Below is the complete list of Leigh Bardugo books in order. For each series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Alex Stern Books
Publication Order of Dregs Books
Publication Order of Grisha Books
Publication Order of Grishaverse Books
with Dani Pendergast
Publication Order of King Of Scars Books
Publication Order of Shadow & Bone Books
Publication Order of The Language of Thorns Books
Publication Order of Standalone Books
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas Books
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Publication Order of Picture Books
Publication Order of DC Icons Books
- Superman: Dawnbreaker (2019)
(By Matt de la Pena)
In the DC Icons series, Superman: Dawnbreaker is book #4 and was published in 2019. 
About Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is an American fantasy author best known for creating the Grishaverse, the interconnected fictional world of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and the King of Scars duology. She has also written adult fantasy, including Ninth House, Hell Bent, and The Familiar. Her novels are recognized for their morally complicated characters, atmospheric settings, intricate magic systems, and explorations of power, ambition, identity, and belonging.
Born in Jerusalem, Israel, on April 6, 1975, Bardugo grew up in Southern California. She attended Yale University, graduating in 1997 with a degree in English. Before becoming a full-time novelist, she worked in journalism, advertising, and makeup artistry, experiences that contributed to her interest in storytelling, visual detail, and character development.
Bardugo made her publishing debut with Shadow and Bone (2012), the first installment of the Grisha trilogy. The novel introduces Alina Starkov, a young mapmaker serving in the army of Ravka, a kingdom divided by a dangerous region of supernatural darkness known as the Shadow Fold.
When Alina discovers that she possesses an extraordinary magical ability, she becomes involved in the political and supernatural struggles surrounding the Grisha, individuals capable of manipulating matter through a system known as the Small Science. The trilogy continues with Siege and Storm (2013) and Ruin and Rising (2014), establishing the history, conflicts, and characters that underpin Bardugo’s wider fantasy universe.
She expanded the Grishaverse with Six of Crows (2015) and Crooked Kingdom (2016). Set primarily in the commercial city of Ketterdam, the duology follows Kaz Brekker and a group of young criminals undertaking an extraordinarily dangerous heist. Its ensemble cast, elaborate schemes, and emotionally complex relationships helped make the books particularly popular among fantasy readers.
Bardugo returned to Ravka with the King of Scars duology, consisting of King of Scars (2019) and Rule of Wolves (2021). These novels follow characters introduced in the earlier Grishaverse books, particularly Nikolai Lantsov, as they confront political instability and supernatural threats.
The Grishaverse also includes companion works such as The Language of Thorns (2017), a collection of illustrated folktales, and The Lives of Saints (2020), which expands the fictional world’s religious traditions and mythology.
In 2019, Bardugo entered adult fantasy with Ninth House, the opening novel of the Alex Stern series. Set at Yale University, the story follows Galaxy “Alex” Stern, a young woman recruited to monitor the university’s secret societies and their occult activities. The novel combines dark academia, supernatural mystery, and an examination of privilege and institutional power.
Its sequel, Hell Bent (2023), continues Alex’s story, developing the dangerous supernatural forces operating beneath the university’s familiar surroundings.
Bardugo explored a different historical setting in The Familiar (2024), an adult fantasy novel set in sixteenth-century Spain. The story follows Luzia Cotado, a servant whose hidden magical abilities draw her into the dangerous world of aristocratic ambition and religious persecution.
She also contributed Wonder Woman: Warbringer (2017) to the DC Icons series, reimagining the iconic superhero during her younger years. The novel demonstrates Bardugo’s ability to adapt an established character while maintaining her interest in friendship, identity, and difficult moral choices.
Her Grishaverse novels gained an even wider audience through Netflix’s Shadow and Bone television adaptation, which premiered in 2021. The series combined characters and storylines from the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows books, introducing Bardugo’s fictional world to viewers beyond her established readership.
A defining feature of Bardugo’s writing is her fascination with outsiders. Many of her protagonists are people who have experienced rejection, exploitation, or marginalization, yet develop unexpected forms of strength through their relationships and choices.
Her stories also question conventional ideas of heroism. Characters frequently make morally ambiguous decisions, and power is rarely portrayed as inherently beneficial. Whether writing about magical kingdoms, criminal underworlds, or secret societies, Bardugo explores the consequences of ambition and the importance of loyalty.
Through her combination of imaginative worldbuilding, sharp dialogue, and psychologically complex characters, Leigh Bardugo has become an influential figure in contemporary fantasy, writing across young adult and adult fiction while maintaining a distinctive narrative voice.