Christopher Rowley Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Christopher Rowley

If you are new to Christopher Rowley, your starting point depends entirely on your genre preference. For fantasy fans, the choice is clear: start with Bazil Broketail (1992), the opening novel of the Battle Dragons saga. It introduces the legendary partnership between a battle dragon and his human squire and represents Rowley's most popular and accessible work.

If you prefer gritty, dark military science fiction, start with Starhammer (1986). This is the first book in the Vang trilogy, introducing a terrifying alien threat that went on to influence modern sci-fi classics like the Halo video game franchise.

The Battle Dragons Saga (Bazil Broketail)

This is Rowley's signature fantasy series. It takes place on the world of Ryetelth and follows the lives of Bazil Broketail, a massive green dragon trained for infantry warfare, and Relkin, his human squire. The series is best read in publication order, as the overarching plot develops chronologically across the main novels. However, there is one tangential companion novel to keep in mind.

Main Battle Dragons Reading Order

• Bazil Broketail (1992)
• A Sword for a Dragon (1993)
• Dragons of War (1994)
• Battledragon (1995)
• A Dragon at Worlds' End (1997)
• Dragons of Argonath (1998)
• Dragon Ultimate (1999)

The Companion Novel

• The Wizard and the Floating City (1998): Published between the sixth and seventh main novels, this is a standalone adventure set in the same world. It features different characters (like Prince Evander and Princess Serena) and focuses on the magical floating city of Monjon. You can read it at any point after the first book, but reading it in its publication slot (before Dragon Ultimate) is recommended for the most immersive experience of Ryetelth's lore.

The Fenrille Series (Military Sci-Fi)

This sequence focuses on the extrasolar planet Fenrille, a world covered in massive forests where humans and the native, forest-dwelling species struggle against exploitative interstellar corporations. While most readers prefer publication order, there is a minor chronological variation due to a prequel novel.

Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended)

Reading in publication order allows you to experience the world-building as Rowley originally intended, establishing the planet's conflicts before exploring its deep history.

1. The War for Eternity (1983)
2. The Black Ship (1985)
3. The Founder (1989)
4. To A Highland Nation (1993)

Option 2: Chronological Order

If you want to read the history of Fenrille in linear order, you can start with the prequel, which tells the story of the colony's initial establishment, before moving on to the later conflicts.

1. The Founder (1989) — Prequel describing the colonization of Fenrille.
2. The War for Eternity (1983)
3. The Black Ship (1985)
4. To A Highland Nation (1993)

The Vang Trilogy

This gritty military space opera introduces the Vang, a highly lethal, parasitic alien species capable of absorbing other lifeforms. The books should be read in publication order. While the characters change between books, the evolution of the Vang threat forms a continuous narrative arc.

1. Starhammer (1986)
2. The Military Form (1988)
3. The Battlemaster (1990)

The Books of Arna Trilogy

This fantasy-tinged science fiction trilogy is set on Arna, a far-future human colony world threatened by ancient, dark forces. It is a tight, sequential story that should be read in strict order of publication:

1. Ancient Enemy (2000)
2. The Shasht War (2001)
3. Doom's Break (2002)

The Netherworld Series

Also known as the Heavy Metal Pulp series, these are fast-paced, gritty, noir-soaked science fiction thrillers centering on high-tech crimes, androids, and dark conspiracies. Read them in the order they were released:

1. Pleasure Model (2010)
2. The Bloodstained Man (2010)
3. Money Shot (2010)

Standalone Novels

Rowley has also published standalone stories that require no background knowledge and can be read at any time:

• Golden Sunlands (1987): A standalone planetary romance/science fiction adventure.
• Arkham Woods (2009): A supernatural horror graphic novel heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.