David B. Coe Books in Order

Where to Begin Your Journey

David B. Coe is an exceptionally versatile author who writes under both his own name and the pseudonym D.B. Jackson. Because his bibliography spans classic epic fantasy, gritty urban mysteries, historical urban fantasy, and time-travel adventure, the best place to start depends entirely on your favorite genre:

• For Classic Epic Fantasy: Start with Children of Amarid, the first book in The LonTobyn Chronicles. This trilogy won the William L. Crawford Award and features a highly original magic system where mages bond with birds of prey.
• For High-Stakes Political Intrigue: Start with Rules of Ascension, the opening novel of the five-book Winds of the Forelands saga. This leads directly into the follow-up trilogy, Blood of the Southlands.
• For Historical Fantasy & Mystery: Start with Thieftaker (written as D.B. Jackson), the first full-length novel in the Thieftaker Chronicles. Set in pre-Revolutionary Boston, it blends magic with historical events like the Boston Massacre.
• For Contemporary Urban Fantasy: Start with Spell Blind, the first book in the Case Files of Justis Fearsson. Set in Phoenix, Arizona, it follows a private investigator who is a lunar-powered wizard battling a creeping mental toll.
• For Time Travel and Seafaring Adventure: Start with Time's Children (written as D.B. Jackson), which kicks off the time-bending Islevale Cycle.

The Forelands and Southlands Universe

Two of Coe's major epic fantasy series are set in the exact same world, separated by geography and time. While written to be accessible to newcomers, reading them in order provides the richest experience.

Winds of the Forelands Quintet

This series focuses on the northern continent (the Forelands) and the long-standing, tense political divide between the ordinary rulers and the Qirsi, a pale-skinned race possessing unique magical powers.

1. Rules of Ascension (2002)
2. Seeds of Betrayal (2003)
3. Bonds of Vengeance (2005)
4. Shapers of Darkness (2005)
5. Weavers of War (2007)

Blood of the Southlands Trilogy

Set after the events of the Forelands quintet, this sequel series shifts the action south across the sea. A magical disease known as the Sorcerer's Plague begins to ravage the lands. While it features a new main setting, it is tied to the first series by returning characters, most notably the powerful Qirsi weaver, Grinsa.

1. The Sorcerers' Plague (2007)
2. The Horsemen's Gambit (2008)
3. The Dark-Eyes' War (2010)

The Thieftaker Chronicles (Writing as D.B. Jackson)

Set in 1760s Boston, this series blends the historical accuracy of the American colonial era with supernatural magic. The main character, Ethan Kaille, is a conjurer who makes a living as a "thieftaker"—a private investigator who retrieves stolen items and solves crimes.

The Main Novels

1. Thieftaker (2012)
2. Thieves' Quarry (2013)
3. A Plunder of Souls (2014)
4. Dead Man's Reach (2015)

Prequels, Sequels, and Short Stories

If you want to read the series in absolute chronological order, you can incorporate the short stories and novellas. The prequel novella "A Spell of Vengeance" (2012) takes place before the first novel and introduces Kaille's early days. Coe has also collected several shorter tales in the anthology Tales of the Thieftaker (2017).

Following the events of the fourth book, Coe published a sequel trilogy of novellas under the collective title The Loyalist Witch (all released in 2021). These take place in the fall of 1770 and should be read after the main novels:

1. The Witch's Storm (2021)
2. The Cloud Prison (2021)
3. The Adams Gambit (2021)

The Islevale Cycle (Writing as D.B. Jackson)

This time-travel epic fantasy trilogy centers on Tobias Doljan, a young "Walker" who can travel through time. The magic system comes with a brutal cost: time travel causes the Walker to age physically at an accelerated rate. Tobias is sent fourteen years into the past to prevent a war, only to find the royal family assassinated, forcing him to protect the infant princess Sofya while dealing with time-stealing demons called Tirribin.

1. Time's Children (2018)
2. Time's Demon (2019)
3. Time's Assassin (2020)

Other Notable Series and Standalone Novels

The LonTobyn Chronicles

Coe's debut fantasy trilogy follows mages who bond with birds of prey in an ecological struggle against the expansionist technology of the Outlanders.

1. Children of Amarid (1997)
2. The Outlanders (1998)
3. Eagle-Sage (2000)

Case Files of Justis Fearsson

A contemporary urban fantasy set in Phoenix, Arizona, about a private investigator who is a weremyste, practicing rune magic that threatens to drive him insane with every full moon.

1. Spell Blind (2014)
2. His Father's Eyes (2015)
3. Shadow's Blade (2016)

The Chalice War

A modern Celtic urban fantasy trilogy. Note that while Stone and Cauldron are the first two books, Sword completes the trilogy.

1. Stone (2023)
2. Cauldron (2023)
3. Sword (2023)

Radiants Series

A supernatural thriller series centering on individuals with unique psychic and supernatural abilities who are hunted by shadowy forces.

1. Radiants (2021)
2. Invasives (2022)

Standalone Novels and Media Tie-ins

• Weitchie (1990) - Coe's rare early standalone novel set in the California redwoods.
• Robin Hood (2010) - The official novelization of the Ridley Scott film starring Russell Crowe.
• Small Moving Parts (2018, as D.B. Jackson) - A historical drama set in West Texas in 1958, tracking a deep bond between a rancher and a teenager.
• Knightfall: The Infinite Deep (2019) - An original tie-in novel for the television historical drama series Knightfall.