Elizabeth Dear is an indie romance author who writes New Adult romance, paranormal romance, academy romance, omegaverse, dark academy romance, and why choose romance.
Her books are not one long, single-continuity saga. The safest method is to read by series, then follow the internal order of each series.
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The main order-sensitive areas are A Knight’s Revenge, Dylan St. James Omegaverse, and Shifter Guardians Academy. Those stories build from book to book, and starting in the middle will spoil character reveals, relationship turns, or cliffhanger resolutions.
Quick Reading Order
For the broadest Elizabeth Dear reading path, use this order:
- Mave Fortune
- Ben Fortune
- Asher’s Story
- Knox: An Alpha’s Redemption Story
- Storm the Gates
- Seize the Castle
- Kill the King
- Max and Frankie
- Dylan St. James: Omega Concealed
- Dylan St. James: Omega Revealed
- Seraphina Bryce: Omega Unleashed
- Haunted Games: A Masked Man Romance Novella
- Clash of Claws
- Edge of Steel
- Rage of Beasts – when released
This is not a strict universe timeline. It is the cleanest reader-friendly route through the catalogue.
Blackstone Academy Books in Order
Blackstone Academy is a New Adult paranormal academy romance series set around wolf shifters, fated mates, pack politics, and the Northwest Louisiana Pack.
The romances are more standalone than A Knight’s Revenge, but the character context is better if you read the books in order.
- Mave Fortune (2021): A rejected-mates academy romance where Mave Fortune enters a new pack, faces public rejection, and becomes the first major anchor for the Blackstone Academy world.
- Ben Fortune (2021): Ben’s story follows the Fortune family after Mave’s rejection, shifting the focus to his own romance, pack status, and place at Blackstone Academy.
- Asher’s Story (2022): A Blackstone Academy novella about Asher and Deacon, set during Ben Fortune with an epilogue that reaches into the Knox timeline.
- Knox: An Alpha’s Redemption Story (2022): Knox’s book moves the world into adult pack leadership, giving the Alpha a redemption-centered romance after the mistakes that shaped Mave’s story.
Best Blackstone Academy Reading Order
Read Mave Fortune first.
After that, read Ben Fortune, then Asher’s Story, then Knox if you want the closest timeline fit. If you prefer to read only the main full-length novels first, read Asher’s Story after Knox instead.
A Knight’s Revenge Books in Order
A Knight’s Revenge is a New Adult dark academy why choose romance set in Saint Gabriel City.
This is a continuous trilogy. The books should not be treated as standalones, because Jolie Knight’s revenge arc, relationship arc, and the conflict with the Four Families all unfold in sequence.
- Storm the Gates (2022): Jolie Knight arrives at Holywell Academy under a hidden identity, beginning her campaign against the powerful families who destroyed her life.
- Seize the Castle (2022): Jolie’s revenge becomes more public and dangerous, while her relationships with the heirs are pushed into sharper conflict.
- Kill the King (2023): The trilogy reaches its final confrontation with the Four Families and completes Jolie’s main story.
- Max and Frankie (2023): A post-trilogy novella about Max and Frankie, best read after Jolie’s arc because it depends on the changed Saint Gabriel City power structure.
Best A Knight’s Revenge Reading Order
Read the trilogy in order:
- Storm the Gates
- Seize the Castle
- Kill the King
Then read Max and Frankie.
Do not start with Max and Frankie. It is a follow-up novella, not an entry point.
Dylan St. James Omegaverse Books in Order
Dylan St. James Omegaverse begins with Dylan’s two-book story, then expands through Seraphina Bryce’s connected standalone.
Dylan’s books are a duet and should be read together. Seraphina’s book can stand alone, but it is better after Dylan’s story because it belongs to the same omegaverse.
- Dylan St. James: Omega Concealed (2024): Dylan hides her omega identity while fighting a system built around forced bonding, opening a duet that ends on a cliffhanger.
- Dylan St. James: Omega Revealed (2024): Dylan’s secret is exposed, her bond with the Bryce Pack deepens, and the second book completes her main story.
- Seraphina Bryce: Omega Unleashed (2025): Seraphina Bryce resists an arranged bonding while crossing paths with dangerous Alphas and a wider conspiracy in Dylan’s world.
Best Dylan St. James Omegaverse Reading Order
Read Omega Concealed before Omega Revealed.
Read Seraphina Bryce: Omega Unleashed after Dylan’s duet. It has its own romance arc, but the author’s own guidance favors reading Dylan first.
Shifter Guardians Academy Books in Order
Shifter Guardians Academy is a paranormal why choose romance trilogy about shifter training, fated bonds, Guardian politics, and magical danger.
This series is ongoing. Readers who dislike cliffhangers may want to wait until the third book is available.
- Clash of Claws (2025): Avery enters Guardian training after a wraith attack, trying to protect herself and her beast while resisting the pull of a powerful male quad.
- Edge of Steel (2026): Avery continues Guardian training after rejection and revelation, with the fated-mate conflict driving the second stage of the trilogy.
- Rage of Beasts (upcoming): The planned final book in Shifter Guardians Academy, expected to complete Avery’s story after the events of Clash of Claws and Edge of Steel.
Best Shifter Guardians Academy Reading Order
Read Clash of Claws first.
Continue with Edge of Steel.
Save Rage of Beasts for last when it is released.
Standalone Elizabeth Dear Novella
- Haunted Games: A Masked Man Romance Novella (2025): A short haunted-house masked-man romance about Abby Rogan, Galen Costas, workplace rivalry, and secret-identity tension.
Haunted Games is separate from the major series. It can be read whenever you want a standalone novella.
Boxed Sets and Collections
- A Knight’s Revenge: The Complete Series (2023): A collected edition of Storm the Gates, Seize the Castle, and Kill the King, with bonus scenes included.
This is not a separate fourth novel. Read it instead of the three individual trilogy books, not after them.
Recommended Elizabeth Dear Reading Order
This order gives new readers the best balance of publication flow, continuity clarity, and series separation.
- Mave Fortune (2021): Begin here for the original Blackstone Academy setup and the first major rejected-mates conflict.
- Ben Fortune (2021): Continue with Ben’s connected romance after the Fortune family’s arrival reshapes the pack dynamics.
- Asher’s Story (2022): Read this novella after Ben because it overlaps with Ben’s timeline and adds context before the later epilogue.
- Knox: An Alpha’s Redemption Story (2022): Move into Knox’s redemption arc after the earlier books have established why his past matters.
- Storm the Gates (2022): Start A Knight’s Revenge here, where Jolie’s return begins the revenge plot.
- Seize the Castle (2022): Continue directly into the second stage of Jolie’s fight against the Four Families.
- Kill the King (2023): Finish the trilogy before reading any follow-up material from this world.
- Max and Frankie (2023): Read this after the trilogy for a side romance set after the main power struggle.
- Dylan St. James: Omega Concealed (2024): Start Dylan’s omegaverse duet with her hidden identity and anti-bonding conflict.
- Dylan St. James: Omega Revealed (2024): Read this immediately after Omega Concealed because it completes Dylan’s story.
- Seraphina Bryce: Omega Unleashed (2025): Read this after Dylan’s duet for the best context inside the shared omegaverse.
- Haunted Games: A Masked Man Romance Novella (2025): Place this standalone anywhere after the earlier series, or use it as a short break between longer arcs.
- Clash of Claws (2025): Begin Shifter Guardians Academy here if you are comfortable starting an unfinished trilogy.
- Edge of Steel (2026): Continue Avery’s story in the direct sequel.
- Rage of Beasts (upcoming): Read this last when it is released, since it is planned as the final Shifter Guardians Academy book.
Chronological Order
There is no confirmed single chronological order across all Elizabeth Dear books.
The practical chronological approach is to keep each continuity separate. Within each series, the story order is clear.
Blackstone Academy Chronological Order
- Mave Fortune (2021): Establishes Mave, the Northwest Louisiana Pack, and the rejected-mate conflict.
- Ben Fortune (2021): Follows Ben’s romance after the events that begin in Mave’s book.
- Asher’s Story (2022): Takes place during Ben Fortune, with an epilogue set later during Knox.
- Knox: An Alpha’s Redemption Story (2022): Moves the pack timeline forward into Knox’s adult Alpha arc.
A Knight’s Revenge Chronological Order
- Storm the Gates (2022): Opens Jolie Knight’s return to Saint Gabriel City.
- Seize the Castle (2022): Continues the revenge arc after the first book’s cliffhanger.
- Kill the King (2023): Resolves the trilogy’s central conflict.
- Max and Frankie (2023): Takes place after the trilogy and should stay after Kill the King.
Dylan St. James Omegaverse Chronological Order
- Dylan St. James: Omega Concealed (2024): Begins Dylan’s hidden-omega story.
- Dylan St. James: Omega Revealed (2024): Completes Dylan’s duology.
- Seraphina Bryce: Omega Unleashed (2025): Expands the same omegaverse with Seraphina’s standalone romance.
Shifter Guardians Academy Chronological Order
- Clash of Claws (2025): Begins Avery’s Guardian training arc.
- Edge of Steel (2026): Continues Avery’s story after the first book’s rejection and fated-mate complications.
- Rage of Beasts (upcoming): Planned as the final book in the trilogy.
Which Elizabeth Dear Book Should You Read First?
- Start with Mave Fortune if you want the earliest and broadest entry point into Elizabeth Dear’s published books.
- Start with Storm the Gates if you want a completed trilogy before moving into her other series.
- Start with Dylan St. James: Omega Concealed if you specifically want omegaverse romance.
- Start with Clash of Claws only if you are comfortable reading an unfinished trilogy.
Included, Optional, and Separate Continuity
Included
Asher’s Story is included in Blackstone Academy. It is not required for every reader, but it belongs in that world.
Max and Frankie is included in A Knight’s Revenge. It should be read after the trilogy.
Optional
Haunted Games is optional. It is a short standalone novella and does not affect the reading order of the main series.
Separate Continuity
Blackstone Academy, A Knight’s Revenge, Dylan St. James Omegaverse, and Shifter Guardians Academy should be treated as separate reading tracks unless the author confirms a direct crossover.
Latest Release Status
At the time of writing, Edge of Steel is the newest confirmed released main-series novel by Elizabeth Dear.
Rage of Beasts is planned as the third and final Shifter Guardians Academy book. The author page describes it as the final book and notes that the synopsis is still coming.
The author has also mentioned Daisy’s book in the Dylan St. James world, but it does not yet have a confirmed title or release date. It should not be inserted into the reading order until more details are announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to read Elizabeth Dear’s books in order?
You do not need to read every Elizabeth Dear series before starting another one. You should read each individual series in order.
A Knight’s Revenge, Dylan’s duet, and Shifter Guardians Academy are the most order-sensitive.
Are Elizabeth Dear’s books standalone?
Some are standalone romances inside a shared world. Others are direct sequels.
Mave Fortune, Ben Fortune, and Knox each have their own romance arcs, but the Blackstone Academy context is better in order. A Knight’s Revenge is not standalone. Dylan’s two books are a duet. Seraphina Bryce: Omega Unleashed is a connected standalone.
Is A Knight’s Revenge complete?
Yes. The main trilogy is complete with Storm the Gates, Seize the Castle, and Kill the King.
Max and Frankie is an additional novella set after the trilogy.
Can I read Max and Frankie first?
No. Read the A Knight’s Revenge trilogy first.
Max and Frankie depends on the post-trilogy world and works best after the main conflict is resolved.
Can I read Seraphina Bryce: Omega Unleashed before Dylan’s books?
You can, but it is not the best order.
Read Omega Concealed and Omega Revealed first if you want the strongest context.
Is Shifter Guardians Academy complete?
No. Clash of Claws and Edge of Steel are available, while Rage of Beasts is still upcoming.
Where does Haunted Games fit?
Haunted Games does not fit inside the main series order.
Read it whenever you want a short standalone masked-man romance.
Is A Knight’s Revenge: The Complete Series a separate book?
No. It is a boxed set containing the original trilogy.
Use it as an alternative to buying the three individual books.
Final Recommendation
The best starting point for Elizabeth Dear is Mave Fortune if you want the widest catalogue order.
The best completed-series starting point is Storm the Gates.
For the clearest experience, do not force all of Elizabeth Dear’s books into one shared timeline. Read each series in order, keep the continuities separate, and save unfinished series for later if you prefer complete arcs.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.