Cameron Jace Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Cameron Jace

Cameron Jace has built a reputation for turning beloved, classic fairy tales into dark, gothic, and psychological adventures. Because his series span across multiple genres—from dark fantasy and dystopian survival to real-world conspiracy thrillers—the best place to start depends heavily on your preferred genre.

For Dark Fairy Tales (The Grimm Diaries Universe): If you want to experience his signature style, start with Snow White Sorrow, the first novel in the main Grimm Diaries series. While there are dozens of short prequels, this main novel provides the best entry point into the world's mythology without leaving you bogged down in shorter diary entries.

For Psychological Wonderland Thrillers (The Insanity Series): If you prefer a modern-day mystery filled with psychological suspense and a heavy dose of Alice in Wonderland madness, start with Insanity, the first book in his ten-part Wonderland series.

For Real-World Conspiracy Thrillers (Anne Anderson): If you want a story grounded in reality with no fantasy elements, start with The Fairytale Code. This series follows a folklore professor decoding real-world crimes hidden within fairy tale structures.

The Grimm Diaries Universe: Prequels vs. Main Series

The Grimm Diaries is Cameron Jace's most famous and expansive project. It reimagines classic fairy tale characters like Snow White, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast in a dark world where nothing is as it seems. Understanding the order of this series is tricky because of the sheer volume of prequel novellas.

The Grimm Diaries Prequels

Before launching the full-length novels, Jace released over twenty short, epistolary-style prequels. These are written as personal diaries of the characters (like Loki Blackstar and the Evil Queen) to build the lore. You can read these either in publication order before starting the main novels, or save them as supplemental lore after you finish the main books. Here is the publication order of the prequels:

• Snow White Blood Red (2012)
• Ashes to Ashes and Cinder to Cinder (2012)
• Beauty Never Dies (2012)
• Ladle Rat Rotten Hut (2012)
• Mary Mary Quite Contrary (2012)
• Blood Apples (2012)
• Once Beauty Twice Beast (2013)
• Moon and Madly (2013)
• Rumpelstein (2013)
• Jawigi (2013)
• Tooth & Nail & Fairy Tale (2013)
• Ember in the Wind (2013)
• Jar of Hearts (2013)
• Snow White Black Swan (2013)
• The Pumpkin Piper (2013)
• Prince of Puppets (2013)
• The Sleeping Swan (2013)
• Friday the 13th (2013)
• Lady Bluebeard (2013)
• Thirteen Years of Snow (2013)
• Sun, Moon & Sorrow (2013)
• Spindle Spindle Little Star (2013)

The Grimm Diaries Main Series

Once you are ready for the core narrative, follow the main novels in order. This sequence follows characters like Loki Blackstar, a Dreamhunter, and Snow White on a quest that completely subverts traditional moral alignments. Note that the final story was published in two distinct parts:

1. Snow White Sorrow (2013)
2. Cinderella Dressed in Ashes (2013)
3. Blood, Milk & Chocolate - Part 1 (2015)
4. Blood, Milk & Chocolate - Part 2 (2016)

The Queen of Sorrow Series

Published entirely in 2021, the Queen of Sorrow series serves as a tragic, dark spin-off and prequel arc centered entirely on the Evil Queen's origins. It charts her descent from a powerful, pressured ruler into the legendary monster seen in The Grimm Diaries. We highly recommend reading this series after completing the main Grimm Diaries novels to fully appreciate the dramatic irony of her transformation. Read them in this strict publication order:

1. Prophecy (2021)
2. Enemy (2021)
3. Voyage (2021)
4. Destiny (2021)
5. Seven (2021)
6. Sacrifice (2021)

The Insanity Series (Alice in Wonderland Retold)

For readers who love psychological thrills, the Insanity series (also referred to by fans as the Mad in Wonderland saga) is a direct, chronological sequence. It follows Alice Wonder, a teenager who finds herself in a mental asylum trying to determine if she is losing her mind or if the madness of Wonderland has crossed over into the real world. Unlike the Grimm Diaries, there are no prequel distractions here—you should read these ten books in strict chronological order:

1. Insanity (2013)
2. Figment (2014)
3. Circus (2015)
4. Hookah (2015)
5. Wonder (2016)
6. Checkmate (2016)
7. Family (2016)
8. Mushrooms (2018)
9. Looking Glass (2020)
10. Rabbit Hole (2023)

The Anne Anderson Thrillers (The Fairytale Code)

Marking a departure from his fantasy roots, the Anne Anderson series is a conspiracy thriller series that contains no magic. Anne Anderson is a folklore professor who teams up with detective David Tale to track down modern serial killers who model their crimes after hidden codes in classic fairy tales. This series should be read in this sequence:

1. The Fairytale Code (2022)
2. The Advocate (2022) - A companion short story set between books 1 and 2
3. The Fairytale Plague (2023)

The Dystopian Sci-Fi: I Am Alive Series

In addition to his fairy tale retellings, Jace has written a young adult dystopian series titled I Am Alive. Set in a future where teenagers are ranked and forced to fight for survival in a televised "Monster Show," the series follows Decca Tenderstone as she navigates the system. Read these two books in order:

1. I Am Alive (2012)
2. Increscent (2017)

Standalone Novels

If you want a quick break from Jace's extensive series, he has also penned a couple of standalone works:

• Pentimento (2013) - A standalone psychological mystery
• RATTATTATA: The Worst Book of the Year! (2020) - A satirical standalone novel