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See the Thraxas books in order by Martin Scott, with short summaries, series background, and a clear guide to where to start in the world of Turai.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

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Publication Order

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13 books

1

Thraxas

by Martin Scott

1999

When Princess Du-Akai hires broke detective Thraxas to recover a missing letter, he stumbles into palace intrigue, gang wars, and dark sorcery. His search drags him across Turai and straight toward a dragon.

2

Thraxas and the Warrior Monks

by Martin Scott

1999

A murder arrest in Thraxas's own office ruins his plans for a lazy summer. Soon he and Makri are tangled in rival warrior monks, missing royal gold, and a killer who keeps adding bodies.

3

Thraxas at the Races

by Martin Scott

1999

Threatened by old enemies and hired to trace a missing painting, Thraxas lands in a murder case he never wanted. All the while, rain batters Turai and the chariot races keep calling his name.

4

Thraxas and the Elvish Isles

by Martin Scott

2000

A trip to the Elvish Isles sounds like a peaceful escape, until Thraxas gets pulled into the mystery of a sacred tree. Makri comes too, and their supposed holiday turns into another string of enemies and trouble.

5

Thraxas and the Sorcerers

by Martin Scott

2001

When sorcerers from across the West descend on Turai to choose a new leader, the authorities recruit Thraxas and Makri to tilt the result. What follows is a riotous mix of bribery, politics, and magical chaos.

6

Thraxas and the Dance of Death

by Martin Scott

2002

A missing magical jewel and a strange wave of death send Thraxas back into Turai's corrupt underbelly. It is another case where every clue brings more danger, and nobody around him seems trustworthy.

7

Thraxas at War

by Martin Scott

2003

Orc armies gather at Turai's borders just as a member of the War Council dies in bizarre fashion. Thraxas would rather stay near food and beer, but murder and invasion leave him no easy escape.

8

Death and Thraxas

by Martin Scott

2004

This omnibus pairs Thraxas at the Races and Thraxas and the Elvish Isles. One story drops Thraxas into murder and racetrack chaos, the other sends him and Makri into fresh trouble on the Elvish Isles.

9

Thraxas Under Siege

by Martin Scott

2005

With plague spreading, food running short, and enemy forces closing in, Turai starts to come apart. Thraxas still wants money for cards and beer, but the city gives him crime, panic, and far bigger problems.

10

Thraxas and the Ice Dragon

by Martin Scott

2013

After Turai falls, Thraxas, Makri, and Lisutaris wash up in distant Samsarina. A sword tournament, a baby dragon, and a murder inquiry turn exile into another messy adventure.

11

Thraxas and the Oracle

by Martin Scott

2015

As the armies of the West prepare to march on Turai, Thraxas is made security officer to Lisutaris and told to stop a powerful enemy sorcerer. War planning, old grudges, and familiar faces make the road back anything but simple.

12

Thraxas of Turai

by Martin Scott

2019

Back within reach of home, Thraxas joins the push to retake Turai while investigating a politically awkward murder. Between dragons overhead and beer running short, victory does not look especially comfortable.

13

Thraxas Meets His Enemies

by Martin Scott

2022

Back in a battered Turai, Thraxas faces a new local scandal when gold meant to buy food disappears from the palace vaults. Hunger, corruption, and old enemies make the city's homecoming anything but restful.

Series background & context

The Thraxas books take the shape of a hardboiled detective series and drop it into a fantasy city full of sorcerers, assassins, and dragons. They are mystery novels, comic fantasy, and political capers all at once.

At the center is Thraxas, a private investigator in Turai. Before the series began he was a soldier, a mercenary, and a failed student of sorcery, and he once worked at the palace before drink got the better of him. By the time we meet him, he is broke, overweight, bad-tempered, and much more interested in beer, food, and gambling on the chariot races than in behaving like a noble hero.

He is still very useful when trouble starts.

The other essential figure is Makri, the young woman who works at Gurd's tavern and often helps on Thraxas's cases. She is a brilliant fighter, a former gladiator, and someone who wants more out of life than the city usually offers her. Because she is of mixed human, Orcish, and Elvish blood, she faces constant prejudice, and that gives the series more bite than its comic surface first suggests.

Turai matters just as much as the characters. It is crowded, corrupt, argumentative, and full of rival senators, criminal gangs, sorcerers with private agendas, and officials who are not nearly as competent as they think. A case can begin with a missing letter, stolen gold, or a murder in a tavern, then widen into palace intrigue or guild politics before Thraxas has had time to finish a meal.

The early books stay close to city investigations, which is a big part of their charm. Later on, the scale opens up. War with the Orcs changes the shape of the series, Turai falls, and Thraxas, Makri, Lisutaris, and the rest of the familiar cast get pushed into exile, military planning, and the long effort to win the city back. The books happen in order, so grudges, alliances, and old jokes carry forward.

Even when armies are marching, somebody is usually worrying about beer money.

That balance is the point. These novels like magic and danger, but they also like petty arguments, bad luck, and people who solve large problems while complaining the whole time. If you want epic fantasy with spotless heroes, this is not it. If you want a funny, fast-moving series where a weary investigator keeps getting dragged into trouble far above his pay grade, Thraxas is a very good bet.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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All 13 Thraxas Books in Order (Complete List 2026)