Shadow and Bone Books in Order [All 10 Grishaverse Books]

Looking for a list of the Shadow and Bone books in order?

With Shadow and Bone now at Netflix TV show, I’ve noticed a huge increase in folks asking what the best order is for reading the Grishaverse books.

Your wish is my command.

The Shadow and Bone series order is pretty straight forward. All of Leigh Bardugo’s books should be read in publication order. There is one possible exception to this, but we’ll cover that later.

Before we dive into the best way to read the Shadow and Bone books in order, let’s take a look at what the Grishaverse is all about.

Grishaverse Summary

Magic users in Leigh Bardugo’s Russian-inspired world are called Grishas.

It’s from this term that the original series gets its name, the Grisha Trilogy. And it’s also why the world is called the Grishaverse. It’s a world in which science and magic collide.

Along the way, you’ll visit places like Ravka and Ketterdam. Beginning with Shadow and Bone, you’ll meet Alina Starkov who is the heroine that we all expect from YA Fantasy.

And in Six of Crows you’ll step into the shoes of Kaz Brekker. A much beloved character with a criminal past whose crew is standing between the world and destruction.

It’s these and several other stories that make up the entirety of the known Grishaverse will what will undoubtedly be many more tales to come.

Shadow and Bone Books in Order

The best way to read the Shadow and Bone books in order is according to publication date.

If you wish to read them chronologically, simply move The Demon in the Wood to the beginning of the list. This is not recommended for first timer readers.

Shadow and Bone Trilogy
1. Shadow and Bone (2012)
2. Siege and Storm (2013)
3. Ruin and Rising (2014)

.5 The Demon in the Wood (Prequel) (2015)

Six of Crows Duology
4. Six of Crows (2015)
5. Crooked Kingdom (2016)

6. Language of Thorns (2017)

King of Scars Duology
7. King of Scars (2019)
8. Rule of Wolves (2021)

Other Books
9. The Lives of Saints

Should I start with Shadow and Bone or Six of Crows?

The short answer is that it doesn’t matter for the Shadow and Bone series order. Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows are two unique stories with a completely different set of characters.

Many members of the YA Fantasy Addicts Facebook group report that they couldn’t get into Shadow and Bone, while also saying that Six of Crows was absolutely fantastic.

I think it’s best to start at the beginning, where thousands and thousands of readers did when the books first published, and that’s with Shadow and Bone.

Either way, you’ll want to read both before the new Shadow and Bone TV show because Kaz Brekker and other characters from Six of Crows will be in it.

When should I read Language of Thorns?

In our list of the Shadow and Bone books in order, I’ve placed Language of Thorns where it belongs in publication order.

But really, you can read Language of Thorns whenever as it’s a series of short stories that don’t relate to any existing characters in the other books.

That being said, I would recommend at least holding off on reading it until you finish at least either Shadow and Bone or Six of Crows.

This will allow you to understand more about the world before trying to dive into these short stories.

Why did you put the prequel after Book 3?

I’ll bet you didn’t even know there was a prequel for Shadow and Bone. It’s not a well-known book, and the cover looks nothing like the series.

The Demon in the Wood is a prequel to Shadow and Bone, and while it can be read before, being a prequel, I believe it’s best to save it for after you finish.

If you begin with the prequel, I think you’ll only be confused and might be tempted to give up on the series prematurely.