Fairyland Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Path

For the best experience when exploring the whimsical, poetic, and sometimes heartbreaking world of Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland, we recommend following the main publication order. While the series includes prequels, starting with the first published novel is crucial for understanding the rules, tone, and characters of this magical realm before diving into backstories.

Here is our recommended reading path:

1. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (2011) — Start here to experience September's first crossing into Fairyland.
2. The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little While (2011) — A prequel novella about Mallow, best read after Book 1 to avoid spoiling the mystery of the Marquess.
3. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (2012) — The second main novel, following September to the Fairyland-Below.
4. The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two (2013) — The third main novel, taking September to the moon.
5. The Boy Who Lost Fairyland (2015) — The fourth main novel, which shifts the spotlight to Hawthorn, a changeling troll in Chicago.
6. The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home (2016) — The final novel of the main sequence, resolving September's fate.
7. The Beasts Who Fought for Fairyland Until the Very End and Further Still (2016) — A prequel short story centering on the Green Wind and A-Through-L, best read as a nostalgic wrap-up.

The Main Series Novels

1. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (2011)

Set during World War II, this is the story of September, a twelve-year-old girl from Omaha, Nebraska, who lives a rather ordinary life until the Green Wind invites her on an adventure. Upon arriving in Fairyland, she discovers a world in turmoil under the reign of the tyrannical Marquess. September must complete a series of quests to retrieve a magical spoon, forming friendships along the way with a book-loving wyverary named A-Through-L and a blue marid boy named Saturday. This novel began as a crowdfunded online serial in 2009 and earned the prestigious Andre Norton Award before its physical publication.

2. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (2012)

In this darker second installment, September returns to Fairyland only to find that the magic is being drained into a subterranean mirror-realm called Fairyland-Below. To save both worlds, she must descend into the depths and confront her own detached shadow, Halloween, who has become the ruler of the shadow-revels. This book tackles the bittersweet reality of growing up and the consequences of leaving pieces of ourselves behind.

3. The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two (2013)

September is whisked away once again, but this time she bypasses the mainland and lands on the Moon. Here, she finds a community of moon-dwellers and encounters the Moon-Yeti. As she navigates lunar laws and engines of magic, she is forced to confront choices about her identity, her future, and the heavy responsibility of being a hero in a land that is not her home.

4. The Boy Who Lost Fairyland (2015)

The fourth book surprises readers by shifting focus away from September. The protagonist is Hawthorn, a young troll who is stolen from Fairyland and left in Chicago as a changeling. Raised as a human boy named Thomas, Hawthorn struggles with memories of a magical home he can't quite place. His journey back to Fairyland runs parallel to September's own evolution, showing the world from a completely different perspective.

5. The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home (2016)

The grand finale brings September, Hawthorn, Saturday, and A-Through-L together. September is crown candidate for the throne of Fairyland, but to win, she must participate in a massive race across the length and breadth of the realm. Every character met along the way returns in a story that explores what it truly means to go home and the cost of ruling a magical kingdom.

Prequels and Companion Works

The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little While (2011)

Originally published on Tor.com shortly after the release of the first novel, this novella explores the backstory of Mallow, the girl who would eventually become the tyrannical Marquess. It details her arrival in Fairyland, her confrontation with King Goldmouth, and the tragedy that shaped her rule. While chronologically first, reading it after the first novel preserves the narrative tension regarding the Marquess's true nature.

The Beasts Who Fought for Fairyland Until the Very End and Further Still (2016)

This short story serves as a companion prequel that focuses on the Green Wind and the wyverary A-Through-L. Written in the wake of the 2016 US presidential election, it deals with characters handling defeat and politics in a dark period of Fairyland's history. It concludes on a hopeful note and is best enjoyed by established fans looking for one last visit to the universe.

What to Know Before You Start

The Fairyland series has one of the most unique origin stories in modern fantasy. The concept of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland first appeared as a fictional book referenced inside Valente's 2009 adult novel, Palimpsest. When readers begged Valente to write the actual book, she did so as a self-published online serial. The project was entirely reader-supported, making history when it became the first self-published work to win the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Fiction before Feiwel & Friends bought the rights for traditional publication.

Readers should also note the beautiful, detailed illustrations throughout the novels created by Spanish artist Ana Juan. Her artwork is integral to the sensory experience of reading the books, invoking the feel of classic early 20th-century fairy tales like L. Frank Baum's Oz books or Lewis Carroll's Alice stories.