Annette Marie Books in Order

Where Should You Start Reading Annette Marie?

Annette Marie is a master of creating immersive, fast-paced fantasy worlds filled with witty banter, slow-burn romances, and badass heroines. However, because her series are often interconnected or have recently been updated with revised editions, figuring out where to start can be intimidating. You have three primary entry points depending on your taste:

• For Urban Fantasy Fans: Start with The Guild Codex. This is her flagship universe, a massive urban fantasy world with overlapping storylines. The best starting point is Three Mages and a Margarita.
• For Mythological & Romantic Fantasy Fans: Start with the Red Winter Trilogy. Set in rural Japan and steeped in Shinto mythology, this standalone trilogy is a beautifully self-contained story of a girl and a yokai. Start with Red Winter.
• For Gritty, Daemon-Filled Action: Start with the Steel & Stone / Spell Weaver universe. If you like daemons, gladiatorial magic battles, and dark worlds, start with the prequel trilogy, beginning with The Night Realm.

The Guild Codex Universe: The Recommended Interwoven Order

The Guild Codex is a shared urban fantasy universe comprised of four sub-series: Spellbound (Tori's story), Demonized (Robin's story), Warped (Kit's story, co-authored with Rob Jacobsen), and Unveiled (Saber's story). While you can read each sub-series individually, their timelines run concurrently, characters cross over constantly, and major world events affect each other. To get the absolute best experience with no spoilers, Annette Marie recommends an interwoven chronological order.

Here is the official recommended reading order for the complete 22-book Guild Codex saga:

1. Three Mages and a Margarita (Spellbound #1) - The perfect entry point to the universe.
2. Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (Warped #1)
3. Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (Spellbound #2)
4. Two Witches and a Whiskey (Spellbound #3)
5. Four Shifters and a Stranger (Spellbound #0.1 - Companion Short Story)
6. A Damsel and a Demigod (Spellbound #0.5 - Novella)
7. Demon Magic and a Martini (Spellbound #4)
8. Taming Demons for Beginners (Demonized #1)
9. Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections (Warped #2)
10. The Alchemist and an Amaretto (Spellbound #5)
11. A Little Warped (Warped #2.5 - Companion Short Story)
12. Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (Demonized #2)
13. Druid Vices and a Vodka (Spellbound #6)
14. Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (Demonized #3)
15. Lost Talismans and a Tequila (Spellbound #7)
16. Rogue Ghosts & Other Miscreants (Warped #3)
17. Damned Souls and a Sangria (Spellbound #8)
18. Delivering Evil for Experts (Demonized #4) - Note: This concludes Robin's story.
19. More Than A Little Warped (Warped #3.5 - Novella)
20. Stolen Sorcery & Other Misadventures (Warped #4)
21. The One and Only Crystal Druid (Unveiled #1) - Start of the Unveiled sub-series.
22. The Long-Forgotten Winter King (Unveiled #2)
23. The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow (Unveiled #3)
24. The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid (Unveiled #4)
25. Mage Assassins & Other Misfits (Warped #5)
26. Conquering Reality & Other Misconduct (Warped #6) - The final conclusion to the Guild Codex saga.

If you prefer to read one series at a time, you can do so, but be warned that reading Spellbound or Demonized completely before starting the other will spoil some major crossover plots in the latter halves of both series.

The Steel & Stone and Spell Weaver Universe

This was Annette Marie's debut urban fantasy universe, focusing on a conflict between daemons and humans. It consists of the original six-book Steel & Stone series and the three-book prequel series Spell Weaver. In recent years, the reading guidance for this universe changed dramatically due to a major publishing update.

The 10th Anniversary Editions Update

Annette Marie released extensively revised 10th Anniversary Editions of the Steel & Stone and Spell Weaver books. These new versions feature revised text, new character points of view, and fully integrated side stories (such as the novella Feed the Flames and the Steel & Stone Collection), which were previously published separately. Because of these changes, the legacy editions have been retired.

Important Advice: Do not mix legacy versions with the 10th Anniversary Editions, as the plot and character changes will make for a confusing reading experience.

The New Recommended Reading Path

With the release of the revised editions, the author's official recommended reading order is now chronological, starting with the prequel trilogy:

1. The Spell Weaver Trilogy (Prequel Series)
   • The Night Realm
   • The Shadow Weave
   • The Blood Curse
2. The Steel & Stone Series (Main Series)
   • Chase the Dark
   • Bind the Soul
   • Yield the Night
   • Reap the Shadows
   • Unleash the Storm

Reading the prequel series first provides a much deeper, richer setup for the magic system and the stakes involved when you start the main Steel & Stone books.

The Red Winter Trilogy

Steeped in Japanese folklore, the Red Winter Trilogy is a beautifully illustrated romantic fantasy that stands completely separate from the author's urban fantasy worlds. It is the story of Emi, a young woman destined to become the mortal vessel of a Shinto goddess, who saves and allies with Shiro, a mysterious and dangerous yokai. It has a single, straightforward reading order:

1. Red Winter
2. Dark Tempest
3. Immortal Fire

Because it is a finished trilogy with no spin-offs or crossovers, this is widely considered one of the easiest and most satisfying entry points to Annette Marie’s writing.