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Death Gate Grim Reapers Thriller Books in Order

9 Books
2018 – 2022 Published
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Reading order

The Best Reading Order for Death Gate Grim Reapers

If you want to experience the magical, mystery-filled underworld of Detroit through the eyes of Izzy Sage, you have two primary ways to approach the Death Gate Grim Reapers Thriller series. While you can jump straight into Izzy's standalone adventures, the series is deeply tied to Amanda M. Lee's broader supernatural universe, particularly the Aisling Grimlock novels. Below, we break down the recommended reading paths.

Path 1: The Direct Death Gate Reading Order (Recommended)

For readers who want to focus solely on Izzy Sage's personal journey, her training, and her relationship with the Grimlocks, you should follow the publication order of the nine main books. This order tracks the linear progression of Izzy's career as a Belle Isle gatekeeper and the slow-burn romance with Braden Grimlock:

  1. Only the Lonely (2018) – Izzy returns to Detroit to solve her parents' murders, takes over the Death Gate, and meets the chaotic Grimlocks.
  2. Only the Quiet (2019) – A malevolent spirit haunts Belle Isle, forcing Izzy to dig into the past while getting closer to Braden.
  3. Only the Lost (2019) – Izzy deals with a malfunctioning gate and unaged reaper trainees, exposing dark secrets in Detroit's supernatural department.
  4. Only the Devout (2020) – The stakes rise as Izzy faces new magical threats and continues balancing her Bruja heritage with reaper duties.
  5. Only the Strong (2020) – A massive crisis forces a crossover, bringing in Zoe Lake-Winters and her family from Covenant College to help save Belle Isle.
  6. Only the Buried (2021) – Secrets buried deep in the reaper underworld resurface, testing Izzy's loyalties and survival instincts.
  7. Only the Guilty (2021) – Izzy investigates a complex web of supernatural crime in Detroit, where the lines of guilt are blurred.
  8. Only the Evil (2022) – A deadly clash featuring the god Cernunnos and an undead army, requiring a massive team-up with both the Grimlocks and the Winters family.
  9. Only the Grim (2022) – The explosive series finale where Izzy battles the god Pan and a revenant army to secure the gate once and for all.

Path 2: The Chronological Shared-Universe Order

Because the Death Gate series is a direct spin-off of the Aisling Grimlock series, reading the parent series first provides crucial context. The Grimlock family members who act as major supporting characters in Izzy's books are introduced and fully developed in Aisling's own nine-book saga. Here is the chronological path to reading both series:

  • The Aisling Grimlock Series (Books 1–9): Start with Grim Tidings and read through to Grim Vows. This establishes the reaper lore, the dysfunctional dynamics of the Grimlock family, and the rules of the afterlife.
  • The Timeline Gap: The events of Only the Lonely (Death Gate Book 1) take place approximately nine months after the conclusion of Grim Vows (Aisling Grimlock Book 9).
  • The Death Gate Grim Reapers Thriller Series (Books 1–9): Begin Izzy's story with Only the Lonely and follow through to Only the Grim.

Understanding Izzy Sage's World: Reapers, Brujas, and Belle Isle

To fully appreciate the narrative arc of the Death Gate series, it helps to understand the unique lore Amanda M. Lee constructs. Unlike traditional urban fantasy where reapers are silent, cloaked figures of doom, Lee's reapers belong to organized, highly bureaucratic (and often chaotic) departments. In Detroit, this operation centers around Belle Isle, a park that conceals the physical portal separating the living world from the dead.

Izzy Sage is a particularly compelling protagonist due to her dual heritage. She is half-reaper and half-Bruja (a witch practicing traditional Mexican magic). This blend gives her a diverse magical toolkit but also leaves her caught between two worlds. Her journey is defined by her quest to uncover the truth behind her parents' deaths when she was just seven years old, a mystery that slowly unravels across the books while she works to keep Belle Isle secure.

Spin-Offs, Crossovers, and Shared-Universe Connections

Amanda M. Lee has built a massive, interconnected universe where characters from different series frequently cross paths. The Death Gate series stands out for its high density of crossovers, particularly with two other major book series:

Aisling Grimlock Series: As the parent series, the characters Aisling and Griffin make recurring appearances. The Grimlock family as a whole provides comedic relief, muscle during supernatural battles, and family drama. Izzy's relationship with Braden Grimlock serves as the primary romantic arc of the series, eventually leading to their marriage.

Covenant College Series: Zoe Lake-Winters, the powerful mage protagonist from Lee's Covenant College (and its sequels The Living Covenant and The Dying Covenant), crosses over directly into the Death Gate series. Zoe and her husband, Aric Winters, show up in Only the Strong (Book 5) and return with reinforcements in Only the Evil (Book 8) to help defeat a massive revenant horde and Cernunnos.

Author Contributions: It is worth noting that all books in the Death Gate Grim Reapers Thriller series are written solely by Amanda M. Lee. There are no co-authored books or guest writers in this series, ensuring a consistent voice, tone, and pacing throughout Izzy Sage's nine-book run.

What to Know Before You Start Reading

Before diving into Detroit's supernatural underworld, here are a few practical tips to keep in mind:

  • Tone and Genre: The series occupies a unique space between urban fantasy action and cozy mystery. While there are world-ending stakes and gods like Pan and Cernunnos, the books maintain a lighthearted, humorous tone driven by Izzy's snarky first-person narration and her interactions with the loud Grimlock family.
  • Standalone vs. Continuous Plot: Each book features a self-contained mystery (a rogue wraith, a haunted park, a specific supernatural murder). However, the overarching character growth, Izzy and Braden's relationship, and the mystery of Izzy's parents' deaths are continuous. It is highly recommended not to read these books out of order.
  • Setting Details: Amanda M. Lee uses Detroit and the iconic Belle Isle park to ground the fantasy elements. The gritty charm of the city provides a perfect backdrop for the supernatural bureaucracy of the reaper department.

Frequently Asked

QDo I need to read the Aisling Grimlock series before starting Death Gate?

No, you do not need to, but it is highly recommended. Because the Grimlock family plays a major role in Death Gate, reading the Aisling Grimlock series first provides valuable backstory and explains the dynamics of the characters Izzy interacts with.

QIs the Death Gate Grim Reapers Thriller series completed?

Yes, the series is complete with nine books, starting with Only the Lonely (2018) and concluding with Only the Grim (2022).

QWho is the main love interest in the Death Gate series?

Izzy Sage's primary romantic interest is Braden Grimlock. Their relationship evolves throughout the series, eventually leading to marriage.

QWhich characters from other Amanda M. Lee books crossover into Death Gate?

In addition to the Grimlock family, Zoe Lake-Winters and her husband Aric Winters from the Covenant College series make major crossover appearances in Only the Strong (Book 5) and Only the Evil (Book 8).

QWhat supernatural powers does Izzy Sage have?

As a half-reaper and half-Bruja, Izzy has reaper abilities (like gatekeeping and guiding souls) combined with traditional spellcasting and witchcraft inherited from her mother's lineage.

QAre there any co-authored books or spin-offs of Death Gate?

No, the series is written entirely by Amanda M. Lee without co-authors, and there are currently no direct spin-offs centering on other characters from the series.