Anthony Ryan Books in Order (Updated August 5, 2026)

Anthony Ryan is a Scottish fantasy and science fiction author best known for Blood Song and the wider Raven’s Shadow world.

His bibliography is divided into several independent continuities. Raven’s Shadow and Raven’s Blade form one connected sequence. The Draconis Memoria, The Covenant of Steel, The Age of Wrath, Seven Swords, and Slab City Blues each occupy separate settings.

Ryan also publishes post-apocalyptic thrillers under the name A. J. Ryan in some territories. Red River Seven and The Feeding are not connected to his fantasy series.

The main decision is therefore not how to combine every Anthony Ryan book. It is which series to enter first.

Pick the Right First Book

1. Choose Blood Song for military fantasy, warrior training, political conflict, and a long character arc centered on Vaelin Al Sorna.
2. Choose The Pariah for a completed first-person trilogy about an outlaw, religious upheaval, and the unreliable creation of legends.
3. Choose The Waking Fire for industrial fantasy built around dragons, global trade, naval warfare, and gunpowder.
4. Choose A Tide of Black Steel for Ryan’s newest epic fantasy trilogy, inspired partly by Norse mythology and dynastic conflict.
5. Choose A Pilgrimage of Swords for a shorter sword and sorcery sequence told through connected novellas.
6. Choose Red River Seven for post-apocalyptic suspense rather than epic fantasy.

The Most Important Continuity Rule

Raven’s Blade is not a separate starting point.

The Wolf’s Call and The Black Song continue Vaelin Al Sorna’s life after the complete Raven’s Shadow trilogy. They reveal the consequences of Blood Song, Tower Lord, and Queen of Fire.

The correct Vaelin order is:

1. Blood Song
2. Tower Lord
3. Queen of Fire
4. The Wolf’s Call
5. The Black Song

The Raven’s Shadow prequel stories can be added after the original trilogy, even when their events occur earlier.

Raven’s Shadow Books in Order

The Original Raven’s Shadow Trilogy

1. Blood Song (2013): Vaelin Al Sorna is surrendered to the Sixth Order as a child, where brutal training, war, faith, and a mysterious inner power shape him into a celebrated warrior.
2. Tower Lord (2014): Vaelin returns to a realm facing invasion and political fracture, while several new viewpoint characters widen the story beyond his personal campaign.
3. Queen of Fire (2015): The struggle against the Volarian Empire reaches its conclusion as Vaelin, Lyrna, Reva, and Frentis fight across separate fronts to restore the Unified Realm.

The trilogy should be read without interruption. Tower Lord expands the cast considerably, and Queen of Fire assumes familiarity with all previous character arcs.

Raven’s Blade

4. The Wolf’s Call (2019): Years after the original trilogy, Vaelin travels east after learning that a woman from his past is threatened by a conquering warlord who claims divine power.
5. The Black Song (2020): Vaelin and his allies confront the advancing Steel Horde as the conflict begun in The Wolf’s Call spreads across the Merchant Kingdoms.

Raven’s Blade is a direct sequel duology.

A reader who begins with The Wolf’s Call will encounter major spoilers concerning Vaelin’s survival, reputation, relationships, and the political settlement at the end of Raven’s Shadow.

Raven’s Shadow Novellas and Short Fiction

Ryan has written several shorter works that expand the world without changing the main novel order.

Many Are the Dead

Many Are the Dead (2018): Ten years before Blood Song, a company of the Sixth Order fights the Lonak in a campaign that reveals earlier history surrounding the Faith and the warrior brotherhood.

This is a prequel, but it works better after Blood Song. The novel establishes the Order’s identity and gives the novella’s sacrifices more context.

The Lord Collector

The Lord Collector (2015): A story from the Raven’s Shadow world follows a collector whose activities expose another corner of the setting’s violence, power, and supernatural danger.

The story is optional and can be read after Blood Song.

A Duel of Evils

A Duel of Evils (2016): Vaelin becomes involved in a smaller conflict that draws on his reputation, martial ability, and uneasy relationship with supernatural forces.

Read it after Blood Song at minimum to avoid weakening Vaelin’s introduction.

The Lady of Crows

The Lady of Crows (2017): A woman with a dangerous reputation becomes the center of a dark episode involving power, survival, and the hidden threats within the Raven’s Shadow world.

The story adds background rather than advancing the post trilogy timeline.

Songs of the Dark

Songs of the Dark (2020): This collection gathers Raven’s Shadow short fiction, including prequel and side stories set at different points around Vaelin’s larger history.

Because the collection moves across the timeline, it is best read after Queen of Fire.

The Best Raven’s Shadow Reading Order

For a first reading, use this sequence:

1. Blood Song (2013): Vaelin begins his training in the Sixth Order and grows into a weapon of the Realm.
2. Tower Lord (2014): The story widens into a multi-character war narrative.
3. Queen of Fire (2015): The original trilogy reaches its military and political conclusion.
4. Songs of the Dark (2020): The collected short fiction adds prequel episodes and side stories.
5. The Wolf’s Call (2019): Vaelin begins a new campaign in the east.
6. The Black Song (2020): The Raven’s Blade duology concludes.

Publication order would place most of the short fiction before Songs of the Dark was collected. The grouped order is simpler for readers buying the collection.

The Covenant of Steel Books in Order

The Covenant of Steel is a completed trilogy narrated by Alwyn Scribe.

It is entirely separate from Raven’s Shadow.

1. The Pariah (2021): Outlaw Alwyn Scribe survives betrayal and imprisonment before becoming attached to a noblewoman whose cause may be political, religious, or something more dangerous.
2. The Martyr (2022): Alwyn rises within Lady Evadine’s movement as faith, warfare, and public myth begin transforming her into a figure larger than any one person.
3. The Traitor (2023): Alwyn faces the consequences of the legend he helped create, forcing him to decide whether loyalty, truth, or survival should guide his final choices.

This trilogy must be read in order.

The books are presented through Alwyn’s retrospective voice, so part of the experience comes from judging where his account is honest, selective, or shaped by later knowledge.

Is The Covenant of Steel Connected to Raven’s Shadow?

No.

Both series include war, political manipulation, faith, and warriors shaped by violent institutions. They do not share characters, geography, magic, or history.

The Pariah is a fully independent starting point.

The Draconis Memoria Books in Order

The Draconis Memoria is a completed trilogy combining industrial fantasy, naval warfare, corporate rivalry, espionage, and dragons.

1. The Waking Fire (2016): A spy, a naval officer, and a rare blood-blessed adventurer become involved in a global struggle over dragon blood and the corporations that control it.
2. The Legion of Flame (2017): The awakening of the White Drake expands the conflict across continents and oceans, forcing the main characters into increasingly desperate alliances.
3. The Empire of Ashes (2018): Human forces make their final attempt to stop the White Drake and the army gathering around it.

The trilogy follows one escalating war and should be read consecutively.

Sandrunners

Sandrunners (2016): A company crossing dangerous territory in the Draconis Memoria world faces hostile conditions, corporate interests, and threats linked to the setting’s dragon blood economy.

This novella is optional.

It can be read after The Waking Fire, which provides the clearest introduction to the world’s corporations, Blood-blessed abilities, and dragon-derived products.

The Age of Wrath Books in Order

The Age of Wrath is Ryan’s Norse-influenced epic fantasy trilogy.

The third volume was scheduled for publication shortly after this article’s update date.

1. A Tide of Black Steel (2024): Rival peoples, divine weapons, old grievances, and the ambitions of the Sister Queens drive a conflict that begins with invasion and disputed power.
2. Born of an Iron Storm (2025): The fall of Ascarlia’s capital expands the war as Thera, Felnir, and their allies respond to conquest, treachery, and the ambitions of Nihlvar.
3. Upon the Forge of Battle (Scheduled for August 25, 2026): The trilogy’s wars, divine weapons, rival rulers, and family conflicts are set to converge in the final struggle for Ascarlia and the surrounding realms.

As of August 5, 2026, Upon the Forge of Battle remained officially scheduled but unpublished.

Readers beginning the trilogy before that date should stop after Born of an Iron Storm and wait for the concluding volume.

Is The Age of Wrath Complete?

Not on the date of this update.

Upon the Forge of Battle was announced as the third and final volume, with publication scheduled for August 25, 2026.

Once released, the complete order will be A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm, and Upon the Forge of Battle.

The Seven Swords Books in Order

Seven Swords is a completed sequence of fantasy novellas following Guyime, an immortal warrior bound to a demon-cursed blade.

The books are shorter than Ryan’s epic fantasy novels, but their story is continuous.

1. A Pilgrimage of Swords (2019): Guyime travels toward a legendary mountain in search of answers about his cursed immortality and gathers companions whose motives are not always clear.
2. The Kraken’s Tooth (2020): The search for the remaining demon-cursed swords leads Guyime and his allies into a coastal conflict involving monsters, rulers, and a dangerous artifact.
3. City of Songs (2021): Guyime enters a city shaped by music, power, and deception while continuing the wider hunt for the Seven Swords.
4. To Blackfyre Keep (2022): The quest takes Guyime into the northern realm where he was once known as a king and destroyer, forcing him to confront his own past.
5. Across the Sorrow Sea (2023): Guyime’s company crosses dangerous waters as the pursuit of the cursed blades draws them toward new enemies and an approaching larger war.
6. The Road of Storms (2024): Guyime must join an army and prevent an arch-demon from obtaining the final demon-cursed weapon.
7. The Infernus Gate (2025): The bearers of the Seven Swords confront the threat of the Infernus Gate in the concluding battle of the main novella sequence.

The Infernus Gate is the seventh and final main installment.

Seven Swords Short Stories and Collections

The Scarlet Ziggurat

The Scarlet Ziggurat (2023): A separate adventure in the Seven Swords world takes its characters into an ancient and dangerous structure connected to the setting’s darker magic.

The story is optional and can be read after A Pilgrimage of Swords.

The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories

The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories (Scheduled for September 2026): This collection contains four stories set in the Seven Swords world, including new adventures and the previously published The Scarlet Ziggurat.

The announced contents include:

1. The Ballad of Lorent and Ihlene: A tale from the Seven Swords world centered on characters whose history broadens the setting beyond Guyime’s main quest.
2. The Scarlet Ziggurat: An expedition into an ancient and dangerous place shaped by the world’s supernatural forces.
3. The Chipped Blade: A story involving another weapon and the people affected by the legacy of the demon-cursed swords.
4. The Tomb of the Corpse King: A thief is spared from execution and ordered to guide a merchant queen and her army across a desert toward a deadly royal tomb.

As of August 5, 2026, the collection was available for preorder but had not yet been released.

It belongs after the main Seven Swords sequence for readers who want every story in the setting.

Slab City Blues Books in Order

Slab City Blues is Ryan’s science fiction noir sequence.

It follows Inspector Alex McLeod in a violent orbital city populated by humans, engineered beings, criminals, and political factions.

1. Slab City Blues (2011): Inspector Alex McLeod investigates a killer in a vast orbital slum where corruption and artificial life complicate ordinary police work.
2. A Song for Madame Choi (2011): McLeod’s next case draws him deeper into the Slab’s criminal and political networks.
3. A Hymn to Gods Long Dead (2012): A new investigation forces McLeod to confront powerful interests and another violent secret within the station.
4. The Ballad of Bad Jack (2013): McLeod becomes involved in a future-crime case tied to a dangerous figure and the Slab’s unstable underworld.
5. An Aria for Ragnarok (2015): The sequence reaches its conclusion as McLeod faces a crisis connected to Earth and the approaching Reckoning.

Slab City Blues: The Collected Stories

Slab City Blues: The Collected Stories (2015): This collection contains all five Slab City Blues installments in their correct order.

Readers who own the collection do not need to purchase the individual stories separately.

Despite the collection’s title, the final installment is substantially longer than the earlier entries and brings the sequence to a full conclusion.

A. J. Ryan Books in Order

Anthony Ryan uses the A. J. Ryan name for some post-apocalyptic thrillers, particularly in the United Kingdom.

These books are separate stories rather than one continuing series.

Red River Seven

Red River Seven (2023): Seven strangers wake on a boat with no memories, assigned identities, and an urgent mission through a world transformed by a deadly threat.

The novel stands alone.

Its mystery depends on the characters discovering who they are and why they have been sent down the river, so readers should avoid detailed spoilers before beginning.

The Feeding

The Feeding (2025): Survivors cross a devastated world threatened by predatory creatures, scarcity, and the uncertain motives of the people they encounter.

The Feeding is another standalone post-apocalyptic novel.

It is not a sequel to Red River Seven, although both books use survival, mystery, and group distrust as central elements.

Should Red River Seven and The Feeding Be Read Together?

No particular order is required.

Read Red River Seven first if you prefer a closed-group mystery built around missing memories and a defined mission.

Read The Feeding first if you prefer horror, ruined landscapes, and creatures that create a more direct survival threat.

Reapers

Reapers (Announced): Anthony Ryan has announced another work under the darker speculative fiction side of his bibliography, but a final publication date and complete release status were not sufficiently firm on August 5, 2026.

It should remain outside the published reading order until an edition is formally released.

Standalone Fiction and Other Books

Ryan has also published work outside his principal series.

The Martyr and Other Confusing Titles

The Martyr is not a standalone novel. It is the second Covenant of Steel book and must follow The Pariah.

Similarly, The Black Song is not an independent fantasy novel. It concludes Raven’s Blade and belongs after four earlier Vaelin books.

Short Fiction Collections

Individual stories have appeared in anthologies and limited editions. These are generally optional unless gathered into a named series collection such as Songs of the Dark or Slab City Blues: The Collected Stories.

A story’s original anthology publication does not create a new place in the main novel sequence.

Anthony Ryan Series in the Simplest Order

Readers who want a compact reference can use the following groups.

Vaelin Al Sorna

1. Blood Song (2013): Vaelin enters the Sixth Order and grows into a legendary warrior.
2. Tower Lord (2014): Vaelin returns to a realm threatened by invasion and political fracture.
3. Queen of Fire (2015): The original war reaches its conclusion through several major viewpoint characters.
4. The Wolf’s Call (2019): Vaelin travels east to confront a conquering warlord.
5. The Black Song (2020): The eastern conflict reaches its final campaign.

Covenant of Steel

1. The Pariah (2021): Alwyn Scribe rises from outlaw to chronicler of a powerful religious cause.
2. The Martyr (2022): Faith and political legend transform Lady Evadine’s movement.
3. The Traitor (2023): Alwyn faces the final cost of the story he helped create.

Draconis Memoria

1. The Waking Fire (2016): Dragon blood, corporate rivalry, and war launch a global fantasy conflict.
2. The Legion of Flame (2017): The awakening White Drake widens the struggle.
3. The Empire of Ashes (2018): Humanity makes its last stand against the dragon threat.

Age of Wrath

1. A Tide of Black Steel (2024): Invasion and divine weapons begin a new dynastic war.
2. Born of an Iron Storm (2025): Ascarlia’s fall drives the surviving powers toward a wider conflict.
3. Upon the Forge of Battle (Scheduled for 2026): The final volume is set to conclude the trilogy’s wars and rival claims.

Seven Swords

1. A Pilgrimage of Swords (2019): Guyime begins his search for the cursed blades.
2. The Kraken’s Tooth (2020): The hunt moves into a maritime conflict.
3. City of Songs (2021): Guyime enters a city ruled by secrets and power.
4. To Blackfyre Keep (2022): The journey returns him to the land he once ruled.
5. Across the Sorrow Sea (2023): The company crosses dangerous waters toward a larger confrontation.
6. The Road of Storms (2024): Guyime leads forces against the arch-demon’s plan.
7. The Infernus Gate (2025): The main Seven Swords quest reaches its conclusion.

Slab City Blues

1. Slab City Blues (2011): Inspector McLeod investigates a killer in an orbital slum.
2. A Song for Madame Choi (2011): Another case exposes the Slab’s violent power structures.
3. A Hymn to Gods Long Dead (2012): McLeod confronts a deeper threat within the station.
4. The Ballad of Bad Jack (2013): A future-crime investigation pushes the series toward its final crisis.
5. An Aria for Ragnarok (2015): The complete arc ends with the Reckoning and a return toward Earth.

Anthony Ryan Books in Broad Publication Order

This publication list combines unrelated settings. It is useful for collectors, but it is not the best reading plan.

1. Slab City Blues (2011): Inspector Alex McLeod investigates murder in a crowded orbital settlement.
2. A Song for Madame Choi (2011): McLeod’s work brings him into another dangerous Slab City case.
3. A Hymn to Gods Long Dead (2012): The science fiction noir sequence expands its criminal and political conflict.
4. Blood Song (2013): Vaelin Al Sorna’s life in the Sixth Order begins Ryan’s best-known fantasy world.
5. The Ballad of Bad Jack (2013): The fourth Slab City Blues story moves McLeod toward a larger reckoning.
6. Tower Lord (2014): Raven’s Shadow becomes a multi-viewpoint war narrative.
7. Queen of Fire (2015): The original Vaelin trilogy concludes.
8. An Aria for Ragnarok (2015): Slab City Blues reaches its final conflict.
9. Slab City Blues: The Collected Stories (2015): All five science fiction noir entries are gathered in one volume.
10. The Lord Collector (2015): A shorter Raven’s Shadow story explores another part of the setting.
11. The Waking Fire (2016): Draconis Memoria begins with dragons, gunpowder, espionage, and corporations.
12. Sandrunners (2016): A shorter Draconis Memoria expedition expands the world beyond the opening novel.
13. A Duel of Evils (2016): Vaelin appears in another compact Raven’s Shadow adventure.
14. The Legion of Flame (2017): The White Drake’s awakening broadens the Draconis Memoria war.
15. The Lady of Crows (2017): A Raven’s Shadow side story focuses on a dangerous woman and the myths surrounding her.
16. The Empire of Ashes (2018): Draconis Memoria concludes its global war.
17. Many Are the Dead (2018): The Sixth Order fights the Lonak before the events of Blood Song.
18. The Wolf’s Call (2019): Vaelin begins the Raven’s Blade continuation.
19. A Pilgrimage of Swords (2019): Guyime begins his quest for the demon-cursed blades.
20. The Black Song (2020): Raven’s Blade concludes.
21. The Kraken’s Tooth (2020): The Seven Swords journey continues through a maritime threat.
22. Songs of the Dark (2020): Raven’s Shadow short fiction is collected in one volume.
23. The Pariah (2021): The Covenant of Steel begins with outlaw Alwyn Scribe.
24. City of Songs (2021): Guyime’s search leads into a city shaped by music and deception.
25. The Martyr (2022): Alwyn helps build the legend surrounding Lady Evadine.
26. To Blackfyre Keep (2022): Guyime returns to the northern land of his violent past.
27. Red River Seven (2023): Seven people without memories travel through a post-apocalyptic mystery.
28. The Traitor (2023): The Covenant of Steel reaches its conclusion.
29. Across the Sorrow Sea (2023): The Seven Swords company crosses dangerous waters.
30. The Scarlet Ziggurat (2023): A shorter Seven Swords adventure explores an ancient supernatural site.
31. A Tide of Black Steel (2024): The Age of Wrath begins with invasion, rival rulers, and god-forged weapons.
32. The Road of Storms (2024): Guyime enters a decisive war over the last cursed sword.
33. Born of an Iron Storm (2025): The Age of Wrath continues after the fall of Ascarlia’s capital.
34. The Feeding (2025): Survivors cross a ruined world threatened by predatory creatures.
35. The Infernus Gate (2025): The Seven Swords sequence reaches its final battle.
36. Upon the Forge of Battle (Scheduled for August 25, 2026): The Age of Wrath trilogy is set to conclude.
37. The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories (Scheduled for September 2026): Four tales expand the completed Seven Swords setting.

Chronological Order Versus Publication Order

Chronology matters only inside connected series.

Raven’s Shadow contains prequel stories, but moving them before Blood Song is not recommended. Blood Song gives readers the intended introduction to Vaelin, the Sixth Order, the Faith, and the Unified Realm.

Songs of the Dark should therefore come after the original trilogy, even though some included events occur earlier.

The Seven Swords books already follow a straightforward continuous sequence. No alternate chronology is necessary.

The Covenant of Steel, Draconis Memoria, and Age of Wrath also follow publication order without meaningful rearrangement.

Latest Anthony Ryan Book

As of August 5, 2026, the latest published Anthony Ryan fantasy novel was Born of an Iron Storm, released in August 2025.

Born of an Iron Storm (2025): The second Age of Wrath novel follows the surviving rulers and warriors after Ascarlia’s fall, widening the war and preparing the trilogy’s final confrontation.

Ryan’s latest published fantasy novella was The Infernus Gate, released in 2025.

The Infernus Gate (2025): Guyime and the other sword bearers attempt to prevent the opening of a destructive gate in the conclusion to Seven Swords.

The next confirmed releases were:

Upon the Forge of Battle (Scheduled for August 25, 2026): The third Age of Wrath novel and the announced conclusion to the trilogy.

The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories (Scheduled for September 2026): A four-story collection returning to the Seven Swords world after the main sequence.

Because both dates were still in the future on August 5, 2026, neither book should yet be labeled as published.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Anthony Ryan book should I read first?

Blood Song is the strongest general starting point.

It introduces Ryan’s best-known protagonist, begins a completed trilogy, and leads naturally into the Raven’s Blade sequel duology.

Is Blood Song a standalone?

Its central training narrative and first major campaign provide a substantial arc, but the larger story continues in Tower Lord and Queen of Fire.

Readers should treat it as book one rather than as a fully independent novel.

Is Raven’s Blade a sequel to Raven’s Shadow?

Yes.

The Wolf’s Call and The Black Song continue Vaelin Al Sorna’s story after Queen of Fire.

Can I skip Tower Lord and Queen of Fire before The Wolf’s Call?

No.

The Wolf’s Call assumes knowledge of Vaelin’s wars, relationships, reputation, and decisions from the complete original trilogy.

Where should I read Many Are the Dead?

Read it after Blood Song or after Queen of Fire.

Although it is set before Blood Song, the main novel provides the necessary understanding of the Sixth Order and the Faith.

Is Songs of the Dark required?

No.

It is an optional Raven’s Shadow collection containing prequel and side stories. The five main Vaelin novels remain understandable without it.

Is The Covenant of Steel connected to Blood Song?

No.

The Pariah begins an entirely separate world and can be read without any Raven’s Shadow preparation.

Is The Covenant of Steel complete?

Yes.

The trilogy concludes with The Traitor.

Is The Draconis Memoria complete?

Yes.

The Waking Fire, The Legion of Flame, and The Empire of Ashes form a finished trilogy.

Where does Sandrunners fit?

Read Sandrunners after The Waking Fire.

It is an optional Draconis Memoria novella rather than a numbered main volume.

Is The Age of Wrath complete?

Not as of August 5, 2026.

The final book, Upon the Forge of Battle, was scheduled for August 25, 2026.

Is Seven Swords complete?

Yes.

The main seven-part sequence concludes with The Infernus Gate.

Additional short fiction can expand the world without reopening the main quest.

Are the Seven Swords books full-length novels?

They are primarily novellas.

Their shorter length does not make them standalone. Each installment advances Guyime’s continuing search for the cursed swords.

Is The Scarlet Ziggurat required?

No.

It is an optional story set in the Seven Swords world.

What is The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories?

It is an announced Seven Swords collection containing four stories.

Its scheduled September 2026 publication was still in the future at the time of this update.

Are Red River Seven and The Feeding connected?

No.

They are separate post-apocalyptic thrillers and can be read in either order.

Why is Anthony Ryan sometimes published as A. J. Ryan?

The A. J. Ryan name is used for some of his darker post-apocalyptic fiction, especially in certain markets.

It does not identify a separate author.

Is Slab City Blues a novel series?

It began as shorter science fiction noir installments.

The complete collection gathers five connected stories, including the longer concluding entry An Aria for Ragnarok.

Which Anthony Ryan series are finished?

Raven’s Shadow, Raven’s Blade, The Covenant of Steel, The Draconis Memoria, Seven Swords, and Slab City Blues have completed internal arcs.

The Age of Wrath was awaiting its final scheduled volume on August 5, 2026.

The Best Overall Reading Plan

Begin with Blood Song, continue through Tower Lord and Queen of Fire, then add Songs of the Dark before reading The Wolf’s Call and The Black Song.

For a separate completed trilogy, move next to The Pariah, The Martyr, and The Traitor.

Choose The Waking Fire when you want dragons, guns, espionage, and global warfare. Choose A Pilgrimage of Swords when you want a shorter connected sword and sorcery sequence.

Readers following Ryan’s newest epic fantasy should read A Tide of Black Steel and Born of an Iron Storm, then continue with Upon the Forge of Battle after its confirmed publication.

Red River Seven, The Feeding, Slab City Blues, and Ryan’s other continuities require no knowledge of Vaelin Al Sorna.