A.J. Smith Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Path

British dark fantasy author A.J. Smith (also known to fans as Tony Smith) has built a reputation for crafting epic fantasy that carries a heavy, chilling dose of cosmic horror. His bibliography is split into two major series: The Long War quadrilogy and the Form & Void trilogy. Because both series are set within a single, shared overarching cosmology but take place in different regions and periods of this universe, readers have two primary ways to approach his bibliography.

Option 1: Publication Order (Highly Recommended)

Starting with Smith's debut novel is the most natural way to experience his evolution as a world-builder. This path allows you to absorb the grand, ancient history of his universe before diving into the more immediate, localized dread of his later trilogy. In this order, you will read:

1. The Black Guard (2013) — The Long War Book 1
2. The Dark Blood (2014) — The Long War Book 2
3. The Red Prince (2015) — The Long War Book 3
4. The World Raven (2016) — The Long War Book 4
5. The Glass Breaks (2018) — Form & Void Book 1
6. The Sword Falls (2021) — Form & Void Book 2
7. The Sea Rises (2022) — Form & Void Book 3

Option 2: The Form & Void Entry Point

If you prefer a story with tighter, more personal stakes and a heavier emphasis on supernatural horror, you can begin directly with the Form & Void trilogy starting with The Glass Breaks. Since the characters and immediate storylines of the two series do not overlap directly, this is a perfectly viable starting point that does not require reading The Long War first.

The Long War: Epic Battles and Clashing Gods

Smith’s breakout series, The Long War, is a massive, continent-spanning saga set in the lands of Ro. The story focuses on the ultimate clash between mortals and the gods who manipulate them, dryly described by reviewers as a mix of Game of Thrones-style political intrigue and Lovecraftian horror.

• The Black Guard (2013): Introduces the lands of Ro, a world built around the city of Ro Canarn. The peace is shattered when the dead god wakes, and commander Brynd Lathraea of the legendary Black Guard is dispatched to investigate a looming northern threat.
• The Dark Blood (2014): The conflict escalates as the kingdoms of Ro must unite against a tide of dark magic and ancient cults. Smith expands the scope of the world, highlighting the Karesian empire and the mysterious Ranen peoples.
• The Red Prince (2015): Focuses on the fractured loyalties of the realms. Religious zealotry, shifting alliances, and the machinations of the manipulative cabal of enchantresses known as the Seven Sisters take center stage.
• The World Raven (2016): The apocalyptic conclusion to the quadrilogy. The mortal armies make their final stand as the ancient entities threatening their world fully manifest, bringing the Long War to its dramatic end.

Form & Void: Shattering the Cosmic Boundary

Following the completion of his first saga, Smith turned his attention to a new corner of his cosmology with the Form & Void trilogy. Set in a world with a much younger, more raw history, this series introduces the concept of the "glass"—the thin barrier separating the physical plane (Form) from the spiritual and terrifying realm of the dead and monsters (Void).

• The Glass Breaks (2018): Introduces the Sea Wolves, raiders who possess the terrifying ability to break through the glass boundary to travel and attack. The story centers on the Kingdom of the Four Claws and the rising cosmic threats that slip through the cracks.
• The Sword Falls (2021): Follows Prince Oliver Dawn Claw, the heir to the Kingdom of the Four Claws, as he is thrust into a brutal battle for survival against existential forces. The boundaries between the physical world and the Void continue to erode.
• The Sea Rises (2022): The grand finale of the trilogy. The physical realm is threatened with complete submersion and destruction as the boundary between Form and Void collapses entirely. Note: While the UK hardback was released in 2022, some international and paperback editions appeared in 2023.

Chronological Connections & Reading Caveats

A.J. Smith has confirmed in interviews that both series exist within the same overarching mythos. However, the timeline behaves differently between the two settings:

• The Lands of Ro: Possesses thousands of years of recorded history, cycles of empires rising and falling, and deeply entrenched religious institutions.
• The World of Form: Features a much shorter historical scope (spanning only a couple of hundred years). This gives the setting a far more immediate, brutal, and primitive atmosphere where kingdoms are fragile and danger is constant.
• Future Connections: The author has noted in reader Q&As that he has planned a bridging project, tentatively titled A Giant's Tale, intended to formally link the lore of the two settings together.

What to Know Before You Start

A.J. Smith’s style is characterized by a strong background in psychology, philosophy, and sociology, which he studied at university. This academic foundation, combined with his experience working with troubled youth in Luton, gives his character writing an authentic emotional weight. His protagonists are rarely pure heroes; they grapple with trauma, moral gray areas, and the heavy psychological toll of war. Expect a gritty tone, detailed geographic world-building (Smith always designs his maps first), and a steady presence of cosmic horror that makes the supernatural feel genuinely alien and threatening.