Where to Start: The Ultimate Fae Universe Reading Order
Most of Amelia Hutchins' dark paranormal romance and urban fantasy books exist within a single shared world often referred to as the Fae Universe. Because characters, plots, and major events cross over between series, reading them in publication order or a combined chronological order is highly recommended to avoid massive spoilers and storyline confusion.
For the best reading experience, follow this combined chronological path through her major interconnected series (including The Fae Chronicles, The Elite Guards, Monsters, and related companion novels):
- Fighting Destiny (The Fae Chronicles Book 1)
- Taunting Destiny (The Fae Chronicles Book 2)
- Escaping Destiny (The Fae Chronicles Book 3)
- Seducing Destiny (The Fae Chronicles Book 4)
- A Demon's Dark Embrace (The Elite Guards Book 1)
- Playing with Monsters (Monsters Book 1)
- Unraveling Destiny (The Fae Chronicles Book 5)
- Sleeping with Monsters (Monsters Book 2)
- Claiming the Dragon King (The Elite Guards Book 2)
- Oh, Holy Knight (Wicked Knights / Companion)
- Becoming His Monster (Monsters Book 3)
- A Demon's Plaything (The Elite Guards Book 3)
- The Winter Court (The Elite Guards Book 4)
- If She's Wicked (Wicked Knights Book 2)
- Embracing Destiny (The Fae Chronicles Book 6)
- Crowning Destiny (The Fae Chronicles Book 7)
- Revealing the Monster (Monsters Book 4)
- Whispers of Fate (The Fae Chronicles Book 8)
The Core Series: The Fae Chronicles
This is the foundation of the Fae Universe. The series follows Synthia, a fierce enforcer, and Ryder, the powerful and dangerous Fae King. It features high-stakes fantasy politics, enemies-to-lovers themes, and intense romance. The books should be read in this order:
- Fighting Destiny (2013)
- Taunting Destiny (2013)
- Escaping Destiny (2014)
- Seducing Destiny (2015)
- Unraveling Destiny (2017)
- Embracing Destiny (2020)
- Crowning Destiny (2020)
- Whispers of Fate (2022)
Monsters Series (Playing with Monsters)
This series focuses on darker themes, featuring powerful alpha males and strong women who challenge them. While it can technically be read on its own, it features massive crossovers with The Fae Chronicles, so it is highly recommended to follow the combined order above.
- Playing with Monsters (2016)
- Sleeping with Monsters (2018)
- Becoming his Monster (2019)
- Revealing the Monster (2021)
The Elite Guards
This series expands the lore of the Fae Universe, focusing on the demon and dragon protectors who serve the courts. Each book focuses on a different couple, but they build on the ongoing events of the main universe.
- A Demon's Dark Embrace (2015)
- Claiming the Dragon King (2018)
- A Demon's Plaything (2019)
- The Winter Court (2019)
Legacy of the Nine Realms
Unlike the main Fae Universe, Legacy of the Nine Realms is a separate, Norse-mythology-inspired dark fantasy series. It follows Aria and the ruthless Knox in a war-torn, chaotic world. Because it does not directly cross over with the main Fae Chronicles storyline, it can be read independently as a standalone series:
- Flames of Chaos (2020)
- Ashes of Chaos (2020)
- Ruins of Chaos (2020)
- Crown of Chaos (2022)
- Queen of Chaos (2023)
Guardian's Diary
This is a two-book apocalyptic spin-off set within the broader Fae Universe. While it features different protagonists (Jaden and Lachlan), it shares the same lore and settings. You do not need to read the main chronicles to enjoy this duology, but familiarity with the world helps.
- Darkest Before Dawn (2014)
- Death Before Dawn (2017)
Midnight Coven & Shared-World Series: A Reader's Caveat
Amelia Hutchins has contributed to several shared-world collaborative series, such as the Midnight Coven multi-author project and the Kingdom of Wolves shifter collection. In these series, different authors write standalone stories within a shared setting. Readers looking specifically for Amelia Hutchins' work should note that she only wrote specific volumes, and does not write the entire series:
- Vampire Brides: Amelia Hutchins only wrote Book 9, Forever Immortal (2019). The other books are written by other authors.
- Vampire Mates: She wrote the series opener, Immortal Hexes (2019).
- Cursed Coven: She contributed Wicked Hexes (2019), which is Book 10 in the collective series.
- Kingdom of Wolves: She contributed Book 7, Alpha's Claim (2021).