Claire Legrand Books in Order

Where Should You Start Reading Claire Legrand?

Claire Legrand writes across a variety of genres and age demographics, meaning the best place to start depends entirely on your reading preferences:

• For Epic Young Adult Fantasy: Begin with Furyborn, the first book in the acclaimed Empirium Trilogy. It is her signature high-fantasy series featuring dual timelines, heavy magic systems, and complicated, ambitious heroines.
• For Adult Fantasy and Romance: Start with A Crown of Ivy and Glass, which begins The Middlemist Trilogy. This series features a lush, regency-esque fantasy setting with heavy romantic elements and family curses.
• For Chilling Feminist Horror: Pick up the standalone novel Sawkill Girls, a dark, atmospheric story about three girls fighting a monster on an isolated island.
• For Spooky Middle-Grade Mystery: Read her debut novel, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, which reads like a sinister, atmospheric classic in the vein of Coraline.

The Empirium Trilogy Reading Order

The Empirium Trilogy is a sweeping high-fantasy saga that follows two queens—Rielle and Eliana—whose stories are separated by a thousand years. Rielle must endure seven elemental trials to prove she is the Sun Queen rather than the destructive Blood Queen, while in the future, Eliana navigates a war-torn empire under the yoke of a brutal regime. Because the plotlines are intricately interwoven across time, the trilogy must be read in order.

There is also a companion novella, Queen of the Blazing Throne, which focuses on the backstory of the temple maidservant Obritsa Nevemskaya. While not strictly required to follow the main story, the author recommends reading it after the second book to get the most out of the characters' developments before the grand finale.

1. Furyborn (2018)
2. Kingsbane (2019)
3. Queen of the Blazing Throne (Companion Novella, 2020)
4. Lightbringer (2020)

The Middlemist Trilogy Reading Order

Written for adult readers, the Middlemist Trilogy takes place in a magical world where the Middlemist family is plagued by a generational curse. The trilogy follows three sisters—Imogen, Gemma, and Farrin—as they navigate high society, romantic tensions, and dark magical forces. Each book centers on a different sister's perspective, making it essential to read the series in chronological order to follow the overarching plot of the curse and the threat to their world.

1. A Crown of Ivy and Glass (2023)
2. A Song of Ash and Moonlight (2024)
3. A Rose of Blood and Binding (2026)

Foxheart & Thornlight (Middle-Grade Fantasy)

This series comprises two middle-grade fantasy novels set in the same whimsical, magical universe. The stories are loosely connected companions rather than a direct continuous narrative, meaning they can be enjoyed as standalones. However, reading them in order of publication provides the best experience, as the protagonist of the first book makes an appearance in the second.

1. Foxheart (2016)
2. Thornlight (2021)

Winterspell Series Reading Order

The Winterspell series is a dark, romantic reimagining of The Nutcracker. It consists of one main novel, a prequel novella that details the origins of the conflict, and a brief digital epilogue. You can read the prequel first or start with the main novel and circle back to the prequel afterward; however, chronological order works beautifully to build the world.

1. Summerfall (Prequel Novella, 2014)
2. Winterspell (2014)
3. Homecoming (Epilogue Short Story, 2014)

Claire Legrand's Standalone Novels

If you prefer self-contained stories without the commitment of a trilogy, Claire Legrand has written several highly praised standalone novels across different genres. They can be read in any order:

• The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls (2012) – Her debut middle-grade gothic horror about a girl investigating the sinister disappearances of children at a local home.
• The Year of Shadows (2013) – A heartfelt middle-grade ghost story following a girl named Stella who moves into a historic theater and helps the spirits residing there.
• Some Kind of Happiness (2016) – A poignant middle-grade contemporary novel that uses a fantasy wood metaphor to explore mental health, depression, and family secrets.
• Sawkill Girls (2018) – A young adult horror novel focusing on three girls, local legends, and a monster that eats girls on Sawkill Island.
• Extasia (2022) – A dark, atmospheric young adult horror novel about a post-apocalyptic, patriarchal cult and the girls who must use forbidden magic to protect it.

Co-Authored Projects and Anthologies

Legrand has also contributed to several anthologies, most notably The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Brief & Sinister (2014). Co-authored with Stefan Bachmann, Katherine Catmull, and Emma Trevayne, this collection features spooky, gothic short stories written for middle-grade readers who enjoy eerie tales.