Below is the complete list of Richelle Mead books in order. For each series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Georgina Kincaid Books
Publication Order of Bloodlines Books
- Adrian’s Lost Chapter (2011)
Adrian’s Lost Chapter was published in 2011 and is listed as book #1 in the Bloodlines series. 
Publication Order of Dark Swan Books
- Thorn Queen (2008)
Published in 2008, Thorn Queen is listed as book #2 in the Dark Swan series. 
Publication Order of Dark Swan Graphic Novels Books
Publication Order of Vampire Academy Books
Publication Order of Vampire Academy Graphic Novels Books
Publication Order of Vampire Academy Companion Books
with Michelle Rowen, Brandon T. Snider
Publication Order of Age Of X Books
Publication Order of Glittering Court Books
Publication Order of Standalone Books
Publication Order of Doctor Who 50th Anniversary E-Shorts Books
About Richelle Mead
Richelle Mead is an American bestselling author known for her young adult fantasy, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy novels. She achieved international recognition with the Vampire Academy series, which combines supernatural mythology, forbidden romance, friendship, and political intrigue. Her fiction is distinguished by strong female protagonists, complicated supernatural societies, sharp dialogue, and characters whose personal loyalties frequently conflict with the expectations imposed upon them.
Mead grew up in Michigan, where she developed an early fascination with mythology, folklore, and imaginative storytelling. Her father introduced her to Greek mythology, while her brothers exposed her to science-fiction adventures such as Flash Gordon. These childhood influences helped shape her interest in supernatural worlds and mythological traditions.
She pursued higher education in several fields, studying liberal arts, comparative religion, and teaching. Before becoming a full-time novelist, she worked as a middle school English teacher. Her academic interest in religion and folklore would later become particularly important to her fiction, allowing her to draw upon established mythological traditions while developing distinctive supernatural societies.
Mead began writing seriously while teaching, initially working on a science-fiction manuscript that remained unpublished. Although the project never reached publication, the experience helped her develop the discipline and storytelling skills needed to complete her first published novel.
Her professional writing career began with Succubus Blues (2007), the opening novel in the Georgina Kincaid series. Set in Seattle, the adult urban fantasy series follows a succubus whose supernatural obligations complicate her desire for meaningful romantic relationships. Combining humour, romance, demonic politics, and emotional conflict, the novels established Mead’s ability to create sympathetic characters within morally complicated supernatural worlds.
Her breakthrough came later that year with Vampire Academy (2007). The novel introduces Rose Hathaway, a half-human, half-vampire dhampir training to protect her best friend, Moroi princess Lissa Dragomir. Drawing inspiration from Romanian vampire mythology, Mead developed a supernatural society divided by bloodlines, magical abilities, and longstanding political traditions.
The six-book series became an international bestseller and established Mead as a prominent figure in young adult paranormal fiction. Its popularity led to a 2014 feature-film adaptation and a television adaptation that premiered in 2022.
Mead expanded the same fictional universe through the Bloodlines series, beginning in 2011. Rather than continuing exclusively with Rose, these novels follow Sydney Sage, a human Alchemist whose responsibilities place her between the vampire world and an organisation determined to keep supernatural existence secret. The shift in perspective allowed Mead to explore established conflicts through a protagonist with very different beliefs and experiences.
Beyond her vampire fiction, Mead created the Dark Swan series, beginning with Storm Born (2008). Centred on Eugenie Markham, a shaman who confronts supernatural threats from the Otherworld, the series incorporates fairy mythology, magical politics, and increasingly dangerous conflicts involving supernatural inheritance.
Her Age of X series, launched with Gameboard of the Gods (2013), moves into futuristic speculative fiction. Set in a society attempting to regulate religion and supernatural belief, the novels blend political intrigue, mythology, and science fiction.
Mead later explored a different form of fantasy through the Glittering Court trilogy, beginning in 2016. The novels follow three young women seeking independence and opportunity in a society shaped by class distinctions, marriage expectations, and personal ambition. Each book presents events from a different protagonist’s perspective, allowing their interconnected experiences to reveal contrasting interpretations of the same world.
Her standalone novel Soundless (2015) draws upon Chinese mythology and history, following a young woman living in an isolated community where generations have experienced profound silence.
Across these different settings, Mead repeatedly examines identity, personal freedom, friendship, and the consequences of challenging inherited beliefs. Her heroines are often intelligent, stubborn, and fiercely protective, but their confidence does not prevent them from making mistakes or facing difficult moral choices.
Although her bibliography encompasses several independent fictional universes, Vampire Academy and Bloodlines form her most substantial connected narrative. Her adult fantasy series explore darker supernatural relationships, while her young adult novels place greater emphasis on identity, friendship, and the transition toward independence.
Mead’s international success reflects her ability to combine accessible storytelling with elaborate mythology and emotionally complicated relationships. Her fiction gives supernatural conflicts a personal dimension, allowing questions of loyalty, sacrifice, love, and self-determination to remain central even when the stakes extend far beyond the lives of individual characters.