Richelle Mead Books in Order

Richelle Mead ran one of the most reliable series engines in paranormal publishing: six series in eighteen years, five of them finished with real endings - Vampire Academy and its Bloodlines spin-off (the twelve-book universe this site maps on its own page), the adult Georgina Kincaid and Dark Swan lines, and the Glittering Court historicals. The sixth, Age of X, is the one that stopped: two novels (2013-2014), no third, no announcement in the decade since - the single most-asked question on her fan forums. She has published no new novel since The Emerald Sea (2018); the recent Vampire Academy activity is anniversary editions, not new books. This page maps all six shelves and their reading orders (2007–present).

Where to start

Vampire Academy (2007), the door most readers came through - the full twelve-book universe has its own page here. Adults: Succubus Blues (2007). Fantasy without the romance marketing: Gameboard of the Gods (2013).

Does the reading order matter?

Six shelves. Vampire Academy (2007-2010, six novels) then Bloodlines (2011-2015, six) - one shared reading order, mapped on the Vampire Academy page here. Georgina Kincaid: Succubus Blues (2007) through Succubus Revealed (2011), six novels, adult urban fantasy, strict order. Dark Swan: Storm Born (2008) through Shadow Heir (2011), four novels, strict. Age of X: Gameboard of the Gods (2013) and The Immortal Crown (2014) - two novels of a planned longer run, then silence; readable, but know it stops. The Glittering Court: three novels (2016-2018), each following a different girl into the same colonial venture, loosely linked - order matters little. Soundless (2015) is the standalone. Nothing new since 2018: the honest state of the shelf

Which one is the best?

Vampire Academy (2007), the engine of everything after; Shadow Kissed (2008), the third-act swing; Succubus Blues (2007), the adult line at its most fun.

Related guides

Readers finishing this shelf usually want the map next door: Vampire Academy books in order, Charlaine Harris books in order, Stephenie Meyer books in order. Every guide follows the same format — the shelf, the entry point, the honest answer about order.

Make it a project

Pick a session size and let the days accumulate — at the pace our reading speed test measures, most shelves above clear in a few weeks of half-hours. Every guide on the books in order shelf follows this same format, and when a book lands, its 8-question quiz is waiting on the original book quiz.