Charlotte E. English Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Charlotte E. English

With dozens of novels, novellas, and short stories across multiple fantasy subgenres, diving into Charlotte E. English’s bibliography can feel like entering a sprawling labyrinth of magic. Fortunately, because her series span different tones and settings, you can choose your entry point based on your preferred mood:

• For Cozy, Whimsical Contemporary Fantasy: Start with the Modern Magick series, beginning with The Road to Farringale. It is a lighthearted, witty adventure following the rescue of endangered magical creatures across Britain.
• For Gothic Detective Mysteries: Start with The Malykant Mysteries, beginning with The Rostikov Legacy. This gaslamp fantasy series features Konrad Savast, a detective working for the God of Death.
• For Regency Fantasy and Comedy of Manners: Start with the House of Werth series, starting with Wyrde and Wayward. It is perfect for fans of Jane Austen who want a heavy dose of supernatural eccentricity.
• For Classic High Fantasy: Start with her debut series, Draykon, beginning with the first novel, Draykon.

Modern Magick

The Modern Magick series is arguably the author's most popular work. It mixes contemporary British settings with a cozy, whimsical magical system. The narrative follows Cordelia "Ves" Vesper and her partner Jay Patel as they navigate the secret, magical side of the UK, rescuing magical creatures and dealing with the bureaucracy of the Society for the Preservation of Endangered Magick.

Because this series follows a tight character-driven continuity, it is highly recommended to read these books in their publication order:

1. The Road to Farringale (2017)
2. Toil and Trouble (2017)
3. The Striding Spire (2018)
4. The Fifth Britain (2018)
5. Royalty and Ruin (2018)
6. Music and Misadventure (2018)
7. The Wonders of Vale (2018)
8. The Heart of Hyndorin (2019)
9. Alchemy and Argent (2019)
10. The Magick of Merlin (2019)
11. Dancing and Disaster (2022)
12. The Fate of Farringale (2023)

The Malykant Mysteries

If you prefer a darker, colder, and more atmospheric setting, The Malykant Mysteries provides a gothic, gaslamp mystery experience. Set in the icy city of Ekaterinburg, the series features Konrad Savast, the Malykant—the hand of the God of Death, tasked with finding murderers and delivering justice on behalf of the deceased. While each story functions as a murder mystery case, the overarching character development and lore build from book to book.

The recommended reading order for the individual novellas is:

1. The Rostikov Legacy (2012)
2. The Ivanov Diamond (2012)
3. Myrrolen's Ghost Circus (2013)
4. Ghostspeaker (2014)
5. The Corpse Thieves (2017)
6. The Spirit of Solstice (2017)
7. The House at Divoro (2017)
8. Snowbound (2018)
9. The Zolin Conspiracy (2019)
10. The Tarasov Despite (2019)
11. The Malefic Curse (2019)
12. Shandral (2019)

Alternatively, the author has collected these stories into three omnibus editions, which make for a more convenient reading experience:

• Death's Detective (2015) – collects books 1–4
• Death's Avenger (2018) – collects books 5–8
• Death's Executioner (2019) – collects books 9–12

House of Werth

Blending Regency romance aesthetics with eccentric magical occurrences, the House of Werth series is a comedy of manners centered around a family that has the unfortunate (or fortunate) habit of attracting supernatural anomalies. The books should be read in chronological order to follow the family's escalating misadventures:

1. Wyrde and Wayward (2019)
2. Wyrde and Wicked (2020)
3. Wyrde and Wild (2021)
4. Wyrde and Wondrous (2022)
5. Wyrde and Widdershins (2023)

The Draykon Series

As Charlotte E. English's debut fantasy series, Draykon is a multi-layered epic fantasy set in a chaotic world where a mysterious, beautiful gemstone changes the landscape and politics of the land. It features a mix of human intrigue, magical creatures, and ancient secrets.

While there is a prequel collection of short stories, most readers recommend starting with the first novel and reading the prequel stories later to flesh out the lore. The complete order is:

1. Draykon (2011)
2. Lokant (2011)
3. Orlind (2012)
4. Llandry (2016)
5. Evastany (2017)

The companion short story collection, Leximandra Reports and Other Tales (2011), serves as a prequel set before the events of Draykon, but is best read after finishing the core trilogy (books 1–3) to avoid spoilers and appreciate the world-building.

Other Notable Fantasy Series

Tales of Aylfenhame

This series blends fairy lore with historical romance, focusing on the interactions between humans and the fair folk in a quiet, cozy English countryside. The recommended order is:

1. Miss Landon and Aubranael (2013)
2. Miss Ellerby and the Ferryman (2015)
3. Bessie Bell and the Goblin King (2016)
4. Mr. Drake and My Lady Silver (2018)

Wonder Tales

The Wonder Tales series is a collection of standalone stories inspired by folklore and fairy tales. Unlike her other series, these do not need to be read in any specific order, making them ideal options if you want a quick, low-commitment fantasy story. The books in the collection are:

• Faerie Fruit (2016)
• Gloaming (2017)
• Sands and Starlight (2019)
• Summertide (2020)
• Ravensby Od (2023)

Castle Chansany

This lighthearted fantasy series centers on a flying castle, magical spellcraft, and the whimsical affairs of the royal court. The order is:

1. Castle Chansany, Volume 1 (2021)
2. Castle Chansany, Volume 2: Tales from the Flying Castle (2022)
3. Castle Chansany, Volume 3 (2023)

Chronicles of Vexx

A newer, humorous fantasy series centering on the demonically dysfunctional Vexx family and their crumbling ancestral home, Castle Drax. The order is:

1. Cold Days at Castle Drax (2024)
2. Stormy Nights at Seventh House (2025)

Fae Fatales

An urban fantasy setting described as "Charlie's Angels but with Fae." Fionn, Tai, and Dax are three investigators who reunite in modern-day London to solve a missing persons case. Currently, this series consists of a single entry:

• Hell and High Water (2020)

The Drifting Isle Chronicles

This was a unique collaborative steampunk project created by a group of independent authors. While the stories are set in a shared universe and feature overlapping characters, each book is a standalone story written by a different author. The primary trilogy consists of:

1. The Kaiser Affair by Joseph Robert Lewis (2013)
2. Black Mercury by Charlotte E. English (2013)
3. The Machine God by MeiLin Miranda (2013)

You can read these books in any order, but starting with the first book helps introduce the floating island setting and the city of Eisenstadt.