2011–2016)

The Hector Cross series is a complete three-book action adventure sequence by Wilbur Smith and Tom Cain, published between 2011 and 2016. These novels should be read in publication order, beginning with Those in Peril, followed by Vicious Circle, and concluding with Predator. The series combines historical fiction and action-adventure elements characteristic of Smith's work.

Start with Those in Peril and read in order.

#	Title
1	Those in Peril 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Vicious Circle 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Predator(With: Tom Cain) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2020–2022)

The Jack Courtney series by Wilbur Smith comprises three historical fiction adventure novels published between 2020 and 2022. The books—Cloudburst, Thunderbolt, and Shockwave—should be read in publication order and appear to form a complete trilogy. This action-driven series follows the exploits of its protagonist across a span of interconnected adventures.

Start with Cloudburst and read in order.

#	Title
1	Cloudburst 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Thunderbolt 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Shockwave 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2018–2018)

#	Title
1	On Leopard Rock 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2022–2024)

The Prey Zone series by Wilbur Smith comprises three historical action-adventure novels published between 2022 and 2024. This ongoing series should be read in publication order, beginning with Prey Zone, followed by The Serpent's Lair and The Scorpion's Sting. The books blend Smith's signature storytelling style with historical fiction and adventure elements.

Start with Prey Zone and read in order.

#	Title
1	Prey Zone 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Serpent's Lair 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Scorpion's Sting 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

11 books (1965–1991)

Wilbur Smith's collection of eleven standalone historical action-adventure novels was published between 1965 and 1991, with each book featuring independent stories and characters. Though designed as individual entries that can be read in any order, readers typically approach them in publication sequence beginning with The Dark of the Sun. The series showcases Smith's signature blend of historical fiction, thrilling adventure narratives, and non-fiction elements across diverse African and international settings. This complete series offers eleven distinct tales of exploration, conflict, and high-stakes drama spanning nearly three decades of Smith's prolific writing career.

Start with The Dark of the Sun / The Train from Katanga, the first of 11 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	The Dark of the Sun / The Train from Katanga 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Shout at the Devil 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Gold Mine 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Diamond Hunters 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Sunbird 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Eye of the Tiger 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Cry Wolf 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Hungry as the Sea 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Wild Justice / The Delta Decision 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Eagle in the Sky 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Elephant Song 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible