Andrew Rowe Books in Order
See all Andrew Rowe books in order on one page, with series overviews, short summaries, universe background, and clear suggestions on where new readers should start.
Last updated: December 22, 2025
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Publication Order
17 books
Edge of the Dream
by Andrew Rowe
2025
Now bound to a legendary blade, Edge ventures into deeper dungeons and the swirling politics of the fae courts, racing to unlock his sword’s first secrets and protect a friend whose own weapon has drawn challengers to a three-fold trial.
A Brief History of Chronomancy
by Andrew Rowe
2025
On the run after defying the Emerald Council, Corin Cadence gambles on a hidden refuge where time works differently, hoping to prepare for a rescue mission even as strange magic and buried family secrets threaten to trap him there forever.
When Wizards Follow Fools
by Andrew Rowe
2024
Summoned before the Emerald Council, Corin Cadence is warned that invasion looms over Valia, a nation weakened by missing visages and dead leaders, forcing him to navigate volatile politics, old grudges, and fragile alliances to keep his friends and country alive.
Phantom Chamber
by Andrew Rowe
2023
After tragedy in Tortoise Spire, survivors Nieve and Hane join a new party to climb Tiger Spire, hunting the fabled Vault of Shadows on a perilous train mission where shifting loyalties, a notorious thief, and a life-granting creature complicate every choice.
Edge of the Woods
by Andrew Rowe
2023
Raised by a reclusive sage in a vast enchanted forest, Lien – nicknamed Edge – trains with spirits and fae while searching for the truth behind his past, a shattered sword, and the ominous mark that links him to a deadly weapon.
The Silence of Unworthy Gods
by Andrew Rowe
2022
Back from his disastrous journey abroad, Corin Cadence must survive a duel with his ruthless father, face a deadlier second year at Lorian Heights, and help his friends uncover a violent new faction hunting attuned outsiders across Valia.
Crystal Awakening
by Andrew Rowe
2022
Team Guiding Star Legacy, a squad of climbers, recruits two new specialists to tackle Tortoise Spire’s higher floors, where fire, ice, and illusions hide a sinister agenda that may shatter their bonds as surely as the crystal prize they seek.
Soulbrand
by Andrew Rowe
2021
As the Tournament of the Sacred Sword turns bloodier, Keras Selyrian faces assassins, hidden plots, and a shocking figure from his past, then plunges into a vast free-for-all battle that could tear his allies apart and decide the fate of a legendary blade.
The Torch That Ignites the Stars
by Andrew Rowe
2020
On a supposed vacation to distant Caelford, Corin Cadence hunts for training, allies, and a cure for Sera’s injuries, only to land in the crossfire between eccentric inventors, thieves, and visages as research into artificial attunements spirals out of control.
How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps
by Andrew Rowe
2020
When the Demon King conquers half the world decades before the prophesied Hero can return, gamer-minded Yui Shaw builds a ten-step plan to steal the Hero’s sword, min-max obscure classes, and tackle dungeons herself before there’s nothing left to save.
Diamantine
by Andrew Rowe
2020
Fresh from bonding with the light-forged sword Dawnbringer, Keras Selyrian enters Edria’s Tournament of the Sacred Sword, battling rival champions and hidden enemies for a chance to challenge the emperor himself and claim the earth-aligned blade Diamantine.
Six Sacred Swords
by Andrew Rowe
2019
Wandering swordsman Keras Selyrian already carries one perilous blade, but to face looming threats he sets out to claim the legendary Six Sacred Swords, delving monster-filled temples and puzzle-laden dungeons in a fast, light-hearted adventure set before Arcane Ascension.
Defying Destiny
by Andrew Rowe
2019
Nearly a year after the Trials of Unyielding Steel, Lydia Hastings closes in on Jonathan Sterling, while Taelien reunites with an infamous witch and Jonan undertakes a high-stakes mission for the Lady of Thieves that could reshape power across Mythralis.
On the Shoulders of Titans
by Andrew Rowe
2018
Corin’s first year at Lorian Heights only gets harsher as he searches for a cure for Sera, experiments with a strange new mark on his hand, and juggles exams, shifting alliances, and the shadowy Whispers who may hold clues about his missing brother.
Sufficiently Advanced Magic
by Andrew Rowe
2017
Five years after his brother vanishes inside the deadly Serpent Spire, enchanter-in-training Corin Cadence takes his own Judgment, gains a strange attunement, and juggles school, dangerous expeditions, and secrets as he prepares for a far deeper climb.
Stealing Sorcery
by Andrew Rowe
2016
When the heir of an immortal sorcerer is murdered, knowledge-sorcerer Lydia Hastings follows a trail of impossible magic and recruits spy Jonan Kestrian to help, while Taelien tackles deadly Paladin trials that may tie into the same assassin’s tangled plot.
Forging Divinity
by Andrew Rowe
2015
In the city of Orlyn, where ambitious would-be gods sell miracles for worship, Lydia Hastings infiltrates a powerful faith, uncovers a prisoner who resembles her missing deity, and teams up with a rival spy to expose a conspiracy that could ignite war.
Where should I start?
If you want the main Arcane Ascension story: Sufficiently Advanced Magic → On the Shoulders of Titans → The Torch That Ignites the Stars → The Silence of Unworthy Gods.
If you like sword-focused adventures and Keras’ backstory: Six Sacred Swords → Diamantine → Soulbrand.
If you prefer classic epic fantasy with gods and politics: Forging Divinity → Stealing Sorcery → Defying Destiny.
For a lighter, game-inspired standalone: How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps.
If you enjoy fae forests and coming-of-age heroes: Edge of the Woods → Edge of the Dream.
Author bio
Andrew Rowe writes interconnected fantasy series set in the same magic‑heavy universe, most famously the Arcane Ascension and Weapons and Wielders books. Before he was known for towers and attunements, he spent years working as a professional game designer.
Stories and systems hooked him early. In elementary school he fell in love with the Dragonlance novels and with tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, then immediately started sketching his own scenarios, monsters, and rules in the margins of his homework.
By college he was submitting material to tabletop publishers and learning how to build worlds for other people to play in. That led into design and balance work for computer games at studios such as Blizzard Entertainment, Cryptic Studios, and Obsidian Entertainment, where he helped tune numbers, abilities, and encounters behind the scenes.
All the while he kept writing fiction on the side, finishing full novels that went nowhere and collecting enough rejection letters to wallpaper a small office.
That long experiment finally paid off with Forging Divinity, the opening volume of The War of Broken Mirrors. Built from years of home campaigns, it introduced readers to the continent of Mythralis, to careful schemers like Lydia Hastings, and to the idea that magic should always come with clear costs.
Rowe’s breakout came a little later with Sufficiently Advanced Magic, first in the Arcane Ascension series. Drawing on his love of JRPGs and progression fantasy, he wrote about Corin Cadence, a methodical, anxious student climbing a lethal tower and treating magic like a math problem he might actually solve.
From there the universe widened. Weapons and Wielders follows the wandering swordsman Keras on a lighter, more adventurous quest to claim the Six Sacred Swords. The Lost Edge shifts to a fae‑haunted forest and a young man named Lien, while Shattered Legacy, co‑written with Kayleigh Nicol, tracks a professional climbing team through brutal spire runs.
Across those series, certain traits repeat. The magic is rule‑driven and often explained in detail, characters argue about optimal builds and clever workarounds, and training montages and dungeon crawls sit right alongside quiet scenes about friendship, grief, and anxiety.
Rowe still thinks like a designer. He runs live‑action and tabletop games set in the same world as his novels when time allows, keeps tinkering with new rule sets, and happily talks shop with readers who enjoy the crunchier side of fantasy.
When he isn’t writing or playtesting, he’s usually inhaling more fantasy – books, anime, or games – looking for the next idea to bend into his worlds.
Edited by
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