Below is the complete list of Terry Goodkind books in publication order. For each series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Sword Of Truth Books in Order
- Wizard’s First Rule (1994)
Wizard’s First Rule was published in 1994 and is listed as book #1 in the Sword Of Truth series. - Stone of Tears (1995)
Published in 1995, Stone of Tears is listed as book #2 in the Sword Of Truth series. - Blood of the Fold (1996)
Blood of the Fold is a 1996 release and appears as book #3 in the Sword Of Truth series. - Temple of the Winds (1998)
In the Sword Of Truth series, Temple of the Winds is book #4 and was published in 1998. - Debt of Bones (1998)
Debt of Bones was first published in 1998; within the Sword Of Truth series, it is listed as book #5. - Soul of the Fire (1999)
Soul of the Fire was published in 1999 and is listed as book #6 in the Sword Of Truth series. - Faith of the Fallen (2000)
Published in 2000, Faith of the Fallen is listed as book #7 in the Sword Of Truth series. - The Pillars of Creation (2001)
The Pillars of Creation is a 2001 release and appears as book #8 in the Sword Of Truth series. - Naked Empire (2003)
In the Sword Of Truth series, Naked Empire is book #9 and was published in 2003. - Chainfire (2004)
Chainfire was first published in 2004; within the Sword Of Truth series, it is listed as book #10. - Phantom (2006)
Phantom was published in 2006 and is listed as book #11 in the Sword Of Truth series. - Confessor (2007)
Published in 2007, Confessor is listed as book #12 in the Sword Of Truth series. - The Omen Machine (2011)
The Omen Machine is a 2011 release and appears as book #13 in the Sword Of Truth series. - The First Confessor (2012)
In the Sword Of Truth series, The First Confessor is book #14 and was published in 2012. - The Third Kingdom (2012)
The Third Kingdom was first published in 2012; within the Sword Of Truth series, it is listed as book #15. - Severed Souls (2014)
Severed Souls was published in 2014 and is listed as book #16 in the Sword Of Truth series. - Warheart (2015)
Published in 2015, Warheart is listed as book #17 in the Sword Of Truth series.
Sister Of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles Books in Order
- Death’s Mistress (2017)
Death’s Mistress was published in 2017 and is listed as book #1 in the Sister Of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles series. - Shroud of Eternity (2018)
Published in 2018, Shroud of Eternity is listed as book #2 in the Sister Of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles series. - Siege of Stone (2018)
Siege of Stone is a 2018 release and appears as book #3 in the Sister Of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles series. - Heart of Black Ice (2020)
In the Sister Of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles series, Heart of Black Ice is book #4 and was published in 2020.
Children Of D’Hara Books in Order
- The Scribbly Man (2019)
The Scribbly Man was published in 2019 and is listed as book #1 in the Children Of D’Hara series. - Hateful Things (2019)
Published in 2019, Hateful Things is listed as book #2 in the Children Of D’Hara series. - Wasteland (2019)
Wasteland is a 2019 release and appears as book #3 in the Children Of D’Hara series. - Witch’s Oath (2020)
In the Children Of D’Hara series, Witch’s Oath is book #4 and was published in 2020. - Into Darkness (2020)
Into Darkness was first published in 2020; within the Children Of D’Hara series, it is listed as book #5.
Angela Constantine / Jack Raynes Books in Order
- Nest (2016)
Nest was published in 2016 and is listed as book #1 in the Angela Constantine / Jack Raynes series. - Trouble’s Child (2018)
Published in 2018, Trouble’s Child is listed as book #2 in the Angela Constantine / Jack Raynes series. - The Girl in the Moon (2018)
The Girl in the Moon is a 2018 release and appears as book #3 in the Angela Constantine / Jack Raynes series. - Crazy Wanda (2018)
In the Angela Constantine / Jack Raynes series, Crazy Wanda is book #4 and was published in 2018.
Richard & Kahlan Books in Order
- The Omen Machine (2011)
The Omen Machine was published in 2011 and is listed as book #1 in the Richard & Kahlan series. - The Third Kingdom (2012)
Published in 2012, The Third Kingdom is listed as book #2 in the Richard & Kahlan series. - Severed Souls (2014)
Severed Souls is a 2014 release and appears as book #3 in the Richard & Kahlan series. - Warheart (2015)
In the Richard & Kahlan series, Warheart is book #4 and was published in 2015.
Standalone Novels Books in Order
- The Law of Nines (2009)
The Law of Nines was published in 2009 and is listed as book #1 in the Standalone Novels series. - The Sky People (2019)
Published in 2019, The Sky People is listed as book #2 in the Standalone Novels series.
Year’s Best Fantasy Books in Order
- Year’s Best Fantasy (2001)
Year’s Best Fantasy was published in 2001 and is listed as book #1 in the Year’s Best Fantasy series.
About Terry Goodkind
Terry Goodkind was an American fantasy novelist best known for creating the Sword of Truth series, a long-running epic built around Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell, magic, tyranny, personal conviction, and the moral struggle between freedom and domination. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1948, Goodkind did not begin as a lifelong publishing-world figure. Before becoming a novelist, he worked as a wildlife artist, cabinetmaker, and violin maker, and his creative background outside literature helped shape the visual and crafted quality of his fictional worlds.
Goodkind’s breakthrough came with Wizard’s First Rule, published in 1994. The novel introduced Richard Cypher, a woods guide whose life changes when he meets Kahlan Amnell, the Mother Confessor, and becomes drawn into a conflict involving Darken Rahl, ancient magic, and the hidden truths of his own identity. The book quickly established the central elements of Goodkind’s fiction: a large fantasy world, intense moral conflict, strong romantic devotion, and a hero whose choices are tied to larger questions of truth, reason, courage, and individual will.
The Sword of Truth became Goodkind’s defining work. Across major titles such as Stone of Tears, Blood of the Fold, Temple of the Winds, Faith of the Fallen, and Confessor, he developed a sprawling saga involving war, prophecy, magical orders, political oppression, and philosophical conflict. Richard and Kahlan remain the emotional center, but the series also includes major supporting figures such as Zedd, Cara, Nicci, and Nathan Rahl, whose roles expand the world beyond a simple hero’s journey.
Goodkind’s fantasy is sometimes discussed as epic fantasy, but he often resisted being limited by that label. His books use many familiar fantasy elements—wizards, magical objects, ancient lineages, invented lands, and battles between ruling powers—but he was especially interested in moral philosophy and the defense of individual freedom. His villains are not only monsters or sorcerers; they often represent systems of coercion, collectivism, fanaticism, or political control. That emphasis gives his work a more ideological flavor than many traditional quest fantasies.
After the original Sword of Truth arc, Goodkind continued Richard and Kahlan’s story in later novels such as The Omen Machine, The Third Kingdom, Severed Souls, and Warheart. He also expanded the world through the Nicci Chronicles, beginning with Death’s Mistress, which follows Nicci and Nathan Rahl into new territories after the main series. The Children of D’Hara novellas returned attention to Richard and Kahlan in a shorter serial format, showing Goodkind’s continued interest in extending the consequences of his central saga.
Outside the main Sword of Truth universe, Goodkind wrote the Angela Constantine thrillers, including Nest and The Girl in the Moon. These books moved into a more contemporary suspense direction while still reflecting his interest in extraordinary individuals confronting evil. They show that Goodkind’s storytelling identity was not limited entirely to secondary-world fantasy, even though that remains the work for which he is most remembered.
Terry Goodkind died in 2020, leaving behind one of the most commercially successful fantasy series of his era. His bibliography is best understood through the Sword of Truth world, where romance, magic, war, philosophy, and moral certainty combine into a distinctive and often intense reading experience. Whether readers respond most to Richard and Kahlan’s relationship, Nicci’s transformation, or the series’ arguments about freedom and power, Goodkind’s work remains a major presence in modern epic fantasy.