Dhonielle Clayton Books in Order (Updated March 7, 2026)

Dhonielle Clayton does not have one single reading track. She writes solo fantasy, middle grade fantasy, co-authored YA duologies, shared-universe collaboration books, and at least one multi-author series contribution.

The cleanest way to read her is to sort the books into four lanes: The Conjureverse, The Belles, Tiny Pretty Things, and everything else that stands apart.

That matters because some of her books are true sequels, some are same-world extensions, and some are simply separate projects that share only her name on the cover. If you keep those boundaries clear, her bibliography becomes much easier to navigate.

The shortest useful answer

If you want the most straightforward Dhonielle Clayton experience, pick one lane and stay in it.

For middle grade fantasy, read The Conjureverse in order.
For YA fantasy, read The Belles in order.
For co-authored ballet drama, read Tiny Pretty Things in order.
For standalones and collaborations, read by interest rather than chronology.

For most readers, the safest solo starting point is The Belles if you want YA, or The Marvellers if you want middle grade.

Lane 1: The Conjureverse

This is Clayton’s middle grade fantasy sequence and one of the clearest reading orders in her catalog. These books are direct continuations and should be read in publication order.

1. The Marvellers (2022): Ella Durand becomes the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, and the first book builds the school, the magical politics, and the outsider tension that define the series.
2. The Memory Thieves (2023): Ella, Brigit, and Jason return for year two, and the sequel deepens the conflict rather than resetting the world, so it belongs directly after book one.
3. The Deadly Fates (2025): Year three pushes the founders’ secrets and the Marveller-Conjuror divide further into the center of the story, making it a true continuation rather than a side adventure.
4. The Paragon Games (2026): Announced as the final Conjureverse book, this closes the current main arc and should be saved until after the first three novels.

This is one of the easiest Dhonielle Clayton series to recommend because the continuity is firm and the order is fixed.

Lane 2: The Belles

This is the main YA fantasy path under Clayton’s sole name. The first two books form the original arc, while the third is an all-new novel in the same world.

1. The Belles (2018): Camellia enters the beauty-obsessed world of Orléans, and the first book establishes the court, the rules of Beauty, and the moral tension that power the series.
2. The Everlasting Rose (2019): Camellia’s story continues directly, turning the first novel’s opulence and danger into a more openly urgent struggle.
3. The Beauty Trials (2023): Set in the world of Orléans and officially grouped with The Belles, this follows Edel Beauregard in a deadly competition and works best after the first two books, even though it is not simply “book three” in the same narrow way as The Everlasting Rose.

For new readers, this is best read in publication order. That preserves the worldbuilding and keeps The Beauty Trials in its strongest role: an expansion of a world you already understand.

Lane 3: Tiny Pretty Things

This is a co-authored YA duology with Sona Charaipotra. The order is simple and should not be broken.

1. Tiny Pretty Things (2015): Three dancers compete inside an elite ballet school, and the first book sets up the ambition, pressure, and rivalries that the sequel depends on.
2. Shiny Broken Pieces (2016): The same characters push toward a final round of competition, making this a direct continuation rather than a standalone follow-up.

If you want Clayton’s co-authored contemporary drama lane, this is the place to start.

Lane 4: Separate books and collaborations

These are real Dhonielle Clayton books, but they do not belong inside the three main reading paths above.

1. Blackout (2021): A multi-author interconnected YA romance novel set during a New York City blackout, this is a complete collaborative project rather than the start of a solo series.
2. Whiteout (2022): Written by the same six-author team, this companion collaboration stands beside Blackout but is not a direct sequel in the way a standard novel series would be.
3. Breakout (2026): The same six-author group returns for a thriller set at a private island resort, and this is best treated as another separate collaboration rather than “book three” of a single narrative sequence.
4. The Rumor Game (2022): Co-authored with Sona Charaipotra, this is a separate YA thriller and has no continuity dependence on Tiny Pretty Things.
5. Shattered Midnight (2022): Clayton’s contribution to The Mirror, a multi-author quartet in which each book is written by a different author; because it is officially Book 2, it is best read after the first Mirror novel if you are reading that shared series in order.

These books matter for completeness, but they should not be mixed into The Belles or The Conjureverse.

Publication order for the main books

If you want the broadest look at Clayton’s fiction in the order readers first received it, this is the practical list.

1. Tiny Pretty Things (2015): A ballet-school thriller-drama that begins Clayton’s first major co-authored series.
2. Shiny Broken Pieces (2016): The second and final Tiny Pretty Things novel closes that competitive dance arc.
3. The Belles (2018): Clayton’s breakout YA fantasy opens the world of Orléans and Beauty.
4. The Everlasting Rose (2019): The direct sequel continues Camellia’s story and completes the original Belles arc.
5. Blackout (2021): A collaborative romance novel told through interconnected stories across one blackout night in New York.
6. The Marvellers (2022): Clayton’s middle grade debut starts The Conjureverse.
7. Shattered Midnight (2022): Her entry in The Mirror shared series belongs to a separate multi-author continuity.
8. The Rumor Game (2022): A co-authored YA thriller about rumor, fallout, and social collapse among former friends.
9. Whiteout (2022): A separate collaborative winter romance by the same team behind Blackout.
10. The Beauty Trials (2023): A return to the world of The Belles through Edel Beauregard and a lethal competition.
11. The Memory Thieves (2023): The second Conjureverse novel continues Ella’s story.
12. The Deadly Fates (2025): The third Conjureverse book raises the series stakes again.
13. Breakout (2026): A six-author YA thriller collaboration, separate from Clayton’s solo fantasy lines.
14. The Paragon Games (2026): The announced final Conjureverse novel.

Recommended reading orders

Best solo-fantasy route

1. The Belles (2018): The strongest YA entry point for many readers because it opens one of Clayton’s signature worlds cleanly.
2. The Everlasting Rose (2019): Continue Camellia’s story without interruption.
3. The Beauty Trials (2023): Then return to Orléans through a later same-world novel.
4. The Marvellers (2022): Move next to her middle grade fantasy lane.
5. The Memory Thieves (2023): Continue directly.
6. The Deadly Fates (2025): Keep the sequence intact.
7. The Paragon Games (2026): Finish the currently announced Conjureverse arc.

Best co-authored-drama route

1. Tiny Pretty Things (2015): Start with the ballet-school duology in the correct order.
2. Shiny Broken Pieces (2016): Finish that arc before moving on.
3. The Rumor Game (2022): Then read the separate thriller collaboration with Sona Charaipotra.
4. Blackout (2021): Shift to the group romance collaboration.
5. Whiteout (2022): Continue with the same team’s winter companion novel.
6. Breakout (2026): Read the team’s thriller project separately.

Best “just give me one place to start” route

1. The Belles if you want YA fantasy.
2. The Marvellers if you want middle grade fantasy.
3. Tiny Pretty Things if you want co-authored contemporary drama.

What counts as optional or separate continuity

Included: The Belles, The Everlasting Rose, The Beauty Trials, The Marvellers, The Memory Thieves, The Deadly Fates, The Paragon Games, Tiny Pretty Things, and Shiny Broken Pieces.

Optional for complete-bibliography readers: Blackout, Whiteout, Breakout, The Rumor Game, and Shattered Midnight.

Separate continuity warning: Shattered Midnight belongs to The Mirror, not to a Dhonielle Clayton-owned solo series. Read it as part of that shared project, not as part of The Belles or The Conjureverse.

Latest release status

The most recent published solo novel on Clayton’s official and publisher listings is The Deadly Fates (March 4, 2025), the third Conjureverse book. The next major confirmed solo release is The Paragon Games, scheduled for October 27, 2026, and Macmillan describes it as the final book in the series. The next confirmed collaboration is Breakout, scheduled for June 2, 2026.

FAQs

Is The Beauty Trials a direct sequel to The Everlasting Rose?

It is best treated as a later same-world Belles novel rather than a simple direct continuation of Camellia’s exact arc.

Do I need to read Blackout before Whiteout?

Not strictly, but it is the cleaner path because they come from the same collaborative team and are usually discussed together.

Can I start with The Deadly Fates?

No. The Conjureverse books should be read in order.

Is Shattered Midnight a Dhonielle Clayton standalone?

No. It is her installment in The Mirror, a multi-author series.

What is the best Dhonielle Clayton book to start with?

For YA fantasy, The Belles. For middle grade fantasy, The Marvellers.

Final recommendation

If you want the cleanest Dhonielle Clayton reading order, do not combine everything into one stack. Read The Belles books together, read The Conjureverse in strict order, read Tiny Pretty Things as its own duology, and treat the collaborations and multi-author projects as separate branches. That approach keeps her bibliography clear, preserves continuity, and avoids turning a manageable catalog into a confusing one.