Steel and Fire Books in Order

Recommended Reading Order

For the best experience, we recommend reading Jordan Rivet’s fantasy books in publication order. This means starting with the core five-book Steel and Fire series to understand the origin of the magic and the history of Vertigon, before moving on to the follow-up spin-off trilogy, The Fire Queen's Apprentice, which is set five years later.

Here is the recommended reading sequence:

1. Duel of Fire (Steel and Fire Book 1)
2. King of Mist (Steel and Fire Book 2)
3. Dance of Steel (Steel and Fire Book 3)
4. City of Wind (Steel and Fire Book 4)
5. Night of Flame (Steel and Fire Book 5)
6. The Watermight Thief (The Fire Queen's Apprentice Book 1)
7. The Thunderbird Queen (The Fire Queen's Apprentice Book 2)
8. The Dragonfly Oath (The Fire Queen's Apprentice Book 3)

The Core Steel and Fire Series

The main saga introduces readers to the kingdom of Vertigon, a place of sheer cliffs, suspension bridges, and a deep culture of competitive fencing. The story follows Dara Ruminor, a talented, non-magical duelist striving to make a name for herself outside her family's lantern shop, and Prince Siv, the cocky heir to the throne. The series blends fast-paced action, political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and fire magic.

• Duel of Fire (2016): Dara is hired to train Prince Siv, but when royal assassins target the prince, she finds herself entangled in a conspiracy that threatens the peace of the realm.
• King of Mist (2016): Following the events of the first book, Dara joins the Castle Guard and must grapple with dangerous conspiracies and her own emerging fiery abilities.
• Dance of Steel (2016): The stakes escalate as Vertigon faces broader conflicts, bringing new alliances, deadlier duels, and the introduction of cur-dragons—small, fire-breathing lizards.
• City of Wind (2016): The adventure expands beyond Vertigon as Dara and her allies travel to new lands, facing foreign political plots and expanding her control over her powers.
• Night of Flame (2017): The epic conclusion to the main series. War comes to the continent, forcing Dara and Siv to make ultimate sacrifices to save their home.

The Fire Queen's Apprentice Spin-Off Trilogy

Set five years after the events of Night of Flame, this spin-off trilogy features some returning characters while shifting focus to a new set of protagonists and challenges in the same world. It is highly recommended to finish the original series first to avoid major spoilers and fully appreciate the character growth and world-building.

• The Watermight Thief (2019): Introduces a thief surviving in the ruins of a flooded city, who ends up crossed with magical forces and old legends from the Steel and Fire lore.
• The Thunderbird Queen (2019): The magic and stakes deepen as ancient creatures and hidden kingdoms come to the forefront of the struggle.
• The Dragonfly Oath (2020): The action-packed final book of the sequel trilogy wraps up the storylines of the new generation of heroes.

Chronological Order and Special Prequels

Chronologically, the series is straightforward: the events of the books run in the exact order they were published. However, if you are looking for every piece of content in the universe, Jordan Rivet has released two exclusive prequel short stories tucked inside special edition hardcovers of the main books:

• "Dara's First Duel": A short story detailing Dara's early days as a young duelist, available as bonus content in the special edition hardcover of Duel of Fire.
• "The Assassin and the Prince": A 40-page prequel story exploring Prince Siv's past, available as bonus content in the special edition hardcover of City of Wind.

Because these are short character-building stories, you do not need to hunt them down to understand the main plot, but they are great additions for dedicated fans.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into Jordan Rivet’s world, keep these details in mind:

• Sports-Like Dueling: Unlike typical medieval fantasies where swords are only used for war, Vertigon treats dueling with rapiers like a competitive spectator sport, complete with training schools, rankings, and public matches.
• Slow-Burn Romance: The relationship between Dara and Prince Siv develops naturally over multiple books, focusing on mutual respect, banter, and shared danger.
• Audiobooks: For listeners, the entire series is available in audiobook format, produced by Tantor Media and narrated by Caitlin Kelly.