The Riftwar Cycle is the name given to the series of books authored or co-authored by Raymond E. Feist that revolve around the fantasy worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan.
As with all non-linear works there are two leading different opinions as to the proper reading order: either read the books in the order in which they were published, or to read them in chronological order.
The order given below places the books into their respective mini-series, each mini-series then listed in the order in which they are introduced based on the publication date of the first book in that mini-series.
The short stories are often left out of recommended reading order lists as they reveal nothing critical to the main storyline.
The Riftwar Cycle
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The Riftwar SagaEdit
- Magician (1982)
- Silverthorn (1985)
- A Darkness at Sethanon (1986)
The Empire TrilogyEdit
- Daughter of the Empire (1987, co-authored with Janny Wurts)
- Servant of the Empire (1990, co-authored with Janny Wurts)
- Mistress of the Empire (May 1992, co-authored with Janny Wurts)
The Riftwar LegacyEdit
- Krondor the Betrayal (November 1998)
- Krondor the Assassins (November 1999)
- Krondor Tear of the Gods (February 2001)
- Jimmy and the Crawler (February 2013)
Krondor's SonsEdit
- Prince of the Blood (1989)
- The Kings Buccaneer (November 1992)
The Serpentwar SagaEdit
- Shadow of a Dark Queen (1994)
- Rise of a Merchant Prince (1995)
- Rage of a Demon King (1997)
- Shards of a Broken Crown (April 1998)
Legends of the RiftwarEdit
- Honoured Enemy (August 2001)
- Murder in LaMut (June 2002)
- Jimmy the Hand (July 2003)
Conclave of ShadowsEdit
- Talon of the Silver Hawk (September 2002)
- King of Foxes (November 2003)
- Exiles Return (August 2004)
The Darkwar SagaEdit
- Flight of the Nighthawks (2005)
- Into a Dark Realm (2006)
- Wrath of a Mad God (2008)
Demonwar SagaEdit
- Rides a Dread Legion (2009)
- At the Gates of Darkness (2010)
Chaoswar SagaEdit
- A Kingdom Besieged (2011)
- A Crown Imperiled (2012)
- Magician's End (2013)
Short StoriesEdit
- Profit and the Grey Assassin (1982) in Fantasy Book (Journal)
- The Wood Boy (1998) in Legends
- The Messenger (2003) in Legends II
Chronological OrderEdit
Drawing a timeline through all of the books of the Riftwar Cycle would reveal a different order to the books than how they were published. The following is the chronological order of the books. Should they be read in this order? That is up to the reader. With these books broken into individual mini-series, if read in this order, you will find yourself jumping between these mini-series. Some of the books build upon information from previously published books, so some characters, locations, or even events may be referenced as if the reader has already been introduced to them. So this order is not the recommended reading order, but it might be an interesting read the second time around.
Profit and the Grey Assassin is left out due to the lack of information regarding its story.
- Magician
- The Wood Boy - During Magician, Year Two
- Daughter of the Empire - Starts during Magician
- Servant of the Empire - During Magician, Starts during Year Three or Four
- The Messenger - During Magician, Year Seven
- Jimmy the Hand - Starts during Magician, Year Nine
- Honoured Enemy - During Magician, Year Nine
- Murder in LaMut - During Magician, Year Nine
- Silverthorn
- A Darkness at Sethanon
- Mistress of the Empire
- Krondor the Betrayal
- Krondor the Assassins
- Krondor Tear of the Gods
- Jimmy and the Crawler
- Prince of the Blood
- The Kings Buccaneer
- Shadow of a Dark Queen
- Rise of a Merchant Prince
- Rage of a Demon King
- Shards of a Broken Crown
- Talon of the Silver Hawk
- King of Foxes
- Exiles Return
- Flight of the Nighthawks
- Into a Dark Realm
- Wrath of a Mad God
- Rides a Dread Legion
- At the Gates of Darkness
- A Kingdom Besieged
- A Crown Imperiled
- Magician's End
