Jim Butcher Books in Order (Updated August 5, 2026)

Jim Butcher is an American fantasy author whose work is divided among three principal series: The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and The Cinder Spires.

The Dresden Files is his largest continuity. It follows Chicago wizard and private investigator Harry Dresden through cases that gradually develop into one continuous supernatural conflict.

Codex Alera is a completed six-book epic fantasy series set in a separate world. The Cinder Spires is another independent series, combining airships, political rivalry, intelligent cats, and crystal-powered technology.

Readers do not need to combine these series. The only complicated order is The Dresden Files, where short stories, novellas, and graphic novels fit between the main novels.

Three Shelves, Three Starting Books

For Urban Fantasy

Begin with Storm Front.

The early Dresden novels are structured as supernatural investigations, but later installments depend heavily on relationships, alliances, losses, and revelations established across the full series.

For Completed Epic Fantasy

Begin with Furies of Calderon.

Codex Alera tells one finished story across six novels, with no required novellas or side collections.

For Airship Fantasy

Begin with The Aeronaut’s Windlass.

The Cinder Spires is separate from both Harry Dresden and Codex Alera. Its second main novel follows the first after a substantial publication gap, with a bridging novella placed between them.

Jim Butcher Books in Recommended Order

Readers wanting the simplest route should choose one of these three sequences.

The Dresden Files

1. Storm Front (2000): Wizard detective Harry Dresden investigates linked murders involving ritual magic, introducing Chicago’s supernatural community and Harry’s difficult history with the White Council.
2. Fool Moon (2001): A series of violent killings forces Harry to investigate several different forms of werewolf while his relationships with the police and his former allies deteriorate.
3. Grave Peril (2001): Harry and Michael Carpenter confront ghosts and vampires during a case whose political consequences reshape the rest of the series.
4. Summer Knight (2002): The Summer and Winter Courts draw Harry into a murder investigation that could determine the balance of power in Faerie.
5. Death Masks (2003): Harry becomes involved with a stolen holy relic, a vampire duel, and the first major appearance of the Knights of the Blackened Denarius.
6. Blood Rites (2004): A suspicious run of deaths on a film set leads Harry toward family revelations and a deeper conflict with the White Court of vampires.
7. Dead Beat (2005): Necromancers gather in Chicago to pursue a forbidden source of power, forcing Harry into one of his most dangerous confrontations with dark magic.
8. Proven Guilty (2006): Supernatural attacks at a horror convention become connected to the White Council, the Carpenter family, and the growing threat of black magic.
9. White Night (2007): Harry investigates the disappearance and murder of low-level magical practitioners while political tension within the vampire war continues to rise.
10. Small Favor (2008): Queen Mab calls in an old obligation, drawing Harry into a conflict involving the Denarians, the Archive, and several of his closest allies.
11. Turn Coat (2009): A wounded Morgan asks Harry for help after being accused of murder, forcing Harry to investigate corruption within the White Council.
12. Changes (2010): A personal crisis involving Harry’s family drives him into a direct assault on the Red Court and permanently alters the structure of the series.
13. Ghost Story (2011): Harry returns to a changed Chicago under unusual circumstances and discovers what happened to his friends after the ending of Changes.
14. Cold Days (2012): Harry receives a new assignment from Mab and uncovers a threat connected to Demonreach, the Outsiders, and the deepest rules of the supernatural world.
15. Skin Game (2014): Mab requires Harry to join a supernatural robbery organized by Nicodemus, placing him inside a crew where every alliance is temporary.
16. Peace Talks (2020): Representatives of the supernatural nations gather in Chicago, while Harry faces family pressure and signs that the negotiations are being manipulated.
17. Battle Ground (2020): The peace conference collapses into an assault on Chicago, forcing Harry and former enemies to fight a city-wide supernatural war.
18. Twelve Months (Scheduled for September 29, 2026): Harry attempts to rebuild his life during the year after Battle Ground while grieving, managing new political obligations, and preparing for a controversial marriage.

Twelve Months remained unpublished on August 5, 2026. It should be added to completed reading lists only after its scheduled September 29, 2026 release.

Codex Alera

1. Furies of Calderon (2004): Tavi, a boy without the elemental powers used by nearly everyone around him, becomes involved in an invasion and political conspiracy threatening Calderon Valley.
2. Academ’s Fury (2005): Tavi begins his studies in Alera Imperia while a dangerous enemy infiltrates the capital and attacks those closest to him.
3. Cursor’s Fury (2006): Tavi receives a covert assignment that places him inside a military campaign where he must survive without revealing his full identity.
4. Captain’s Fury (2007): War and political conflict force Tavi to take greater command while long-hidden truths about his family become impossible to avoid.
5. Princeps’ Fury (2008): Tavi travels beyond Alera to seek an alliance as the realm prepares for an enemy capable of consuming entire civilizations.
6. First Lord’s Fury (2009): The final campaign brings Tavi’s military, political, and personal struggles together in the conclusion to Codex Alera.

Codex Alera is complete. Publication order and story order are identical.

The Cinder Spires

1. The Aeronaut’s Windlass (2015): Captain Francis Madison Grimm joins a mission involving rival spires, airship warfare, political sabotage, and a threat moving beneath the surface of human civilization.
2. Warriorborn (2023): Benedict Sorellin undertakes a dangerous mission before the events of The Olympian Affair, revealing more about the warriorborn and the conflict facing Spire Albion.
3. The Olympian Affair (2023): Captain Grimm and his allies travel to Spire Olympia for political negotiations, contests, espionage, and an approaching military confrontation.

Warriorborn is a bridging novella. It is not essential to understanding The Olympian Affair, but reading it between the two novels gives Benedict’s role more context.

How The Dresden Files Changes as It Continues

The Dresden Files does not remain a collection of isolated detective stories.

The first two books introduce Harry’s work and basic supernatural rules. Grave Peril begins several conflicts that continue for many volumes.

Summer Knight expands the series into Faerie politics. Death Masks introduces enemies and religious artifacts that remain important in later novels. Dead Beat and Proven Guilty deepen Harry’s connection to the White Council and younger practitioners.

Changes marks the largest structural break. Every novel after it depends on the consequences of that book.

Because of this progression, skipping directly to a highly rated later installment usually causes more confusion than starting with Storm Front.

The Dresden Files Novels in Order

The Opening Cases

1. Storm Front (2000): Harry investigates magically linked murders while confronting evidence tied to his own training and past mistakes.
2. Fool Moon (2001): Multiple kinds of werewolf complicate a murder case and further damage Harry’s already unstable professional relationships.
3. Grave Peril (2001): Ghost attacks and a vampire gathering begin conflicts that affect Harry, Susan Rodriguez, Michael Carpenter, and the supernatural balance of power.

Some readers find the series becomes broader and more assured with Grave Peril. Starting there is possible, but it sacrifices introductions and several important personal connections from the first two books.

The Expanding Supernatural War

4. Summer Knight (2002): Harry investigates the death of a faerie knight while war between the Summer and Winter Courts threatens the mortal world.
5. Death Masks (2003): A duel with a vampire, a missing relic, and the Denarians force Harry to manage several threats at once.
6. Blood Rites (2004): Harry enters the White Court’s sphere of influence and learns information that permanently changes his understanding of his family.
7. Dead Beat (2005): A struggle among necromancers pushes Harry toward greater power and responsibility within the White Council.
8. Proven Guilty (2006): A case involving fear-feeding creatures becomes closely connected to Molly Carpenter and the Council’s treatment of young magic users.
9. White Night (2007): The deaths of minor practitioners reveal another stage in the long conflict involving the White Court and its internal factions.
10. Small Favor (2008): Harry’s obligation to Mab collides with a Denarian operation targeting two unusually important captives.
11. Turn Coat (2009): Harry shelters an accused Warden and investigates whether the White Council’s problems come from an enemy within.

These novels steadily build the alliances and rivalries that make Changes effective. They should not be reduced to disposable cases.

The Breaking Point

12. Changes (2010): Harry abandons ordinary limits to rescue a family member, setting off events that transform Chicago, the vampire war, and his own identity.
13. Ghost Story (2011): Harry investigates his apparent death and the condition of the people left behind after the previous novel.
14. Cold Days (2012): A new position within the Winter Court places Harry under Mab’s direct authority and sends him toward Demonreach.
15. Skin Game (2014): Harry works with Nicodemus on a high-risk theft involving one of the most heavily protected locations in the supernatural world.

Changes should never be read out of sequence. Its impact depends on twelve books of relationships, compromises, and accumulating consequences.

The Battle for Chicago

16. Peace Talks (2020): Supernatural diplomats arrive in Chicago as Harry attempts to protect his family and survive competing political demands.
17. Battle Ground (2020): An enemy power attacks the city, bringing many of the series’ factions into one prolonged battle.
18. Twelve Months (Scheduled for 2026): Harry lives through the aftermath of the battle rather than moving immediately into another compressed supernatural case.

Peace Talks and Battle Ground tell two parts of one larger event. Read them consecutively.

Where the Dresden Short Stories Belong

The short fiction is useful, but new readers do not need to stop after every novel to locate an anthology.

A practical method is:

1. Read Storm Front through Changes.
2. Read Side Jobs.
3. Continue through Skin Game.
4. Read Brief Cases.
5. Read Peace Talks and Battle Ground.
6. Add the post-Battle Ground stories.
7. Continue with Twelve Months.

This approach avoids constant interruptions while preserving the most important spoiler boundaries.

Side Jobs

Side Jobs (2010): This collection gathers early Dresden Files stories from different points in Harry’s career and ends with Aftermath, which shows Chicago immediately after Changes from Karrin Murphy’s perspective.

Do not read the complete collection before Changes. Aftermath contains direct spoilers for that novel.

Stories Collected in Side Jobs

1. A Restoration of Faith (2004): A pre-Storm Front case follows a younger Harry and establishes his working relationship with Karrin Murphy.
2. Vignette (2008): Harry and Bob discuss how Harry should advertise his wizarding business, creating a brief character scene rather than a major case.
3. Something Borrowed (2006): Billy and Georgia’s wedding is threatened by supernatural interference between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty.
4. It’s My Birthday Too (2007): Harry and Molly attempt to deliver a birthday gift to Thomas but encounter a deadly problem at a shopping center.
5. Heorot (2007): Harry joins Miss Gard in searching for a missing bride, adding context to Gard’s background and supernatural loyalties.
6. Day Off (2008): Harry tries to enjoy a quiet day, but minor magical problems and personal interruptions refuse to leave him alone.
7. Backup (2008): Thomas Raith takes the lead during a case involving a secret threat that Harry is not permitted to understand.
8. The Warrior (2009): Harry deals with the consequences of Small Favor while Michael Carpenter’s family becomes the target of a new danger.
9. Last Call (2008): A problem at Mac’s pub turns ordinary beer into part of a supernatural attack.
10. Love Hurts (2010): Harry and Murphy investigate couples behaving with unnatural devotion and confront uncomfortable questions about their own relationship.
11. Aftermath (2010): Murphy searches for missing people in the hours after Changes while Chicago’s supernatural underworld begins reacting to Harry’s absence.

Side Jobs is recommended, especially for Aftermath, The Warrior, and Backup.

Brief Cases

Brief Cases (2018): The second Dresden Files collection includes stories narrated by Harry and several supporting characters, expanding the perspectives of Molly, Marcone, Butters, Luccio, Maggie, and Mouse.

Read the full collection after Skin Game.

Stories Collected in Brief Cases

1. Curses (2011): Harry investigates the supposed curse affecting Chicago baseball, placing a local legend inside the supernatural world.
2. AAAA Wizardry (2009): Harry teaches young Wardens how to investigate dangerous magical situations without relying only on raw power.
3. Even Hand (2010): John Marcone defends his territory from a supernatural enemy, revealing how he plans for threats beyond ordinary crime.
4. B is for Bigfoot (2012): Harry helps a Bigfoot father investigate problems affecting his unusually gifted son, Irwin.
5. I Was a Teenage Bigfoot (2012): Harry checks on an older Irwin when illness and supernatural suspicion disrupt his school life.
6. Bigfoot on Campus (2012): Irwin reaches university, where Harry becomes involved in a threat connected to the young man’s unusual heritage.
7. Bombshells (2013): Molly Carpenter leads a mission during Harry’s absence, showing how she changes between Ghost Story and Cold Days.
8. Cold Case (2016): Molly’s first assignment in a new role reveals the emotional and supernatural cost of the transformation begun in Cold Days.
9. Jury Duty (2015): Harry serves on a jury and notices that the apparently straightforward criminal case may conceal a larger injustice.
10. Day One (2016): Waldo Butters undertakes his first mission as a Knight of the Cross and discovers that courage does not remove uncertainty.
11. A Fistful of Warlocks (2017): A younger Anastasia Luccio pursues necromancers in the American West long before Harry’s lifetime.
12. Zoo Day (2018): Harry, Maggie, and Mouse experience the same family outing from three perspectives while each confronts a different danger.

Brief Cases is recommended, particularly for Bombshells, Cold Case, and Zoo Day.

Working for Bigfoot

Working for Bigfoot (2015): This shorter collection combines B is for Bigfoot, I Was a Teenage Bigfoot, and Bigfoot on Campus into one continuous account of Harry’s work for Strength of a River in His Shoulders.

Readers who own Brief Cases already have all three stories.

The collection is therefore an alternative edition, not an additional step in the chronology.

Dresden Stories After Skin Game

Several stories published outside Side Jobs and Brief Cases take place after Skin Game.

Monsters

Monsters (2019): Goodman Grey accepts a job involving vulnerable children and demonstrates the personal code behind his work as a supernatural contractor.

The story is narrated by Grey rather than Harry.

Read it after Skin Game, where Grey and his professional arrangement with Harry are properly introduced.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve (2018): Harry spends Christmas with Maggie and the Carpenter family after the devastating events later depicted in Battle Ground.

The story was released before Battle Ground but takes place afterward.

Read it only after Battle Ground because it reveals who survives the conflict and how several relationships have changed.

The Good People

The Good People (2020): Molly Carpenter works behind the scenes on Christmas Eve, revealing the wider effort supporting Harry’s attempt to create a peaceful holiday.

This companion story also belongs after Battle Ground.

Dresden Stories After Battle Ground

Little Things

Little Things (2022): Toot-Toot detects a threat inside the castle while other characters overlook the danger, giving the small faerie an unusual chance to protect Harry’s household.

The story appears in the anthology Heroic Hearts.

It contains Battle Ground spoilers and should be read afterward.

The Law

The Law (2022): Harry helps a former sex worker protect her small business from a criminal exploiting legal and supernatural pressure.

This novella examines Harry’s new circumstances after Battle Ground through a lower-scale case.

Read it before Twelve Months unless the published novel later establishes a more exact internal placement.

Fugitive

Fugitive (2023): Mouse works with Cerberus to locate an escaped supernatural prisoner, providing a dog-centered adventure after Battle Ground.

The story appears in the charity anthology Instinct.

It is optional but assumes knowledge of Mouse, Maggie, and the changed Dresden household.

Dresden Files Microfiction

Butcher has released several very short pieces that add viewpoints without functioning as full books.

Mike (2020): Harry’s mechanic reflects on the repeated damage to the Blue Beetle and the strange life of its owner.

Journal (2020): Morgan’s writings provide another perspective on Harry, his history, and the White Council’s suspicions.

Goodbye (2020): A brief viewpoint reveals hidden motives surrounding one of the series’ most important turning points.

Everything the Light Touches (2020): Mouse interprets his responsibilities and the unusual world surrounding Harry’s family.

Job Placement (2020): Irwin Pounder enters another stage of adulthood after the Bigfoot stories.

These pieces are optional. Goodbye and Journal are best saved until readers are well into the main series because their meaning depends on established secrets.

The Dresden Files Graphic Novels in Order

The graphic novels include both adaptations and original stories.

They are optional. The prose novels remain the primary continuity.

Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle (2008): Harry investigates a death at a Chicago zoo shortly before Storm Front, making this an original prequel rather than an adaptation.

It can be read before or after Storm Front. Starting with the prose novel still provides the stronger introduction.

Storm Front Graphic Novels

1. Storm Front, Volume One: The Gathering Storm (2009): The first half of the graphic adaptation retells Harry’s investigation into two ritual murders.
2. Storm Front, Volume Two: Maelstrom (2010): The adaptation completes the Storm Front case and Harry’s confrontation with the killer.

These volumes repeat the first novel rather than adding another case.

Fool Moon Graphic Novels

1. Fool Moon, Volume One (2011): The graphic adaptation begins Harry’s investigation into a series of werewolf-related murders.
2. Fool Moon, Volume Two (2012): The adaptation completes the case and its conflict among several types of shapeshifter.

These volumes can replace neither the complete prose novel nor its place as book two.

Ghoul Goblin

Ghoul Goblin (2013): Harry travels to a small Missouri town to protect a family caught in a supernatural feud after Fool Moon.

This is an original story. Read it between Fool Moon and Grave Peril.

War Cry

War Cry (2014): Harry joins a team of Wardens defending young potential targets during the war with the Red Court.

The story occurs after Dead Beat and includes characters whose roles make more sense after that novel.

Down Town

Down Town (2015): Harry investigates strange deaths beneath Chicago, where an underground threat brings him into another compact supernatural case.

Read it after White Night.

Wild Card

Wild Card (2016): Harry faces an enemy manipulating several of Chicago’s supernatural factions shortly before Small Favor.

Read it between White Night and Small Favor.

Dog Men

Dog Men (2017): Harry and Listens-to-Wind investigate killings in rural Mississippi that may involve creatures from local legend.

Read it after Small Favor.

The Best Complete Dresden Files Order

Readers wanting novels, collections, and the most useful side stories can follow this streamlined sequence:

1. Storm Front (2000): Harry’s first published investigation establishes the core cast and magical rules.
2. Fool Moon (2001): Werewolf killings test Harry’s relationship with Murphy and the police.
3. Grave Peril (2001): Ghosts and vampires begin the series’ first major long-term conflict.
4. Summer Knight (2002): Faerie politics become central to Harry’s work.
5. Death Masks (2003): The Denarians and Knights of the Cross enter a wider struggle.
6. Blood Rites (2004): Harry discovers important truths about his family.
7. Dead Beat (2005): Necromancy brings Harry into greater White Council responsibility.
8. Proven Guilty (2006): Molly Carpenter becomes central to Harry’s life.
9. White Night (2007): Harry investigates attacks on Chicago’s magical underclass.
10. Small Favor (2008): Mab and the Denarians force several major characters into crisis.
11. Turn Coat (2009): Harry investigates treachery inside the White Council.
12. Changes (2010): The Red Court conflict and Harry’s personal life reach a breaking point.
13. Side Jobs (2010): Early stories and Aftermath fill gaps through the end of Changes.
14. Ghost Story (2011): Harry returns to investigate the aftermath of his apparent death.
15. Cold Days (2012): Harry’s new Winter responsibilities expose a larger threat.
16. Skin Game (2014): A supernatural heist brings Harry back into conflict with Nicodemus.
17. Brief Cases (2018): Supporting-character viewpoints fill gaps through the period after Skin Game.
18. Peace Talks (2020): Chicago hosts negotiations among supernatural nations.
19. Battle Ground (2020): The negotiations collapse into open war.
20. Little Things (2022): Toot-Toot protects the castle from a threat others miss.
21. The Law (2022): Harry handles a smaller legal and supernatural case while recovering from the battle.
22. Fugitive (2023): Mouse and Cerberus pursue an escaped supernatural danger.
23. Twelve Months (Scheduled for 2026): Harry works through grief, reconstruction, courtship, and political consequences over the following year.

Graphic novels and microfiction can be added separately without changing this central route.

Should You Read Dresden Chronologically?

Not for a first reading.

A Restoration of Faith and Welcome to the Jungle occur before Storm Front. A Fistful of Warlocks takes place much earlier, during Anastasia Luccio’s nineteenth-century career.

Other stories fill narrow gaps between novels, while Christmas Eve was published before the novel whose events it spoils.

Strict chronology requires constant switching among novels, anthologies, comics, and online microfiction. Publication order with delayed collection reading is easier and preserves major reveals.

Codex Alera Books in Order

Codex Alera follows Tavi, a young man raised in a society where nearly everyone commands elemental beings called furies.

Furies of Calderon

1. Furies of Calderon (2004): Tavi’s apparent lack of furycraft leaves him vulnerable when spies, rebels, and invading Marat forces threaten his home.

The novel establishes Alera’s military structure, elemental magic, political houses, and the mystery surrounding Tavi’s ancestry.

Academ’s Fury

2. Academ’s Fury (2005): Tavi studies in the capital and works as a Cursor while an enemy capable of imitation and infiltration enters Aleran society.

The sequel expands the threat beyond Calderon Valley and makes Tavi part of the realm’s intelligence network.

Cursor’s Fury

3. Cursor’s Fury (2006): Tavi joins a legion under an assumed identity and must take command when invasion destroys the existing chain of leadership.

This volume shifts the series toward large-scale military fantasy.

Captain’s Fury

4. Captain’s Fury (2007): Tavi’s military success creates political consequences as he attempts to rescue prisoners and prevent Alera’s wars from becoming unwinnable.

Several long-running questions about identity and succession become explicit.

Princeps’ Fury

5. Princeps’ Fury (2008): Tavi seeks an alliance with the Canim while the Vord spread across both their lands.

The story separates its cast across diplomatic, military, and survival campaigns leading into the finale.

First Lord’s Fury

6. First Lord’s Fury (2009): Tavi returns to Alera for the decisive conflict with the Vord Queen and the resolution of the realm’s political succession.

This is the conclusive ending. No sequel novel is required.

Is Codex Alera Connected to The Dresden Files?

No.

Codex Alera has its own world, history, magic, and characters. Harry Dresden does not appear, and the White Council has no role in its story.

Readers may move between the series in any order.

Is Codex Alera Complete?

Yes.

All six books tell one continuous narrative, ending with First Lord’s Fury.

There are no essential novellas between volumes, making Codex Alera the simplest Jim Butcher series to read from beginning to end.

The Cinder Spires Books in Order

The Cinder Spires takes place in a world where human communities occupy enormous spires above a dangerous surface.

Airships travel between the spires using crystal-based technology, while noble houses, military crews, etherealists, and intelligent cats compete for influence.

The Aeronaut’s Windlass

1. The Aeronaut’s Windlass (2015): Captain Grimm and the crew of Predator join agents of Spire Albion after an attack suggests that rival Spire Aurora is preparing a wider war.

The book introduces the main ensemble, including Grimm, Gwen Lancaster, Bridget Tagwynn, Benedict Sorellin, Master Ferus, Folly, and Rowl.

Warriorborn

2. Warriorborn (2023): Benedict undertakes a rescue mission that tests his abilities, divided heritage, and responsibilities before the delegation travels to Olympia.

The novella bridges the long period between the two main novels.

It is recommended, not essential.

The Olympian Affair

3. The Olympian Affair (2023): Albion’s delegation reaches Spire Olympia, where diplomatic competition, public contests, espionage, and enemy action determine whether new alliances can be formed.

The novel assumes familiarity with the ensemble and conflict introduced in The Aeronaut’s Windlass.

Is The Cinder Spires Complete?

No.

Two main novels and one bridging novella had been published as of August 5, 2026.

The Olympian Affair resolves parts of its immediate mission but continues the larger war. A future main installment is expected, although no firmly confirmed release date should be added until the publisher announces it.

Jim Butcher Books in Publication Order

This list combines separate continuities, so it is more useful for collectors than for deciding what to read next.

1. Storm Front (2000): Harry Dresden investigates ritual murders in the opening Dresden Files novel.
2. Fool Moon (2001): Harry confronts multiple kinds of werewolf during another Chicago case.
3. Grave Peril (2001): Ghosts and vampires begin a conflict that changes the direction of the series.
4. Summer Knight (2002): Harry enters a dispute between the Summer and Winter Courts.
5. Death Masks (2003): The Denarians, Knights of the Cross, and a stolen relic draw Harry into several linked dangers.
6. Blood Rites (2004): A film-set investigation leads Harry toward the White Court and his own family history.
7. Furies of Calderon (2004): Tavi enters a political and military crisis in the first Codex Alera novel.
8. Dead Beat (2005): Necromancers compete for power in Chicago.
9. Academ’s Fury (2005): Tavi studies and works in Alera’s capital as a hidden enemy emerges.
10. Proven Guilty (2006): Harry investigates supernatural attacks tied to fear and black magic.
11. Cursor’s Fury (2006): Tavi’s covert military assignment turns into a command crisis.
12. White Night (2007): Harry investigates attacks on minor practitioners.
13. Captain’s Fury (2007): Tavi’s role in Alera’s wars and succession grows more public.
14. Small Favor (2008): Harry repays an obligation to Mab during another Denarian plot.
15. Princeps’ Fury (2008): Tavi seeks allies against the Vord.
16. Turn Coat (2009): Harry investigates whether the White Council has been compromised.
17. First Lord’s Fury (2009): Codex Alera ends with the final war against the Vord.
18. Changes (2010): Harry’s family crisis overturns the established Dresden Files order.
19. Side Jobs (2010): Early Dresden short fiction is collected through the immediate aftermath of Changes.
20. Ghost Story (2011): Harry examines what followed the ending of Changes.
21. Cold Days (2012): Harry begins serving in a dangerous new role within Winter.
22. Skin Game (2014): Harry joins Nicodemus for a supernatural heist.
23. The Aeronaut’s Windlass (2015): The Cinder Spires begins with airship combat and political conflict.
24. Working for Bigfoot (2015): Three Dresden stories involving Irwin Pounder and his father are collected together.
25. Brief Cases (2018): A second Dresden anthology adds several supporting-character viewpoints.
26. Peace Talks (2020): Supernatural nations gather in Chicago for negotiations.
27. Battle Ground (2020): Chicago becomes the site of a supernatural war.
28. The Law (2022): Harry handles a smaller case during the aftermath of Battle Ground.
29. Warriorborn (2023): Benedict Sorellin undertakes a mission before The Olympian Affair.
30. The Olympian Affair (2023): Representatives of Spire Albion compete for allies in Olympia.
31. Twelve Months (Scheduled for 2026): Harry confronts the emotional and political consequences of Battle Ground.

Short stories originally published in multi-author anthologies have their own dates, but the collections are the cleaner units for a book-order bibliography.

Latest Jim Butcher Book

As of August 5, 2026, Jim Butcher’s latest published main novel was The Olympian Affair, released in November 2023.

The Olympian Affair (2023): Captain Grimm and Spire Albion’s delegation enter a diplomatic contest in Olympia while enemy plans threaten both the negotiations and the wider war.

His next scheduled novel is Twelve Months.

Twelve Months (Scheduled for September 29, 2026): Harry Dresden spends the year after the Battle of Chicago coping with loss, rebuilding his life, and meeting new obligations created by the supernatural political settlement.

Because September 29, 2026 was still in the future on this article’s update date, Twelve Months remained upcoming rather than published.

What Comes After Twelve Months?

The next planned Dresden Files novel is Mirror Mirror.

Mirror Mirror (In Progress): The story is expected to place Harry in an alternate reality shaped by a different decision in his past.

Butcher’s official progress information showed that work had begun, but no firm publication date had been announced as of August 5, 2026.

Mirror Mirror should not yet be numbered as an available book.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Jim Butcher book should I read first?

Begin with Storm Front for The Dresden Files, Furies of Calderon for Codex Alera, or The Aeronaut’s Windlass for The Cinder Spires.

The three series are independent.

Can I start The Dresden Files with Grave Peril?

It is possible, but not ideal.

Grave Peril begins several of the series’ strongest long-term conflicts, yet it assumes some understanding of Harry, Murphy, Susan, and Harry’s work from the first two books.

Do The Dresden Files books need to be read in order?

Yes.

The early mysteries have individual resolutions, but character deaths, relationships, political changes, magical obligations, and hidden identities continue from book to book.

Can I skip Fool Moon?

Skipping it does not make the later supernatural politics impossible to understand, but it removes important development involving Murphy, the police, and Harry’s early mistakes.

A complete reading should include it.

When does The Dresden Files become one continuous story?

Grave Peril creates consequences that remain active for much of the series.

Summer Knight expands the political world, while Changes marks the point after which no novel can reasonably be treated as independent.

Should I read Side Jobs in publication order?

Read the complete collection after Changes.

Most stories occur earlier, but Aftermath begins immediately after Changes and reveals its ending.

When should I read Brief Cases?

Read Brief Cases after Skin Game.

Several stories occur earlier, but Cold Case, Day One, and Zoo Day depend on developments from the later novels.

Are Side Jobs and Brief Cases required?

They are not mandatory for following the central plot.

They are strongly recommended because they resolve character questions, show events outside Harry’s viewpoint, and explain changes that occur between novels.

Is Working for Bigfoot a third short-story collection?

It is a smaller themed collection containing three stories that were later included in Brief Cases.

Readers with Brief Cases do not need Working for Bigfoot.

Where does The Law fit?

Read The Law after Battle Ground and before Twelve Months.

It examines Harry’s post-battle life through a smaller case involving legal pressure and organized crime.

When should I read Christmas Eve?

Read it after Battle Ground.

Although the story was published earlier, it takes place afterward and reveals survivors and changed relationships.

Are the Dresden Files graphic novels canon?

The original graphic stories are generally treated as part of the Dresden continuity.

They remain optional, while the graphic adaptations of Storm Front and Fool Moon simply retell prose novels.

Is Codex Alera connected to Dresden?

No.

Codex Alera is a separate epic fantasy setting with elemental furies, legions, and its own political history.

Is Codex Alera finished?

Yes.

First Lord’s Fury concludes the six-book series.

Does Codex Alera have short stories?

No short fiction is required between its six principal novels.

Readers can move directly from Furies of Calderon through First Lord’s Fury.

Is Warriorborn Cinder Spires book two?

It is a bridging novella rather than the second main novel.

Read it after The Aeronaut’s Windlass and before The Olympian Affair.

Can I skip Warriorborn?

Yes.

The Olympian Affair remains understandable, but Warriorborn adds useful background for Benedict and the warriorborn.

Is The Cinder Spires connected to Codex Alera?

No.

The Cinder Spires has a different setting, technology, magical system, and cast.

Is Twelve Months published?

Not as of August 5, 2026.

Its scheduled publication date was September 29, 2026.

Is Twelve Months the final Dresden Files book?

No.

It is book 18 of the main novel sequence. Mirror Mirror is planned to follow it, and the larger series is intended to continue toward a final apocalyptic trilogy.

What is the best complete Jim Butcher series?

Codex Alera is the best choice for readers who want a finished story.

The Dresden Files is much longer and remained ongoing, while The Cinder Spires had only two main novels and one novella published.

The Clearest Reading Choice

Start The Dresden Files with Storm Front and keep every main novel in order. Read Side Jobs after Changes and Brief Cases after Skin Game, then place The Law and the other post-Battle Ground stories before Twelve Months.

Start Codex Alera with Furies of Calderon and read straight through First Lord’s Fury. No side material is required, and the six-book story is complete.

Start The Cinder Spires with The Aeronaut’s Windlass, continue with Warriorborn, and then read The Olympian Affair.

The three worlds are separate. Harry Dresden, Tavi, and Captain Grimm do not share a continuity, so readers can choose among them by genre without preparing through another Jim Butcher series.