The Myriad Books in Order

The Myriad is not a tidy, comforting fantasy coast. It is an island chain shaped by the memory of gods that really were there, and were never gentle.

By the time Deeplight begins, those sea gods are dead, having torn one another apart years earlier. But their absence has not made life normal. Their remains still lie in the water as dangerous relics, called godware, and whole communities live by diving, scavenging, trading, and fearing what the sea might still be hiding. The setting matters because nobody in the Myriad gets to forget the past. Religion, trade, technology, and daily survival all grew around those vanished powers.

The main human center of the story is Hark, a young scavenger on Lady's Crave. He lives by charm, quick lies, and whatever small schemes will keep him going. Beside him is Jelt, his fierce, reckless, manipulative best friend, the sort of friend who can feel like a lifeline and a trap at the same time. Their bond does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting. The book cares about monsters and relics, but it cares just as much about loyalty, fear, and the damage people can do to each other while still calling it friendship.

Then the sea starts calling again.

What follows is part adventure, part horror, and part coming-of-age story. Hark is pulled toward something buried below the waves, something valuable enough to tempt smugglers, priests, officials, and anyone else who thinks power can be handled safely. Frances Hardinge makes the ocean feel huge, old, and watchful, but the world is never just background. The Myriad has street life, scams, boats, rival interests, and a culture shaped by diving and deafness. Many of its people are sea-kissed, having lost hearing to the depths, and sign language is simply part of how the world works.

That last detail is a good example of what makes the setting stick. Hardinge does not use the Myriad as a generic fantasy archipelago. She builds customs, fears, and social habits that seem to grow naturally from its history. Even the dead gods continue to affect law, labor, faith, and the stories people tell one another.

So if you are wondering what kind of series this is, the honest answer is that it is a world-first fantasy with teeth. Deeplight gives you undersea relics, body horror, cultish fear, and real tenderness, all in the same book. Expect eerie seas, damaged friendships, morally messy choices, and a setting that feels salt-stained, superstitious, and completely alive.