C.S. Pacat Books in Order

Where to Start with C.S. Pacat

C.S. Pacat has built a reputation for crafting complex characters, slow-burn queer romances, and intricate, high-stakes plots. If you are new to her work, your starting point depends on your preferred genre:

• For Fantasy & Political Intrigue (Adult): Start with the Captive Prince trilogy. It is her flagship work, beginning with Captive Prince, followed by Prince's Gambit and Kings Rising. Note that it contains heavy themes and dark elements in the first volume, but develops into a complex political romance.
• For YA Fantasy & Magic: Start with Dark Rise. This series is a high-concept YA fantasy set in an alternate London, exploring light, dark, and ancient magic with Pacat's trademark moral ambiguity.
• For Contemporary Sports & Rivals-to-Lovers (Graphic Novels): Start with Fence, Vol. 1. Co-created with Johanna the Mad, this graphic novel series focuses on competitive fencing, boarding school drama, and queer romance.

1. The Captive Prince Series Reading Order

The Captive Prince trilogy is best read in its main publication order, but Pacat has released several crucial short stories that flesh out the world, side characters, and provide epilogue-style closure. These short stories are collected in the anthology The Summer Palace and Other Stories (2018).

Recommended Reading Path (Trilogy first, then Extras)

For your first read-through, the safest and most satisfying order is to read the core trilogy from start to finish before diving into the extra stories to avoid spoilers and maintain the narrative's tight pacing:

1. Captive Prince (2013)
2. Prince's Gambit (2013)
3. Kings Rising (2016)
4. The Summer Palace and Other Stories (2018) - This collection contains all four essential short stories: "Green but for a Season", "The Summer Palace", "The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant", and "Pet".

Chronological Integration (For Re-readers)

If you want to experience the stories exactly as they fall on the timeline, you can integrate them as follows, though be warned that reading "Pet" too early can alter how you view certain characters in the first book:

• Pet – Set concurrently with the events of the first book, Captive Prince, focusing on the characters Ancel and Berenger.
• Captive Prince (Main Novel)
• Prince's Gambit (Main Novel)
• Green but for a Season – Set during the events of Prince's Gambit, following the relationship between the soldiers Jord and Aimeric.
• Kings Rising (Main Novel)
• The Summer Palace – Set immediately after the emotional conclusion of Kings Rising, serving as a direct epilogue for Damen and Laurent.
• The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant – Set after The Summer Palace, following a merchant's perspective in the lead-up to Laurent's ascension.

2. The Fence Universe Reading Order

The Fence universe is split between the primary graphic novels written by Pacat (with art by Johanna the Mad) and spin-off prose novels written by Sarah Rees Brennan. The core story is told in the graphic novels, while the prose novels expand on character relationships during the training camp arcs.

The Core Graphic Novels

Read the graphic novel volumes in sequence:

1. Fence, Vol. 1 (2018)
2. Fence, Vol. 2 (2018)
3. Fence, Vol. 3 (2019)
4. Fence, Vol. 4: Rivals (2020)
5. Fence, Vol. 5: Rise (2022)
6. Fence, Vol. 6: Redemption (2024)
7. Fence, Vol. 7: Challengers (2025) – Compiles the single-issue stories "Fence Challengers: Long Shot" and "Fence Challengers: Sweet Sixteen".

The Prose Spin-Off Novels (Optional Companion Reading)

Written by Sarah Rees Brennan with input and illustrations from the creators, these novels flesh out the characters at the Kings Row school. They are best read after Volume 3 or Volume 4 of the graphic novels to avoid continuity confusion:

• Fence: Striking Distance (2020) – Set around the time of the events leading up to their state training camp.
• Fence: Disarmed (2021) – Follows the team as they travel to France for training.

3. The Dark Rise Trilogy Reading Order

Unlike her other works, the Dark Rise series is a straightforward, chronological Young Adult fantasy trilogy. The books must be read in publication order, as each installment builds directly on the cliffhangers and revelations of the previous book:

1. Dark Rise (2021)
2. Dark Heir (2023)
3. Untitled Third Book (Upcoming)

4. DC Comics Contributions & Graphic Novels

C.S. Pacat has also lent her writing talents to major DC Comics titles. These stand as independent stories within their respective comic continuities and do not require reading her other fantasy works:

• Dark Knights of Steel: Tales from the Three Kingdoms #1 (2022) – Pacat co-wrote this high-fantasy DC anthology with Tom Taylor and Jay Kristoff, contributing the story "King's Bane". This is collected in Dark Knights of Steel, Vol. 2 (2023).
• Nightwing Vol. 4: The Leap (2023) – Collects Nightwing #97–100 and the Nightwing 2022 Annual. Pacat wrote a special team-up story featuring Nightwing (Dick Grayson) and Jon Kent (Superman).