Emily Lloyd-Jones Books in Order (Updated March 7, 2026)

Emily Lloyd-Jones does not have one giant connected bibliography. Her books break into a few clear lanes: the Illusive duology, the Aldermere middle grade pair, several YA standalones, a cluster of Welsh folklore-inspired fantasies, and a few shorter extras. That means the main rule is simple: read the true series in order, and treat most of the rest as separate entry points.

For most readers, there are three sensible starts. Begin with The Bone Houses if you want atmospheric YA fantasy, Illusive if you want the only clear older duology, or Unseen Magic if you want her middle grade fiction first.

The shelves at a glance

Read in order

• Illusive
• Deceptive
• Unseen Magic
• Unspoken Magic

Read by preference

• The Hearts We Sold
• The Bone Houses
• The Drowned Woods
• The Wild Huntress

Upcoming separate entry

• Augusta Pine Does Not Exist

Emily Lloyd-Jones books in publication order

1. Illusive (2014): A post-pandemic YA science-fantasy about Ciere Giba, a thief with illusion powers, launching Lloyd-Jones’s only completed older duology.
2. Deceptive (2015): The direct sequel continues the same superpowered-criminal setup, so this should always be read after Illusive.
3. The Hearts We Sold (2019): A dark contemporary fantasy in which Dee trades her heart to a demon for a chance at a better life, working as a full standalone.
4. The Bone Houses (2019): A gravedigger and a mapmaker confront undead “bone houses” in a Welsh-inspired fantasy that stands alone and remains one of her most widely recommended entry points.
5. Unseen Magic (2022): Lloyd-Jones’s middle grade debut introduces Finley Barnes and the hidden-magic town of Aldermere, making it the required start for her younger-skewing fiction.
6. The Drowned Woods (2022): A Welsh-inspired YA fantasy-heist about Mererid, the last living water diviner, set apart from her other novels rather than as book two of anything.
7. Unspoken Magic (2023): The sequel to Unseen Magic, returning to Aldermere and continuing Fin’s story directly enough that it should be read second.
8. The Wild Huntress (2024): Another Welsh folklore-inspired YA fantasy, this time built around a monster huntress, a prince, and a trickster in a deadly competition; it reads as a standalone.
9. Augusta Pine Does Not Exist (2026): A forthcoming near-future YA thriller about a teen hacker working with a secret government agency, positioned as a fresh new starting point rather than a continuation of an earlier line.

Recommended reading orders

Best for most readers

1. The Bone Houses: The strongest all-purpose starting point if you want her signature blend of eerie atmosphere, folklore, and heart.
2. The Drowned Woods: Move next to another Welsh-inspired fantasy with a more heist-shaped plot and a different cast.
3. The Wild Huntress: Finish that folklore-adjacent shelf here, since it shares tone and mythic texture without requiring prior continuity.
4. The Hearts We Sold: Then switch to her demon-deal standalone for a modern, darker fantasy mode.
5. Illusive: Go back next if you want to see her earliest series work.
6. Deceptive: Read immediately after Illusive.
7. Unseen Magic: Then move into middle grade.
8. Unspoken Magic: Finish the Aldermere pair in order.
9. Augusta Pine Does Not Exist: Read once available.

Best if you want strict publication order

1. Illusive
2. Deceptive
3. The Hearts We Sold
4. The Bone Houses
5. Unseen Magic
6. The Drowned Woods
7. Unspoken Magic
8. The Wild Huntress
9. Augusta Pine Does Not Exist

Best if you only want completed series

1. Illusive
2. Deceptive
3. Unseen Magic
4. Unspoken Magic

That is the cleanest “series only” path, since most of Lloyd-Jones’s other books are standalones.

The series and standalones, separated clearly

Illusive duology

1. Illusive (2014): Ciere’s criminal world and illusion powers establish the only clear older numbered series in Lloyd-Jones’s catalog.
2. Deceptive (2015): This is a true sequel, not a same-world sidestep, so it belongs immediately after book one.

Aldermere middle grade

1. Unseen Magic (2022): Finley’s small-town magical mystery opens the Aldermere setting and should be read first.
2. Unspoken Magic (2023): The sequel returns to the same town and cast, making publication order the obvious reading order.

YA standalones

1. The Hearts We Sold (2019): A demon-bargain story with contemporary fantasy framing, fully separate from her other books.
2. The Bone Houses (2019): A standalone undead fantasy rooted in Welsh atmosphere and folklore.
3. The Drowned Woods (2022): A heist-driven fantasy with water divining, political damage, and another Welsh-inspired setting, but not marketed as book two to The Bone Houses.
4. The Wild Huntress (2024): A fresh standalone about the Wild Hunt, mythic danger, and a three-person alliance in competition.

Forthcoming separate title

1. Augusta Pine Does Not Exist (2026): A near-future YA thriller with a hacker lead, best treated as a new shelf rather than the next entry in fantasy continuity.

Do the Welsh-inspired books need to be read in order?

No fixed order is required.

The Bone Houses, The Drowned Woods, and The Wild Huntress are best understood as a related flavor shelf, not a confirmed numbered series. They share Welsh folklore inspiration and a similar atmospheric appeal, but they are not presented by the author or publisher as one mandatory sequence.

For most readers, The Bone Houses is still the best first stop among them because it is the clearest entry point and the easiest single-book sample of Lloyd-Jones’s fantasy style.

Extras and optional reading

There are two notable extras, but neither changes the core order:

• A Drop of Stolen Ink: a short story by Lloyd-Jones included in the Edgar Allan Poe–inspired anthology His Hideous Heart.
• The Bone Goat: a deleted scene connected to The Bone Houses, useful only after you have already read that novel.

These are optional and should not be treated as required series entries.

Where should new readers start?

1. Start with The Bone Houses if you want one decisive recommendation.
2. Start with Illusive if you prefer a proper series and want to begin with her earliest published novels.
3. Start with Unseen Magic if you are specifically reading her middle grade work.

Latest release status

The most recent published Emily Lloyd-Jones novel is The Wild Huntress from 2024. The next confirmed full-length book is Augusta Pine Does Not Exist, scheduled for July 2026.

So the practical status is straightforward: her backlist is mostly complete standalones plus two finished duologies, and her next move is into YA thriller territory.

Final recommendation

If you want the cleanest path, read The Bone Houses, The Drowned Woods, and The Wild Huntress as the fantasy shelf most readers come to first. After that, circle back to Illusive and Deceptive if you want a true duology, then finish with Unseen Magic and Unspoken Magic for the middle grade branch. Keep The Hearts We Sold as a standalone detour and treat Augusta Pine Does Not Exist as the next separate starting point.