Dark Kings Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Path: Where to Start

If you want to experience the overarching mystery, the slow-burn secrets of Dreagan Industries, and the ultimate war between the Dragon Kings, the Fae, and their enemies, the best path is the publication order. While some readers are tempted to jump straight into the full-length novels, author Donna Grant intentionally designed the series to begin with a sequence of introductory novellas that lay the foundation of the lore.

Your absolute starting point should be the novella Dark Craving (Book 0.1). Along with the next two novellas, it introduces the mysterious, whisky-distilling estate of Dreagan in the Scottish Highlands—which serves as a front for the ancient Dragon Kings who must keep their presence hidden from humans. If you prefer to have these early stories in a single volume, you can pick up the compilation Dark Heat, which bundles the first three novellas together before you dive into the first full novel, Darkest Flame.

Publication Order of the Dark Kings Series

The main series alternates between full-length novels and companion novellas (now grouped under The Dragon Chronicles). Reading them in the sequence they were published ensures you do not miss character cameos, returning couples, or major shifts in the overarching plot. Here is the publication order based on local catalog records:

1. Dark Craving (2012) – Prequel Novella #1
2. Night's Awakening (2012) – Prequel Novella #2
3. Dawn's Desire (2012) – Prequel Novella #3
4. Dark Heat (2013) – Compilation of the first three novellas
5. Darkest Flame (2014) – Book 1 (First full-length novel)
6. Fire Rising (2014) – Book 2
7. Burning Desire (2014) – Book 3
8. Hot Blooded (2014) – Book 4
9. Night's Blaze (2015) – Book 5
10. Soul Scorched (2015) – Book 6
11. Dragon King (2015) – Novella
12. Passion Ignites (2015) – Book 7
13. Smoldering Hunger (2015) – Book 8
14. Smoke and Fire (2016) – Book 9
15. Dragon Fever (2016) – Novella
16. Firestorm (2017) – Book 10
17. Blaze (2017) – Book 11
18. Dragon Burn (2017) – Novella
19. Constantine: A History (2017) – Special Novella (Part 1)
20. Heat (2018) – Book 12
21. Constantine: A History, Part 2 (2018) – Special Novella (Part 2)
22. Torched (2018) – Book 13
23. Dragon Night (2018) – Novella
24. Dragonfire (2018) – Book 14
25. Dragon Claimed (2019) – Novella
26. Ignite (2019) – Novella
27. Fever (2019) – Novella
28. Dragon Lost (2020) – Novella
29. Flame (2020) – Novella
30. Inferno (2020) – Book 15 (The epic conclusion to the main Dark Kings arc)
31. Whisky and Wishes (2020) – Holiday Novella
32. Heart of Gold (2021) – Novella
33. Of Fire And Flame (2021) – Novella
34. A Dragon's Tale (2021) – Novella
35. My Fiery Valentine (2022) – Novella

The Dragon Kings Spin-Off Series

After the core conflict of the Dark Kings wrapped up in Inferno, Donna Grant continued the legacy of the dragon shifters with a dedicated spin-off series explicitly titled Dragon Kings. This series shifts the spotlight onto new threats, the next generation of characters (including the descendants of original couples), and lingering mysteries of the dragon realms. While it functions as a sequel series, it has its own publication and chronological quirks.

Publication Order of Dragon Kings

1. Dragon Revealed (2021)
2. Dragon Mine (2021)
3. Dragon Unbound (2022)
4. Dragon Eternal (2022)
5. Dragon Lover (2023)
6. Dragon Arisen (2023)
7. Ignite the Magic (2023)
8. Dragon Frost (2023)
9. Dragon Kiss (2024)
10. Dragon Born (2024)

Chronological Order of Dragon Kings

If you want to read the Dragon Kings spin-off in strict timeline order, the prequel novel Ignite the Magic (published in 2023) actually comes first. It details the ancient history of how the first doorways between realms were constructed and the fateful meetings of early kings. The chronological list is as follows:

1. Ignite the Magic (2023) – Prequel Novel
2. Dragon Revealed (2021)
3. Dragon Mine (2021)
4. Dragon Unbound (2022)
5. Dragon Eternal (2022)
6. Dragon Lover (2023)
7. Dragon Arisen (2023)
8. Dragon Frost (2023)
9. Dragon Kiss (2024)
10. Dragon Born (2024)

The Dragon Chronicles and Novellas Explained

Over the years, Donna Grant wrote numerous short stories and novellas to expand the backstories of the secondary Dragon Kings and provide lighter, romance-heavy updates. To prevent reader confusion, these stories have been rebranded under the umbrella title The Dragon Chronicles. Rather than being a separate series, this is simply a packaging name for the novellas listed in the Dark Kings order (such as Dragon King, Dragon Fever, and Dragon Burn). While they are shorter than the main novels, they are highly recommended because they introduce characters and subplots that return in later full-length books.

What to Know Before You Start: The Dark Universe

Donna Grant has built a massive, interconnected fictional world known as the Dark Universe. The Dark Kings series itself is a direct spin-off from her earlier series, Dark Sword and Dark Warriors. If you are a completionist, you will find references to the events of those series, and characters from the Fae and immortal Highlander clans frequently make guest appearances at Dreagan. However, you do not need to read those prior series to enjoy the Dark Kings; Donna Grant writes each romance with enough standalone explanation that new readers can jump right in. Just remember that the overarching political battle involving the King of Kings, Constantine, builds step-by-step across all 15 novels, so keeping to the order is essential for the best experience.