The Nine Worlds Books in Order

A nameless young man lives contentedly in an isolated tower, studying wild magic and following orderly routines. Something glimpsed in a bird's nest awakens a curiosity strong enough to challenge the enchantments that have kept him from leaving.

Jemis Greenwing returns from university to a damaged reputation, an uncertain inheritance, and employment in a quiet town's bookshop. Reconnecting with an adventurous old friend draws him into secret societies, criminal gangs, an illegal cult, and an unexpected mermaid.

When a mysterious god takes their youngest sister, the daughters of a desert bandit queen refuse to accept divine privilege as an excuse for injustice. Pali and Arzu venture beyond the routes mortals ordinarily travel, determined to bring her home.

Widowed Sardeet leaves her nomadic family to recover among relatives in a river city, where rumors portray her as a god's beautiful former wife. Her sister Pali knows the truth behind the husband's death, and that consequences will follow.

Jemis Greenwing hopes to enjoy the local harvest fair with nothing more dangerous than a modest wager and perhaps a footrace. Lost heirs, riddling dragons, and elaborate family troubles make even reaching the starting line an unexpectedly difficult undertaking.

After the empire's fall, a former soldier tells his nephew how he acquired a facial scar and an unwanted place in the outlaw poet Fitzroy Angursell's songs. Neither man anticipates what revealing the old story will mean between them.

Scout Jack Greenwing returns from a mission to discover that treachery has ended a siege and his surviving commanders have been taken prisoner. Determined to rescue them, he enters snowy mountains controlled by enemies who can move through stone.

Just as Jemis begins to feel settled in his hometown, he is accused of magically murdering a legendary folk hero. Fleeing into the forest brings encounters with highwaymen, illicit distillers, unexpected relatives, and the secrets beneath the town's respectable dullness.

Cliopher Mdang has devoted his life to serving an emperor revered as a living god, observing every barrier between sovereign and secretary. An impulsive invitation to visit his remote island home begins a friendship with consequences far beyond either man's expectations.

Raphael, guardian of the magic hidden behind the ordinary world, is prepared to sacrifice almost everything to prevent its destruction. The sudden return of his long-lost twin unsettles those plans, exposing a struggle in which saving himself may prove hardest.

Jemis accompanies his best friend on an urgent journey to the imperial capital, hoping to escape hometown gossip for a while. His former lover's rising legal power, unexpected family connections, and new notoriety make an inconspicuous visit impossible.

Five standalone stories follow very different people into encounters with poetry, myth, and magic in a world resembling our own. A storyteller, a fairy prince, ordinary siblings, a Canadian teenager, and Shakespeare each find unexpected passages beyond familiar experience.

A blizzard forces Jemis and his companions to shelter in an eccentric country house while crossing the mountains home. Its other guests harbor secrets, and Mr. Dart's unusual ability to hear inanimate objects complicates a visit that soon includes murder.

Three years after awakening from a magical coma, the last emperor of a fallen empire struggles to articulate even his own needs. The arrival of a new secretary, Cliopher Mdang, unexpectedly begins to end his long personal apocalypse.

Jemis and Mr. Dart hope for a peaceful Winterturn of family, food, and modest religious observances after their recent adventures. The arrival of a fairy fox introduces wild magic, hidden gifts, and family secrets before the holiday pageant even begins.

Revered as a living god, the last emperor of Astandalas is an unlikely person to find breaking into an imperial tomb. Yet beneath his ceremonial identity lies an experienced adventurer with an old name and a secret life.

Left governing while his emperor searches for a magical heir, Cliopher anticipates retirement and a chance to rediscover his own neglected dreams. An unexpected adventure turns that comfortable prospect into a real journey, testing the stories and loyalties that have guided him.

At twenty-one, Aurelius has already spent six years as emperor and known little beyond war. Before the legendary friendships and achievements of his future reign, he reaches a moment that may change both his life and the empire's course.

Tovo reassures his island community that his absent great-nephew Kip will return when the time is right, but privately fears he has forgotten his heritage. Traveling across the world to see for himself offers a more direct answer.

Unable to suppress his growing gift for fire, Terec fears he will eventually hurt the people he loves. Rather than travel south into the empire's magical heart, he chooses the uncertain northern wilderness and the adventures he never intended to seek.

Once a legendary swordswoman, Pali now battles injustice as a respected historian, keeping her blade sharp despite academic respectability. A sabbatical reunites her with old companions and draws her toward an adventure involving a plot to abduct the last emperor.

Thirteen-year-old Kip feels like an outsider, yet believes he can become the community's next keeper of the fire. Before advancing in his apprenticeship, he must convince his teacher that he is ready, then face what that next step actually requires.

Beyond the empire's northern reaches lies a vast wall of ice that most travelers merely admire before turning back. For wild mage Terec, whose magic draws him onward through the wastelands, the frozen barrier may conceal an unexpected doorway.