Recommended Reading Path: Where to Start with Carl Bowen
Carl Bowen is a highly versatile author who excels in high-stakes action, tactical military fiction, and tabletop role-playing game (RPG) tie-in universes. Because his catalog spans completely unrelated genres and target audiences, your ideal starting point depends on your personal taste:
- For Military Thriller and Action Fans: Start immediately with Shadow Squadron: Sea Demon. This series is fast-paced, filled with tactical detail, and perfect for readers who enjoy elite covert operations and character-driven military dramas.
- For Dark Fantasy and RPG Enthusiasts: Begin with the Exalted novel A Day Dark as Night or the World of Darkness novel Predator & Prey: Vampire. These books offer rich, dark worldbuilding based on White Wolf's famous tabletop games.
- For Younger Readers and Graphic Novel Fans: Check out the Far Out Fairy Tales series, beginning with Red Riding Hood, Superhero, or Bowen's classic graphic novel adaptations like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The Shadow Squadron Series in Detail
The Shadow Squadron series is Bowen's most popular original creation. The series follows an elite, top-secret U.S. military unit led by Lieutenant Commander Ryan Cross. Because the series features ongoing character development, military progression, and recurring threats, it is highly recommended to read these books in their chronological publication order. Fortunately, the publication order matches the chronological flow perfectly.
- Sea Demon (2013)
- Elite Infantry (2013)
- Sniper Shield (2013)
- Eagle Down (2013)
- Black Anchor (2013)
- White Needle (2014)
- Phantom Sun (2014)
- Sand Spider (2014)
- Dark Agent (2014)
- Critical Strike (2014)
- Guardian Angel (2015)
- Long Shadow (2015)
- Dragon Teeth (2015)
- Steel Hammer (2015)
- Rogue Agent (2015)
Exalted and White Wolf RPG Books
Carl Bowen spent a significant portion of his early career as an editor and game developer for White Wolf Publishing. During this time, he contributed to several shared-world fiction lines. When reading these books, it is vital to know that they are part of larger multi-author settings.
The Exalted Novel Line
The Exalted novels are set in the high-fantasy universe of the Exalted RPG. Although bibliographic databases often group these books under Carl Bowen's name, they were written by a rotating team of authors. To read the series in order, follow the publication sequence:
- A Day Dark as Night (2004) – Written by Carl Bowen. This is the first novel in the series and serves as an excellent entry point.
- Relic of the Dawn (2004) – Written by David Niall Wilson.
- In Northern Twilight (2004) – Written by Jess Hartley.
- Pillar of the Sun (2005) – Written by Carl Bowen.
- A Shadow Over Heaven's Eye (2005) – Written by Tim Waggoner.
- The Carnelian Flame (2005) – Written by Aaron Rosenberg.
- Return of the Scarlet Empress (2009) – Co-authored by Carl Bowen as a game setting/campaign guide for the tabletop RPG.
World of Darkness & Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Bowen also wrote for the urban fantasy and horror settings of the World of Darkness. His contributions include:
- Predator & Prey Series: Bowen wrote Predator & Prey: Vampire (2000) and Predator & Prey: Mage (2001). These books explore the tense, hidden conflicts between different supernatural factions.
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse Tribe Novels: White Wolf released combined volume books focusing on different werewolf tribes. Bowen wrote the Silent Striders and Black Furies entries in the 2001 release, the Uktena story in the 2002 volume, and the Silver Fang segment in 2002.
- Aberrant Setting: Bowen co-authored the RPG sourcebooks Project Utopia (1999) and The Directive (2000) for this sci-fi superhero universe.
Firestormers: High-Octane Firefighting
Published in 2016, the Firestormers series is an action-packed collection of stories written for young adults. It follows a highly trained, elite crew of wildland firefighters tackling extreme disasters. These stories should be read in publication order to appreciate the crew dynamics:
- Firestormers (2016)
- Back Burn (2016)
- Bone Yard (2016)
- Fire Front (2016)
- Hot Spot (2016)
Far Out Fairy Tales and Graphic Novels
For readers who appreciate visual storytelling, Carl Bowen has written several graphic novels for Capstone's Stone Arch Books imprint. These fall into two main categories:
- Far Out Fairy Tales: These are classic fairy tales reimagined with bizarre sci-fi and action-adventure twists. Bowen's books in this line include Red Riding Hood, Superhero, Snow White and the Seven Robots, Jak and the Magic Nano-Beans, and Hansel & Gretel & Zombies. They can be read completely independently as standalones.
- Classic Literary Adaptations: Bowen has adapted famous gothic novels into fast-paced graphic novels. Notable entries include his adaptations of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (via crossovers), and Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue.
What to Know Before You Start Reading Carl Bowen
Before diving in, keep these tips in mind. First, check the covers and descriptions: many of Bowen's young adult books (like Shadow Squadron and Firestormers) are heavily illustrated or formatted as graphic novel hybrids, making them quick, high-impact reads. Second, be aware that his White Wolf RPG books (Exalted, Werewolf, Aberrant) assume some familiarity with the tabletop gaming settings, though they can still be enjoyed as standalone dark fantasy adventures.