David Dalglish Books in Order (Updated August 7, 2026)

David Dalglish is an American fantasy author known for fast-moving battles, assassins, divine conflicts, damaged families, and characters forced to decide what their faith or loyalty is worth.

His bibliography divides into two broad areas.

The first is Dezrel, a shared fantasy world containing The Breaking World, Shadowdance, The Paladins, and The Half-Orcs. These series take place in different historical periods but gradually connect through gods, nations, wars, bloodlines, and recurring characters.

The second area contains independent settings, including Seraphim, The Keepers, Vagrant Gods, Level: Unknown, and The Astral Kingdoms.

The easiest way to read Dalglish is not to follow one enormous publication list. Choose a world, complete its internal sequence, and move to another series afterward.

The Fastest Way to Choose a Starting Book

1. Begin with A Dance of Cloaks for assassins, thieves, criminal families, and a city trapped between competing underworld powers.
2. Begin with The Weight of Blood for a longer traditional fantasy sequence centered on half-orc brothers, paladins, gods, and continent-wide wars.
3. Begin with Soulkeeper for a self-contained trilogy about returning monsters, forgotten magic, and a religious order forced to confront an older world.
4. Begin with The Bladed Faith for rebellion, masked identities, divine occupation, and a completed modern epic fantasy trilogy.
5. Begin with Level: Unknown for LitRPG, science fiction, game systems, and a protagonist entering another world through his dreams.
6. Begin with The Radiant King for Dalglish’s newest epic fantasy setting, built around immortal siblings, civil war, religious power, and reincarnation.

Which David Dalglish Books Are Connected?

Four series share the world of Dezrel:

1. The Breaking World
2. Shadowdance
3. The Paladins
4. The Half-Orcs

Dalglish’s official chronology places them in that broad historical order.

That does not make chronological order the best first-reading method. The Breaking World was written as a prequel to conflicts and religious history that readers originally encountered in later series.

For most readers, Shadowdance or The Half-Orcs is a better introduction to Dezrel.

Seraphim, The Keepers, Vagrant Gods, Level: Unknown, and The Astral Kingdoms are separate continuities. They require no knowledge of Dezrel.

The Best Dezrel Reading Order

A balanced route through the shared world is:

1. A Dance of Cloaks (2013 revised edition): Haern struggles against his father’s criminal empire as Veldaren’s thieves and assassins move toward open war.
2. A Dance of Blades (2013 revised edition): Haern begins forming his identity as the Watcher while the city’s underworld reorganizes after the first novel.
3. A Dance of Mirrors (2013 revised edition): Haern leaves Veldaren to investigate a series of killings tied to another city’s guilds and hidden powers.
4. A Dance of Shadows (2014 revised edition): Haern’s past, his father’s enemies, and the consequences of the Trifect conflict return to threaten Veldaren.
5. A Dance of Ghosts (2014): The apparent return of a legendary assassin destabilizes the city and forces Haern to confront the meaning of his own reputation.
6. A Dance of Chaos (2015): The guild war, Trifect struggle, and long conflict surrounding Haern and Thren Felhorn reach their conclusion.
7. Night of Wolves (2011): Paladin Jerico enters a village threatened by wolf-men and discovers that faith offers no simple protection from violence.
8. Clash of Faiths (2011): Jerico and Darius face competing religious obligations while the conflicts around the Citadel intensify.
9. The Old Ways (2011): The paladins confront older powers, divided loyalties, and the consequences of the faiths they represent.
10. The Broken Pieces (2012): Jerico and Darius enter the final struggle over gods, conviction, and the people caught between rival religious forces.
11. The Weight of Blood (2010): Half-orc brothers Harruq and Qurrah Tun become servants of a necromancer whose ambitions draw them into war and moral ruin.
12. The Cost of Betrayal (2010): Harruq attempts to build a different life while Qurrah’s loyalty to darker power deepens the division between them.
13. The Death of Promises (2010): Broken alliances and personal losses push the brothers toward opposite sides of a widening conflict.
14. The Shadows of Grace (2010): The war surrounding the brothers, their allies, and the gods moves toward consequences that cannot be reversed.
15. A Sliver of Redemption (2011): Harruq seeks one final chance to oppose the devastation caused by Qurrah and the powers directing him.
16. The Prison of Angels (2012): Survivors confront a new divine crisis as imprisonment, faith, and the aftermath of the earlier war reshape Dezrel.
17. The King of the Vile (2015): A threat associated with the Vile Wedge and the darker history of the world draws established heroes into another campaign.
18. The King of the Fallen (2020): The aftermath of divine war returns through fallen powers, old loyalties, and a conflict capable of breaking the surviving world.
19. Legacy of the Watcher (2024): Erin Felhorn, daughter of Haern the Watcher, trains under Harruq Tun while elven extremists threaten her family and the fragile western peace.
20. Dawn of Swords (2014): After completing the later Dezrel books, return to the ancient era when humanity’s arrival begins the conflict between gods and races.
21. Wrath of Lions (2014): The gods’ war expands as humans, elves, and divine factions fight over the shape of the young world.
22. Blood of Gods (2014): The Breaking World trilogy concludes with the events that establish much of Dezrel’s later religious and historical foundation.

This order begins with Dalglish’s most accessible city-based Dezrel sequence, continues into its paladins and half-orcs, then uses The Breaking World as historical background.

Dezrel in Strict Chronological Order

Readers who prefer internal chronology can use:

1. Dawn of Swords
2. Wrath of Lions
3. Blood of Gods
4. Cloak and Spider
5. A Dance of Cloaks
6. A Dance of Blades
7. A Dance of Mirrors
8. Night of Wolves
9. Clash of Faiths
10. A Dance of Shadows
11. The Old Ways
12. The Broken Pieces
13. A Dance of Ghosts
14. A Dance of Chaos
15. The Weight of Blood
16. The Cost of Betrayal
17. The Death of Promises
18. The Shadows of Grace
19. A Sliver of Redemption
20. The Prison of Angels
21. The King of the Vile
22. The King of the Fallen
23. Legacy of the Watcher

Dalglish has cautioned that these books were not designed to be read as one strict chronology. Each series introduces its own cast and central conflict.

Chronological order is best saved for a reread.

Shadowdance Books in Order

Shadowdance follows Haern, son of the thief lord Thren Felhorn.

Haern is raised to become his father’s perfect weapon, but gradually rejects the criminal empire built for him and becomes the masked vigilante known as the Watcher.

Cloak and Spider

Cloak and Spider (2013): Three connected stories follow the younger Haern during his training under Thren, showing the abuse, rivalry, and impossible expectations that shape the future Watcher.

This is a prequel novella.

Read it after A Dance of Cloaks. The first novel gives Haern, Thren, and Veldaren a stronger introduction, while the novella works as added background.

The Main Shadowdance Sequence

1. A Dance of Cloaks (2013 revised edition): Thren Felhorn attempts to unite Veldaren’s thieves under his rule while his son Aaron begins resisting the future chosen for him.
2. A Dance of Blades (2013 revised edition): Aaron’s transformation into Haern continues as thieves, mercenaries, and the wealthy Trifect respond to the city’s altered balance of power.
3. A Dance of Mirrors (2013 revised edition): Haern travels to Angelport to investigate murders committed in another Watcher’s name, placing him inside a conflict he does not fully understand.
4. A Dance of Shadows (2014 revised edition): Haern returns to Veldaren as old enemies, family ties, and a dangerous outsider threaten both the city and the identity he created.
5. A Dance of Ghosts (2014): Claims that the legendary Watcher has returned from death force Haern to investigate a figure capable of turning his reputation against him.
6. A Dance of Chaos (2015): The wars among guilds, nobles, assassins, and the Felhorn family reach their final confrontation.

The six novels form a completed sequence.

Haern’s legacy continues through later Dezrel books, especially Legacy of the Watcher.

Shadowdance Alternate Titles

Some early self-published editions used different titles or substantially different texts.

A Dance of Mirrors developed from the earlier novel A Dance of Death.

A Dance of Shadows replaced or revised material previously associated with titles such as Blood of the Underworld or Blood of the Father, depending on the edition and catalogue.

The Orbit editions are the stable modern sequence:

1. A Dance of Cloaks
2. A Dance of Blades
3. A Dance of Mirrors
4. A Dance of Shadows
5. A Dance of Ghosts
6. A Dance of Chaos

Readers should avoid mixing early self-published editions with the revised commercial sequence unless deliberately comparing versions.

The Half-Orcs Books in Order

The Half-Orcs is Dalglish’s longest published sequence.

It begins with brothers Harruq and Qurrah Tun, then gradually expands to paladins, elves, gods, rulers, and characters inherited from Shadowdance.

The Original Half-Orcs Arc

1. The Weight of Blood (2010): Harruq and Qurrah accept work from the necromancer Velixar, beginning a path that tests their loyalty to each other and their capacity for cruelty.
2. The Cost of Betrayal (2010): Harruq’s connection to the elf Aurelia offers another life, while Qurrah’s resentment and devotion to Velixar pull the brothers apart.
3. The Death of Promises (2010): War, broken trust, and magical corruption turn the brothers’ choices into threats against everyone around them.
4. The Shadows of Grace (2010): The surviving characters enter a larger struggle involving armies, necromancy, gods, and the personal cost of earlier betrayals.
5. A Sliver of Redemption (2011): Harruq seeks to stop the catastrophe tied to his brother and win a final measure of redemption for the lives he helped destroy.

These five books form the main Harruq and Qurrah sequence.

The Later Half-Orcs Books

6. The Prison of Angels (2012): Harruq and his allies face another religious and supernatural crisis involving imprisoned celestial powers and the uncertain intentions of the gods.
7. The King of the Vile (2015): Established heroes confront a growing threat connected to the Vile Wedge, monstrous forces, and the darker corners of Dezrel.
8. The King of the Fallen (2020): The continuing war among divine powers returns through a fallen ruler and consequences left unresolved by earlier victories.
9. Legacy of the Watcher (2024): Erin Felhorn becomes the bridge between Shadowdance and The Half-Orcs as Harruq trains her during a conflict over elven survival and supremacy.

Legacy of the Watcher is officially part of The Half-Orcs sequence, even though Erin is descended from Shadowdance characters.

Is The Half-Orcs Series Complete?

The first five novels form a finished central arc.

The later books continue the same world and surviving cast through additional conflicts. Legacy of the Watcher is the latest published installment as of August 2026.

No tenth Half-Orcs book had a confirmed title and release date at the time of this update.

The Paladins Books in Order

The Paladins follows warriors devoted to opposing gods and moral traditions.

Its central figures include Jerico, paladin of Ashhur, and Darius, paladin of Karak. Their conflict is not simply good against evil. Both must decide whether their gods, institutions, and inherited teachings deserve obedience.

1. Night of Wolves (2011): Jerico reaches the village of Durham as wolf-men attack the surrounding land and local rivalries weaken the people he is trying to protect.
2. Clash of Faiths (2011): Jerico and Darius become increasingly entangled in a conflict where religious allegiance determines who is trusted, hunted, or sacrificed.
3. The Old Ways (2011): Ancient traditions and divine expectations return as the paladins confront the human cost of serving supposedly absolute causes.
4. The Broken Pieces (2012): The opposing faiths and personal journeys of Jerico and Darius reach their principal conclusion.

The series is complete as a four-book arc.

Its characters and religious conflicts connect directly to the wider Dezrel world.

The Breaking World Books in Order

The Breaking World was written with Robert J. Duperre.

It takes place centuries before Shadowdance and The Half-Orcs, during the early history of humanity, elves, gods, and the conflicts later remembered as ancient legend.

1. Dawn of Swords (2014): Humanity’s arrival creates immediate tension with older peoples and divine powers, beginning the wars that will shape Dezrel.
2. Wrath of Lions (2014): The struggle spreads as gods, rulers, warriors, and races attempt to control the world’s developing order.
3. Blood of Gods (2014): The ancient conflict reaches its conclusion, establishing religious divisions and historical wounds that survive into Dalglish’s later series.

This is a completed trilogy.

It can be read first chronologically, but it has greater impact after readers know the later world built upon its events.

Seraphim Books in Order

Seraphim is a separate fantasy trilogy set among floating islands.

Its civilizations depend on magical elements, aerial combat, and the controlled use of power drawn from the world around them.

1. Skyborn (2015): Siblings Bree and Kael Skyborn train for different military roles while aerial war and political tension threaten their home.
2. Fireborn (2016): The siblings face widening conflict as elemental powers, military command, and hidden plans strain their loyalties.
3. Shadowborn (2017): The war among islands, Seraphim, and political factions reaches its conclusion as Bree and Kael confront the truth behind their world’s power.

The trilogy is complete.

It does not share a setting with Dezrel despite its gods, warriors, and magical warfare.

The Keepers Books in Order

The Keepers takes place in a world where monsters and magical races are returning after centuries of absence.

The return challenges the Church, political authorities, and the Keepers who were trained to preserve order under assumptions that are no longer true.

1. Soulkeeper (2019): Devin Eveson encounters a supernatural creature and becomes part of a crisis involving forgotten races, returning magic, and a church unprepared for the old world’s return.
2. Ravencaller (2020): The reappearance of magical peoples accelerates while Devin and his allies confront religious division, invasion, and fear of creatures treated as enemies.
3. Voidbreaker (2021): The conflict surrounding the returning world and the destructive force behind it reaches its conclusion.

The three novels form a completed trilogy.

Keepers Short Fiction

A Gift of Faeries and Firekin: A shorter story expands the Keepers world through magical peoples whose return challenges human assumptions and established authority.

Night of Wings and Smoke: Another companion story explores danger involving the supernatural races and conflicts surrounding the main trilogy.

Both stories are optional.

Read them after Soulkeeper, or save them until after Voidbreaker when the world’s hidden history is fully established.

Vagrant Gods Books in Order

Vagrant Gods follows Cyrus Lythan, a dispossessed prince whose island kingdom has been conquered by the Everlorn Empire.

To fight back, Cyrus adopts the identity of a masked assassin associated with one of his people’s murdered gods.

1. The Bladed Faith (2022): Cyrus is trained to become the Vagrant, a masked symbol of rebellion against the empire occupying Thanet.
2. The Sapphire Altar (2023): The resistance expands while imperial power, divine secrets, sacrifice, and the identities of Thanet’s gods complicate the rebellion.
3. The Slain Divine (2024): Cyrus and his allies enter the final struggle against Everlorn as the truth about the gods and the cost of liberation become unavoidable.

The trilogy is complete.

Its immediate story ends with The Slain Divine, and no separate novella is required.

Level: Unknown Books in Order

Level: Unknown is a completed LitRPG trilogy combining science fiction, gaming systems, dream travel, and a magical world threatened by an artificial sun.

Nick enters the world of Yensere while dreaming. Progression systems, classes, levels, quests, and champions shape the way he survives and fights.

1. Level: Unknown (2025): Nick discovers that his dreams transport him into Yensere, a world whose game-like rules may hold the key to preventing catastrophe on Earth.
2. Level: Ascension (2025): Nick must develop his abilities, gather champions, and challenge the systems controlling Yensere as the struggle against God-King Vaan intensifies.
3. Level: Apocalypse (2025): The conflict linking Yensere and Earth reaches its conclusion as Nick faces the god, artificial world, and apocalyptic threat behind the trilogy.

The trilogy is complete.

All three books were published during 2025, so readers should take care not to mistake the rapid release schedule for simultaneous standalones.

The Astral Kingdoms Books in Order

The Astral Kingdoms is Dalglish’s newest epic fantasy trilogy.

Its world is shaped by six immortal siblings known as the ever-living. After their earlier rule nearly destroys civilization, they swear not to claim thrones or teach humanity the power of radiance.

The Radiant King

1. The Radiant King (2025): When Eder breaks the immortals’ vow and founds a brutal religious kingdom, his siblings Faron and Sariel support a human princess in a war to overthrow him.

The novel introduces radiance, reincarnation, the ever-living siblings, the Bastard Princess, and the hidden divine conflict behind Eder’s conquest.

It is the correct starting point for the trilogy.

Daughter of Destruction

2. Daughter of Destruction (Scheduled for December 8, 2026): The war among immortals, kingdoms, and divine forces continues as the surviving factions confront the consequences of The Radiant King.

The publisher identifies this as the second Astral Kingdoms novel.

It remained unpublished on August 7, 2026 and should be labeled as forthcoming.

Astral Kingdoms Book Three

3. Untitled Astral Kingdoms Finale (Planned): The third book is expected to complete the trilogy, but no reliable title or publication date had been announced by the date of this update.

Do not add retailer placeholders or speculative titles to the formal order.

Is The Astral Kingdoms Complete?

No.

The Radiant King is published. Daughter of Destruction is scheduled for December 8, 2026.

A third novel is planned but remains undated.

Other David Dalglish Books

A Land of Ash

A Land of Ash (2010): This anthology examines the aftermath of a catastrophic Yellowstone eruption through stories of survival, loss, social collapse, and environmental destruction.

Dalglish served as editor and contributed to the collection.

It is unrelated to Dezrel and his other fantasy series.

Short Fiction and Digital Collections

Dalglish has released shorter works tied to Shadowdance, The Keepers, and other settings.

These works are generally optional. They provide character background or a smaller adventure but do not replace numbered novels.

The most important series companion is Cloak and Spider, which expands Haern’s childhood and his relationship with Thren.

David Dalglish Books in Broad Publication Order

This sequence mixes separate worlds and is intended for bibliographic reference rather than as a reading recommendation.

1. The Weight of Blood (2010): Harruq and Qurrah begin serving a necromancer in the opening Half-Orcs novel.
2. The Cost of Betrayal (2010): The brothers move toward different moral and personal paths.
3. The Death of Promises (2010): War and betrayal deepen the consequences of their choices.
4. The Shadows of Grace (2010): The conflict broadens through armies, gods, and damaged alliances.
5. A Sliver of Redemption (2011): Harruq attempts to stop the catastrophe surrounding his brother.
6. Night of Wolves (2011): Jerico defends a threatened village in the first Paladins novel.
7. Clash of Faiths (2011): Rival paladins and gods pull the conflict into religious war.
8. The Old Ways (2011): The beliefs guiding the paladins are tested by older powers.
9. A Dance of Cloaks (2011 self-published; revised 2013): Haern begins resisting his father’s control during Veldaren’s guild war.
10. A Dance of Blades (2011 self-published; revised 2013): Haern moves closer to becoming the Watcher.
11. The Broken Pieces (2012): The Paladins sequence reaches its principal conclusion.
12. The Prison of Angels (2012): The Half-Orcs world continues through another divine conflict.
13. A Dance of Mirrors (early version 2012; revised 2013): Haern investigates killings tied to another city and another masked figure.
14. A Dance of Shadows (early version 2012; revised 2014): Haern’s family history and enemies return to Veldaren.
15. Cloak and Spider (2013): Haern’s younger years reveal how Thren attempted to shape him into an heir.
16. Dawn of Swords (2014): Humanity enters the ancient Dezrel world in the first Breaking World novel.
17. Wrath of Lions (2014): The early war among races and gods expands.
18. Blood of Gods (2014): The ancient trilogy establishes the foundation of later Dezrel history.
19. A Dance of Ghosts (2014): Haern confronts the use of the Watcher’s legend against him.
20. The King of the Vile (2015): Half-Orcs characters face another threat from Dezrel’s darker powers.
21. A Dance of Chaos (2015): Shadowdance reaches its conclusion.
22. Skyborn (2015): Bree and Kael enter aerial military conflict in the first Seraphim novel.
23. Fireborn (2016): Elemental power and war divide the siblings’ paths.
24. Shadowborn (2017): The Seraphim trilogy reaches its conclusion.
25. Soulkeeper (2019): Devin witnesses the return of monsters and forgotten magic.
26. The King of the Fallen (2020): The Half-Orcs sequence continues through another divine threat.
27. Ravencaller (2020): The returning magical world destabilizes human institutions.
28. Voidbreaker (2021): The Keepers trilogy concludes.
29. The Bladed Faith (2022): Cyrus becomes the masked Vagrant and joins the rebellion for Thanet.
30. The Sapphire Altar (2023): Resistance, occupation, and divine secrets expand the war.
31. The Slain Divine (2024): Vagrant Gods reaches its conclusion.
32. Legacy of the Watcher (2024): Erin Felhorn connects the legacies of Haern and Harruq.
33. Level: Unknown (2025): Nick enters Yensere through his dreams.
34. The Radiant King (2025): Immortal siblings go to war after one breaks their ancient vow.
35. Level: Ascension (2025): Nick gathers power and allies against Yensere’s ruler.
36. Level: Apocalypse (2025): The LitRPG trilogy reaches its final conflict.
37. Daughter of Destruction (Scheduled for 2026): The Astral Kingdoms trilogy continues after The Radiant King.

Latest David Dalglish Book

As of August 7, 2026, Dalglish’s latest published novel is Level: Apocalypse, released on December 9, 2025.

Level: Apocalypse (2025): Nick’s struggle against God-King Vaan reaches its conclusion as the artificial world of Yensere and the threat to Earth become part of one final campaign.

His next confirmed release is Daughter of Destruction.

Daughter of Destruction (Scheduled for December 8, 2026): The second Astral Kingdoms novel continues the war among immortal siblings, human kingdoms, and divine powers.

The third Astral Kingdoms volume remains planned but untitled.

Current Series Status

Dezrel

Shared continuity with several completed internal arcs

Shadowdance, The Paladins, and The Breaking World are complete. The original Half-Orcs arc is complete, while later books continue the world and characters.

Shadowdance

Complete six-book sequence

A Dance of Chaos concludes Haern’s main series.

The Paladins

Complete four-book series

The Broken Pieces concludes the central story of Jerico and Darius.

The Breaking World

Complete trilogy

Blood of Gods concludes the ancient Dezrel conflict.

The Half-Orcs

Nine books published

Legacy of the Watcher is the latest installment. No tenth book has a confirmed date.

Seraphim

Complete trilogy

Shadowborn concludes the series.

The Keepers

Complete trilogy

Voidbreaker concludes the main story.

Vagrant Gods

Complete trilogy

The Slain Divine concludes Cyrus’s rebellion.

Level: Unknown

Complete trilogy

Level: Apocalypse concludes the series.

The Astral Kingdoms

Ongoing trilogy

One book is published, one is scheduled, and the third remains untitled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What David Dalglish book should I read first?

Begin with A Dance of Cloaks for Dezrel and assassin fantasy.

Begin with Soulkeeper or The Bladed Faith when you want a modern completed trilogy outside the shared world.

Are Shadowdance and The Half-Orcs connected?

Yes.

They take place in Dezrel, and later books connect their characters and legacies directly.

Should I read Shadowdance before The Half-Orcs?

That is the best shared-world order.

Shadowdance occurs earlier and introduces Haern, Veldaren, the Trifect, and conflicts inherited by later generations.

Is Cloak and Spider the first Shadowdance book?

It is a chronological prequel.

A Dance of Cloaks remains the better first read because it introduces the full city conflict and Haern’s central transformation.

Why do Shadowdance books have alternate titles?

Dalglish revised and republished early self-published material through Orbit.

Modern readers should follow the six titles beginning with A Dance of Cloaks and ending with A Dance of Chaos.

Is Legacy of the Watcher a Shadowdance book?

It continues Haern’s legacy through his daughter, Erin.

The official catalogue places it in The Half-Orcs sequence because Harruq and the later Dezrel conflict are central to the story.

Is The Half-Orcs complete?

The original five-book Harruq and Qurrah arc is complete.

Four later books continue the world and surviving characters, with Legacy of the Watcher as the latest installment.

Are The Paladins required for The Half-Orcs?

They are not required to understand the opening Half-Orcs novels.

They add useful context for Dezrel’s gods, paladins, faiths, and later religious conflicts.

Should The Breaking World be read first?

Only when strict chronology is your priority.

The trilogy was written after readers already knew Dezrel’s gods and history, so it works particularly well as a prequel read later.

Is Seraphim connected to Dezrel?

No.

It has a separate world, magical structure, and cast.

Is The Keepers connected to Vagrant Gods?

No.

Both include gods, violence, and religious conflict, but their worlds and histories are separate.

Is Vagrant Gods complete?

Yes.

The Slain Divine concludes the trilogy.

Is Level: Unknown complete?

Yes.

Level: Unknown, Level: Ascension, and Level: Apocalypse form a completed trilogy.

Is Level: Unknown part of Dezrel?

No.

It combines Earth, Yensere, science fiction, and LitRPG systems in a separate continuity.

Is The Astral Kingdoms connected to Vagrant Gods?

No confirmed shared continuity exists.

The Radiant King introduces its own immortals, kingdoms, gods, and radiance-based powers.

Is Daughter of Destruction published?

Not as of August 7, 2026.

Its scheduled publication date is December 8, 2026.

How many Astral Kingdoms books are planned?

The publisher identifies the sequence as a trilogy.

The third title and release date remain unconfirmed.

What is David Dalglish’s latest published novel?

Level: Apocalypse, published on December 9, 2025.

What is his next book?

Daughter of Destruction, scheduled for December 8, 2026.

The Clearest Reading Decision

For Dezrel, begin with A Dance of Cloaks and complete Shadowdance before moving into The Paladins and The Half-Orcs. Save The Breaking World until later, when its ancient gods, races, and wars will carry greater significance.

For a shorter independent series, begin with Soulkeeper, The Bladed Faith, or Skyborn. Each starts a completed trilogy with no required crossover reading.

For LitRPG, read Level: Unknown, Level: Ascension, and Level: Apocalypse consecutively.

For Dalglish’s newest epic fantasy, begin with The Radiant King. Continue with Daughter of Destruction after publication, then wait for the untitled third Astral Kingdoms novel before treating that trilogy as complete.