Where to Start Reading David Wood's Books
For readers looking to dive into David Wood's fast-paced, action-adventure thrillers, the absolute best starting point is Dourado, the first novel in the Dane Maddock Adventures. This book introduces former Navy SEAL Dane Maddock and his humor-loving partner, Uriah "Bones" Bonebrake, setting the stage for their archaeological treasure hunts and fights against mysterious organizations.
While there is a prequel series called Dane Maddock Origins, it is highly recommended to start with the main series first to get a feel for the characters and the overall tone before exploring their backstory.
Dane Maddock Adventures: Main Series
The core series follows Dane and Bones as they travel the globe to search for lost artifacts, decode ancient mysteries, and survive high-stakes action. These books are best read in their publication order, which also serves as the chronological progression of the main timeline:
- Dourado (2004)
- Cibola (2009)
- Quest (2011)
- Icefall (2011)
- Buccaneer (2012)
- Atlantis (2013)
- Ark (2015)
- Xibalba (2017)
- Loch (2017)
- Solomon Key (2018)
- Contest (2019)
- Blue Descent (2019)
- Serpent (2020)
- Eden Quest (2022)
- Thunder Mountain (2023)
- Desert Gold (2023)
Dane Maddock Origins (Prequels)
This series takes readers back to Dane and Bones' active-duty Navy SEAL days. They can be read at any time after getting to know the characters in the main series, or interspersed as background reading:
- Freedom (2013)
- Hell Ship (2014)
- Splashdown (2014)
- Dead Ice (2014)
- Liberty (2014)
- Electra (2014)
- Amber (2015)
- Justice (2016)
- Treasure of the Dead (2016)
- Bloodstorm (2019)
The Expanded Dane Maddock Universe and Spin-offs
David Wood has expanded his fictional universe extensively through collaborations with guest authors. These sub-series focus on side characters, specific missions, or supernatural elements.
Dane Maddock Universe Series
A collaborative series that expands the lore with standalone stories in the same universe, featuring co-authors like Steven Savile, Rick Chesler, Terry W. Ervin II, Ashley Knight, Stephen John, and C.B. Matson:
- Urban Legend (2017)
- Herald (2018)
- Brainwash (2018)
- Berserk (2018)
- Cavern (2018)
- Devil's Face (2018)
- The Tomb (2018)
- Maug (2019)
- The Elementals (2019)
- Shasta (2020)
- Legends (2020)
- Golden Dragon (2022)
- Emerald Dragon (2022)
Dane Maddock Destination Adventure
Co-authored with Sean Ellis, this sub-series follows specific localized adventures:
- Destination: Rio (2018)
- Destination: Luxor (2018)
- Destination: Sofia (2019)
Dane Maddock Elementals Series
Another collaboration with Sean Ellis focusing on elemental themes:
- Outpost (2018)
- Arcanum (2018)
- Magus (2018)
Bones Bonebrake Adventures
Focuses on Uriah "Bones" Bonebrake's solo escapades away from Dane Maddock:
- Primitive (2015)
- The Book of Bones (2016)
- Skin and Bones (2017)
- Lost City (2020)
- Alamo Gold (2021)
- Lair of the Swamp Witch (2023)
Jade Ihara Adventures
Co-authored with Sean Ellis, following the adventures of archaeologist Jade Ihara:
- Oracle (2014)
- Changeling (2015)
- Exile (2017)
Sam Aston Investigations
Another spin-off co-authored with Sean Ellis, following investigator Sam Aston:
- Primordial (2017)
- Overlord (2018)
- Crocalypse (2021)
Jake Crowley Adventures
Co-authored with Alan Baxter, featuring new archaeological mysteries outside the main Dane Maddock plotline:
- Blood Codex (2017)
- Anubis Key (2017)
- Revenant (2019)
- Sanctum (2020)
Myrmidon Files
Focuses on the shadowy Myrmidon group within the Maddock lore, co-authored with Sean Ellis:
- Destiny (2015)
- Mystic (2017)
Other Series and Fantasy Works
Outside of his main thriller catalog, David Wood writes fantasy and classic pulp adventures under his own name and pen names.
Brock Stone Adventures
Set in the 1930s, this series follows Brock Stone, delivering a classic pulp adventure feel reminiscent of Indiana Jones and Doc Savage:
- Arena of Souls (2014)
- Track of the Beast (2021)
- Curse of the Pharaoh (2023)
The Hunter Trilogy
A thriller trilogy featuring creature/monster hunting elements:
- Legend (2012)
- Hunter (2016)
- Guardian (2016)
The Absent Gods (Writing as David Debord)
David Wood writes epic fantasy under the pen name David Debord:
- The Silver Serpent (2007)
- Keeper of the Mists (2010)
- The Gates of Iron (2015)
Tattered Sails (As David Debord)
- Neptune's Key (2017)
Crossover: Jeremy Robinson's Chesspocalypse
David Wood contributed to Jeremy Robinson's Jack Sigler / Chess Team universe by co-authoring Callsign: Queen (2011), featuring the character Zelda Baker. The other novellas in the Chesspocalypse crossover series are written by other authors (such as Jeremy Robinson, Sean Ellis, Edward G. Talbot, Ethan Cross, and Kane Gilmour) and include:
- Callsign: King (2011)
- Callsign: Queen (2011)
- Callsign: Rook (2011)
- Callsign: Bishop (2011)
- Callsign: Knight (2011)
- Callsign: Deep Blue (2011)
- Callsign: King - Underworld (2011)
- Callsign: King - Blackout (2011)