Naomi Novik Books in Order
Author of Uprooted, Spinning Silver, and the Temeraire and Scholomance series — Novik writes fairy-tale fantasy with a scholar's precision and a storyteller's instinct for the exact moment to break your heart.
About Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik began her career with an audacious premise: the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons. The Temeraire series ran for nine novels and built a meticulous alternate history in which every culture's relationship with dragons differs — British pragmatism, Chinese reverence, African freedom — and the moral weight of empire becomes impossible to ignore once you see it through Temeraire's guileless eyes. It's the kind of fantasy that uses genre pleasure to deliver genuine moral argument, and it works because Novik never lets the argument override the story.
Her standalones Uprooted and Spinning Silver represent a second peak: fairy-tale retellings that use Eastern European folklore as raw material for stories about female power, impossible bargains, and the particular ways that powerful men misread women who refuse to fit their expectations. The Scholomance trilogy is her most recent major work, a magic school novel that strips the cosy warmth from the Hogwarts template and replaces it with genuine existential dread — and a protagonist whose caustic voice is one of the great pleasures of contemporary fantasy. Novik is one of the few writers equally at home in long series and compact standalones, and everything she writes is worth reading.
The Temeraire Series
9 books — Complete series. Start with Book 1.
- 1
His Majesty's Dragon
Temeraire, Book 1
A Royal Navy captain captures a French vessel carrying a rare dragon egg — and finds himself unexpectedly bonded to the hatchling. The Napoleonic Wars, reimagined with an aerial dragon corps. Immediately charming and completely unlike anything else in fantasy.
- 2
Throne of Jade
Temeraire, Book 2
The Chinese imperial court demands Temeraire's return — and Laurence must voyage to China to fight for the right to keep him. Novik expands her world beautifully, contrasting British attitudes toward dragons with Chinese reverence for them.
- 3
Black Powder War
Temeraire, Book 3
Laurence and Temeraire must overland from China to Prussia as Napoleon advances across Europe. The series' scope expands to the full theatre of the Napoleonic Wars.
- 4
Empire of Ivory
Temeraire, Book 4
A plague is killing England's dragons and Temeraire may be the only cure — which means a voyage to Africa and a moral reckoning that changes the series' direction permanently.
- 5
Victory of Eagles
Temeraire, Book 5
Napoleon invades England and Laurence faces court martial. The darkest and most emotionally intense book in the series — Novik doesn't pull her punches.
- 6
Tongues of Serpents
Temeraire, Book 6
Transported to Australia, Laurence and Temeraire must navigate the colonial frontier and a dragon smuggling conspiracy. A slower, more contemplative book after the intensity of Book 5.
- 7
Crucible of Gold
Temeraire, Book 7
Recalled from exile to lead a diplomatic mission to the Incan Empire, Laurence discovers a new front in the Napoleonic conflict. Novik brings the Inca civilization to vivid life.
- 8
Blood of Tyrants
Temeraire, Book 8
Shipwrecked in Japan with no memory of the last eight years, Laurence must recover himself in time for Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The penultimate book builds relentlessly toward the finale.
- 9
League of Dragons
Temeraire, Book 9 — Series Conclusion
The final campaign of the Napoleonic Wars and the resolution of everything Laurence and Temeraire have fought for across nine books. A complete, satisfying ending to one of fantasy's most beloved series.
Standalone Novels
Both complete standalones — read in any order.
- 1
Uprooted
Standalone Novel
Every ten years, the Dragon — a cold, powerful wizard — takes a girl from the valley. Agnieszka is the one chosen this year, and she carries a magic even the Dragon cannot categorize. Novik draws on Polish fairy tale tradition to write a novel about female power, sacrifice, and the kind of love that doesn't ask for permission. One of the most important fantasy novels of the decade.
- 2
Spinning Silver
Standalone Novel
A moneylender's daughter boasts she can turn silver into gold — and a dangerous faerie king takes her at her word. Rumpelstiltskin retold with three interwoven female protagonists and a moral seriousness that turns a fairy tale into something genuinely formidable. Even better than Uprooted.
The Scholomance Trilogy
3 books — Complete trilogy. Must be read in order.
- 1
A Deadly Education
The Scholomance, Book 1
The Scholomance is a school with no teachers, no holidays, and no way out until graduation — if the monsters don't eat you first. El Higgins has the power to level cities and the personality to match. Novik reinvents the magic school novel from scratch.
- 2
The Last Graduate
The Scholomance, Book 2
El's final year at the Scholomance, and the question of whether survival is worth what it costs. The middle book of the trilogy is where Novik's slow-burn romance pays off and the emotional stakes go through the ceiling.
- 3
The Golden Enclaves
The Scholomance, Book 3 — Series Conclusion
El and Orion outside the Scholomance — which turns out to be just as dangerous as inside, and the system they've been surviving in is even more broken than she knew. The trilogy ends with the courage of its convictions.
If You Like Naomi Novik, Try:
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell shares Novik's interest in British history rewritten with magic — same period, same meticulous world-building, and the same affection for footnotes and formal prose.
If you loved the fairy-tale depth of Uprooted and Spinning Silver, McKinley's Beauty and Rose Daughter are the direct predecessors — Novik has cited McKinley as a major influence.
Schwab's character-driven approach and Novik's share a commitment to protagonists who are complicated, flawed, and deeply worth following across long series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get weekly fantasy recommendations delivered free.
New picks every week. No spam, ever.
Join the List