How to Read the Imperium/Mech Series
B.V. Larson's Imperium/Mech series is a fast-paced space opera that combines gritty military sci-fi with dark humor and creature-feature horror. The series follows humanity's struggle to colonize distant worlds, only to discover that the original bio-technology-based alien inhabitants, known as the Skaintz, are waking up from centuries of stasis to reclaim their homeworlds.
When it comes to reading this series, you have two primary options: publication order or chronological order. Because the prequel novella Mech Zero: The Dominant was published after the first two main novels, deciding where to start can shape your introduction to this universe.
The Recommended Starting Point
We recommend starting with Mech 1: The Parent. Starting here introduces you to the universe, the colonist factions, and the creeping threat of the Skaintz through the eyes of characters who are experiencing these strange events for the first time. Reading the prequel, Mech Zero, after Mech 2 or Mech 3 provides satisfying backstory once you are already familiar with the lore and stakes.
Imperium/Mech Books in Publication Order
Following the publication order allows you to experience the series as B.V. Larson originally wrote and released it, letting the world-building unfold naturally.
- Mech 1: The Parent (2010) – The first full-length novel in the series, introducing the colony planet Garm and the initial awakening of the Skaintz.
- Mech 2: The Savant (2010) – The second main novel, shifting the focus to the planet Neu Schweitz and introducing broader political tensions and pirate factions.
- Mech Zero: The Dominant (2012) – A prequel novella that outlines the early days of the conflict and the nature of the Skaintz before the main books begin.
- Mech 3: The Empress (2012) – The longest and most climactic novel of the main trilogy, taking place on the tidally locked fire-and-ice world of Ignis Glace.
- Mech 4: The Black Ship (2017) – A companion novella focusing on a stealthy cyborg raiding vessel striking the Faustian Chain. (Note: Originally published in the 2012 anthology Five by Five before its standalone release in 2017).
Imperium/Mech Books in Chronological Order
If you prefer to read the events in the exact order they occur in the timeline, you should begin with the prequel novella. This setup establishes the lore of the war from the very beginning.
- Mech Zero: The Dominant (Prequel Novella)
- Mech 1: The Parent (Novel)
- Mech 2: The Savant (Novel)
- Mech 3: The Empress (Novel)
- Mech 4: The Black Ship (Novella)
Deep Dive Into the Books
Mech Zero: The Dominant
Serving as a prequel, this novella sets the stage for the destructive conflict between humanity and the Skaintz. It provides essential background on the biological threat of the aliens and how human military command first realized the magnitude of the threat they faced on these colonized worlds.
Mech 1: The Parent
The story begins in earnest on the colony world of Garm. Humans have built settlements over ancient ruins, completely unaware of the threat sleeping beneath their feet. When the Skaintz wake up, smuggler Sarah and Lucas Droad must navigate a rapidly expanding war zone. This book establishes the mechanics of the armored combat suits and the gruesome, parasitic nature of the bio-tech adversaries.
Mech 2: The Savant
The conflict moves to Neu Schweitz, a lush colony planet situated 3.2 light-years from Garm. Here, humanity is already fractured by local politics, corporate greed, and piracy. When the Skaintz threat emerges on Neu Schweitz, the human factions must decide whether to unite or perish, highlighting B.V. Larson's themes of human stubbornness and political corruption in the face of annihilation.
Mech 3: The Empress
This installment is the longest and most grand in scope. The battlefield shifts to Ignis Glace, a harsh world where one side permanently bakes under a blazing sun while the other is locked in eternal ice. The extreme environments complicate the military operations as the human forces attempt a decisive stand against the Skaintz hierarchy.
Mech 4: The Black Ship
This novella shifts focus to a stealthy cyborg raider ship navigating the Faustian Chain. It offers a side-story perspective on the universe, focusing on high-tech raiding, cyborg modifications, and the desperate measures taken by human remnants to survive in the outer colonies.
What to Know Before You Start
The Imperium/Mech series is known for its fast pacing, heavy focus on action, and B.V. Larson's signature dark comedy. It is less concerned with dense, scientific exposition and more focused on the immediate tension of survival, military tactics, and strange alien biology. While the main trilogy (Books 1, 2, and 3) forms a complete story arc detailing the war against the Skaintz, the two novellas expand the universe and explore different angles of the setting.