Where to Start Reading the Change Series
The best place to begin S. M. Stirling's epic saga is with the first novel of the core series, Dies the Fire. It introduces "The Change"—the mysterious 1998 event that suddenly renders electricity, firearms, engines, and high-pressure steam completely useless—and follows the initial struggles of survivors in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Alternatively, you can start with the Nantucket Trilogy, beginning with Island in the Sea of Time. Published before the main Emberverse novels, this companion trilogy takes place at the exact moment of the Change but focuses on the island of Nantucket being sent back to the Bronze Age. While reading it first provides fascinating cosmic context, it is not required to enjoy the main series.
Emberverse Books in Publication and Chronological Order
Because the main Emberverse narrative moves forward in a straight timeline, publication order is also the chronological order. The novels are divided into several distinct generation-spanning arcs:
The Original Change Trilogy
- Dies the Fire (2004) – The immediate aftermath of the Change and the rise of new factions.
- The Protector's War (2005) – The escalating conflict between the Willamette Valley communities and the Portland Protective Association.
- A Meeting at Corvallis (2006) – The climax of the war for the Willamette Valley.
The Sunrise Lands Arc (Emberverse II)
Set 22 years after the Change, this arc shifts the focus to the children of the original survivors on a quest across the changed North American continent.
- The Sunrise Lands (2007)
- The Scourge of God (2008)
- The Sword of the Lady (2009)
The Montival Arc (Emberverse III & IV)
This sequence details the struggle to unite the factions of the Pacific Northwest into the High Kingdom of Montival against a common threat.
- The High King of Montival (2010)
- The Tears of the Sun (2011)
- Lord of Mountains (2012)
- The Given Sacrifice (2013) – The epic conclusion to Rudi Mackenzie's generation.
The Rudi's Children Arc (Emberverse V)
This final sequence follows the third generation of survivors—Rudi's children—as they face threats from across the seas.
- The Golden Princess (2014)
- The Desert and the Blade (2015)
- Prince of Outcasts (2016)
- The Sea Peoples (2017)
- The Sky-Blue Wolves (2018)
Anthologies and Companion Works
To flesh out the global impact of the Change, Stirling edited The Change: Tales of Downfall and Rebirth (2015). This anthology features short stories set in the Emberverse written by major science fiction authors such as Harry Turtledove, Walter Jon Williams, and John Birmingham, showing how regions outside of Oregon survived the collapse.