Kevin Sands Books in Order

If you want the classic historical mystery entry point: The Blackthorn Key → Mark of the Plague → The Assassin's Curse
If you want the full Christopher Rowe adventure: The Blackthorn Key → Mark of the Plague → The Assassin's Curse → Call of the Wraith → The Traitor's Blade → The Raven's Revenge
If you want fantasy with heists and magic: Children of the Fox → Seekers of the Fox → Champions of the Fox
If you like found-family crews and fast twists: Children of the Fox → Seekers of the Fox

Kevin Sands took a winding route into children's fiction. He studied theoretical physics, then worked as a researcher, business consultant, teacher, and even a professional poker player before turning to novels. He lives in Ontario, Canada.

He did not grow up assuming this would be the plan. He has said he was an avid reader as a kid, the kind who kept a flashlight and a book nearby after bedtime, even though English class was never his favorite subject. The stories he loved most leaned toward adventure, mystery, and big imaginative stakes, which still feels like a good map for the books he writes now.

Writing came in sideways.

Before publishing fiction, Sands tried screenplays and television projects. Then, while teaching high school math and physics and looking for a story idea worth chasing, he started thinking about apothecaries, with their potions, poisons, remedies, and secret codes. That small spark turned into a much bigger one once he began researching seventeenth-century London and realized how much story was waiting there.

That idea became The Blackthorn Key, his 2015 debut. The book introduced Christopher Rowe, a young apothecary's apprentice who has to use chemistry, codebreaking, and nerve to survive a deadly mystery. Readers who click with Sands usually seem to like the same things: tight plots, brainy puzzles, real danger, dry humor, and young characters who solve problems by paying attention. The success of that first novel led to a full series, including Mark of the Plague, The Assassin's Curse, Call of the Wraith, The Traitor's Blade, and The Raven's Revenge.

Brains matter as much as bravery.

That may be the clearest thread running through his work. Even when the stakes get huge, his stories stay grounded in process, clues, planning, and the pressure of making the next smart move. He has said that research is a big part of how he writes, often weeks of it for a single book, and you can feel that in the texture of the Blackthorn novels. They give readers historical detail and strange old science, but they rarely stop to lecture.

Later, Sands shifted from historical adventure into fantasy with Children of the Fox, followed by Seekers of the Fox and Champions of the Fox. Those books trade Restoration London for a magical world and a crew of young thieves, but the appeal is similar. There is still the puzzle-box plotting, still the fast pace, still the sense that teamwork and trust are just as important as talent. If the Blackthorn books are mysteries with explosions, the Fox books are heists with heart.

Now Sands continues to write from Ontario, still drawn to stories with secrets, momentum, and smart kids at the center. Across both of his best-known series, he comes back to curiosity, loyalty, and the fun of watching a plan come together right before it falls apart. That combination has made his books a strong fit for readers who want adventure that moves quickly but still rewards close attention.