The Riven Gates Books in Order

The Riven Gates returns to the Mageborn world years after the Dark Gods have fallen and Lothion has settled into an uneasy peace. Mordecai, once the blacksmith's son who stumbled into wizardry, is now an archmage, a husband, and a father to a brood of gifted and headstrong children.

On the surface he has everything he fought for, yet old sins and older enemies refuse to stay buried. Tyrion Illeniel, the legendary wizard from the Embers of Illeniel era, has re-entered the world with his own agenda. Strange forces stir at the edges of the realm, probing the boundaries that once held back beings powerful enough to shatter creation.

The first book, Mordecai, focuses on a family trying to live normal lives under the weight of fame and prophecy. The children test limits, allies demand favors, and the crown leans hard on Mordecai's reputation to keep the peace. When events spiral out of control, everyone in House Illeniel is forced to decide what they are willing to sacrifice for each other.

The Severed Realm shifts the camera to characters around Mordecai, especially Rose Thornbear. With the archmage trapped in a plot he never saw coming, Rose stands between his scattered family and a coordinated attempt to break them. Much of the tension here comes from political pressure, social backlash, and the very human fear of failing the people who depend on you.

By Transcendence and Rebellion, the danger has gone from personal to apocalyptic. Mordecai's power has grown so far beyond mortal limits that he has become a threat to the world he saved, and his own children may be the only ones who can stop him. The books juggle gods, ancient curses, and magical engineering with quieter questions about loyalty, resentment, and what children owe the parents who broke them while trying to keep them safe.

Readers coming from Mageborn, Embers of Illeniel, and Champions of the Dawning Dragons will recognize familiar faces and long-running threads paying off. Newcomers can still follow the story, but it lands hardest if you already care about the Illeniel clan. Expect high-stakes battles, complicated family dynamics, and an ending that is more about cost and consequence than easy victory.