V.E. Schwab Books in Order

V.E. Schwab is the author who made herself a genre unto herself: Victoria Schwab writes as V.E. Schwab for adults and under both names for young readers, and her worlds - four parallel Londons, superhero villains who eschew the morality altogether, a girl cursed to be forgotten - share one signature: high-concept premises executed with total conviction and endings that cost something. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020) was her breakout to the general reader; the Shades of Magic trilogy is the fan favorite; and 2025-26 is the busiest stretch of her career - Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil (June 2025) and Victorious, the long-awaited Villains finale, in 2026. The order question is real because she runs four lines at once, and this page sorts them (2011–present).

Where to start

A Darker Shade of Magic (2015), Shades of Magic #1 - the usual door, and the best showcase of the worldbuilding. Addie LaRue (2020) for readers who want a standalone; Vicious (2013) for readers who prefer their protagonists dangerous.

Does the reading order matter?

Four main lines, each in order. Shades of Magic: A Darker Shade of Magic (2015), A Gathering of Shadows (2016), A Conjuring of Light (2017) - the trilogy is complete, and The Fragile Threads of Power (September 2023) opened the Threads of Power sequel series, set seven years on with the same cast; the Steel Prince graphic novels (2019-20) prequel young Maxim. Villains: Vicious (2013), Vengeful (2018), Victorious (October 6, 2026) - the trilogy's finale, eleven years after book one. Cassidy Blake: City of Ghosts (2017), Tunnel of Bones (2018), Bridge of Souls (2021) - middle grade, complete. The standalones: Vicious sits here too, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020), Gallant (2022), and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil (June 2025), the immortality novel, her newest. The Near Witch (2011) and the early YA (Monstrous Chronicles, Everyday Angel line) are the early shelf.

Which one is the best?

A Darker Shade of Magic (2015), the worldbuilding showcase; Addie LaRue (2020), the breakout; Vicious (2013), the dangerous one.

Related guides

Readers finishing this shelf usually want the map next door: Brandon Sanderson books in order, Diana Wynne Jones books in order, Neil Gaiman 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.