A.G. Howard Books in Order

Where to Start with A.G. Howard

For readers looking to dive into A.G. Howard's lush, gothic writing style, the undisputed starting point is her signature work, Splintered. As a New York Times bestselling reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, this book perfectly introduces readers to her signature blend of vivid, Tim Burton-esque imagery, dark fairy tale horror, and intense romance. If you want a taste of her storytelling without committing to a full series, her standalone high-fantasy novel, Stain (a gorgeous retelling of The Princess and the Pea), is another excellent entry point.

The Splintered Series: Down the Dark Wonderland Rabbit Hole

The Splintered series is a continuous narrative following Alyssa Gardner, a modern-day teenager and descendant of Alice Liddell (the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice). Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers, a family curse that forces her to journey into a twisted, grotesque version of Wonderland to save her mother's sanity. In this realm, the settings are psychedelic, the threats are deadly, and Alyssa must choose between her mortal high school crush, Jeb, and the alluring, dangerous netherling, Morpheus.

Recommended Reading Order for Splintered

To fully experience the character arcs and overarching plot, readers should follow the chronological order, which integrates the companion novellas at key narrative intervals:

• Book 1: Splintered (2013) – The essential entry point where Alyssa first enters Wonderland.
• Book 1.5: The Moth in the Mirror (2013) – A companion novella told from the perspectives of Jeb and Morpheus, bridging the gap between books one and two.
• Book 2: Unhinged (2014) – The second full-length novel, where Wonderland's chaos bleeds into the human world.
• Book 3: Ensnared (2015) – The epic climax of the main trilogy where Alyssa battles to save both realms.
• Book 3.5: Untamed (2015) – A compilation of three novellas that provide crucial backstory and epilogue details.
• Book 0.5: Alice the Absent – A rare, hard-to-find prequel companion story focusing on Morpheus and the mystery of Alice's disappearance. It was released in select special editions of the author's standalone novel, Stain.

Understanding the Novellas and Untamed Collection

The companion book Untamed is highly recommended for fans who want a complete ending to the series. It collects three key pieces of lore:

• "The Moth in the Mirror" (Jeb's memories and Morpheus's perspective during the events of book one).
• "The Boy in the Web" (The backstory of Alyssa's mother, Alison, and how she rescued her husband Thomas from Wonderland).
• "Six Impossible Things" (A collection of future-set scenes that act as a comprehensive epilogue to the trilogy, resolving the fates of the main characters).

Haunted Hearts Legacy: Victorian Gothic Paranormal Romance

Stepping away from Wonderland, A.G. Howard created the Haunted Hearts Legacy series. This is an adult gothic romance series set in Victorian and Edwardian England. Rather than following one main character throughout, the series traces successive generations of the same family as they navigate literal ghosts, family curses, and supernatural mysteries in their search for love and self-acceptance.

Haunted Hearts Legacy Reading Order

The books are designed to be read in order of release to appreciate the multi-generational family tree and recurring mysteries:

1. The Architect of Song (2016) – Set in 1867, featuring a deaf protagonist, Juliet Emerline, who communicates through flower language and encounters a phantom lover.
2. The Hummingbird Heart (2017) – Set in Edwardian England (1903), focusing on a young woman named Willow who is haunted by the mystery of her past and a spectral presence.
3. The Glass Butterfly (2018) – A continuation of the family legacy set in 1880, involving a dark gothic mystery surrounding an estate and its secrets.
4. The Artisan of Light (TBA) – The planned fourth installment in the series, currently listed by the author as to be announced.

Shades of Rust and Ruin Duology: Urban Fantasy & Fae

In her Shades of Rust and Ruin series, A.G. Howard shifts to a modern urban fantasy landscape where junkyards, rusted metals, and dark fae magic collide. The story follows Nix Loring, a young woman who can bring her oil paintings to life, as she gets dragged into the deadly court conflicts of the mystical realm of Feryn.

Shades of Rust and Ruin Reading Order

This is a tight, sequential duology that must be read in order:

1. Shades of Rust and Ruin (2022) – Nix discovers her family's connections to the fae and enters the dangerous realm.
2. Seasons of Flesh and Flame (2024) – The dramatic conclusion to Nix's journey and her fight against the forces of the goblin and fae courts.

Standalone Gothic Retellings & Anthologies

Beyond her series, Howard has written standout standalone novels that display her talent for gothic atmosphere and dark romance:

• RoseBlood (2017) – A gothic young adult reimagining of Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera. It is set at a modern-day French boarding school for the performing arts, combining opera, vampires, and classic gothic romance.
• Stain (2019) – A dark, high-fantasy retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Princess and the Pea. It features a mute princess, Lyra, who must reclaim her throne in a world split between day and night. Special editions of this book contain the Splintered universe prequel story, Alice the Absent.
• Slasher Girls & Monster Boys (2015) – A horror anthology curated by April Genevieve Tucholke. A.G. Howard contributed the short story "Stitches", which is a twisted, Frankenstein-inspired tale about a girl who stitches together her own perfect boyfriend.

Complete Publication Order of A.G. Howard's Books

If you prefer to read along with the author's real-time career progression, follow the publication order of her works:

1. Splintered (January 2013)
2. The Moth in the Mirror (Novella, October 2013)
3. Unhinged (January 2014)
4. Ensnared (January 2015)
5. Slasher Girls & Monster Boys (Anthology containing "Stitches", July 2015)
6. Untamed (Novella Collection, December 2015)
7. The Architect of Song (August 2016)
8. RoseBlood (January 2017)
9. The Hummingbird Heart (May 2017)
10. The Glass Butterfly (August 2018)
11. Stain (January 2019)
12. Shades of Rust and Ruin (September 2022)
13. Seasons of Flesh and Flame (February 2024)

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into A.G. Howard's bibliographies, it helps to understand her unique narrative style. Her young adult books, particularly Splintered, are deeply sensory and make frequent use of bizarre, grotesque descriptions that appeal to fans of gothic horror and dark fantasy. Additionally, her love triangles are a central focus of her plots rather than a side element; the romantic tension in the Splintered series between Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus drives much of the character development and is resolved in a highly unique way in the epilogue collection, Untamed. If you prefer adult romance, her self-published Haunted Hearts Legacy books offer a more historical, classical gothic romance experience compared to the fast-paced urban settings of her YA books.