Enemy Books in Order

Where to Start: The Best Reading Path

Charlie Higson’s The Enemy series is a dark, gripping young adult horror saga that reimagines a post-apocalyptic London where anyone over the age of sixteen has contracted a disease that turns them into ravenous, mindless "sickos." To survive, kids must band together in landmarks across the city, fighting off infected adults while trying to rebuild society.

Because the series spans multiple groups of survivors, different landmarks, and a timeline that jumps backward and runs parallel, readers often wonder about the best way to tackle the books. The short answer is: stick to the publication order. Even though there is a major prequel and several books that take place at the same time, the narrative mystery, character introductions, and thematic payoffs are designed to be experienced in the order Higson wrote them.

Publication Order of The Enemy Books

The series consists of seven main novels and one ebook companion short story. Reading them in this sequence allows the reader to discover the rules of the infected world naturally, slowly uncovering how different pockets of kids in London are dealing with the outbreak.

1. The Enemy (2009)
2. The Dead (2010)
3. The Fear (2011)
4. Geeks vs. Zombies (2012) – A World Book Day companion novella (Book 3.5)
5. The Sacrifice (2012)
6. The Fallen (2013)
7. The Hunted (2014)
8. The End (2015)

The Chronological Timeline and Overlaps

For readers looking to undertake a reread, or those who want to watch the apocalypse unfold chronologically from the very beginning of the outbreak, the timeline requires a bit of jumping around. Charlie Higson structured the series like a giant jigsaw puzzle. The chronological reading order looks like this:

1. The Dead – This book acts as a prequel, starting just days after the initial outbreak occurs, about a year before the events of the first book. It follows a group escaping a boarding school outside London to find safety in the city.
2. The Enemy – The main story begins here, setting the stage one year after the virus has taken hold, focusing on the Holloway group's trek toward Buckingham Palace.
3. The Fear – Picks up the timeline after the first book, introducing smarter infected adults and escalating the conflict.
4. Geeks vs. Zombies – Occurs during the latter half of the events of The Fear.
5. The Sacrifice and The Fallen (Simultaneous) – These two books occur at the exact same time. The Sacrifice follows shadow-dweller Shadowman and a quest for a cure, while The Fallen shifts focus back to the Holloway crew at the Natural History Museum.
6. The Hunted and The End (Simultaneous & Convergence) – The final two books also run parallel to each other. The Hunted follows several groups trying to survive in the countryside and city, while The End picks up other key characters moving toward Hyde Park. Their timelines run side-by-side until the closing chapters, where all surviving groups finally collide for the ultimate battle in Kensington Gardens.

Major Factions and Survival Groups

Higson’s London is highly localized, with kids fortifying historical sites to protect themselves. Understanding the main factions is crucial to keeping track of the overlapping plotlines:

• The Holloway Crew: One of the strongest fighting groups, formed by survivors from Waitrose and Morrisons supermarkets in North London. They eventually relocate to the Natural History Museum.
• The Buckingham Palace Kids: A large, highly organized, but politically fraught group led initially by the authoritarian David King, and later by Jordan Hordern.
• The Tower of London Kids: Introduced in The Dead, this group uses the historic fortress as a stronghold. Key members include Jack, Ed, and Bam.
• The Museum Kids: Occupying the Natural History Museum, this group is featured prominently in the short story Geeks vs. Zombies and The Fallen.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into the series, readers should be prepared for its tone. Charlie Higson, known for his comedic work and his Young Bond novels, does not pull punches in The Enemy. The books are violent, emotionally raw, and feature a high casualty rate—no character, no matter how beloved, is safe from the infection or death. The books are recommended for readers aged 12 and up due to the graphic nature of the horror.

Furthermore, the books are highly interconnected. While The Dead introduces a new cast, its characters quickly merge into the main storyline in The Fear. Therefore, the books cannot be read as standalones; they must be read as parts of a singular, sprawling epic.