Mark Lawrence Books in Order: Complete Reading Guide
Mark Lawrence has written three complete trilogies, each self-contained but connected by theme and, in the case of the first two, by shared world. The Broken Empire and The Red Queen's War are set in the same post-apocalyptic fantasy world at overlapping points in time. Book of the Ancestor is set on a completely separate dying planet and features a female protagonist — his most accessible series for readers new to grimdark. All three trilogies are complete.
Quick Stats
Author
Mark Lawrence
Total Books
9 (across 3 trilogies)
Status
All three trilogies complete
Genre
Grimdark Fantasy
Best Start
Prince of Thorns or Red Sister
Where to Start
Two valid entry points. Prince of Thorns is Lawrence's most famous book — the one that defines his reputation for morally extreme protagonists and dark, literary prose. If you want grimdark at its most uncompromising, start here.
Red Sister is the better starting point for readers newer to grimdark. Nona Grey is a protagonist you can root for — fierce, loyal, and growing into her power — and Book of the Ancestor is set in a different world entirely, so there is no prerequisite reading. Either trilogy stands fully on its own.
The Broken Empire
3 books — post-apocalyptic fantasy Europe following Jorg Ancrath. Must be read in order. The Red Queen's War is a companion series set at the same time.
- 1
Prince of Thorns
Book 1
Jorg Ancrath is thirteen years old, the heir to a minor kingdom, and already leading a band of murderers across a post-apocalyptic fantasy Europe. Prince of Thorns is grimdark at its most extreme — a narrator who is genuinely monstrous, a world in ruins, and prose that is far more literary than the subject matter suggests.
One of two valid entry points for Lawrence's work. Prince of Thorns or Red Sister.
View on Amazon - 2
King of Thorns
Book 2
Four years after Prince of Thorns, Jorg faces a threat to his kingdom that may finally be beyond his ability to outwit or outfight. The narrative structure alternates between past and present and King of Thorns is widely considered the best book in the trilogy.
- 3
Emperor of Thorns
Book 3 — Trilogy conclusion
The conclusion of The Broken Empire. Jorg reaches for the highest possible prize — the throne of the Broken Empire — and the full scope of the world Lawrence has built is finally revealed. The post-apocalyptic science fiction underpinning the fantasy setting becomes explicit.
The Red Queen's War
3 books — companion series to The Broken Empire, set in the same world at the same time. Follows Prince Jalan Kendeth. Best read after The Broken Empire.
- 1
Prince of Fools
Book 1
Prince Jalan Kendeth is a coward, a liar, and a womanizer — bound by magic to a Viking warrior named Snorri and forced to travel north on a quest he wants no part of. A companion series to The Broken Empire, set at the same time with a very different kind of protagonist.
Best read after The Broken Empire. Set in the same world at the same time as Jorg's story.
View on Amazon - 2
The Liar's Key
Book 2
Jal and Snorri continue north in search of the key that can open death's door. The quest deepens and the tone darkens as the consequences of their journey become clearer.
- 3
The Wheel of Osheim
Book 3 — Trilogy conclusion
The Red Queen's War reaches its conclusion in Hell itself. The series ties back into The Broken Empire more explicitly than either preceding volume and resolves Jal and Snorri's arc while illuminating events seen from Jorg's perspective.
Book of the Ancestor
3 books — set on a separate dying planet, following Nona Grey, a warrior nun. Completely independent from the first two trilogies. A strong entry point for new readers.
- 1
Red Sister
Book 1 — Alternative entry point
Nona Grey is saved from execution and brought to the Convent of Sweet Mercy, where warrior nuns train girls in martial arts, poisoning, and the manipulation of a dying world's magic. Set on a planet slowly freezing as its sun dims, Book of the Ancestor is Lawrence's most accessible series — dark, but with a protagonist readers can root for.
Set in a completely different world from The Broken Empire. A strong entry point for new Lawrence readers.
View on Amazon - 2
Grey Sister
Book 2
Nona continues her training while a political crisis threatens the convent and everyone she cares about. Grey Sister deepens every character relationship established in Red Sister and raises the stakes of the dying-world setting.
- 3
Holy Sister
Book 3 — Trilogy conclusion
The conclusion of Book of the Ancestor. Nona faces the greatest threat the convent has ever seen and the full scope of her power — and her destiny — is finally revealed. A satisfying conclusion to one of Lawrence's most emotionally grounded series.
How Do the Trilogies Connect?
The Broken Empire and The Red Queen's War are set in the same post-apocalyptic world — a far-future Earth where civilization has collapsed and been replaced by medieval fantasy societies that have forgotten their technological origins. Both trilogies are set in the same era, and Jorg (Broken Empire) and Jal (Red Queen's War) eventually cross paths. Events from one series appear in the background of the other.
Book of the Ancestor is set in a separate world entirely. The connection to Lawrence's other work is tonal — dark protagonists, literary prose, grimdark sensibility — not narrative. You can read it in any order relative to the other two trilogies.