Reign of the Fallen Books in Order

The Reign of the Fallen duology is a dark young adult fantasy set in Karthia, a kingdom where death is not always final. Its ruling nobles can be raised after they die, but the work comes with a strict and frightening condition: their bodies must remain covered by shrouds. If exposed flesh begins to show, the Dead can transform into violent, bloodthirsty Shades.

Odessa is one of Karthia’s master necromancers. Her job is to enter the Deadlands, a dangerous shadow world, retrieve the soul of a dead noble, and return it to the body. It is skilled work, important work, and work that has shaped almost every part of her life. She knows the rules better than most.

Then the Shades start attacking.

In Reign of the Fallen, Odessa faces a sudden rise in Shade violence and the loss of someone close to her. The attacks suggest that someone is deliberately tearing away the shrouds that keep the Dead stable, then turning the resulting monsters into weapons. Odessa has to investigate alongside fellow mages and Princess Valoria, whose power and bluntness make her an uneasy but necessary ally.

The first book is built around the question of who benefits when a kingdom depends on the dead, and what happens when that system breaks. There are magical investigations, palace politics, brutal creatures, and moments of sharp humor amid the danger. Odessa’s relationships are central to the story too, especially her growing connection with Meredy and the complicated bonds she has formed through years of shared work and loss.

Song of the Dead widens the map. Karthia has opened its borders for the first time in centuries, and raising the dead has been outlawed. Odessa sets out across the sea with Meredy, hoping distance will give both of them room to recover. Instead, they arrive in a land where the Dead rule at night, dragons walk the streets, and unfamiliar magic challenges what Odessa thought she knew.

But Karthia’s troubles do not stay behind. Political unrest and outside threats pull Odessa and Meredy back into a struggle that asks whether the kingdom can survive without the practices it once relied on. The sequel keeps the focus on their relationship while raising the scale of the conflict.

This is a series for readers who like their fantasy dark but character-led. Expect necromancy, monsters, grief, queer romance, and a world in which every attempt to hold on to the past creates new risks for the future.