Kate Heartfield is a Canadian writer of historical fantasy, science fiction, horror, interactive fiction, and licensed franchise novels.
Her bibliography is easier to navigate by format than by publication date.
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There is one original prose sequence that requires strict reading order, the Alice Payne time-travel novellas. Her Assassin’s Creed books form another continuing sequence inside Ubisoft’s larger franchise. Most of her historical fantasy novels are standalones, even when they share an interest in real historical figures, folklore, magic, and alternative versions of the past.
One additional complication concerns Armed in Her Fashion. It was later revised and republished as The Chatelaine. Those are two versions of the same underlying novel, not Books 1 and 2.
What Actually Needs to Be Read in Order?
For Alice Payne:
- Alice Payne Arrives
- Alice Payne Rides
For Assassin’s Creed: The Engine of History:
- The Magus Conspiracy
- The Resurrection Plot
For the forthcoming Vampires of Dumas series:
- The Swordmaster
The rest of Heartfield’s principal novels can currently be read independently.
Alice Payne Books in Order
The Alice Payne sequence consists of two time-travel novellas.
Read:
- Alice Payne Arrives (2018)
- Alice Payne Rides (2019)
These should remain in publication order.
The series combines eighteenth-century England with a conflict among time travelers attempting to manipulate history.
Alice Payne Arrives
The first novella introduces Alice Payne, an eighteenth-century highwaywoman known as the Holy Ghost.
The story also introduces Prudence Zuniga and the larger temporal struggle between competing factions attempting to control history.
Included: Book 1.
This is the correct starting point.
Alice Payne Rides
Alice Payne Rides directly continues the first novella.
Alice, Prudence, and the consequences of their interference with history all carry forward.
Included: Book 2.
Do not begin here if you plan to read both.
Is There a Third Alice Payne Book?
No third Alice Payne volume with a confirmed title and publication date was identified as of August 9, 2026.
The published sequence remains:
- Alice Payne Arrives
- Alice Payne Rides
The two novellas form Heartfield’s clearest original prose series.
Armed in Her Fashion and The Chatelaine
This is the most important edition issue in Heartfield’s bibliography.
Armed in Her Fashion was originally published in 2018.
Heartfield later revised the novel, and HarperVoyager republished it in 2023 under the title:
The Chatelaine
These are not separate stories.
A normal reading list should therefore use one or the other, not both.
Which Version Should You Read?
For a new reader, The Chatelaine is the simplest choice.
It is the revised edition issued after Heartfield regained control of the earlier book.
Readers who already own Armed in Her Fashion do not need The Chatelaine in order to continue a series, because there is no sequel relationship.
Status: Revised edition of the same novel.
What Is The Chatelaine About?
The novel is set in fourteenth-century Bruges and combines medieval history with dark fantasy.
A woman named Margriet confronts supernatural forces after discovering that death has not ended her husband’s ability to deprive her of what she is owed.
The story involves Hell, revenants, war, money, inheritance, and medieval social restrictions.
Separate continuity.
It has no connection to Alice Payne.
The Embroidered Book
The Embroidered Book was published in 2022.
It is a large historical fantasy centered on two sisters who became major European royal figures:
Marie Antoinette and Maria Carolina of Naples.
Heartfield reimagines their lives in a world where magic exists and can become another form of political power.
Separate continuity.
No earlier Heartfield novel is required.
Is The Embroidered Book Part of a Series?
No sequel with a confirmed title and publication date has been announced.
The novel should be treated as standalone.
Its use of altered history and magic does not connect it to Alice Payne or The Chatelaine.
The Valkyrie
The Valkyrie was first published in 2023.
It retells material from Norse and Germanic legend, particularly the stories surrounding Brynhild, Gudrun, Sigurd, and the traditions that later fed works such as the Völsunga Saga and the Nibelungenlied.
Separate continuity.
It is not a sequel to The Embroidered Book.
Should You Read The Embroidered Book Before The Valkyrie?
No.
The two novels share Heartfield’s interest in powerful women, historical or legendary sources, and magical reinterpretation.
They do not share characters or plot.
Choose either one first.
The Tapestry of Time
The Tapestry of Time was first published in 2024.
It is set during the Second World War and follows four sisters with unusual extrasensory abilities.
The story involves the Bayeux Tapestry, Nazi occult interests, espionage, and the Special Operations Executive.
Separate continuity.
It does not connect to The Embroidered Book despite both titles invoking textile imagery.
That similarity is thematic, not evidence of a series.
Is The Tapestry of Time Part of The Embroidered Book Series?
No.
There is no Embroidered Book series.
The Tapestry of Time has different characters, a different historical period, and a separate supernatural premise.
Mercutio
Mercutio was published May 7, 2026.
It reimagines the life of Shakespeare’s Mercutio before the events readers know from Romeo and Juliet.
The novel also brings Dante Alighieri into the story and introduces Faerie, altered destiny, warfare, exile, and the early history surrounding the Montecchi.
Separate continuity.
It is not a sequel to Heartfield’s earlier historical fantasies.
Is Mercutio Connected to Romeo and Juliet?
Yes, through its use of Mercutio and the literary world surrounding Shakespeare’s tragedy.
However, it is Heartfield’s own reimagining rather than a numbered continuation of Shakespeare’s play.
Readers do not need to read another Heartfield novel first.
Familiarity with Romeo and Juliet may add context, but it is not a prerequisite.
Kate Heartfield Standalone Novels in Publication Order
A practical list of Heartfield’s published standalone novels is:
- Armed in Her Fashion (2018), later revised as The Chatelaine
- The Embroidered Book (2022)
- The Chatelaine (2023), revised edition of Armed in Her Fashion
- The Valkyrie (2023)
- The Tapestry of Time (2024)
- Mercutio (2026)
For reading purposes, do not read both Armed in Her Fashion and The Chatelaine unless you specifically want to compare versions.
A cleaner modern route is:
- The Chatelaine
- The Embroidered Book
- The Valkyrie
- The Tapestry of Time
- Mercutio
There is no narrative continuity between them.
What Happened to The Humours of Grub Street?
Readers may find listings for a Kate Heartfield novel titled:
The Humours of Grub Street
It was intended as a historical fantasy set in London in 1703, involving writers, printing, witchcraft, and monsters.
The book was announced for publication through ChiZine Publications.
However, Heartfield later terminated her contracts with the publisher and recovered the rights before the planned release.
Some retailer databases still preserve old ISBN and release information.
For a reference reading order, The Humours of Grub Street should therefore not currently be counted as a normally published Heartfield novel.
Status: Announced but not reliably published.
Assassin’s Creed: The Engine of History Books in Order
Heartfield has written two novels in the Assassin’s Creed universe.
Read:
- Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy (2022)
- Assassin’s Creed: The Resurrection Plot (2023)
Aconyte identifies these as Books 1 and 2 of The Engine of History.
They form a continuing story and should be read in order.
The Magus Conspiracy
The first Engine of History novel is set in the nineteenth century and follows characters caught between the Assassins and Templars.
It begins the specific storyline that Heartfield continues in The Resurrection Plot.
Included: Engine of History Book 1.
The Resurrection Plot
The second novel continues the conspiracy across nineteenth-century Europe.
Characters and conflicts from The Magus Conspiracy return.
Included: Engine of History Book 2.
Was Engine of History Supposed to Be a Trilogy?
Yes, it was initially discussed as a planned trilogy.
Only two novels have been published:
- The Magus Conspiracy
- The Resurrection Plot
As of August 9, 2026, Aconyte’s current series listing contains those two books and no third volume.
Readers should therefore not invent a placeholder Book 3 in the reading order.
Current status: Two published books.
Do You Need to Play Assassin’s Creed First?
Knowledge of the franchise helps because the novels use the established Assassin and Templar conflict.
However, Heartfield’s two books form their own nineteenth-century storyline within that larger universe.
Readers following only her contribution should begin with The Magus Conspiracy.
Is Assassin’s Creed Connected to Alice Payne?
No.
Both involve history, conspiracy, and altered relationships with the past, but the Assassin’s Creed books belong to Ubisoft’s established fictional universe.
Alice Payne is Heartfield’s original time-travel continuity.
Keep them separate.
The Swordmaster and Vampires of Dumas
Heartfield’s next announced novel is:
The Swordmaster
It is the first book in a new series called Vampires of Dumas.
The novel is being published by Solaris and is expected in autumn 2026.
Heartfield has described the project as an homage to Alexandre Dumas involving vampires.
Status: Forthcoming Book 1.
Should The Swordmaster Be Read After Mercutio?
Not for continuity.
Mercutio and The Swordmaster are different projects.
They both draw on historical and literary traditions, but The Swordmaster begins a new series.
When it is published, readers can start directly there.
The Course of True Love
Heartfield wrote the novella The Course of True Love for the 2016 collection:
Monstrous Little Voices: New Tales from Shakespeare’s Fantasy World
The anthology contains linked Shakespeare-inspired novellas by multiple writers.
Heartfield’s contribution is therefore not a standalone book series of her own.
Status: Included in a multi-author shared project.
Is The Course of True Love Connected to Mercutio?
Both draw on Shakespearean material, but no required continuity has been established between them.
Do not treat The Course of True Love as a Mercutio prequel.
Kate Heartfield Interactive Fiction
Heartfield has also written substantial interactive novels.
These should be separated from her conventional print novels because the reader’s choices determine the path through the story.
Her principal solo Choice of Games titles are:
- The Road to Canterbury (2018)
- The Magician’s Workshop (2019)
They are separate games.
The Road to Canterbury
The Road to Canterbury is a 175,000-word interactive historical novel inspired by Chaucer.
It is set in 1375 and follows a journey toward Canterbury involving politics, storytelling, class, war, and Geoffrey Chaucer.
The player’s choices shape the protagonist and outcome.
Separate continuity.
It is not connected to The Chatelaine simply because both use medieval settings.
The Magician’s Workshop
The Magician’s Workshop was published in 2019.
This interactive novel is set in Renaissance Florence in 1512 and combines political conflict, the Medici, Machiavelli, and magic.
It is not a sequel to The Road to Canterbury.
Separate continuity.
A Death in Hyperspace
Heartfield was also one of the writers on A Death in Hyperspace.
The project won the Nebula Award for Game Writing in 2025.
Because it was written collaboratively, it should not be counted as a solo Kate Heartfield novel.
Status: Collaborative interactive fiction.
Recommended Order for Kate Heartfield’s Historical Fantasy
Readers interested specifically in her full-length historical fantasy can use:
- The Chatelaine
- The Embroidered Book
- The Valkyrie
- The Tapestry of Time
- Mercutio
This is publication-based rather than chronological.
The books do not share continuity, so readers can skip directly to whichever historical period or mythology interests them most.
Which Historical Fantasy Should You Start With?
Medieval Dark Fantasy
Read:
- The Chatelaine
Eighteenth-Century Royal History
Read:
- The Embroidered Book
Norse and Germanic Legend
Read:
- The Valkyrie
Second World War Fantasy
Read:
- The Tapestry of Time
Shakespeare and Medieval Italy
Read:
- Mercutio
None requires another first.
Is There a Chronological Order Across Heartfield’s Historical Novels?
No useful shared chronology exists.
A reader could arrange the books according to the historical periods they evoke, but that would falsely suggest a common magical history.
Their supernatural systems and characters are independent.
Publication order is better if you want to follow Heartfield’s development as a novelist.
Kate Heartfield Books in Overall Publication Order
For her principal published prose books:
- Armed in Her Fashion (2018)
- Alice Payne Arrives (2018)
- Alice Payne Rides (2019)
- The Embroidered Book (2022)
- Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy (2022)
- The Chatelaine (2023), revised version of Armed in Her Fashion
- The Valkyrie (2023)
- Assassin’s Creed: The Resurrection Plot (2023)
- The Tapestry of Time (2024)
- Mercutio (2026)
- The Swordmaster (2026, forthcoming)
This list mixes original fiction and franchise work.
It also includes The Chatelaine for bibliographic completeness even though it revises an earlier novel.
Best Order Without Duplicate Editions
A reader who wants Heartfield’s original prose without reading two versions of the same novel can use:
- The Chatelaine
- Alice Payne Arrives
- Alice Payne Rides
- The Embroidered Book
- The Valkyrie
- The Tapestry of Time
- Mercutio
- The Swordmaster, when published
The only strict internal rule is that Alice Payne Arrives comes before Alice Payne Rides.
Kate Heartfield’s Latest Book
As of August 9, 2026, Heartfield’s newest published novel is:
Mercutio
It was published May 7, 2026.
It is a standalone historical fantasy inspired by Shakespeare’s Mercutio and medieval Italian literary history.
Kate Heartfield’s Next Book
The next confirmed novel is:
The Swordmaster
It is the first Vampires of Dumas novel and is expected in autumn 2026.
Because the exact publication date was not sufficiently firm in the sources checked for this update, it is safer to list the season rather than invent a specific day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kate Heartfield book should I read first?
For historical fantasy, begin with The Chatelaine.
For time travel, begin with Alice Payne Arrives.
For a large standalone historical fantasy, The Embroidered Book is another good entry point.
What order are the Alice Payne books?
Read:
- Alice Payne Arrives
- Alice Payne Rides
Is Alice Payne complete?
Two novellas have been published.
No third volume with a confirmed publication date was identified for this update.
Is The Chatelaine a sequel to Armed in Her Fashion?
No.
The Chatelaine is a revised republication of Armed in Her Fashion.
Most readers need only one version.
Which version should I buy?
For a new reader, choose The Chatelaine, the revised edition.
Is The Embroidered Book part of a series?
No.
It is standalone.
Is The Valkyrie connected to The Embroidered Book?
No.
Both reinterpret historical or legendary women through fantasy, but they use separate settings and stories.
Is The Tapestry of Time connected to The Embroidered Book?
No.
The similar textile imagery in the titles does not indicate continuity.
Is Mercutio a sequel?
No.
It is a standalone reimagining of Mercutio before the events associated with Romeo and Juliet.
Was The Humours of Grub Street published?
It was announced and retailer metadata for a planned 2020 edition still exists.
However, Heartfield recovered the rights after terminating her publishing contract before that planned release, and it is absent from her current official list of published novels.
It should therefore not be treated as a normal published entry in the reading order.
What order are Kate Heartfield’s Assassin’s Creed books?
Read:
- The Magus Conspiracy
- The Resurrection Plot
Is there an Engine of History Book 3?
A third book was part of earlier plans, but only two are currently published and listed by the publisher.
No third volume should be added until one is formally announced.
What is The Swordmaster?
It is Heartfield’s forthcoming vampire novel and the beginning of the Vampires of Dumas series.
Is The Swordmaster connected to Assassin’s Creed?
No.
It is a separate original series.
What order are Heartfield’s interactive novels?
There is no shared order.
The Road to Canterbury and The Magician’s Workshop are separate interactive stories.
What is Kate Heartfield’s newest published novel?
Mercutio, published May 7, 2026.
What is Kate Heartfield’s next book?
The Swordmaster, expected in autumn 2026.
A Clean Reading Plan
Kate Heartfield’s bibliography does not require one master chronology.
The two Alice Payne novellas should stay together, with Alice Payne Arrives before Alice Payne Rides. Her two Assassin’s Creed novels also form a direct sequence, beginning with The Magus Conspiracy.
Her historical fantasy novels are much more flexible. The Chatelaine, The Embroidered Book, The Valkyrie, The Tapestry of Time, and Mercutio are separate stories, so readers can choose according to period and subject.
The main purchasing caution concerns duplicate and phantom listings. The Chatelaine is the revised version of Armed in Her Fashion, while The Humours of Grub Street was announced but should not currently be counted as an ordinary published novel.
For a first Heartfield book, The Chatelaine is the most useful introduction to her historical fantasy. For readers who want an actual sequence, begin instead with Alice Payne Arrives.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.