Ryan Cahill is an Irish fantasy author best known for The Bound and the Broken, an epic fantasy sequence featuring dragons, bonded riders, ancient magic, political rebellion, and a continent divided by the legacy of a catastrophic betrayal.
His bibliography is unusually straightforward because every published book-length work belongs to the same world. The complication comes from the novellas. Although several take place before the main novels or follow secondary characters, they reveal information that becomes important later.
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This article may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
The cleanest first reading follows publication order:
- Of Blood and Fire
- The Fall
- Of Darkness and Light
- The Exile
- Of War and Ruin
- The Ice
- Of Empires and Dust
- The Truth
- Of Gods and Ashes
The Truth is scheduled for August 31, 2026. Of Gods and Ashes, the fifth and final main novel, is planned for 2028.
The Bound and the Broken Reading Order
The Bound and the Broken currently contains four published main novels, three published novellas, one upcoming novella, and one planned concluding novel.
The main story follows Calen Bryer and an expanding cast across Epheria. The novellas examine historical events and supporting characters whose actions reshape how the central conflict should be understood.
1. Of Blood and Fire
Of Blood and Fire (2021): Calen Bryer dreams of leaving the quiet village of The Glade, but an unexpected encounter with a dragon egg draws him into a conflict involving the empire, the ancient Order, and powers that were supposed to have vanished.
This is the safest starting point for most readers.
The novel introduces Epheria through characters who do not yet understand its full history. Terms involving dragons, Draleid, magic, elves, and the empire are explained gradually through the central journey.
2. The Fall
The Fall (2021): Four hundred years before Calen’s story, the city of Ilnaen burns as betrayal divides the Order and dragon riders fight one another during the event that reshapes Epheria.
Although it is chronologically the earliest published story, read it after Of Blood and Fire.
The novella assumes that names such as the Order, the Draleid, and Ilnaen already carry some significance. Reading the main novel first also preserves the intended mystery surrounding the collapse of the dragon riders.
3. Of Darkness and Light
Of Darkness and Light (2021): Calen’s journey widens into a continental struggle as new viewpoint characters, rulers, warriors, mages, and rival factions reveal how deeply the empire’s influence reaches.
This is the second main novel and continues directly from Of Blood and Fire.
The cast becomes considerably larger here. Readers begin seeing the conflict beyond Calen’s immediate experience, including political and military developments across Epheria.
4. The Exile
The Exile (2022): Dayne Ateres serves as a royal protector while the decisions that lead to his exile expose the personal cost behind his loyalty, reputation, and return to the wider conflict.
Read this novella immediately after Of Darkness and Light.
Dayne has already appeared by this point, and the novella gives emotional and historical context to choices that matter in the following novels. Reading it before his introduction would weaken some of the uncertainty surrounding him.
5. Of War and Ruin
Of War and Ruin (2023): Battles spread across Epheria as Calen, Ella, Rist, Dayne, and the other principal characters follow separate paths through invasion, captivity, rebellion, and the return of powers capable of changing the balance of the war.
This is the third main novel and the midpoint of the five-novel central sequence.
Many threads established in the first two books begin converging here. The story also changes the political and magical balance of the series, making the following novella more meaningful.
6. The Ice
The Ice (2023): In the frozen lands of Valacia, a father and warrior faces predators, family danger, and truths connected to the wider history of Epheria.
Read this novella after Of War and Ruin.
The story answers questions raised during the main novels and develops characters whose importance becomes clearer as the conflict expands. It is more directly connected to the current era than The Fall.
7. The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow
The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow (2024): Vars Bryer, a man of The Glade, faces a winter threat in a short story that adds another personal perspective to the people and dangers surrounding Calen’s homeland.
This is a short story rather than a numbered novel or novella.
It is optional and does not carry the main plot forward. The most comfortable placement is after The Ice, when readers already understand The Glade, the Bryer family, and the wider stakes.
8. Of Empires and Dust
Of Empires and Dust (2025): The war reaches multiple fronts as Calen confronts the aftermath of Aravell, Ella remains divided between worlds, Dayne pursues betrayal in Valtara, Rist follows a new magical path, and ancient powers begin openly returning.
This is the fourth main novel and the penultimate volume of the central series.
The novel draws heavily on all three earlier novellas. Readers who skip them can still follow the broad war, but several returning characters, old betrayals, and historical revelations will carry less weight.
9. The Truth
The Truth (Expected August 31, 2026): The final novella traces the decades leading to the destruction of the Order, revealing the loyalties, grief, ideological divisions, and personal decisions behind the event first shown in The Fall.
This story takes place before The Fall, but it should not be read first.
Read it after Of Empires and Dust. Its purpose is to reinterpret established history and prepare readers for the final novel, not to introduce the world.
The Truth remains upcoming as of August 7, 2026.
10. Of Gods and Ashes
Of Gods and Ashes (Planned for 2028): The fifth main novel is expected to conclude Calen’s story and bring together the wars, gods, dragons, betrayals, and competing visions of Epheria developed across the entire series.
This is the announced final main novel of The Bound and the Broken.
The title has been confirmed, but the book is not yet published. The author’s current schedule places its release in 2028, so the date should remain treated as planned rather than final.
The Best First-Time Reading Order
The strongest first reading alternates each main novel with the novella intended to follow it.
- Of Blood and Fire (2021): Meet Calen and enter Epheria without knowing the full truth about its past.
- The Fall (2021): Return four centuries to witness the destruction that shaped the modern conflict.
- Of Darkness and Light (2021): Continue Calen’s journey as the cast and political scale expand.
- The Exile (2022): Learn what shaped Dayne Ateres before his later choices become central.
- Of War and Ruin (2023): Follow the separate character paths through war, captivity, invasion, and shifting power.
- The Ice (2023): Move north for a more intimate story connected to family, survival, and the hidden history of the world.
- The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow (2024): Add the optional short story for another perspective on The Glade.
- Of Empires and Dust (2025): Return to the full cast as gods awaken and the main conflict approaches its conclusion.
- The Truth (Expected 2026): Reconsider the fall of the Order with the entire published series already in mind.
- Of Gods and Ashes (Planned for 2028): Finish the five-novel central story after publication.
This order preserves the mysteries of the main novels while placing each shorter work where its revelations have the greatest effect.
Can You Start with The Fall?
Yes, but it creates a different introduction.
Starting with The Fall gives readers immediate access to dragon riders, the Order, and the historical catastrophe behind the series. It works well for readers who want a shorter trial before committing to the longer novels.
The disadvantages are significant:
- The Order and its institutions have not yet acquired the mystery they carry in Of Blood and Fire.
- Historical names appear before readers know why they matter.
- The transition from the novella’s large-scale dragon conflict to Calen’s quieter village opening can feel like a reset.
For those reasons, Of Blood and Fire remains the better default starting point.
Publication Order
The publication sequence is also the recommended order:
- Of Blood and Fire (2021): Calen discovers that dragons and ancient bonds still exist.
- The Fall (2021): The destruction of the Order is shown through characters living four centuries earlier.
- Of Darkness and Light (2021): The story expands across Epheria through a larger viewpoint cast.
- The Exile (2022): Dayne’s earlier service and exile receive their own focused story.
- Of War and Ruin (2023): The principal characters scatter across a widening war.
- The Ice (2023): Valacia and its dangers reveal another side of the continent.
- The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow (2024): Vars Bryer leads an optional short story associated with The Glade.
- Of Empires and Dust (2025): The main narrative enters its penultimate stage as older powers awaken.
- The Truth (Expected 2026): The final novella reveals the road to the Order’s fall.
- Of Gods and Ashes (Planned for 2028): The final main novel is expected to close the series.
Publication order is particularly effective because Cahill uses the novellas to answer questions only after the novels have made those questions important.
Chronological Order
A strict chronological reading begins with material set before Calen’s birth.
- The Truth (2026): The story begins decades before the fall of the Order and follows the developing fractures that lead toward disaster.
- The Fall (2021): Ilnaen burns as the Order collapses and dragon riders turn against one another.
- The Exile (2022): Dayne’s earlier life explains the events that force him away from his family and former position.
- Of Blood and Fire (2021): Calen’s main story begins in The Glade.
- Of Darkness and Light (2021): The modern conflict expands across the continent.
- Of War and Ruin (2023): War divides the central cast and transforms the balance of power.
- The Ice (2023): Events in Valacia add information connected to the current conflict.
- The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow (2024): Vars Bryer’s short story belongs broadly to the modern Epherian era.
- Of Empires and Dust (2025): The conflict approaches its final stage.
- Of Gods and Ashes (Planned for 2028): The main sequence is expected to end here.
This order is not recommended for new readers.
Beginning with The Truth would reveal motivations and divisions that the published series intentionally presents as uncertain. It would also require starting with a book written for readers who already know the outcome.
Main Novels Only
Readers who want only the central five-novel structure can use:
- Of Blood and Fire (2021): Calen’s discovery begins the modern dragon-rider story.
- Of Darkness and Light (2021): The cast and geographical scope expand.
- Of War and Ruin (2023): The struggle becomes open continental war.
- Of Empires and Dust (2025): The principal plots move toward their final convergence.
- Of Gods and Ashes (Planned for 2028): The fifth novel is expected to conclude the main narrative.
This route carries the core plot, but it is not the ideal experience.
The novellas provide more than unrelated side adventures. They explain the Order, Dayne, Valacia, the history of the Draleid, and the motives behind conflicts that become increasingly important.
Are the Novellas Required?
They are not required in the strictest sense, but they are strongly recommended.
The Fall
Included: The novella establishes the historical disaster behind the entire series and introduces figures whose choices remain relevant centuries later.
The Exile
Included: Dayne’s personal history gives his later decisions much greater emotional and political context.
The Ice
Included: The Valacian story answers existing questions and develops relationships connected to the expanding main conflict.
The Truth
Included after release: The final novella is designed to reveal why the Order fell and to prepare the historical side of the story for Of Gods and Ashes.
The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow
Optional: This shorter story adds another perspective but is not positioned as a major bridge between numbered novels.
A reader trying to shorten the series should omit the short story first, not the four novellas.
The Fall and The Truth Order
These two books examine the same historical catastrophe from different distances.
- The Fall (2021): Shows the night the Order collapses.
- The Truth (2026): Explains the decades of grief, disagreement, corruption, and political pressure that make the collapse possible.
Read The Fall first.
Although The Truth begins earlier, it was written to challenge assumptions readers formed from The Fall and the main novels. Reversing them would provide explanations before the original tragedy has created its questions.
Main Series Status
The Bound and the Broken is not yet complete.
Published Main Novels
- Of Blood and Fire
- Of Darkness and Light
- Of War and Ruin
- Of Empires and Dust
Upcoming Main Novel
- Of Gods and Ashes
The author has described Of Empires and Dust as the penultimate main novel. That confirms the central sequence is planned to contain five full-length novels.
Published Novellas
- The Fall
- The Exile
- The Ice
Upcoming Novella
- The Truth
The Truth has been identified as the final novella in the sequence.
New Editions and Reissues
The Broken Binding Publishing acquired rights to produce new editions of The Bound and the Broken books.
These releases are reissues of existing stories, not additional installments.
Of Blood and Fire New Edition
Of Blood and Fire (2026 edition): The first novel received a new hardcover edition with revised presentation, new artwork, and collector-focused production.
The story remains Book One.
The Fall New Edition
The Fall (2026 edition): The prequel novella received a new hardcover edition released on June 23, 2026.
This is the same core novella originally published in 2021, presented in a new edition.
Later Reissues
Further new editions are planned for the remaining novels and novellas across the next several years.
A later physical release date should not be mistaken for the date the story first entered the series.
The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow
The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow (2024): Vars Bryer leads this short visit to The Glade, providing another look at the people who live beyond the armies, dragon riders, rulers, and ancient magical factions driving the larger saga.
The story is shorter and less structurally essential than the four named novellas.
It can be read after The Ice, after Of Empires and Dust, or saved until the reader wants additional material from Epheria.
Its presence does not change the numbering of the main novels.
Latest Ryan Cahill Book
Of Empires and Dust (2025): This is Ryan Cahill’s latest published original full-length novel as of August 7, 2026.
It is Book Four of The Bound and the Broken and the penultimate main novel.
The Truth (Expected August 31, 2026): This is the next confirmed original release. It is the fourth and final novella.
The June 2026 editions of Of Blood and Fire and The Fall are newer physical releases, but they contain previously published stories.
Upcoming Ryan Cahill Books
The Truth
The Truth (Expected August 31, 2026): The final novella revisits the history of the Order and the Draleid, showing how their ideals, losses, and internal divisions lead to the catastrophe in Ilnaen.
Its release date is confirmed for August 31, 2026.
Of Gods and Ashes
Of Gods and Ashes (Planned for 2028): The fifth main novel is intended to conclude The Bound and the Broken.
The author’s published schedule places it in 2028. A precise day and month have not been confirmed, so the date should remain listed as planned.
Does Ryan Cahill Have Other Series?
No separate novel series has been published as of August 7, 2026.
Cahill has written short pieces for anthologies and special projects, but his book-length bibliography remains centered on The Bound and the Broken.
Future stories may return to Epheria after the central series ends, but no second completed novel sequence currently needs its own reading order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Ryan Cahill book should I read first?
Start with Of Blood and Fire.
It introduces Calen, Epheria, dragons, the empire, and the major magical ideas through the viewpoint intended for new readers.
Should I read The Fall first?
You can, but reading it after Of Blood and Fire is better for most readers.
The novella is chronologically earlier but assumes that the Order and dragon riders already matter to you.
What comes after Of Blood and Fire?
Read The Fall, followed by Of Darkness and Light.
This keeps the publication sequence intact.
What comes after Of Darkness and Light?
Read The Exile.
The author specifically places the novella directly after the second main novel.
What comes after The Exile?
Read Of War and Ruin.
The novella provides background for characters and events that continue into the third novel.
What comes after Of War and Ruin?
Read The Ice.
It is the third novella and reveals information connected to the widening conflict.
What comes after The Ice?
Read Of Empires and Dust.
The optional short story The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow can be placed between them.
What comes after Of Empires and Dust?
Read The Truth after its August 31, 2026 release.
The final main novel, Of Gods and Ashes, is planned to follow in 2028.
Is Of Empires and Dust the final book?
No. It is the fourth and penultimate main novel.
Of Gods and Ashes is planned as Book Five and the conclusion.
Is The Truth already published?
No. As of August 7, 2026, it is scheduled for August 31, 2026.
Advance copies do not change its public release status.
Is The Truth a novel?
It is officially described as a novella, although it is substantially longer than many conventional novellas.
It remains numbered as the fourth shorter companion book rather than the fifth main novel.
Is Of Gods and Ashes confirmed?
Yes. The title and its position as the fifth main book have been confirmed.
Its release is planned for 2028, but a final exact date has not been announced.
Are the novellas optional?
They are technically optional but strongly recommended.
Each one changes how readers understand major characters, historical events, or regions that matter in the main novels.
Is The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow required?
No. It is an optional short story.
It adds another perspective from The Glade without acting as a mandatory bridge between two main novels.
Are the 2026 editions new stories?
No. The new editions of Of Blood and Fire and The Fall repackage previously published works.
They may include new production features, artwork, or revised presentation, but they do not continue the plot.
Is The Bound and the Broken complete?
Not yet.
Four of five main novels are published. The final novella is scheduled for August 2026, and the final main novel is planned for 2028.
The Order to Follow
Begin with Of Blood and Fire, then read The Fall. Continue through Of Darkness and Light and The Exile, followed by Of War and Ruin and The Ice.
Read Of Empires and Dust next. Add The Blood That Burns the Winter Snow as optional supplementary fiction.
After August 31, 2026, continue with The Truth. Finish with Of Gods and Ashes after its planned 2028 publication.
The key rule is to resist strict chronology. The prequel stories work because readers already know the consequences of the history they reveal. Publication order preserves that design.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.