Curtain Worlds Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Paths for Curtain Worlds

Jayne Ann Krentz, writing under her futuristic pen name Jayne Castle, has created a sprawling sci-fi romance universe known as the Curtain Worlds. The series is set on colonised planets that were permanently cut off from Earth when the space-curtains (cosmic wormholes) snapped shut. To navigate this extensive universe, readers generally follow one of three primary reading paths.

Path 1: The Chronological & Publication Order (Recommended)

If you want to experience the evolution of the universe as the author wrote it, starting from the original colony planet and moving to the main setting of Harmony, follow the absolute publication order. This begins with the St. Helen's trilogy before transitioning into the long-running Harmony books (comprising both the Ghost Hunters and Rainshadow series):

1. Amaryllis (1996) — St. Helen's Trilogy #1
2. Zinnia (1997) — St. Helen's Trilogy #2
3. Orchid (1998) — St. Helen's Trilogy #3
4. Bridal Jitters (1999) — Harmony Novella (Ghost Hunters #1)
5. After Dark (2000) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #2)
6. After Glow (2004) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #3)
7. Ghost Hunter (2006) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #4)
8. Silver Master (2007) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #5)
9. Dark Light (2008) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #6)
10. Obsidian Prey (2009) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #7)
11. Midnight Crystal (2010) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters / Dreamlight Trilogy #3)
12. Canyons of Night (2011) — Harmony (Rainshadow #1 / Looking Glass Trilogy #3)
13. The Lost Night (2012) — Harmony (Rainshadow #2)
14. Deception Cove (2013) — Harmony (Rainshadow #3)
15. The Hot Zone (2014) — Harmony (Rainshadow #4)
16. Siren's Call (2015) — Harmony (Rainshadow #5)
17. Illusion Town (2016) — Harmony (Rainshadow #6 / Ghost Hunters #8)
18. Guild Boss (2021) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #9)
19. Sweetwater and the Witch (2022) — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #10)
20. People in Glass Houses — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #11) (2024)
21. It Takes a Psychic — Harmony (Ghost Hunters #12) (2025)

Path 2: The Planet Harmony Route

Many readers prefer to skip the St. Helen's books and dive straight into the planet Harmony, where the bulk of Castle's futuristic stories take place. If you choose this route, start with the novella Bridal Jitters or the first full-length novel After Dark. This path introduces you to the underground catacombs, the Ghost Hunter Guilds, and the beloved dust bunnies without requiring the St. Helen's backstory.

Path 3: The Rainshadow Island Escape

For readers who want a more isolated, high-octane mystery setting within the Harmony world, the Rainshadow Island subseries is an excellent alternative starting point. Rainshadow is an island outpost trapped under a mysterious alien shield. You can begin directly with Canyons of Night and read through to Illusion Town, which serves as a grand crossover concluding the Rainshadow arc while linking back to the mainland Ghost Hunters.

The Subseries Explained

The Futuristic World of St. Helen's

The Curtain Worlds universe began with this initial trilogy. Set on the colony world of St. Helen's, these books establish the premise of human colonists stranded on a distant planet. While they feature the psychic powers and romance characteristic of Jayne Castle's writing, the setting is distinct from Harmony. Amaryllis, Zinnia, and Orchid are tightly connected and should be read in order.

The Futuristic World of Harmony: Ghost Hunters

This is the core subseries of the Curtain Worlds. Centered on the planet Harmony, it follows members of the Ghost Hunter Guilds who possess the unique psychic talent required to navigate the "underworld"—dangerous alien catacombs filled with lethal psychic energy and ancient ruins. The books follow a romance-of-the-week formula but build a continuous history of Harmony's developing society.

The Futuristic World of Harmony: Rainshadow

Starting with Canyons of Night, this subseries shifts focus to Rainshadow Island, a preserve containing dangerous alien beasts, botanical hazards, and unmapped ruins. The island is protected by an ancient alien energy barrier. The Rainshadow books feature a slightly darker, more adventurous tone than the mainland Ghost Hunter novels, though they retain the trademark humor and romance.

The Arcane Society Crossovers

One of the most unique aspects of the Curtain Worlds series is its connection to Jayne Ann Krentz's multi-era Arcane Society saga. The Arcane Society is a secret group of psychics spanning three distinct time periods, written under three different names:

• Amanda Quick writes the historical Regency/Victorian Arcane novels.
• Jayne Ann Krentz writes the contemporary Arcane novels.
• Jayne Castle writes the futuristic Curtain Worlds novels.

If you want to read the overarching Arcane Society plots, you will need to read across these pen names. Specifically, two Curtain Worlds books serve as the sci-fi conclusions to multi-author trilogies:

• Midnight Crystal (2010) is Book 3 of the Dreamlight Trilogy, following Amanda Quick's Burning Lamp.
• Canyons of Night (2011) is Book 3 of the Looking Glass Trilogy, following Amanda Quick's Quicksilver.

While you can read these two books purely as Harmony novels, they are significantly enriched if you have read their historical and contemporary setup books.

What to Know Before You Start

Before stepping through the space-curtain to St. Helen's or Harmony, keep these key universe elements in mind:

• Psychic Talents: Stranded colonists developed specialized psychic abilities due to the planet's environment. Talents range from prism-sharing (energy focusing) to amber-tuning and ghost-hunting.
• Amber Tech: Harmony does not run on fossil fuels or Earth-style electricity. Instead, society is powered by "amber," a mysterious glowing crystal harvested from alien ruins that stores and channels psychic energy.
• Dust Bunnies: Perhaps the most famous aspect of the series, dust bunnies are small, multi-legged, incredibly fluffy native creatures. They are highly intelligent, communicate psychically, and are fiercely loyal protectors to their human companions. They are definitely not the household dust bunnies of Earth!
• Standalone vs. Continuity: Each book features a self-contained romance with a satisfying happily-ever-after. You do not need to worry about cliffhangers. However, the world-building, political struggles of the psychic guilds, and secondary characters carry over, making publication order the most rewarding experience.