Where to Start Reading the Minecraft Novels
Because the official Minecraft novels are written by different authors and set in separate pockets of the sandbox game's endless universe, you do not need to read all of them in a strict sequence. Most books are designed as standalone stories. However, if you are looking for the absolute best reading path, you should start with the core trilogy written by Max Brooks.
Max Brooks' trilogy is the only set of mainline books that follows a direct narrative continuity with the same characters. The recommended starting order is:
- Minecraft: The Island (2017) – Introduces Guy, a protagonist who wakes up stranded on a classic Minecraft survival island and must learn to navigate the bizarre rules of physics, crafting, and hostile mobs.
- Minecraft: The Mountain (2021) – Guy's journey continues as he meets another castaway named Summer, and together they explore a massive mountain biome, learning to collaborate instead of just survive.
- Minecraft: The Village (2023) – The final chapter of Brooks' trilogy, where Guy and Summer discover a village and must defend it from a looming conflict, tackling deep themes of community, war, and teamwork.
Official Minecraft Novels in Publication Order
If you prefer to read the books in the order they were released, you can follow the publication timeline. This approach showcases how different authors have interpreted Minecraft's mechanics—from portal-hopping adventures to darker psychological survivals—over the years.
- Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks (2017)
- Minecraft: The Crash by Tracey Baptiste (2018)
- Minecraft: The Lost Journals by Mur Lafferty (2019)
- Minecraft: The End by Catherynne M. Valente (2019)
- Minecraft: The Voyage by Jason Fry (2020)
- Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager by Matt Forbeck (2020)
- Minecraft: The Shipwreck by C.B. Lee (2020)
- Minecraft: The Mountain by Max Brooks (2021)
- Minecraft: The Dragon by Nicky Drayden (2021)
- Minecraft: Mob Squad by Delilah S. Dawson (2021)
- Minecraft: The Haven Trials by Suyi Davies (2021)
- Minecraft: Mob Squad: Never Say Nether by Delilah S. Dawson (2022)
- Minecraft: Zombies! by Nick Eliopulos (2022)
- Minecraft: Mob Squad: Don't Fear the Creeper by Delilah S. Dawson (2022)
- Minecraft: Castle Redstone by Sarwat Chadda (2022)
- Minecraft Legends: Return of the Piglins by Matt Forbeck (2023)
- Minecraft: The Village by Max Brooks (2023)
Chronological vs. Standalone Stories: What You Need to Know
Outside of Max Brooks' core trilogy, the Minecraft novels function as individual, self-contained adventures. Each author takes a completely different creative approach, meaning chronological ordering is not applicable to the series as a whole. You can read the standalone novels in any order you choose based on the genres you enjoy:
The Standalone Adventures
- Minecraft: The Crash by Tracey Baptiste – A unique, real-world framing story where a young girl named Bianca is hospitalized after a car accident and uses a virtual reality version of Minecraft to process her trauma and physical therapy.
- Minecraft: The Lost Journals by Mur Lafferty – Follows two friends, Max and Alison, who discover journals written by an ancient traveler and set out on an underground quest to find legendary treasures.
- Minecraft: The End by Catherynne M. Valente – A mythic, fantasy-focused story told from the perspective of two Endermen, Fin and Mo, who live in the End and find their world disrupted by human adventurers.
- Minecraft: The Voyage by Jason Fry – A classic maritime-style adventure focusing on a crew of explorers who set sail across the blocky oceans to map new biomes and discover what lies beyond the horizon.
- Minecraft: The Shipwreck by C.B. Lee – Follows three friends who find a mysterious map in a shipwreck and embark on a treasure hunt that tests their bond.
- Minecraft: The Dragon by Nicky Drayden – Centers on a young girl named Zula who finds a mysterious egg and ends up raising a baby ender dragon, leading to an action-packed flight across the sky.
- Minecraft: The Haven Trials by Suyi Davies – Follows a protagonist named Cecelia who enters a dangerous, custom-built test area to save her family's home.
- Minecraft: Castle Redstone by Sarwat Chadda – Tells the story of a character named Rajah who journeys into hostile territory to locate a legendary lost stronghold built from redstone.
Exploring the Subseries and Spin-Offs
In addition to the standalone books, Mojang has partnered with authors to create serialized trilogies and game spin-offs that target specific corners of the franchise's lore.
The Mob Squad Trilogy (by Delilah S. Dawson)
This series centers on a group of young, misfit friends—Mal, Lenna, Tok, and Chug—who live in the highly protective village of Cornucopia. When they realize the adults are ignoring real dangers, they form the Mob Squad to explore the wild world outside. Unlike the standalone novels, these three books should be read in order:
- Minecraft: Mob Squad (2021)
- Minecraft: Mob Squad: Never Say Nether (2022)
- Minecraft: Mob Squad: Don't Fear the Creeper (2022)
The Zombies! Trilogy (by Nick Eliopulos)
This horror-tinged adventure series follows Bobbie and her brother Johnny, who has been partially turned into a zombie. Together with a seasoned adventurer named Ben, they journey across the Overworld searching for a cure. Read these in order:
- Minecraft: Zombies! (2022)
- Minecraft: Zombies Return! (2025)
- Minecraft: Zombies Unleashed! (2025)
Video Game Spin-Off Tie-Ins (by Matt Forbeck)
If you play the sister games in the Minecraft family, Matt Forbeck has written official companion novels that establish the lore and backstory for their respective titles:
- Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager (2020) – Serves as a direct prequel to the action-RPG Minecraft Dungeons, explaining how the bullied Illager named Archie found the Orb of Dominance and rose to power.
- Minecraft Legends: Return of the Piglins (2023) – Explores the lore of the action-strategy game Minecraft Legends, depicting the ancient conflict between the Overworld and the invading Nether hordes.
What to Know Before You Start
The Minecraft novels are primarily written for middle-grade readers (ages 10–12), but they have a strong crossover appeal for young adults and older fans of the game. What makes these novels special is how they translate abstract game mechanics into literature. You will see characters struggle with hunger bars, learn the hard way not to dig straight down, figure out how to brew potions, and devise redstone traps. If you love the sandbox creativity of the game, these stories offer a fun, narrative-driven extension of the world you build in every day.