Where to Start with The Dragon Kings
If you are diving into Kimberly Loth’s paranormal romance universe for the first time, your starting point is clear-cut: Obsidian, the first book of the original series. The main series follows a continuous story arc that builds directly from one book to the next, so reading them in publication order is highly recommended to avoid major spoilers.
The series begins in modern-day America, where dragons secretly inhabit the nation's national parks, governed by ancient treaties. Once you finish the original five-book series, you can safely transition to the next-generation series, The Dragon Kings Chronicles, which expands the lore with a serial-style narrative set in Europe.
The Core Dragon Kings Series
The original five-book series introduces readers to the hidden world of dragon shifters and the humans who capture their hearts. Published between 2016 and 2017, these books establish the core mythology of the series.
- Obsidian (2016): The story begins in Yellowstone National Park. Aspen, an enthusiastic researcher, encounters Sid, a mysterious young man who is actually a dragon king hiding his true identity. Their forbidden connection sets off a chain of events that could change the fate of both humans and dragons.
- Aspen (2016): This sequel continues Aspen and Sid's journey as they flee from the dragon council and seek refuge. Their bond deepens, but the threats against them escalate as ancient secrets unravel.
- Valentine (2016): The focus shifts to Hawaii, introducing Hazel, who is looking for her missing brother. She gets entangled with Valentine, another dragon king, in a story filled with tropical danger and conspiracies.
- Skye (2016): This book centers on Rowan, who falls in love with a dragon shifter named Skye. As tensions between dragon factions reach a boiling point, Rowan must decide where his loyalties lie.
- The Kings (2017): The epic conclusion to the original arc, bringing together the characters from the previous books to face a final showdown that decides the future of the dragon kingdoms.
The Dragon Kings Chronicles
After wrapping up the main arc, Kimberly Loth launched The Dragon Kings Chronicles in 2021. Rather than full-length novels, this next-generation spin-off is a fast-paced serial consisting of 25 short, novella-length installments. Set primarily in Europe, it focuses on the children and successors of the original characters.
Because the Chronicles were written as an episodic serial, they should be read strictly in numerical order from Book 1 through Book 25. The story flows continuously, making them feel like chapters in a giant, ongoing novel rather than standalone side stories.
The "Circus of the Dead" Discrepancy
If you look at the publication listings for The Dragon Kings Chronicles, you might notice an odd anomaly: some retail platforms and databases list Circus of the Dead Chronicles: Book 8 right after Book 6. This is a common cataloging error. Circus of the Dead is a completely separate urban fantasy series by Kimberly Loth that follows Juliette on Madison Island. There is no narrative crossover between the two series, and you do not need to read the Circus books to understand the Dragon Kings storyline. If you are following the Chronicles, skip the Circus of the Dead listing and go directly from Dragon Kings Chronicles Book 6 to Book 7.
Practical Reading Advice
For the best experience, approach this universe in two distinct phases: start with the five main novels to get the complete foundation of the lore, and then dive into the 25-part Chronicles serial. While the main books can occasionally be read out of order because they shift focus to different couples, doing so will ruin the overarching plot of the dragon rebellion and the treaties. The Chronicles, due to their episodic nature, must be read in sequence.