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Juliet E McKenna Books in Order

Browse Juliet E McKenna books in order, with series lists, short summaries, and where to start advice for her thoughtful, grounded fantasy.

Last updated: July 13, 2026

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Juliet E McKenna books in publication order

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31 books

The Swordsman's Oath

by Juliet E McKenna

1999

Ryshad obeys orders to help hunt knowledge that might stop the Elietimm, and to settle a few personal scores on the way. Stranded in the Archipelago, he faces sorcery, treachery, and an unexpected bond that changes everything.

The Thief's Gamble

by Juliet E McKenna

1999

Livak is a thief, a gambler, and very good at staying one step ahead of trouble until a stolen antique proves more dangerous than it looks. Chasing profit pulls her into old mysteries, politics, and the biggest risk of her life.

The Gambler's Fortune

by Juliet E McKenna

2000

Livak wants more than luck and stolen chances, and ancient Artifice may offer her a way forward. If she can reach the lost knowledge before princes and archmages do, she might win both riches and a future with Ryshad.

The Warrior's Bond

by Juliet E McKenna

2001

Ryshad must choose duty again when Temar D'Alsennin tries to salvage Kellarin's future. Court intrigue, old loyalties, and a hunt for artefacts pull him in one direction while Livak's separate quest pulls just as hard in another.

The Assassin's Edge

by Juliet E McKenna

2002

Livak hopes to leave wintering in Kellarin behind, but the colony's lifeline to the mainland is cut by a new threat. She and Ryshad face one last hard fight against an enemy determined to break the settlement.

Southern Fire

by Juliet E McKenna

2003

Daish Kheda sees dark magic sweeping toward the southern islands, and his people expect him to stop it. In a culture that punishes wizardry with death, saving the Archipelago may mean breaking every rule he trusts.

Northern Storm

by Juliet E McKenna

2004

The Archipelago has been ravaged by enemies wielding forbidden elemental magic. Exiled from his homeland and separated from his family, warlord Kheda journeys north with the wizard Dev and is drawn into new conflict and sharper intrigue.

Turns & Chances

by Juliet E McKenna

2004

In war-torn Lescar, people from every level of society quietly decide they have had enough. This novella shows the first spark of common cause, where private grief and divided loyalties begin to turn toward revolt.

Western Shore

by Juliet E McKenna

2005

Now warlord of Chazen, Kheda hides doubts about omens, power, and his own heart. When a mage offers answers about the brutal western invaders, he sets sail into deeper danger and truths his people may never forgive.

Eastern Tide

by Juliet E McKenna

2006

Travelling incognito, Kheda heads home with forbidden knowledge and dangerous wizardly ties while dragons threaten the Archipelago again. To save his people, he must face old enemies, family duty, and the fact that his beliefs have changed.

Blood in the Water

by Juliet E McKenna

2009

Tathrin, Aremil, Branca, and Failla learn what rebellion really costs as Lescar's dukes and duchesses strike back. Courage and friendship are pushed to breaking point when planning change turns into open bloodshed.

Irons in the Fire

by Juliet E McKenna

2009

Lescar's endless wars enrich its rulers and ruin everyone else. Exiles, scholars, priests, merchants, and rabble-rousers begin plotting real change, but ending civil strife will take money, allies, secrecy, and people willing to fight.

Banners in the Wind

by Juliet E McKenna

2010

The Lescari rising has gathered force, but toppling old powers is only the start. As alliances break and chaos spreads, rebels, exiles, and rulers alike must discover whether peace can be built before revenge destroys everything.

Dangerous Waters

by Juliet E McKenna

2011

Lady Zurenne is widowed and trapped, Corrain is chained to a corsair galley, and a rogue wizard is profiting from war. If Jilseth cannot stop him, the scandal could shake Hadrumal's ban on magical warfare apart.

The Wizard's Coming

by Juliet E McKenna

2011

Corsairs are raiding the Caladhrian coast, and a rogue wizard is willing to sell magic for war. This standalone story plants the seeds of the crisis that later engulfs Hadrumal and its uneasy rules.

A Few Further Tales of Einarinn

by Juliet E McKenna

2012

This short story collection returns to Einarinn through five tales featuring familiar characters, side roads, and unfinished threads from the novels. It is a neat way to spend more time in the world without starting a new full arc.

Darkening Skies

by Juliet E McKenna

2012

Corrain is praised as a hero, but he knows the corsair threat was never truly ended. As Zurenne faces peril at home and Planir faces unrest among the mages, ominous portents gather over both Hadrumal and the Archipelago.

Defiant Peaks

by Juliet E McKenna

2012

Hadrumal finally unleashes devastating magic against the corsairs, and everyone notices. As mainland rulers panic, Archipelagan warlords rally for vengeance, and Archmage Planir must steer through war abroad and growing challenges at home.

Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell

by Joe Abercrombie, Tanith Lee, Juliet E McKenna, Storm Constantine, Stan Nicholls, Ian Whates, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Anne Nicholls, Gaie Sebold, Jonathan Green, Jan Siegel, James Barclay & Sandra Unerman

2013

An anthology honoring fantasy legend David Gemmell, featuring stories by various authors. Joe Abercrombie contributes a tale that pays tribute to the heroic fantasy tradition while maintaining his own gritty, distinct voice.

Challoner, Murray & Balfour

by Juliet E McKenna

2014

This collection of late Victorian adventures follows a band of monster hunters through vampires, uncanny inheritances, and steampunk-flavoured menace. It also adds a new story that finally picks up one lingering thread about Bertie and the Villiers.

Shadow Histories of the River Kingdom

by Juliet E McKenna

2016

This collection follows different lives in the River Kingdom as uncanny creatures, layered realities, and half-understood magic break into ordinary experience. The linked stories build a world where hidden power brings both responsibility and danger.

The Green Man's Heir

by Juliet E McKenna

2018

Daniel Mackmain keeps his life small and quiet, which is sensible when you are a dryad's son who sees the supernatural. Then a girl's murder in Derbyshire pulls police suspicion and hidden magic straight to his door.

The Scent of Tears

by Juliet E McKenna

2018

This shared-world anthology opens Adrian Tchaikovsky's Apt setting to Frances Hardinge and other fantasy writers, collecting fresh stories about insect-kinden lives, old grudges, war, and wonder in a world shaped by conflict and change.

The Green Man's Foe

by Juliet E McKenna

2019

A house renovation in the Cotswolds should be straightforward work for Dan Mackmain. Instead he finds ancient malice allied with the modern world, and far from his usual allies he has to face the danger mostly alone.

The Green Man's Silence

by Juliet E McKenna

2020

Visiting Fin's family in East Anglia, Dan finds the creatures of the Fens uneasy and turning hostile. In a landscape shaped by water and stripped of old oaks, he must stop fear and retaliation from becoming disaster.

The Green Man's Challenge

by Juliet E McKenna

2021

Dan Mackmain is hoping for a quieter stretch when Fin thinks she has seen a giant on the Wiltshire downs. A new menace is stirring in Wessex, and the old stories may not give Dan enough warning.

The Golden Rule

by Juliet E McKenna

2022

In the summer of 1887, young constable David Price finds a mechanical rat near a dockside disturbance and is drawn into a deadly conspiracy. An Indian princess may be his best lead as London edges toward violence.

The Green Man's Gift

by Juliet E McKenna

2022

A teenage boy turns up in Snowdonia babbling about fairy feasts, and the wise women ask Daniel Mackmain to investigate. Far from his usual woods, Dan must face secrets in the hollow hills and decide how much danger his allies should share.

The Cleaving

by Juliet E McKenna

2023

This Arthurian retelling follows Nimue, Ygraine, Morgana, and Guinevere as they fight to control their own lives. Men and legend keep trying to write them into place, but these women have plans of their own.

The Green Man's Quarry

by Juliet E McKenna

2023

A naiad and a dryad ask Dan Mackmain to investigate the big cat stalking their woods, but this is no simple cryptid tale. Before social media turns everything into a circus, Dan has to find a killer.

New

The Riven Kingdom

by Juliet E McKenna

2026

Set centuries before Shadow Histories of the River Kingdom, this epic fantasy turns on the struggle after a king's death. Politics, religion, and hidden magic all press into a dangerous fight for the throne.

Where to start with Juliet E McKenna

If you want the classic entry point: The Thief's GambleThe Swordsman's OathThe Gambler's Fortune
If you prefer modern folklore and mystery: The Green Man's HeirThe Green Man's FoeThe Green Man's Silence
If you like big secondary-world fantasy: Southern FireNorthern StormWestern ShoreEastern Tide
If you want a standalone retelling: The Cleaving

Green Man books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Green Man's Heir"

    The Green Man's Heir

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2018Green Man, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Green Man's Foe"

    The Green Man's Foe

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2019Green Man, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Green Man's Silence"

    The Green Man's Silence

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2020Green Man, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Green Man's Challenge"

    The Green Man's Challenge

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2021Green Man, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Green Man's Gift"

    The Green Man's Gift

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2022Green Man, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Green Man's Quarry"

    The Green Man's Quarry

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2023Green Man, Book 6

Green Man books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Green Man's Heir"

    The Green Man's Heir

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2018Green Man, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Green Man's Foe"

    The Green Man's Foe

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2019Green Man, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Green Man's Silence"

    The Green Man's Silence

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2020Green Man, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Green Man's Challenge"

    The Green Man's Challenge

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2021Green Man, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Green Man's Gift"

    The Green Man's Gift

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2022Green Man, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Green Man's Quarry"

    The Green Man's Quarry

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2023Green Man, Book 6

Tales of the Apt (Juliet E McKenna) books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Scent of Tears"

    The Scent of Tears

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2018Tales of the Apt, Book 1

Tales of the Apt (Juliet E McKenna) books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Scent of Tears"

    The Scent of Tears

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2018Tales of the Apt, Book 1

The Aldabreshin Compass books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Southern Fire"

    Southern Fire

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2003The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Northern Storm"

    Northern Storm

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2004The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Western Shore"

    Western Shore

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2005The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Eastern Tide"

    Eastern Tide

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2006The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 4

The Aldabreshin Compass books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Southern Fire"

    Southern Fire

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2003The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Northern Storm"

    Northern Storm

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2004The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Western Shore"

    Western Shore

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2005The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Eastern Tide"

    Eastern Tide

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2006The Aldabreshin Compass, Book 4

The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Blood in the Water"

    Blood in the Water

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2009The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, Book 2
  2. Book cover for "Irons in the Fire"

    Irons in the Fire

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2009The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, Book 1
  3. Book cover for "Banners in the Wind"

    Banners in the Wind

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2010The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, Book 3

The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Irons in the Fire"

    Irons in the Fire

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2009The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Blood in the Water"

    Blood in the Water

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2009The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Banners in the Wind"

    Banners in the Wind

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2010The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, Book 3

The Hadrumal Crisis books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Dangerous Waters"

    Dangerous Waters

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2011The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 2
  2. Book cover for "The Wizard's Coming"

    The Wizard's Coming

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2011The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 1
  3. Book cover for "Darkening Skies"

    Darkening Skies

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2012The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Defiant Peaks"

    Defiant Peaks

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2012The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 4

The Hadrumal Crisis books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Wizard's Coming"

    The Wizard's Coming

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2011The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Dangerous Waters"

    Dangerous Waters

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2011The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Darkening Skies"

    Darkening Skies

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2012The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Defiant Peaks"

    Defiant Peaks

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2012The Hadrumal Crisis, Book 4

The Tales of Einarinn books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Swordsman's Oath"

    The Swordsman's Oath

    by Juliet E McKenna

    1999The Tales of Einarinn, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Thief's Gamble"

    The Thief's Gamble

    by Juliet E McKenna

    1999The Tales of Einarinn, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Gambler's Fortune"

    The Gambler's Fortune

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2000The Tales of Einarinn, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Warrior's Bond"

    The Warrior's Bond

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2001The Tales of Einarinn, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Assassin's Edge"

    The Assassin's Edge

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2002The Tales of Einarinn, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "A Few Further Tales of Einarinn"

    A Few Further Tales of Einarinn

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2012The Tales of Einarinn, Book 6

The Tales of Einarinn books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Swordsman's Oath"

    The Swordsman's Oath

    by Juliet E McKenna

    1999The Tales of Einarinn, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Thief's Gamble"

    The Thief's Gamble

    by Juliet E McKenna

    1999The Tales of Einarinn, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Gambler's Fortune"

    The Gambler's Fortune

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2000The Tales of Einarinn, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Warrior's Bond"

    The Warrior's Bond

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2001The Tales of Einarinn, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Assassin's Edge"

    The Assassin's Edge

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2002The Tales of Einarinn, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "A Few Further Tales of Einarinn"

    A Few Further Tales of Einarinn

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2012The Tales of Einarinn, Book 6

Juliet E McKenna collections, short stories, and related book types

Short Stories/Novellas

  1. Book cover for "Challoner, Murray & Balfour"

    Challoner, Murray & Balfour

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2014
  2. Book cover for "The Golden Rule"

    The Golden Rule

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2022

Chapbooks

  1. Book cover for "Turns & Chances"

    Turns & Chances

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2004

Standalone Juliet E McKenna books

  1. Book cover for "Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell"

    Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell

    by Joe Abercrombie, Tanith Lee, Juliet E McKenna, Storm Constantine, Stan Nicholls, Ian Whates, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Anne Nicholls, Gaie Sebold, Jonathan Green, Jan Siegel, James Barclay & Sandra Unerman

    2013
  2. Book cover for "Shadow Histories of the River Kingdom"

    Shadow Histories of the River Kingdom

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2016
  3. Book cover for "The Cleaving"

    The Cleaving

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2023
  4. Book cover for "The Riven Kingdom"

    The Riven Kingdom

    by Juliet E McKenna

    2026

Author bio

Juliet E McKenna was born in Lincolnshire in 1965, later moved to Dorset, and now lives in West Oxfordshire with her husband Steve. She has said that folk tales, Greek myths, magic, and mystery hooked her from about the age of five, which makes a lot of sense once you start looking at the worlds she writes.

That early fascination fed straight into her studies. She read Classics at St Hilda's College, Oxford, focusing on Greek and Roman history and literature, and while she was there she also threw herself into roleplaying, speculative fiction circles, and aikido. All of that left a mark. Her fantasy often feels lived in, argued over, and grounded in how people actually think their way through danger.

Before she was published, she worked in recruitment and personnel.

She was also writing, gaming, building imaginary worlds with friends, and learning the hard way that storytelling on the page is not quite the same thing as storytelling around a table. An early novel was rejected as competent but not distinctive. Rather than stopping, she kept going, later working part time as a bookseller while raising her sons and paying close attention to how publishing and bookselling really worked.

That practical detour mattered. McKenna has written about hearing that a new writer needed to offer "the same but different," and that helped her sharpen her next idea. She created Livak, the thief and gambler at the heart of The Thief's Gamble, and that book became her debut in 1999. It led to The Tales of Einarinn, then to the linked worldbuilding of The Aldabreshin Compass, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, and The Hadrumal Crisis.

Those books helped define what many readers still like best about her work. McKenna writes big fantasy without losing sight of ordinary pressures: money, law, duty, prejudice, travel, family, class, and the messy business of staying alive. Her characters are rarely waiting to be told they are chosen. They are usually already busy, already compromised, and already trying to do the next sensible thing in a world that refuses to stay sensible.

She has also proved happy to change lanes. The Green Man's Heir took her into contemporary fantasy rooted in British folklore, with carpenter and dryad's son Dan Mackmain investigating uncanny trouble in the modern countryside. The Cleaving turned to Arthurian legend and retold it through the lives of four women usually pushed to the edge of the story.

She doesn't seem especially interested in writing the same book over and over.

Alongside the fiction, McKenna has long been active in the wider field. She reviews, blogs about publishing and equality in science fiction and fantasy, teaches creative writing, and appears at conventions and events. She has served as a judge for the James White Award, the Aeon Award, the Arthur C Clarke Award, and the World Fantasy Awards, and in 2015 she received the British Fantasy Society's Karl Edward Wagner Award.

These days she continues to write across more than one mode. Under the name J M Alvey she has also written historical murder mysteries set in ancient Greece. Whether she is working in epic secondary worlds, modern folklore, or historical fantasy, the through line is much the same: curious intelligence, solid craft, and a clear interest in how people live inside the stories history and myth tell about them.

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