Terry Goodkind Books in Order: 2 Ways to Read

By T.L. BransonFantasy

Trying to figure out the Terry Goodkind books in order can get confusing fast, especially once you get past the main Sword of Truth novels and start seeing companion books, spin-offs, and later entries connected to the same world. Goodkind’s bibliography is bigger than it looks at first glance, and the reading path isn’t always obvious if you’re coming in fresh.

This guide puts the Terry Goodkind books in order in a clear, easy-to-follow format so you can start in the right place and keep going without second-guessing what comes next. Whether you’re brand new to Richard and Kahlan or coming back to finish the series, you’ll find the reading order you need here.

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The Sword of Truth Books in Order of Publication

Technically, the Sword of Truth only refers to the first thirteen books. However, since the subsequent series all feature characters from the Sword of Truth, we’re going to lump them all together under this heading while drawing distinctions below.

Keep reading for a list of Terry Goodkind books in order that have nothing to do with The Sword of Truth. We’ll cover them as well.

The Sword of Truth

  1. Wizard’s First Rule (1994)
  2. Stone of Tears (1995)
  3. Blood of the Fold (1996)
  4. Temple of the Winds (1998)
  5. Debt of Bones (1998) (Prequel Novella)
  6. Soul of the Fire (1999)
  7. Faith of the Fallen (2000)
  8. The Pillars of Creation (2001)
  9. Naked Empire (2003)
  10. Chainfire (2004)
  11. Phantom (2006)
  12. Confessor (2007)
  13. The First Confessor (2012) (Prequel Novel)

Richard & Kahlan

  1. The Omen Machine (2011)
  2. The Third Kingdom (2012)
  3. Severed Souls (2014)
  4. Warheart (2015)

The Nicci Chronicles

  1. Death’s Mistress (2017)
  2. Shroud of Eternity (2018)
  3. Siege of Stone (2018)
  4. Heart of Black Ice (2020)

The Children of D’Hara (Novella Series)

  1. The Scribbly Man (2019)
  2. Hateful Things (2019)
  3. Wasteland (2019)
  4. Witch’s Oath (2020)
  5. Into Darkness (2020)
  6. Children of D’Hara Omnibus (2021)

The Sword of Truth Books in Chronological Order

This list of Terry Goodkind books in order lumps all the series above together. That means you’ll be jumping around between “series” on occasion. Read the books in an aggregate publication order with two noticeable changes for the first two books listed below.

Be aware, that it is not recommended for new readers to follow chronological order. There may be spoilers in the prequels, or assumptions made that you know what’s going on. Often the first book published is always the best starting point in any series.

  1. The First Confessor (2012)
  2. Debt of Bones (1998)
  3. Wizard’s First Rule (1994)
  4. Stone of Tears (1995)
  5. Blood of the Fold (1996)
  6. Temple of the Winds (1998)
  7. Soul of the Fire (1999)
  8. Faith of the Fallen (2000)
  9. The Pillars of Creation (2001)
  10. Naked Empire (2003)
  11. Chainfire (2004)
  12. Phantom (2006)
  13. Confessor (2007)
  14. The Omen Machine (2011)
  15. The Third Kingdom (2012)
  16. Severed Souls (2014)
  17. Warheart (2015)
  18. Death’s Mistress (2017)
  19. Shroud of Eternity (2018)
  20. Siege of Stone (2018)
  21. The Scribbly Man (2019) (Novella)
  22. Hateful Things (2019) (Novella)
  23. Wasteland (2019) (Novella)
  24. Witch’s Oath (2020) (Novella)
  25. Heart of Black Ice (2020)
  26. Into Darkness (2020)

Other Terry Goodkind Books

The following is a list of other Terry Goodkind books in order that have nothing to do with The Sword of Truth.

Jack Raines & Angela Constantine Books in Order

  1. Nest (2016)
  2. Trouble’s Child (2018) (Novella)
  3. The Girl in the Moon (2018)
  4. Crazy Wanda (2018) (Novella)

Standalone Novels

  1. The Law of Nines (2009)
  2. The Sky People (2019) (Novella)

What is The Sword of Truth?

The Sword of Truth is a series of stand-alone novels that were all written following a singular timeline. You might think that sounds like a series, but all it means is that each novel is full and complete without reliance upon other books in a series to tell a story (with the exception of the last three novels: Chainfire, Phantom, and Confessor which is a 3-book trilogy).

This is kind of like reading the Jack Reacher books in order. Each book is it’s own contained story, but the overall timeline moves forward in each novel.

In typical fantasy, you’d expect a story to stretch out over 3-4 novels before reaching it’s ultimate conclusion. That is not the case with The Sword of Truth.

This will either excite some people who don’t want to make a huge investment or may disappoint others who hate having to dissect a new plot in every novel.

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.

5 thoughts on “Terry Goodkind Books in Order: 2 Ways to Read”

  1. Your list has left me rather confused. According to your “list in order of publication”, “Debt of Bones” is #5. Your “Summary of the Sword of Truth Books in Order” numbers 11 volumes but doesn’t mention “Debt of Bones” at all. (nor do you mention “The First Confessor” in any list) The publisher’s list at the fronts of the books “Chainfire”, “Phantom” and “Confessor”, places “Debt of Bones” as #9, right between “Naked Empire” and “Chainfire”. What the ???

    Reply

    1. I don’t include novellas in my summary lists at the end, only full novels. As most readers skip novellas. And I couldn’t tell you why the publisher lists it as #9 because Debt of Bones is neither #9 in chronological order (it’s a prequel) or publication order as you see where it falls.

      Reply

      1. I can provide a bit of context for you: Debt of Bones was released twice. First, it was printed in the Legends anthology in 1998, but as far as publishers are concerned, Debt of Bones is the 9th bound book and was released as a standalone short novel in 2001.

        Reply

  2. I’ve read, (by publication order), First Rule-Warheart. I’m about to start on the rest. I’m a BIG reader and I love these books. Actually found the first book in the back corner of an old thrift shop and the title caught my attention. There’s a lesson to be learned in each book. Great detailed writing. If you like a story where the little guy becomes the big hero, then you’ll love these books.

    Reply

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