Stephen Hunt is a British fantasy and science fiction author best known for the Jackelian novels, a seven-book sequence blending steampunk, fantasy, science fiction, political intrigue, and large-scale adventure.
His bibliography later expanded in several different directions. The Far-Called trilogy is epic science fantasy. Sliding Void is space opera. The Triple Realm books combine fantasy with alternate technology and warfare. The Vigil moves into supernatural action, while other novels stand apart.
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Fortunately, these worlds do not need to be combined into one chronology.
The main rule is to keep each named sequence together.
Start With the Series, Not the Publication Year
For Stephen Hunt’s best-known work, begin with:
- The Court of the Air
For epic science fantasy, begin with:
- In Dark Service
For space opera, begin with:
- Sliding Void
For Hunt’s earlier fantasy, begin with:
- For the Crown and the Dragon
Readers who want a standalone can choose The Pashtun Boy’s Paradise without preparing with another series.
Jackelian Books in Order
The Jackelian series is Hunt’s largest and best-established fantasy sequence.
Read:
- The Court of the Air (2007)
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves (2008)
- The Rise of the Iron Moon (2009)
- Secrets of the Fire Sea (2010)
- Jack Cloudie (2011)
- From the Deep of the Dark (2012)
- Mission to Mightadore (2015)
This is the correct publication order and the recommended reading order.
The novels take place in the same broad world, centered initially around the Kingdom of Jackals and its neighboring nations, technologies, peoples, political systems, and threats.
Each book shifts emphasis and often introduces new protagonists, so the series is looser than a conventional seven-volume saga following one hero.
Even so, the world develops cumulatively.
Do the Jackelian Books Follow the Same Characters?
Not always.
The Court of the Air introduces the setting through Molly Templar and Oliver Brooks.
Later books often move to different protagonists, regions, and conflicts while retaining the same larger world.
That makes individual volumes more approachable than books in a tightly serialized epic fantasy series.
Publication order is still preferable because political changes, technologies, nations, and recurring characters are introduced progressively.
Can You Read The Kingdom Beyond the Waves First?
It can be followed as its own adventure, but starting there is unnecessary.
The Court of the Air provides the broadest introduction to the Jackelian world.
Readers planning to continue through the whole sequence should therefore use:
- The Court of the Air
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
- The Rise of the Iron Moon
- Secrets of the Fire Sea
- Jack Cloudie
- From the Deep of the Dark
- Mission to Mightadore
Mission to Mightadore
Mission to Mightadore is the seventh Jackelian book.
It follows Seline Templar, daughter of Molly Templar, and therefore carries forward material associated with the earlier books rather than beginning a completely unrelated fantasy setting.
This title is sometimes absent from older publisher-era lists because the first six Jackelian novels appeared through Hunt’s traditional publishing arrangements, while his later work increasingly appeared through his own Green Nebula Publishing imprint.
Do not stop the Jackelian list at From the Deep of the Dark.
Is the Jackelian Series Complete?
Seven novels have been published:
- The Court of the Air
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
- The Rise of the Iron Moon
- Secrets of the Fire Sea
- Jack Cloudie
- From the Deep of the Dark
- Mission to Mightadore
No eighth Jackelian novel with a firmly confirmed publication record was found as of August 9, 2026.
For a current bibliography, seven is the correct published total.
Far-Called Trilogy Books in Order
The Far-Called sequence is a separate science-fantasy trilogy.
Read:
- In Dark Service (2014)
- Foul Tide’s Turning (2015)
- The Stealers’ War (2016)
The trilogy follows conflicts involving the Carnehan family and the wider world of Pellas.
Unlike the Jackelian books, these three novels form a much more direct continuing story.
Read them consecutively.
Is Far-Called Connected to Jackelian?
No.
The two series share Hunt’s taste for unusual technologies, expansive world-building, strange civilizations, war, and fantasy adventure.
They do not belong to the same established continuity.
Starting In Dark Service does not require The Court of the Air.
Is the Far-Called Trilogy Complete?
Yes.
The sequence is:
- In Dark Service
- Foul Tide’s Turning
- The Stealers’ War
The Stealers’ War completes the trilogy.
Sliding Void Books in Order
Sliding Void is Hunt’s space-opera series.
The six individual installments are:
- Sliding Void (2011)
- Transference Station (2011)
- Red Sun Bleeding (2013)
- Anomalous Thrust (2015)
- Hell Fleet (2018)
- Voyage of the Void Lost (2021)
Read them in this order.
The series follows the crew of the starship Gravity Rose and develops as a continuing science fiction adventure.
What Is Void All the Way Down?
Void All the Way Down collects the first three Sliding Void installments:
- Sliding Void
- Transference Station
- Red Sun Bleeding
It is an omnibus, not a separate fourth adventure.
Readers using the omnibus should continue with:
- Void All the Way Down
- Anomalous Thrust
- Hell Fleet
- Voyage of the Void Lost
Readers using the individual editions should begin with Sliding Void.
Why Do Some Sliding Void Lists Have Different Book Counts?
The first three entries began as novella-length installments and were later packaged together.
As a result, one retailer may display six numbered works while another emphasizes the omnibus and presents fewer physical volumes.
The underlying story order does not change.
Individual Story Order
- Sliding Void
- Transference Station
- Red Sun Bleeding
- Anomalous Thrust
- Hell Fleet
- Voyage of the Void Lost
Omnibus Route
- Void All the Way Down
- Anomalous Thrust
- Hell Fleet
- Voyage of the Void Lost
Do not read both formats expecting different first three stories.
Is Sliding Void Complete?
Six installments have been published.
Voyage of the Void Lost is currently Book 6.
No seventh installment with a firmly verified publication record was found as of August 9, 2026.
Triple Realm Books in Order
Hunt’s Triple Realm sequence has one of the longest publication gaps in his bibliography.
Read:
- For the Crown and the Dragon (1994)
- The Fortress in the Frost (2020)
The books belong to the same fantasy and alternate-history setting.
For the Crown and the Dragon was one of Hunt’s earliest novels and predates The Court of the Air by more than a decade.
The Fortress in the Frost returned to the setting many years later.
Is For the Crown and the Dragon a Jackelian Novel?
No.
It predates the Jackelian series and belongs to the Triple Realm continuity.
The similarity in fantasy technology and military adventure does not make it a prequel to The Court of the Air.
Keep the two worlds separate.
Is the Triple Realm Series a Duology?
Current bibliographic listings identify it as the Triple Realm Duology:
- For the Crown and the Dragon
- The Fortress in the Frost
That is the safest current classification.
Six Against the Stars
Six Against the Stars is another science fiction project by Hunt.
It originally appeared in two parts, which is why some databases list:
- Six Against the Stars Book 1
- Six Against the Stars Book 2
Modern editions may package the story simply as Six Against the Stars.
Readers do not need to treat a combined edition as a third book.
If your edition contains the complete story, read that single collected volume.
Is Six Against the Stars Connected to Sliding Void?
No confirmed shared continuity makes it part of Sliding Void.
Both are space opera, but that is a genre connection rather than a series connection.
Do not place Six Against the Stars before Sliding Void as Book 0.
The Vigil Books in Order
The Vigil is Hunt’s supernatural action series.
The published sequence is commonly listed as:
- The Darkness of the Vigil (2015)
- Burning Angels (2015)
The books concern a covert organization confronting supernatural threats.
Read them in this order.
Where Does Hell Sent Fit?
Hell Sent also features the Vigil, described as a covert branch of the United States Secret Service formed to combat supernatural forces.
This makes it connected to the Vigil material.
However, current bibliographic databases do not consistently number Hell Sent alongside The Darkness of the Vigil and Burning Angels.
For a reference reading order, the safest treatment is:
- The Darkness of the Vigil
- Burning Angels
- Hell Sent
with Hell Sent labeled as connected later Vigil material rather than confidently asserting a formal Book 3 number.
Is the Vigil Series Complete?
Two books are consistently numbered in the formal series:
- The Darkness of the Vigil
- Burning Angels
Hell Sent is clearly connected by setting and organization, but current sources are inconsistent about formal numbering.
No later numbered Vigil volume should be added without firmer confirmation.
Agatha Witchley Mysteries
Hunt has also written mystery and speculative material involving Agatha Witchley.
The titles associated with her include:
In the Company of Ghosts
and
Secrets of the Moon
Agatha is a former intelligence operative whose apparently supernatural experiences become relevant to government investigations.
Current secondary databases often list only In the Company of Ghosts under the formal Agatha Witchley Mystery label, while Hunt’s current store also carries Secrets of the Moon with Agatha Witchley as its protagonist.
For reading purposes, use:
- In the Company of Ghosts
- Secrets of the Moon
This is the most sensible character-based order.
Songs of Old Sol
Empty Between the Stars is listed as the first book in Hunt’s Songs of Old Sol series.
As of August 9, 2026, it remains the only firmly cataloged volume under that series label.
Read:
- Empty Between the Stars (2018)
Do not invent a second volume from unrelated science fiction titles.
Strange Incursions
Strange Incursions is available through Hunt’s current catalog.
It should be treated as separate unless an edition explicitly assigns it to one of his named sequences.
There is no need to insert it into Jackelian, Sliding Void, Far-Called, or Triple Realm.
The Pashtun Boy’s Paradise
The Pashtun Boy’s Paradise was published in 2020.
It is a standalone novel rather than part of one of Hunt’s fantasy or science fiction series.
It can therefore be read independently.
Readers following only Hunt’s speculative series can leave it outside those sequences.
A Steampunk Christmas Carol
A Steampunk Christmas Carol is shorter fiction.
It is not a missing Jackelian novel simply because of its steampunk framing.
Treat it as optional standalone seasonal fiction.
The Alien That Ate Christmas
The Alien That Ate Christmas is another shorter work.
It does not belong to Sliding Void merely because it uses science fictional material.
Treat it independently unless following a specific collected edition.
Stephen Hunt Series by Length
For readers choosing according to commitment, Hunt’s principal sequences break down neatly.
Seven Books
Jackelian
- The Court of the Air
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
- The Rise of the Iron Moon
- Secrets of the Fire Sea
- Jack Cloudie
- From the Deep of the Dark
- Mission to Mightadore
Six Installments
Sliding Void
- Sliding Void
- Transference Station
- Red Sun Bleeding
- Anomalous Thrust
- Hell Fleet
- Voyage of the Void Lost
Three Books
Far-Called
- In Dark Service
- Foul Tide’s Turning
- The Stealers’ War
Two Formal Books
Triple Realm
- For the Crown and the Dragon
- The Fortress in the Frost
The Vigil
- The Darkness of the Vigil
- Burning Angels
with Hell Sent as connected later material.
One Firmly Cataloged Series Book
Songs of Old Sol
- Empty Between the Stars
Stephen Hunt Books in Broad Publication Order
A broad publication list of his major books looks roughly like this:
- For the Crown and the Dragon (1994)
- Six Against the Stars (1999)
- The Court of the Air (2007)
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves (2008)
- The Rise of the Iron Moon (2009)
- Secrets of the Fire Sea (2010)
- Jack Cloudie (2011)
- Sliding Void (2011)
- Transference Station (2011)
- In the Company of Ghosts (2011)
- From the Deep of the Dark (2012)
- Red Sun Bleeding (2013)
- In Dark Service (2014)
- Foul Tide’s Turning (2015)
- Mission to Mightadore (2015)
- Anomalous Thrust (2015)
- The Darkness of the Vigil (2015)
- Burning Angels (2015)
- The Stealers’ War (2016)
- Empty Between the Stars (2018)
- Hell Fleet (2018)
- The Fortress in the Frost (2020)
- The Pashtun Boy’s Paradise (2020)
- Voyage of the Void Lost (2021)
Additional independently issued books and newer editions complicate an exhaustive date-by-date list, especially because Hunt now republishes and distributes much of his catalog through Green Nebula Publishing.
This publication list should therefore be used for orientation, not continuity.
Why Publication Order Is Not the Best Overall Reading Order
Publication order repeatedly sends the reader from one unrelated universe into another.
For example, Sliding Void began while the Jackelian sequence was still active.
Then Far-Called overlapped with later Jackelian and Sliding Void releases.
There is no storytelling advantage in alternating between them.
Finish one named series before moving to another.
Are Jackelian and Far-Called Connected?
No.
They are separate worlds.
Both mix fantasy with technology and large-scale political conflict, but neither needs to be read before the other.
Are Jackelian and Triple Realm Connected?
No firm continuity connection should be assumed.
For the Crown and the Dragon is an earlier fantasy project and belongs to the Triple Realm sequence.
The Court of the Air begins the Jackelian world.
Keep them separate.
Are Sliding Void and Songs of Old Sol Connected?
No reliable series designation currently joins them.
They are both science fiction, but Empty Between the Stars is cataloged separately as Songs of Old Sol.
Do not insert it into Sliding Void.
Which Stephen Hunt Series Is Best for New Readers?
The choice depends on genre.
Choose Jackelian If You Want
Steampunk-style technology, political fantasy, strange civilizations, large-scale adventure, and a long shared world.
Start with The Court of the Air.
Choose Far-Called If You Want
A contained epic science-fantasy trilogy.
Start with In Dark Service.
Choose Sliding Void If You Want
Space opera with a recurring crew.
Start with Sliding Void, or use the Void All the Way Down omnibus for the first three installments.
Choose Triple Realm If You Want
An earlier Hunt fantasy and a short two-book commitment.
Start with For the Crown and the Dragon.
What Was Stephen Hunt’s First Major Novel?
For the Crown and the Dragon was published in 1994 and is one of Hunt’s earliest major novels.
It later became the first half of the Triple Realm duology when The Fortress in the Frost appeared in 2020.
His international breakthrough came later with The Court of the Air in 2007.
What Is Stephen Hunt’s Latest Book?
This question is difficult to answer solely from retailer dates because Hunt now independently republishes and reissues his catalog in ebook, print, and audiobook formats.
As of August 9, 2026, no newly published 2026 original novel could be reliably confirmed from Hunt’s official catalog.
The latest firmly dated new installment in his major established series remains Voyage of the Void Lost from 2021, the sixth Sliding Void book.
Current store activity includes new editions and audio versions of older works, which should not be mistaken for new novels.
Stephen Hunt Books in Order FAQs
What Stephen Hunt book should I read first?
Start with The Court of the Air if you want his best-known fantasy world.
For science fiction, begin with Sliding Void.
What order are the Jackelian books?
Read:
- The Court of the Air
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
- The Rise of the Iron Moon
- Secrets of the Fire Sea
- Jack Cloudie
- From the Deep of the Dark
- Mission to Mightadore
Is Mission to Mightadore really a Jackelian book?
Yes.
Hunt’s own current material identifies the Jackelian sequence as seven books, and Mission to Mightadore continues the world through Seline Templar.
Do the Jackelian books follow one hero?
No.
They share a world but often shift protagonists and regions.
That makes the continuity looser than a single-character epic fantasy saga.
What order is the Far-Called trilogy?
Read:
- In Dark Service
- Foul Tide’s Turning
- The Stealers’ War
Is Far-Called complete?
Yes.
It is a three-book sequence.
What order is Sliding Void?
Read:
- Sliding Void
- Transference Station
- Red Sun Bleeding
- Anomalous Thrust
- Hell Fleet
- Voyage of the Void Lost
What is Void All the Way Down?
It is an omnibus collecting the first three Sliding Void installments.
It is not another sequel.
What should I read after Void All the Way Down?
Continue with:
- Anomalous Thrust
- Hell Fleet
- Voyage of the Void Lost
What order is Triple Realm?
Read:
- For the Crown and the Dragon
- The Fortress in the Frost
Is For the Crown and the Dragon part of Jackelian?
No.
It belongs to Triple Realm.
What order are The Vigil books?
The formally listed books are:
- The Darkness of the Vigil
- Burning Angels
Hell Sent is connected later material involving the Vigil, but current catalogs are inconsistent about treating it as a formally numbered third volume.
Is Six Against the Stars part of Sliding Void?
No confirmed continuity establishes that.
Treat Six Against the Stars separately.
Is Empty Between the Stars a Sliding Void book?
No.
It is listed under Songs of Old Sol.
Is The Pashtun Boy’s Paradise part of a series?
No established series placement is required.
Treat it as standalone.
The Clean Reading Path
Stephen Hunt’s bibliography does not need a single master chronology.
The most complete route into his best-known world is:
- The Court of the Air
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
- The Rise of the Iron Moon
- Secrets of the Fire Sea
- Jack Cloudie
- From the Deep of the Dark
- Mission to Mightadore
After that, choose a different universe rather than trying to continue the Jackelian timeline through unrelated novels.
For a shorter fantasy commitment, read the Far-Called trilogy straight through.
For science fiction, take Sliding Void from its first installment through Voyage of the Void Lost, using Void All the Way Down if you prefer the first three stories in one volume.
For Hunt’s earlier fantasy, read For the Crown and the Dragon before The Fortress in the Frost.
That division keeps the bibliography clear: Jackelian, Far-Called, Sliding Void, Triple Realm, and Hunt’s other series are separate reading paths, not pieces of one hidden chronology.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.