Dresden Files Books in Order: Complete List & Timeline

The Dresden Files is Jim Butcher’s urban fantasy series about Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard. With novels, short stories, novellas, and graphic novels, there’s a lot to sort through, so finding the right Dresden Files book order can get confusing fast.

The good news is that the best reading order depends on how much of the series you want to read. Below, I’ll walk you through where to start and which order makes the most sense.

Jump to:

1. Dresden Files Books in Publication Order
2. Complete Dresden Files Timeline in Chronological Order
3. Dresden Files Adaptations
4. What is The Dresden Files?
5. Dresden Files Books FAQ

Dresden Files Books in Publication Order

Reading The Dresden Files in publication order is the best place to start for most readers. It gives you the clearest introduction to Harry Dresden, the supporting cast, and the larger world of the series while letting the story unfold the way it was originally released.

The Dresden Files Main Novels

These are the main full-length novels in the series. For first-time readers, this is the simplest and best reading order because it follows Harry’s story in the clearest, most spoiler-free way.

1. Storm Front (2000)
2. Fool Moon (2001)
3. Grave Peril (2001)
4. Summer Knight (2002)
5. Death Masks (2003)
6. Blood Rites (2004)
7. Dead Beat (2005)
8. Proven Guilty (2006)
9. White Night (2007)
10. Small Favor (2008)
11. Turn Coat (2009)
12. Changes (2010)
13. Ghost Story (2011)
14. Cold Days (2012)
15. Skin Game (2014)
16. Peace Talks (2020)
17. Battle Ground (2020)
18. Twelve Months (2026)
19. Mirror Mirror (TBA)

The Dresden Files Novellas

These are the standalone Dresden Files novellas. They aren’t part of the main novel sequence, but they do add extra context and side adventures for readers who want to go beyond the core books.

1. The Law (2022)
2. Out Law (2026)

The Dresden Files Short Story Collections

These two collections gather Dresden Files short fiction into one place. They’re the easiest way to read many of the shorter stories without tracking them down individually.

1. Side Jobs (2010)
2. Brief Cases (2018)

The Dresden Files Graphic Novels

These collected editions gather the Dresden Files comics into full graphic novel volumes. You can track down the individual issues, but the collected versions are the simpler and more practical way to read them.

1. Welcome to the Jungle (2008)
2. Storm Front, Vol. 1 (2009)
3. Storm Front, Vol. 2 (2009)
4. Fool Moon, Vol. 1 (2011)
5. Fool Moon, Vol. 2 (2013)
6. Ghoul, Goblin (2013)
7. War Cry (2014)
8. Down Town (2015)
9. Wild Card (2016)
10. Dog Men (2018)

Complete Dresden Files Timeline in Chronological Order

This section follows the complete Dresden Files timeline in chronological order, including the novels, graphic novels, novellas, short stories, and microfiction. It’s best suited for readers who already know the main series and want to see how the extra stories fit into the broader timeline, since publication order remains the better starting point for first-time readers.

1. “A Fistful of Warlocks” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
2. “Restoration of Faith” in Side Jobs (Short Story)
3. Welcome to the Jungle (Graphic Novel)
4. Storm Front
5. Fool Moon
6. Ghoul, Goblin (Graphic Novel)
7. “B is for Bigfoot” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
8. Grave Peril
9. Summer Knight
10. Death Masks
11. “A Vignette” in Side Jobs (Short Story)
12. Blood Rites
13. Dead Beat
14. “I Was a Teenage Bigfoot” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
15. War Cry (Graphic Novel)
16. “Something Borrowed” in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (Short Story)
17. Proven Guilty
18. White Night
19. Down Town (Graphic Novel)
20. “It’s My Birthday Too” in Many Bloody Returns (Short Story)
21. Wild Card (Graphic Novel)
22. “Mike” (Microfiction)
23. Dog Men (Graphic Novel)
24. “Heorot” in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon (Short Story)
25. Small Favor
26. “Backup” in Side Jobs (Novella)
27. “Day Off” in Side Jobs (Short Story)
28. “The Warrior” in Side Jobs (Short Story)
29. “Curses” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
30. “AAAA Wizardry” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
31. “Last Call” in Side Jobs (Short Story)
32. Turn Coat
33. “Journal” (Microfiction)
34. “Bigfoot on Campus” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
35. “Even Hand” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
36. “Love Hurts” in Side Jobs (Short Story)
37. Changes
38. “Goodbye” (Microfiction; Best read after Ghost Story)
39. Aftermath in Side Jobs (Short Story)
40. Ghost Story
41. “Bombshells” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
42. Cold Days
43. “Cold Case” in Shadowed Souls (Short Story)
44. Skin Game
45. “Jury Duty” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
46. “Day One” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
47. “Zoo Day” in Brief Cases (Short Story)
48. “Job Placement” (Microfiction)
49. “Monsters” in Parallel Worlds (Short Story)
50. “Everything the Light Touches” (Microfiction)
51. Peace Talks
52. Battle Ground
53. “Christmas Eve” (Short Story)
54. “The Good People” (Microfiction)
55. “Little Things” in Heroic Hearts (Short Story)
56. The Law (Novella)
57. “Fugitive” in Instinct (Short Story)
58. Twelve Months
59. Out Law (Novella)
60. Mirror Mirror (TBA)

Dresden Files Adaptations

The Dresden Files was adapted into a television series that premiered in 2007 on the Sci Fi Channel. The show starred Paul Blackthorne as Harry Dresden and Valerie Cruz as Murphy, and it ran for one season consisting of 12 episodes.

The series made a number of noticeable changes from the books, so reader reactions have always been mixed. For some viewers, it works best as a loose adaptation rather than a faithful version of Jim Butcher’s world.

There has also been renewed interest in a second adaptation over the years. In 2025, reporting tied to a New York Times profile of Butcher said he was negotiating to produce a new series based on three Dresden Files books, but no new adaptation has been formally announced. For now, the 2007 show remains the only released screen version of the series.

What is The Dresden Files?

The Dresden Files is Jim Butcher’s urban fantasy series about Harry Dresden, a professional wizard and private investigator in Chicago. The series began with Storm Front, which was published in 2000, and it has grown far beyond a simple detective fantasy into a much larger story that includes novels, short fiction, novellas, and graphic novels. That expanding scope is a big reason why so many readers end up looking for the best Dresden Files reading order.

The series itself also has an unusual origin story. Butcher has said Storm Front began as part of a writing exercise tied to lessons from one of his professors, and what started as a challenge eventually turned into his breakout series. He has also said the long-term plan for The Dresden Files is 25 books total, with 22 case-file style novels followed by a big apocalyptic trilogy, which helps explain why the series keeps growing in scope as it goes.

The Dresden Files Books FAQ

What genre is The Dresden Files?

The Dresden Files is urban fantasy, but it also pulls in a lot of mystery, noir, horror, and action. At its core, the series follows Harry Dresden as he investigates supernatural cases in modern Chicago, so it blends wizard fiction with detective story structure in a way that gives it a very distinct feel.

Are The Dresden Files books adult or young adult?

The Dresden Files is an adult series, not a young adult one. While the books are fast-paced and accessible, they also include violence, darker subject matter, sexual content, and themes that become heavier as the series goes on.

Do The Dresden Files books get better as the series goes on?

For most readers, yes. The early books are smaller in scope and more episodic, but the worldbuilding, character arcs, and long-term storylines deepen as the series continues, which is a big reason so many fans feel the later books hit harder than the first few.

Do you need to read the Dresden Files short stories and novellas?

No, you can follow the main story through the novels alone. That said, the short stories and novellas do add useful character moments, background details, and extra context, so they’re worth reading if you want the fullest picture of the series.

Is The Dresden Files worth reading?

It is for readers who enjoy urban fantasy with a strong voice, detective-style plots, supernatural worldbuilding, and a long-running cast that grows over time. The series starts smaller than it becomes, so readers who stick with it usually do so because they enjoy seeing Harry’s world expand book by book.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• Anita Blake Books in Order
• Sookie Stackhouse Books in Order
• Mercy Thompson Books in Order