Immortals After Dark Books in Order

Where to Begin Your Journey into the Lore

Stepping into Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark (IAD) series can feel as overwhelming as facing a horde of angry Lykae. With dozens of novels, novellas, anthologies, and spin-offs, it is easy to lose your way in the supernatural politics of the Lore. However, finding the right entry point is key to enjoying this rich, award-winning paranormal romance universe.

The absolute best place to start is with the first full-length novel, A Hunger Like No Other. While the novella The Warlord Wants Forever is chronologically first and introduces the vampire Wroth brothers and the Valkyries, it is a short, fast-paced story that doesn't fully capture the depth of Cole's world-building. Starting with Lachlain and Emmaline's intense, enemies-to-lovers story in A Hunger Like No Other allows you to experience the series' signature blend of high-stakes action, mythology, and steamy romance before backtracking to the prequel novella.

The Official Immortals After Dark Reading Order

To fully appreciate the complex, interconnected plotlines and the overarching mystery of the Accession—a cyclical, apocalyptic war between the Lore's factions—we highly recommend reading the books in publication order. Reading out of order will expose you to major spoilers, as characters from previous books frequently appear as crucial players in later installments.

1. The Warlord Wants Forever (2006) – Prequel Novella introducing Nikolai Wroth and Myst the Coveted. Also published in the Blood Red Kiss anthology.
2. A Hunger Like No Other (2006) – Book 1, featuring Lachlain MacRieve and Emmaline Troy.
3. No Rest for the Wicked (2006) – Book 2, featuring Sebastian Wroth and Kaderin the Cold Hearted.
4. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (2007) – Book 3, featuring Bowen MacRieve and Mariketa the Averted.
5. Dark Needs at Night's Edge (2008) – Book 4, featuring Conrad Wroth and Neomi Laress.
6. Dark Desires After Dusk (2008) – Book 5, featuring Cade and Sabine.
7. Kiss of a Demon King (2009) – Book 6, featuring Rydstrom and Sabine's sister, Lanthe.
8. Deep Kiss of Winter (2009) – An anthology featuring Kresley Cole's novella "Untouchable" (Murdoch Wroth and Daniela the Ice Maiden) alongside a story by Gena Showalter.
9. Pleasure of a Dark Prince (2010) – Book 7, featuring Garreth MacRieve and Lucia the Archer.
10. Demon from the Dark (2010) – Book 8, featuring Malkom Slaine and Carrow Graves.
11. Dreams of a Dark Warrior (2011) – Book 9, featuring Declan Chase (Regin the Reaper's reincarnated mate) and Regin.
12. Lothaire (2012) – Book 10, focusing on the fan-favorite vampire mastermind Lothaire and Elizabeth Peirce.
13. The Brothers Wroth (2012) – A special eBook collection box set compiling the stories of the Wroth brothers: Nikolai, Sebastian, Conrad, and Murdoch.
14. Shadow's Claim (2012) – The Dacians Book 1 / IAD Book 11. Follows Prince Trehan Daciano and Bettina.
15. MacRieve (2013) – Book 12, featuring Uilleam MacRieve and Chloe Todd.
16. Untouchable (2013) – The standalone digital release of Murdoch and Daniela's novella from the Deep Kiss of Winter anthology.
17. Dark Skye (2014) – Book 13, featuring Thronos and Lanthe's sister, Melanthe.
18. Sweet Ruin (2015) – Book 14, featuring Josephine and Rune.
19. Shadow's Seduction (2017) – The Dacians Book 2 / IAD Book 15. Follows Prince Mirceo Daciano and Caspion the Tracker.
20. Wicked Abyss (2017) – Book 16, featuring Abyssian "Sian" Infernas and Lila.
21. Munro (2022) – Book 17, featuring Munro MacRieve and Kereny "Ren" Codrina.
22. The Witch Queen of Halloween (2024) – Book 18.5/20. A standalone novella featuring Rök Kours and Poppy Dyer.
23. Shadow's Heart (2024) – The Dacians Book 3 / IAD Book 21. Follows Kosmina Daciano and Adham Harea.

Spin-Offs and Sub-Series: The Dacians

One of the most notable expansions of the Immortals After Dark universe is The Dacians sub-series. This spin-off focuses on the royal family of Dacia, a secretive, isolated vampire kingdom hidden away from the rest of the Lore. While these books have a slightly different tone and focus on royal politics, they are direct sequels to the events of the main series and are considered core reading.

• Shadow's Claim (The Dacians #1) should be read immediately after Lothaire, as it introduces the Dacian realm and sets up the political stakes.
• Shadow's Seduction (The Dacians #2) features a male-male romance between Prince Mirceo and Caspion, and fits neatly after Sweet Ruin.
• Shadow's Heart (The Dacians #3) follows Kosmina and Adham in a hellplane prison, expanding the boundaries of the universe.

Chronological Caveats and Overlaps

While publication order is the smoothest way to read, you should know that Kresley Cole's timeline is incredibly complex. Several books take place concurrently or overlap in time. For instance, the events of No Rest for the Wicked, Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, and Dark Needs at Night's Edge happen almost simultaneously in different parts of the world, leading to scenes where events from one book are referenced from another perspective. Don't worry if a character mentioned as missing or captured in one book is active in another—the chronological puzzle pieces always fall into place as you read on.

What to Know Before You Start

The Immortals After Dark series is celebrated for its "fated mates" trope, known in-universe as the Bride meeting. When two immortals are fated, they experience physical reactions (like a vampire's beating heart) that force them together, often leading to delicious enemies-to-lovers dynamics. The series is heavily character-driven, featuring a massive cast of recurring characters. Pay close attention to Nix the Ever-Knowing, a seemingly erratic Valkyrie who operates as the puppet master of the entire series, dropping clues and steering the characters toward the final battle of the Accession.