Where to Start with Amie Kaufman’s Books
Amie Kaufman is celebrated for her genre-defining young adult science fiction and fantasy, frequently co-authoring some of the most innovative books in the YA space. Because her bibliography spans various subgenres, tones, and formatting styles, your starting point depends heavily on what you enjoy reading:
- For visual space opera and high-stakes mystery: Start with Illuminae. Co-authored with Jay Kristoff, this dossier-style novel is told through emails, chat logs, medical reports, and ship schematics, making it an incredibly immersive and fast-paced read.
- For classic sci-fi romance and planetary exploration: Start with These Broken Stars. Co-authored with Meagan Spooner, this Starbound series starter delivers a lush survival story with a strong emotional core.
- For squad-based humor and space adventure: Start with Aurora Rising. If you love stories in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy, this collaboration with Jay Kristoff is packed with banter, diverse personalities, and galaxy-ending stakes.
- For high fantasy and magic-infused seafaring: Start with her solo project, The Isles of the Gods, which offers 1920s aesthetic vibes, slumbering deities, and a charming cast of characters.
- For younger readers (Middle Grade fantasy): Start with Ice Wolves, the first book in her solo Elementals trilogy, featuring shapeshifting wolves and dragons.
The Illuminae Files Reading Order
Co-authored with Jay Kristoff, this groundbreaking trilogy is best read in publication order. While there is a prequel novella, it is highly recommended that you do not read it first.
- Illuminae (2015)
- Memento (2020) – Prequel Novella (Book 0.5). While chronologically first, reading this after Illuminae is best because it relies on familiarity with the AI system AIDAN and the universe's mechanics.
- Gemina (2016)
- Obsidio (2018)
The Starbound Trilogy Reading Order
Co-authored with Meagan Spooner, this trilogy blends science fiction with romance. The series features a companion novella that fills in Tarver’s backstory and bridges the events between the first two main novels.
- These Broken Stars (2013)
- This Night So Dark (2014) – Novella (Book 1.5). Focusing on Lilac and Tarver, this piece provides backstory on Tarver's past. While optional, it is best read right after the first book.
- This Shattered World (2014)
- Their Fractured Light (2015)
The Aurora Cycle Reading Order
Written alongside Jay Kristoff, this trilogy is a straightforward chronological narrative about a group of academy misfits who accidentally save the galaxy. Read them in strict publication order:
- Aurora Rising (2019)
- Aurora Burning (2020)
- Aurora's End (2021)
Elementals Series Reading Order
This solo middle-grade fantasy series features a rich system of elemental magic, shapeshifting clans, and a deep focus on family. The books must be read in order:
- Ice Wolves (2018)
- Scorch Dragons (2019)
- Battle Born (2020)
Other Collaborative and Solo Series
The Isles of the Gods
A solo young adult fantasy duology following a girl who sails a gambling ship and a prince who must make a sacrifice to sleep-bound gods.
- The Isles of the Gods (2023)
- The Heart of the World (2024)
The Other Side of the Sky
Co-authored with Meagan Spooner, this duology blends fantasy and science fiction, focusing on a living goddess in a sky city and a prince from a high-tech surface world.
- The Other Side of the Sky (2020)
- Beyond the End of the World (2022)
Unearthed Duology
Co-authored with Meagan Spooner, this action-packed series is described as Indiana Jones in space, focusing on ancient alien ruins and archaeological conspiracies.
- Unearthed (2017)
- Undying (2018)
The World Between Blinks
Co-authored with Ryan Graudin, this middle-grade fantasy adventure follows two cousins who fall into a world where everything lost in history ends up.
- The World Between Blinks (2021)
- Rebellion of the Lost (2022)
What to Know Before You Start
One of the most notable features of Amie Kaufman’s collaborative works is the unique division of labor. For example, in The Illuminae Files and The Aurora Cycle, she and Jay Kristoff wrote alternate character perspectives, passing chapters back and forth. Similarly, in the Starbound trilogy, Kaufman and Spooner wrote from the perspective of their respective main characters. This keeps the voices distinct and the narrative pacing exceptionally high.
Readers should also note that while the main trilogies (like Starbound) feature different protagonists in each installment, the overarching plot connects them all. Reading them out of order is not recommended, as the final book of each trilogy acts as an avengers-style crossover where all characters unite to face the main threat.