Aaron M. Patterson Books in Order

Where to Start with Aaron M. Patterson

Aaron M. Patterson is a versatile author who has made a significant mark in two completely distinct genres: Young Adult paranormal fantasy and gritty, hard-boiled thrillers. Because these styles are so different, your starting point will depend entirely on what you enjoy reading:

• For Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Lovers: Start with Airel: The Awakening. This is the first book in his bestselling Airel Saga (co-authored with Chris White) and represents his most famous YA universe.
• For Crime Thriller Fans: Start with Sweet Dreams, the debut of the Mark Appleton series. It introduces a classic gritty detective tone that is highly cinematic and fast-paced.

The Airel Saga: Two Ways to Read

The Airel Saga, co-authored with Chris White, is Patterson's crown jewel. Set against the backdrop of Boise, Idaho, and flashing back to 1250 B.C. Arabia, it follows the life of Airel, a teenager who discovers she is part of an ancient, angelic lineage. The saga is structured in pairs of books focusing on different characters: Airel, Michael, and Uriel. Because of this structure, readers debate the best way to progress through the series.

Option 1: The Character-Focused Order (Recommended)

Many readers prefer to read each character's two-part arc consecutively. This keeps the immediate plotlines fresh and avoids jumping back and forth between different protagonists' points of view:

1. Airel: The Awakening (2011)
2. Airel: The Discovering (2013)
3. Michael: The Curse (2012)
4. Michael: The Mark (2013)
5. Uriel: The Inheritance (2013)
6. Uriel: The Price (2014)

Option 2: Strict Publication Order

If you prefer to experience the cliffhangers exactly as they were released to the public, follow the publication order. Note that this order alternates between the character arcs, which some find disrupts the narrative flow:

1. Airel: The Awakening (2011)
2. Michael: The Curse (2012)
3. Uriel: The Inheritance (2013)
4. Airel: The Discovering (2013)
5. Michael: The Mark (2013)
6. Uriel: The Price (2014)

The Spin-Off: The Vincibles

Once you finish the main Airel Saga, you can dive into the spin-off series, The Vincibles (also referred to as The Airel Chronicles). Co-authored with Chris White, this series of novellas focuses on secondary characters—Airel's classmates and friends at Borah High School. The books are named after the girls they follow and can be read in their release order:

• Greye (2015)
• Nika (2015)
• Sydney (2015)
• Anna (2015)

The Mark Appleton Thrillers

Patterson's debut series follows Mark Appleton, a hard-boiled protagonist facing dark mysteries and psychological twists. This series is straightforward and should be read chronologically in publication order:

1. Sweet Dreams (2008)
2. Dream On (2009)
3. In Your Dreams (2011)

The Sarah Steele Legal Thrillers

Showcasing Patterson's range, the Sarah Steele series shifts to legal drama and suspense. Like the Mark Appleton books, these should be read in chronological order:

1. Breaking Steele (2012)
2. Twisting Steele (2013)
3. Melting Steele (2014)

The Naturals (Co-Authored Episodic Series)

The Naturals is a unique collaborative project between Aaron M. Patterson, Melody Carlson, Robin Parrish, and K.C. Neal. It was published in a serial format, structured like television seasons and episodes. To follow the story, you must read the episodes sequentially:

Season 1: Awakening

• Awakening: Episodes 1-4 (2012)
• Awakening: Episodes 5-8 (2012)
• Awakening: Episodes 9-12 (2012)
• Awakening: Episodes 13-16 (2012)
• Awakening: Episodes 17-20 (2013)

Season 2: Evolution

• Evolution: Episodes 1-4 (2015)
• Evolution: Episodes 5-8 (2015)
• Evolution: Episodes 9-12 (2016)

Kirk Weston and the Flight 12 Universe

Aaron M. Patterson has also contributed to collaborative thriller universes. His Kirk Weston character stars in the novel The Suicide Club (2015). In addition, Patterson participated in the multi-author project Flight 12 Begins, contributing the fifth installment. If you are tracking this shared universe, here is how the local titles connect:

• Flight 12 Begins: 1 (2014)
• Flight 12 (2014)
• Flight 12 Begins: 5 (2014) — This is the volume written by Aaron M. Patterson.
• Moonlight Breaks Bad (2014) — Written by Vincent Zandri.
• Side Steal (2015) — Written by Robert Gregory Browne.

Standalone Thrillers, Novellas, and Anthologies

If you are looking for quick, self-contained stories, Patterson has published several standalone novellas and short works. These can be read at any point:

• The Craigslist Killer (2011) — A quick, dark thriller novella.
• Intrigue (2011) — An anthology collecting short thriller stories.
• Zombie High (2012) — A foray into the post-apocalyptic undead genre.
• Cliché (2015) — The debut of the Archer Cross thriller series.
• N19eteen (2016) — A suspenseful standalone story.