Brodi Ashton Books in Order (Updated August 9, 2026)

Brodi Ashton is an American young adult author best known for the Everneath paranormal fantasy trilogy and for co-writing the Lady Janies books with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows.

Her bibliography divides neatly into two parts.

Ashton’s solo fiction consists of the Everneath trilogy, its companion novella Neverfall, and the standalone contemporary novel Diplomatic Immunity.

Her collaborative fiction consists of six humorous historical fantasies written with Hand and Meadows. Those books are arranged as the Lady Janies trilogy and the Mary trilogy, but they are mostly thematic companions rather than six chapters of one continuous saga.

That difference matters when deciding what actually needs to be read in order.

What to Read in Order, and What You Can Skip Around

There are three principal routes through Brodi Ashton’s books.

Everneath

Read in order:

1. Everneath
2. Neverfall
3. Everbound
4. Evertrue

Neverfall is optional, but it fits between Books 1 and 2.

The Lady Janies

Publication order is:

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Plain Jane
3. My Calamity Jane

These are thematic companions with different historical figures and supernatural systems. They do not tell one continuing plot.

The Mary Trilogy

Read:

1. My Contrary Mary
2. My Imaginary Mary
3. My Salty Mary

Again, the three books focus on different historical Marys rather than one continuing protagonist.

For the strongest continuity link among all six collaborative books, read My Lady Jane before My Contrary Mary.

Everneath Books in Order

The complete Everneath sequence is:

1. Everneath (2012)
2. Neverfall (2012), novella
3. Everbound (2013)
4. Evertrue (2014)

The three full-length novels form a continuous trilogy.

Included, read the novels in order.

The series follows Nikki Beckett after she returns from the Everneath, an underworld where immortal beings known as Everlivings feed on human emotions.

Nikki’s relationships with Jack and Cole, the mythology of the Everneath, and the consequences of her choices continue directly across all three novels.

Everneath

1. Everneath (2012)

This is Ashton’s debut novel and the required beginning of the trilogy.

Nikki Beckett has returned to her ordinary life after spending what felt like a century in the Everneath. Only six months have passed on the Surface, and she has limited time before the underworld comes to reclaim her.

The novel establishes Nikki, Jack, Cole, the Everlivings, the Feed, and the rules that drive the rest of the trilogy.

Do not begin with Everbound.

Neverfall

2. Neverfall (2012)

Optional companion novella.

Neverfall is told from Cole’s perspective.

Its events connect the first and second novels, making the most useful placement:

1. Everneath
2. Neverfall
3. Everbound

HarperCollins classifies it separately as an Everneath novella rather than as one of the three numbered novels.

Readers interested only in Nikki’s main storyline can skip it and move directly to Everbound.

Readers who want more insight into Cole should include it.

Everbound

3. Everbound (2013)

This is the second full-length Everneath novel.

It begins after the consequences of Everneath and pushes Nikki back toward the Everneath itself.

Character relationships and major plot developments from Book 1 are assumed.

Read Everneath first.

Neverfall adds context but is not mandatory.

Evertrue

4. Evertrue (2014)

This is the third and final Everneath novel.

The trilogy concludes here.

By this point, Nikki’s struggle is no longer simply about escaping the Everneath. The series has expanded into the question of whether its entire supernatural system can be challenged.

For the main novels, the order is therefore very simple:

1. Everneath
2. Everbound
3. Evertrue

Add Neverfall between the first two for the expanded experience.

Best Everneath Reading Order

For a complete first read:

1. Everneath
2. Neverfall
3. Everbound
4. Evertrue

For a novels-only read:

1. Everneath
2. Everbound
3. Evertrue

There is no useful chronological alternative that improves on this sequence.

Is Neverfall Book 2?

Not officially.

It is a companion novella positioned between the first and second novels.

That is why some databases label the series:

1. Everneath
   1.5. Neverfall
2. Everbound
3. Evertrue

That numbering is useful, but readers should not mistake Neverfall for the full-length second installment.

Is Everneath Complete?

Yes.

The main trilogy ends with Evertrue.

No fourth Everneath novel has been published or reliably announced as of August 9, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity

1. Diplomatic Immunity (2016)

Standalone. Separate continuity.

This is Ashton’s major solo novel outside Everneath.

The story follows Piper Baird, a high school journalist whose chance at a prestigious scholarship depends on writing an investigative story about privileged students with diplomatic immunity.

It is contemporary young adult fiction rather than paranormal fantasy.

Nothing from Everneath is required.

There is no published sequel.

The Lady Janies Books in Order

Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows collectively call themselves the Lady Janies.

Their first collaborative trilogy is:

1. My Lady Jane (2016)
2. My Plain Jane (2018)
3. My Calamity Jane (2020)

Thematic trilogy. Mostly separate stories.

These books all take real or literary Janes and rewrite their stories with fantasy, comedy, romance, historical alterations, and frequent deliberate anachronisms.

They are not three installments about Lady Jane Grey.

Each book changes setting, characters, and supernatural rules.

My Lady Jane

1. My Lady Jane (2016)

Written by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

The book reimagines the story of Lady Jane Grey, the English queen whose actual reign lasted only nine days.

In this version of history, political conflict involves Eðians, people capable of changing into animals, and Verities, people who cannot.

This is the best entry point to the collaborative books.

It also has one unusually important connection to the later Mary trilogy: My Contrary Mary returns to this same shapeshifting version of European history.

My Plain Jane

2. My Plain Jane (2018)

Standalone thematic companion.

This book turns toward Jane Eyre and Charlotte Brontë.

Jane Eyre can see ghosts, while Charlotte Brontë becomes involved with supernatural investigators.

Despite being marketed as the second Lady Janies book, it does not continue the plot of My Lady Jane.

You can read it first if Jane Eyre interests you more than Tudor history.

Familiarity with Charlotte Brontë’s novel adds to the jokes, but it is not essential.

My Calamity Jane

3. My Calamity Jane (2020)

Standalone thematic companion.

The third Jane book moves to the American West.

Its historical cast includes Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, Annie Oakley, and Frank Butler, with werewolves added to the history.

It completes the original Jane trilogy.

Again, no plot from My Plain Jane needs to be remembered.

Do the Lady Janies Need to Be Read in Order?

No, with one qualification.

The Jane trilogy works as three mostly independent historical fantasy remixes:

1. Tudor England
2. Jane Eyre and the Brontës
3. The American West

Publication order is still pleasant because it shows how the authors developed the concept.

But there is no major spoiler problem if you start with My Plain Jane or My Calamity Jane.

The important continuity exception arrives in the next trilogy.

The Mary Books in Order

After completing the Jane trilogy, Ashton, Hand, and Meadows began a second historical fantasy trilogy centered on famous Marys.

Read:

1. My Contrary Mary (2021)
2. My Imaginary Mary (2023)
3. My Salty Mary (2024)

These are again thematic companions rather than one uninterrupted narrative.

My Contrary Mary

1. My Contrary Mary (2021)

The first Mary book reimagines Mary, Queen of Scots.

This book is special because it takes place in the same Eðian and Verity world as My Lady Jane.

Mary can transform into a mouse, and the conflict between shapeshifters and non-shapeshifters again shapes royal politics.

For that reason, the recommended order for this particular continuity is:

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Contrary Mary

Readers can technically start with My Contrary Mary, but prior knowledge of My Lady Jane makes the shared world’s rules and references easier to recognize.

My Imaginary Mary

2. My Imaginary Mary (2023)

This book turns to Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.

The story also brings Ada Lovelace into its alternate history and uses a different fantastical concept from the shapeshifting world of My Lady Jane and My Contrary Mary.

It is the second Mary book by publication and branding.

It is not the next chapter of Mary, Queen of Scots’ story.

That means readers can approach it independently.

My Salty Mary

3. My Salty Mary (2024)

The third Mary book focuses on the historical pirate Mary Read while mixing her story with elements inspired by The Little Mermaid.

It completes the Mary trilogy.

Like My Imaginary Mary, it introduces its own principal cast and fantastical premise.

Read it third if you are following the authors’ publication sequence, but there is no continuing plot from My Imaginary Mary that must be understood first.

Complete Lady Janies and Mary Books Order

Publication order across all six collaborations is:

1. My Lady Jane (2016)
2. My Plain Jane (2018)
3. My Calamity Jane (2020)
4. My Contrary Mary (2021)
5. My Imaginary Mary (2023)
6. My Salty Mary (2024)

This is the cleanest order for someone who wants to read all six.

However, it should not be interpreted as one six-volume storyline.

Which Lady Janies Books Are Actually Connected?

The strongest direct world connection is:

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Contrary Mary

Both use the Eðian and Verity shapeshifting mythology.

The remaining books are better treated as separate alternate-history or literary-remix continuities:

1. My Plain Jane
2. My Calamity Jane
3. My Imaginary Mary
4. My Salty Mary

They share the authors’ style and concept, not one continuous history.

Are the Jane Books and Mary Books One Series?

They are part of the same broader collaborative project, but not one conventional series.

A useful classification is:

Lady Janies Trilogy

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Plain Jane
3. My Calamity Jane

Mary Trilogy

1. My Contrary Mary
2. My Imaginary Mary
3. My Salty Mary

The two trilogies are linked by authorship, tone, historical revision, and naming concept.

Only selected books share continuity.

Best Lady Janies Reading Order

For a first-time reader planning to read everything:

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Plain Jane
3. My Calamity Jane
4. My Contrary Mary
5. My Imaginary Mary
6. My Salty Mary

Publication order keeps the evolution of the authors’ approach intact.

For readers interested specifically in the shared Eðian world:

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Contrary Mary

That is the shortest continuity-sensitive route.

Can You Start With My Plain Jane?

Yes.

It is a largely independent story based around Jane Eyre and Charlotte Brontë.

No understanding of Lady Jane Grey or Eðian shapeshifters is required.

Can You Start With My Calamity Jane?

Yes.

It has its own Old West setting, protagonists, and supernatural mythology.

Can You Start With My Contrary Mary?

You can, but this is the one collaborative book where I would recommend reading an earlier title first.

Read My Lady Jane before My Contrary Mary if possible.

They occupy the same alternate version of history.

Can You Read My Imaginary Mary First?

Yes.

Its Mary Shelley story works independently.

You do not need Mary, Queen of Scots’ story first.

Can You Read My Salty Mary First?

Yes.

Its pirate and mermaid-inspired plot is separately understandable.

Starting there will not spoil the plots of My Contrary Mary or My Imaginary Mary in any significant series-dependent way.

Brodi Ashton Books in Publication Order

For readers tracking Ashton’s career, the principal books are:

1. Everneath (2012)
2. Neverfall (2012)
3. Everbound (2013)
4. Evertrue (2014)
5. My Lady Jane (2016), with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
6. Diplomatic Immunity (2016)
7. My Plain Jane (2018), with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
8. My Calamity Jane (2020), with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
9. My Contrary Mary (2021), with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
10. My Imaginary Mary (2023), with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
11. My Salty Mary (2024), with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows

This list separates original story publications rather than later paperback or television tie-in editions.

Recommended Brodi Ashton Reading Order

An author-wide publication marathon is possible, but there is no continuity benefit in jumping from Everneath into the Lady Janies and back to Diplomatic Immunity.

A cleaner route is:

First, Complete Everneath

1. Everneath
2. Neverfall
3. Everbound
4. Evertrue

Then Read the Standalone

5. Diplomatic Immunity

Then Read the Collaborations

6. My Lady Jane
7. My Plain Jane
8. My Calamity Jane
9. My Contrary Mary
10. My Imaginary Mary
11. My Salty Mary

The important rule inside that final group is to place My Lady Jane before My Contrary Mary.

Everything else has considerably more flexibility.

Best Brodi Ashton Book to Start With

The answer depends on which part of her writing interests you.

For Paranormal Romance

Start with:

1. Everneath

It begins Ashton’s only solo trilogy.

For Historical Fantasy and Comedy

Start with:

1. My Lady Jane

This is the clearest introduction to the collaborative books.

For Contemporary YA

Start with:

1. Diplomatic Immunity

It is standalone and requires no commitment to a series.

For Jane Eyre Fans

Start with:

1. My Plain Jane

It works without reading My Lady Jane first.

Is My Lady Jane Written Only by Brodi Ashton?

No.

The book is coauthored by:

1. Cynthia Hand
2. Brodi Ashton
3. Jodi Meadows

The same three authors wrote all six Jane and Mary books together.

The group refers to itself as the Lady Janies.

Is My Lady Jane Part of the Everneath Series?

No.

The two series have no continuity relationship.

Everneath is Ashton’s solo paranormal fantasy trilogy.

My Lady Jane is collaborative alternate historical fantasy.

Is Diplomatic Immunity Connected to Everneath?

No.

Diplomatic Immunity is contemporary fiction with no Everneath mythology.

It is standalone.

Does My Lady Jane Have Sequels?

That depends on what “sequel” means.

The next books published under the Lady Janies banner were:

1. My Plain Jane
2. My Calamity Jane

But they tell unrelated stories with different characters and supernatural rules.

A closer shared-world follow-up is:

1. My Contrary Mary

It returns to the Eðian and Verity mythology introduced in My Lady Jane.

Is My Contrary Mary My Lady Jane Book 2?

Not officially.

It is marketed as the first Mary book.

However, it is set in the same alternate historical world as My Lady Jane, so readers interested in continuity should put the two together.

Is My Salty Mary the Last Lady Janies Book?

It is the sixth published collaborative novel and the third book of the Mary trilogy.

The Lady Janies’ current official site lists six books:

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Plain Jane
3. My Calamity Jane
4. My Contrary Mary
5. My Imaginary Mary
6. My Salty Mary

No seventh book with a confirmed title and publication date could be verified as of August 9, 2026.

Latest Brodi Ashton Book

The latest newly published Brodi Ashton book is:

1. My Salty Mary (August 20, 2024)

It was written with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows.

It concludes the three-book Mary sequence.

Later editions or television-related reissues of My Lady Jane should not be mistaken for new novels.

Latest Solo Brodi Ashton Novel

Ashton’s latest solo novel remains:

1. Diplomatic Immunity (2016)

Her books published after that point have been collaborations with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows.

Is Brodi Ashton Releasing a New Book?

As of August 9, 2026, I could not verify a new solo Ashton novel or another Lady Janies collaboration with a firm title and publication date.

The official Lady Janies site currently presents the completed group of three Jane books and three Mary books.

Until another title is formally announced, My Salty Mary remains the latest confirmed new novel carrying Ashton’s name.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Brodi Ashton’s first book?

Everneath, published in 2012.

It begins the Everneath trilogy.

What order should I read Everneath?

For the complete sequence:

1. Everneath
2. Neverfall
3. Everbound
4. Evertrue

Neverfall is optional.

Is Neverfall necessary?

No.

It is a companion novella told from Cole’s perspective.

Read it between Everneath and Everbound if you want the expanded series.

How many Everneath novels are there?

Three full-length novels:

1. Everneath
2. Everbound
3. Evertrue

There is also the novella Neverfall.

Is Diplomatic Immunity part of a series?

No.

It is standalone.

What order are the Lady Janies books?

1. My Lady Jane
2. My Plain Jane
3. My Calamity Jane

Are those three books connected?

They are thematic companions rather than one continuous plot.

Each follows different historical or literary figures.

What order are the Mary books?

1. My Contrary Mary
2. My Imaginary Mary
3. My Salty Mary

Do the Mary books follow one character?

No.

They focus on different Marys.

Which book connects directly to My Lady Jane?

My Contrary Mary shares the Eðian and Verity alternate-history setting of My Lady Jane.

Should I read My Lady Jane before My Contrary Mary?

Yes.

It is not absolutely required, but it is the recommended order for their shared world.

What is Brodi Ashton’s latest book?

My Salty Mary, published in 2024 with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows.

What is her latest solo novel?

Diplomatic Immunity, published in 2016.

Conclusion

Brodi Ashton’s bibliography has only one reading order that is genuinely strict: Everneath.

Read Everneath, optionally add Neverfall, then continue through Everbound and Evertrue. The trilogy’s character arcs and supernatural conflict build directly from one book to the next.

Diplomatic Immunity is completely separate.

The six books Ashton co-wrote with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows are much more flexible. Read the Jane trilogy as My Lady Jane, My Plain Jane, then My Calamity Jane, followed by the Mary trilogy as My Contrary Mary, My Imaginary Mary, then My Salty Mary if you want publication order.

The one shared-world pairing worth protecting is My Lady Jane before My Contrary Mary. Everything else in the collaborative sequence is designed much more like a historical fantasy remix than a conventional sequel.