The Recommended Reading Path
If you are dive-bombing into the high-octane world of Will Slater, you have two primary routes to choose from. Because Australian author Matt Rogers designed these books with tight character arcs, jumping around can spoil major plot points and character growth. Here is the best way to tackle the books:
Option 1: The Core Will Slater Solo Arc (Highly Recommended)
Start with the six books that focus exclusively on Will Slater. This is the sequence that established him as a premier vigilante and laid the groundwork for his complex mental state, battle with PTSD, and hard-edged moral compass. Reading these in order of release is the most natural way to watch Slater evolve from a isolated drifter in Yemen to a battle-hardened vigilante facing global syndicates.
Option 2: The Integrated King & Slater Universe Order
If you want the full, chronological experience of Matt Rogers' interconnected thriller universe, you should integrate the Jason King series. Jason King and Will Slater eventually team up in a massive, ongoing collaborative series. To get the complete picture, read the solo series first before moving on to the crossover series:
- Jason King Series (Books 1–6): Read Jason King's solo adventures first, starting with Isolated and ending with Hunted.
- Will Slater Series (Books 1–6): Read Will Slater's solo run, starting with Wolf and ending with Hawk.
- King & Slater Series: Read the massive crossover series, starting with Weapons and continuing through titles like Contracts, Ciphers, and beyond.
The Solo Will Slater Series in Publication Order
Matt Rogers released the solo Will Slater novels in rapid succession between 2017 and 2019. Here is the chronological publication order for Slater’s solo missions:
- Wolf (2017): The series opener. Haunted by his past, a depressed and PTSD-ridden Will Slater stumbles into a deadly bioweapons conspiracy in the deserts of Yemen.
- Lion (2018): Slater travels to the neon-lit streets of Macau, risking everything to rescue a nine-year-old girl from a human trafficking ring operated by a corrupt billionaire.
- Bear (2018): The action shifts to the freezing streets of Russia, where Slater goes head-to-head with ruthless Russian mobsters.
- Lynx (2018): A fast-paced entry that forces Slater to utilize his black-ops stealth skills to survive a deadly game of cat and mouse.
- Bull (2018): Slater faces overwhelming physical odds in a brutal clash of brute force and tactical intelligence.
- Hawk (2019): The final solo installment, where Slater takes down a shadowy cabal and wraps up his lone-wolf character arc, preparing him for what lies ahead.
The Expanded Universe: Crossovers and Spin-offs
Once you finish the solo novels, the story is far from over. In fact, the universe expands significantly. Here is what you need to know about the companion series and spin-offs:
The Lore of King & Slater Prequels
To dive deeper into the early days of these operatives, Matt Rogers penned the Lore of King & Slater novellas. These books serve as origin stories that explore the brutal paths that forged Jason King and Will Slater before their respective series began. The two primary entries are:
- Recruited (2022)
- Thin Air (2023)
The King & Slater Crossover Saga
This is where the two lone wolves finally join forces. Starting with Weapons, this series has grown to encompass over fifteen novels, including Contracts, Ciphers, Outlaws, Ghosts, Fathers, Legends, Sharks, Tyrants, Smugglers, Messiahs, Monsters, Daggers, Hunters, and Rogues. Reading these in order is critical as they feature a continuous storyline and deeper character development.
King & Slater Jr.
For readers who want to follow the next generation, Rogers introduced the King & Slater Jr. series. This spin-off shifts focus to Jason King's son, Jason King Jr., as he navigates the lethal legacy left by his father and Will Slater. Notable books in this subseries include The Sons, The Price, and The Chain.
What to Know Before You Start
Before you pick up Wolf, here are a few practical tips to keep in mind. First, while each book in the solo series wraps up its immediate action plot, Slater's emotional journey and psychological battle with depression and PTSD carry over from book to book. Reading them out of order will make his character growth feel disjointed.
Second, don't worry about co-authorship. Unlike many long-running thriller franchises where a primary author handpasses the writing duties to ghostwriters or co-authors, Matt Rogers continues to write these fast-paced novels himself, ensuring a consistent, cinematic tone and visceral, grounded action sequences across all books.