Danielle Paige Books in Order

Where to Begin Your Journey with Danielle Paige

Danielle Paige is a master of the fractured fairy tale, turning beloved childhood stories on their heads with a sharp, contemporary edge. For most readers, the absolute best place to start is with her blockbuster debut novel, Dorothy Must Die. It represents the pinnacle of her dark world-building and cinematic pacing, serving as the perfect introduction to her style. If you prefer witchy dark academia and sorority secrets, you can also start with The Ravens, her co-authored duology with Kass Morgan.

Dorothy Must Die Series Reading Order

Her signature series is a dark reimagining of the Land of Oz, where Dorothy Gale has returned to Oz, absorbed its magic, and established a ruthless dictatorship. To save Oz, a new Kansas transplant named Amy Gumm is recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked to assassinate Dorothy. The series consists of four main novels and nine companion prequel novellas.

Option 1: The Chronological Prequel Path (Recommended for Lore Lovers)

If you want to understand exactly how Dorothy became corrupted and how the landscape of Oz shifted before Amy Gumm ever lands there, you should read the prequel novellas first. These novellas were originally released as digital e-books and later compiled into three physical volumes. This chronological order is as follows:

• No Place Like Oz (Novella / Stories Vol. 1)
• The Witch Must Burn (Novella / Stories Vol. 1)
• The Wizard Returns (Novella / Stories Vol. 1)
• Heart of Tin (Novella / Stories Vol. 2)
• The Straw King (Novella / Stories Vol. 2)
• Ruler of Beasts (Novella / Stories Vol. 2)
• Order of the Wicked (Novella / Stories Vol. 3)
• Dark Side of the Rainbow (Novella / Stories Vol. 3)
• The Queen of Oz (Novella / Stories Vol. 3)
• Dorothy Must Die (Main Novel #1)
• The Wicked Will Rise (Main Novel #2)
• Yellow Brick War (Main Novel #3)
• The End of Oz (Main Novel #4)

Option 2: The Main Novels First Path (Recommended for Fast Pacing)

If you want to dive straight into the heart of the action without wading through nine prequels first, start directly with the main series. The narrative in the core novels stands perfectly on its own. You can read the core four books in publication order and then pick up the anthologies afterward to fill in the backstories of characters like the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion:

1. Dorothy Must Die (2014)
2. The Wicked Will Rise (2015)
3. Yellow Brick War (2016)
4. The End of Oz (2017)

Wish of the Wicked (A Fairy Godmother Novel Series)

This series reimagines the classic Cinderella tale from the perspective of Farrow, a member of the Entente (a coven of magic-wielding fairy godmothers) who seeks vengeance against the royal family. It is a dark, gothic romance that shifts the traditional roles of good and evil. The series should be read in publication order:

1. Wish of the Wicked (2023) – The origin of Farrow and her initial pact with Cinderella.
2. Spell of the Sinister (2024) – Continues the story after Cinderella departs with Prince Mather, focusing on the escalating magical war.

The Ravens Duology (Co-authored with Kass Morgan)

Co-written with Kass Morgan, this duology blends dark academia with contemporary urban fantasy. It follows a group of college sorority sisters at Kappa Rho Nu who secretly operate as a coven of witches, keeping their campus safe from sinister forces while navigating typical collegiate drama. The reading order is straightforward:

1. The Ravens (2020)
2. The Monarchs (2022)

Stealing Snow Series (and the Sequel Mystery)

This series is a modern, icy retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, following a girl named Snow who escapes an asylum into the magical, frozen realm of Algid. The reading order includes two prequel novellas and one main novel:

1. Before the Snow (Prequel Novella #0.5, 2016)
2. Queen Rising (Prequel Novella #0.6, 2016)
3. Stealing Snow (Main Novel #1, 2016)

Reader Note: Many databases and retail sites long carried placeholder listings for a planned sequel (often referred to as "Stealing Snow 2"). However, no sequel has ever been published, leaving Stealing Snow as a standalone novel in terms of its main length, supplemented by the two digital prequels.

Graphic Novels and Standalone Works

In addition to her prose fantasy novels, Danielle Paige has ventured into graphic novels, showcasing her talent in visual storytelling:

• Mera: Tidebreaker (2019) – A young adult graphic novel for DC Comics, illustrated by Stephen Byrne, which reimagines the origin story of the underwater princess Mera and her complicated first meeting with Arthur Curry (Aquaman).
• Holos (2023) – A standalone sci-fi tech-noir graphic novel published by TKO Studios and illustrated by Bex Glendining. The story follows a young technician named Talia who uses forbidden holographic technology to revive her deceased sister in order to solve her murder.