Leigh Bardugo Books in Order: Complete Grishaverse Reading Guide
Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse spans three interconnected series set in the same world. Publication order and recommended reading order differ significantly. Shadow and Bone is the entry point — it establishes the world and magic system. Six of Crows follows a separate cast but is best read after Shadow and Bone book 1. King of Scars requires both previous series to be read first. This guide covers the spoiler-safe order and explains how the series connect.
Quick Stats
Author
Leigh Bardugo
Total Books
7 (across 3 series)
Status
All three series complete
Genre
Epic Fantasy / Heist Fantasy
Best Start
Shadow and Bone
Where to Start
Start with Shadow and Bone. It introduces the Grishaverse world, the Grisha magic system, and the political factions that define every series that follows. Six of Crows can technically be read standalone — its heist plot is self-contained — but readers who begin there often feel they are missing the world-building context that makes the magic, factions, and returning characters meaningful.
The recommended spoiler-safe order: complete the Shadow and Bone trilogy first, then read the Six of Crows duology, then finish with King of Scars. Also see what to read after Shadow and Bone and books like Shadow and Bone.
Shadow and Bone Trilogy
3 books — follows Alina Starkov and establishes the Grishaverse world, factions, and magic system. Complete this before starting Six of Crows.
- 1
Shadow and Bone
Book 1 — Start here
Orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov discovers she possesses a rare power that could save her war-torn country. Introduces the Grishaverse world, the Grisha magic system, and the political factions that define the series.
Note: The essential entry point. Establishes everything the subsequent series builds on.
- 2
Siege and Storm
Book 2
Alina and Mal are on the run until a dramatic encounter pulls them back into the conflict they tried to escape. Introduces Nikolai Lantsov, who becomes a central figure across the wider Grishaverse.
- 3
Ruin and Rising
Book 3 — Trilogy conclusion
The war for Ravka reaches its conclusion. Long-running threads from both previous books pay off as Alina's story comes to its end — and sets the stage for the stories that follow.
Six of Crows Duology
2 books — set in the same world as Shadow and Bone but follows a new cast. Kaz Brekker and his crew in the merchant city of Ketterdam.
- 4
Six of Crows
Book 1
Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker assembles a crew of six dangerous outcasts for an impossible heist inside the most secure prison in the world. A heist fantasy built on found family and enemies-to-lovers dynamics that many readers consider the best book in the Grishaverse. For more like this, see books like Six of Crows.
Note: Set in the same world as Shadow and Bone but follows an entirely new cast in a different city. Best read after the Shadow and Bone trilogy.
- 5
Crooked Kingdom
Book 2 — Duology conclusion
The crew returns to Ketterdam to settle debts and outmaneuver enemies. The emotional payoff for every character arc seeded in Six of Crows. One of the most satisfying duology conclusions in fantasy.
King of Scars Duology
2 books — follows Nikolai Lantsov. Read both previous series first.
- 6
King of Scars
Book 1
Nikolai Lantsov — introduced in the Shadow and Bone trilogy — faces a darkness within himself while holding Ravka together after the war. Characters from both previous series appear.
Note: Requires the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology to be read first. Contains significant spoilers for all five preceding books.
- 7
Rule of Wolves
Book 2 — Series conclusion
The conclusion of the King of Scars duology and the Grishaverse as a whole. Both the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows casts converge as Ravka faces an existential threat.
Do the Series Connect?
Yes — all three series are set in the same world and share characters. The connections are minor in Six of Crows: characters from Shadow and Bone appear briefly, and the political situation Alina's story resolved forms the backdrop of Kaz's world. The links become significant in King of Scars, which brings both casts together and draws directly on events from all five preceding books.
Spoiler-safe order: complete the Shadow and Bone trilogy → Six of Crows duology → King of Scars duology. Reading King of Scars without the previous series means encountering major spoilers for Alina's arc and Kaz's crew without the earned context that makes those moments land. Bardugo built the Grishaverse to reward readers who follow publication order — the payoff in Rule of Wolves depends on it.