How to Read K’Wan’s Animal Series
If you want to experience the gripping, high-intensity saga of Tayshawn "Animal" Torres, there are two primary ways to approach the books. Because the series features a prequel that dives into Animal’s origin story, you can choose between following the publication timeline or going chronologically.
Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended)
This is the order in which the books were written and released. Reading in this order allows you to experience the mysteries and character growth exactly as K’Wan intended, with the prequel acting as an enlightening flashback midway through the saga.
- Animal (2012)
- The Animal II: The Omen (2013)
- Ghetto Bastard: The Beginning (2014) – Prequel (Book 0.5)
- The Animal III: Revelations (2014)
- Animal IV: Last Rites (2015)
- Animal 4.5 (2017)
- Animal V: Executioner’s Song (2021)
Option 2: Chronological Reading Order
If you prefer to see how Tayshawn Torres transformed into the legendary street figure "Animal" from the very beginning, you can start with the prequel. This gives you immediate context for his trauma and motivations before diving into his adult years as a fugitive.
- Ghetto Bastard: The Beginning (2014)
- Animal (2012)
- The Animal II: The Omen (2013)
- The Animal III: Revelations (2014)
- Animal IV: Last Rites (2015)
- Animal 4.5 (2017)
- Animal V: Executioner’s Song (2021)
The Hood Rat Connection and Spin-Offs
Before Animal got his own standalone series, he was introduced as a character in K’Wan’s popular Hood Rat series. Specifically, the fifth book in that series, Eviction Notice (2011), lays the groundwork for Animal’s storyline. If you want the complete backstory of the universe, we recommend starting with the Hood Rat series first.