Is there a “Correct” Reading Order?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, The Acolyte’s Heresy was written first, then Rissa Must Die, then Forbidden Ember.

However, in terms of the world itself, Rissa Must Die comes first, then Forbidden Ember, then The Acolyte’s Heresy.

If you are willing to give one of my novels a try before deciding to commit to all of them, then I completely respect that. This post goes into a deeper dive of which one I would recommend you start with based on whether you are drawn more to the faith-curious aspect, the feminist aspect, or the fantasy aspect of my writing.

But what if you are generally interested in my body of work? What order should you read it in?

A purist – someone who hates any and all spoilers – should read it in the chronologically correct order, of course: Rissa Must Die, Forbidden Ember, then The Acolyte’s Heresy. (Bonus tip: You should read my fourth novel, a companion novel to The Acolyte’s Heresy, between chapters 74 and 75 if you really want to experience the events in the order it happened.)

But if you are not a purist, then I do think you can jump into any of my novels that catch your attention first. You would be reading with more of a sense of dramatic irony. If you read Forbidden Ember first and meet a character from Rissa Must Die, then when you read Rissa Must Die, you will be reading with questions like: How did this character start here and end up there? It will add another layer of suspense knowing where things end up because you are invested not simply in the destination but in the journey – how did they end up there?

In The Acolyte’s Heresy, there are oblique references to characters and events from the two chronologically earlier novels, but again, it adds to the dramatic irony. Why did they call this person that? What actually happened to them? And so forth. If you read it out of “correct” order, you have the fun of figuring out: “So, that’s where that came from!” “That’s what that quote was in reference to!” And so forth.

If I had to choose my preferred reading order for my readers, then I want The Acolyte’s Heresy to be my readers’ first introduction into my world because it is the purest manifestation of what I cared about enough to start writing. I want my readers to see Kazarah and Aeona first through Serena and Kara’s eyes, rather than come to Kazarah with preconceived notions from Rissa and Rhenise’s perspective or to Aeona with Therise and Anisha’s.

Perhaps my recommended reading order is: The Acolyte’s Heresy, Rissa Must Die, and then Forbidden Ember. The order I wrote the novels in.

However, at the end of the day, I believe readers who like my brand will enjoy the novels regardless of reading order, and I love all my characters so it will be fun for you to have the experience of layering different perspectives.

Having laid out all my cards, what do you think you will try? Which novel will you read first? Please leave a comment, I would love to know!