Books On Board

Anna Smith Spark Books in Order

  • 13 Books
  • 2017 – 2024 Published

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Reading order
3 of 3 reading orders shown

Where to Start Reading Anna Smith Spark

For readers looking to dive into Anna Smith Spark’s dark, poetic, and visceral fantasy, the best starting point is her acclaimed debut novel, The Court of Broken Knives. As the first book in the Empires of Dust trilogy, it showcases her signature lyrical prose, complex moral ambiguity, and raw battle scenes. Starting here allows you to experience the rise and fall of her most famous characters in their original sequence.

However, if you prefer a self-contained story to test the waters before committing to a full trilogy, you should begin with the standalone novel A Woman of the Sword. Although it is set in the same world as the Empires of Dust trilogy, it takes place decades later and focuses on a single, compelling perspective, making it highly accessible to newcomers.

The Empires of Dust Trilogy

This is Anna Smith Spark’s flagship epic fantasy series. Set on the war-torn continent of Irlast, the trilogy follows a mercenary crew, a decaying empire, and the terrifying rise of Marith Altrersyr—a figure destined to either save the world or burn it to ashes. The books must be read in strict publication order, as they form a continuous, character-driven story:

  • The Court of Broken Knives (2017): The story begins with a plot to assassinate the emperor, drawing a band of mercenaries and the mysterious young Marith into a web of political schemes and horrific violence.
  • The Tower of Living and Dying (2018): Marith has claimed his bloody legacy, marching across the land as a self-styled god-king, while his allies and enemies struggle to survive his destructive ambition.
  • The House of Sacrifice (2019): The devastating conclusion of the trilogy, charting the final collapse of empires and the ultimate cost of unchecked power and madness.

The Making of This World: Ruined Series

Moving away from epic military fantasy and toward eerie folk horror, this series displays a different side of Spark's dark imagination. Drawing inspiration from Celtic mythology and traditional folklore, it follows a retired warrior mother forced to confront ancient, horrific magic to protect her family:

  • A Sword of Bronze and Ashes (2023): Introduces Kael, a woman living a quiet life under an assumed name who must take up her ancient weapons when the past catches up to her.
  • A Sword of Gold and Ruin (2025): The sequel, which continues Kael's desperate journey through a crumbling, mythic landscape.

Standalone Novels, Novellas, and Clarifications

Anna Smith Spark has written several individual projects that expand on her worlds or offer quick, intense reads. Here is where they fit into her wider bibliography:

  • A Woman of the Sword (2023): This standalone novel is set in Irlast, the same continent featured in the Empires of Dust trilogy. However, it takes place 20 to 30 years after the events of the trilogy and follows Lidae, a common soldier struggling with motherhood and PTSD. It can be read completely independently of the main trilogy.
  • In the Shadow of Their Dying (2024): A dark fantasy novella co-authored with Michael R. Fletcher. This fast-paced, violent story set in the besieged city of Sharaam blends Fletcher's dark humor and grit with Spark’s impressionistic prose. It is a standalone work.
  • Lost Gods (2021): While some databases mistakenly list Lost Gods as a standalone novel by Spark, it is actually a dark fantasy anthology edited by Joanne Hall and Dolly Garland. Spark contributed a short story titled "Water" to this collection.

Short Stories and Anthologies

For completionists, Spark has published a variety of short stories in magazines and anthologies, which can be read in any order:

  • "The Great Despair" in Grimdark Magazine Issue #12 (2017)
  • "The Red-Eyed King" in Art of War (2018)
  • "The Dearest Friend" in Knaves (2018)
  • "The Queen of the Woods" in Unfettered III (2019)
  • "When the Dead Call" in The Best of Three Crows: Year One (2019)
  • "The Fire-Born" in The King Must Fall (2022)

What to Know Before You Start

Anna Smith Spark's work is famously polarizing due to her unique writing style. Rather than standard, plot-heavy fantasy, she writes in a highly stylistic, repetitive, stream-of-consciousness prose that emphasizes sensory details, emotional trauma, and the chaotic nature of thoughts. It is recommended to sample a few pages of The Court of Broken Knives to get acclimated to her voice. Additionally, her stories contain graphic violence, dark themes, and complex characters who lack traditional heroic qualities, staying true to her reputation as the 'Queen of Grimdark.'

Frequently Asked

Which book should I read first by Anna Smith Spark?

Start with The Court of Broken Knives if you want to read her landmark grimdark trilogy, or A Woman of the Sword if you prefer a self-contained, standalone novel set in the same world.

Are A Woman of the Sword and the Empires of Dust trilogy connected?

Yes. A Woman of the Sword is set on the same continent (Irlast) a few decades after the events of the Empires of Dust trilogy, but it is a standalone story with new characters and can be read independently.

What is the reading order for The Making of This World: Ruined?

You should read this folk-horror series in publication order: start with A Sword of Bronze and Ashes (2023), followed by the sequel A Sword of Gold and Ruin (2025).

Is Lost Gods a standalone novel by Anna Smith Spark?

No. Lost Gods is a 2021 anthology edited by Joanne Hall and Dolly Garland. Anna Smith Spark contributed the short story "Water" to the collection, which is why it appears on some of her book lists.

What is In the Shadow of Their Dying?

It is a standalone grimdark novella co-authored by Anna Smith Spark and Michael R. Fletcher, published in 2024 by Grimdark Magazine.