Grishaverse Books in Order: How to read Leigh Bardugo’s series?
The Grishaverse is at the center of the fantasy series written by Leigh Bardugo. It’s a world in which science and magic collide. With multiple stories taking place in the same universe, Grishaverse is taking us to Ravka, Ketterdam, and other places with great heroes–starting with Alina Starkov who must unlock the secrets of her past if she wants to protect the future of the nation; or the criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker whose crew is standing between the world and destruction.
The Grishaverse was adapted for television by Netflix under the title “Shadow and Bone” starring Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, and Ben Barnes.
How to read the Grishaverse Series in Order?
I. Reading The Three main series in the Grishaverse
The Grishaverse is made up of one trilogy and now two duologies-plus a collection of novellas-, which one can be read individually.
a. The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
- Shadow and Bone – Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed. Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite.
- Siege and Storm – Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner―hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long. The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne.
- Ruin and Rising – The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives. As her allies and enemies race toward war, only Alina stands between her country and a rising tide of darkness.
b. The Six of Crows Duology
- Six of Crows – Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…
- Crooked Kingdom – Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.
c. The Nikolai Duology
- King of Scars – Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war. As enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built.
- Rule of Wolves – As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm-and even the monster within-to win this fight. Zoya Nazyalensky saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.
II. Reading The Grishaverse Novellas
- The Language of Thorns – Collects all of the short stories (except The Demon in the Wood). Those are fairy tales set in the Grishaverse, the kind the heroes of the series would had read growing up. You can read them when you want.
- The Demon in the Wood – This is a Prequel Story to The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, but it may be better to read it after the first book to have a better understanding of the story… Before he ruled Ravka, before he was the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy with an extraordinary gift.
III. Reading The Grishaverse Companion Book
- The Lives of Saints– Dive into the epic world of international bestselling author Leigh Bardugo with this beautifully illustrated replica of The Lives of Saints, the Istorii Sankt’ya, featuring tales of saints drawn from the beloved novels and beyond. Out of the pages of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, from the hands of Alina Starkov to yours, the Istorii Sankt’ya is a magical keepsake from the Grishaverse.
If you like our article about the Grishaverse reading order, don’t forget to bookmark it! You may also be interested in checking out The Shadowhunter Chronicles, the Shades of Magic books, or Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ novels.
Thank you very much for making it this easy to understand….I was so confused earlier really appreciate your efforts 👍
thank you so much
I am a director at a library and was having a hard figuring the order of the
books to order. Great Job!
Thanks for the rec! The book site does not make the publication/reading order clear, so I’m glad to know someone is on top of it!
This helps a lot!