Reading order · 3 books · 2009 to 2020 · Set in London
Wolf Hall Books in Order
The Wolf Hall trilogy follows Thomas Cromwell, a blacksmith’s son from Putney who rises to become chief minister to King Henry VIII. The first two books both won the Booker Prize.
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Series facts
- Books
- 3
- Published
- 2009 to 2020
- First book
- Wolf Hall
- Latest
- The Mirror and the Light (2020)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Wolf Hall book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
3 books · Set in London
- 1Wolf Hall2009With Thomas CromwellIn the 1520s, Thomas Cromwell, a blacksmith’s son from Putney, rises in the service of Cardinal Wolsey, and then of King Henry VIII, as the king seeks to end his marriage to Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn.Buy on Amazon
- 2Bring Up the Bodies2012With Thomas CromwellIn 1535, Henry VIII has grown tired of Anne Boleyn, who has not given him a son, and Thomas Cromwell must find a way to free him.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Mirror and the Light2020With Thomas CromwellFrom 1536, Thomas Cromwell is at the height of his power, but enemies are gathering, and the king’s favour is never certain.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light in order.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Thomas Cromwell | Henry VIII | Anne Boleyn | Cardinal Wolsey | Rafe Sadler | Gregory Cromwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Wolf Hall | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor |
| 2 Bring Up the Bodies | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor |
| 3 The Mirror and the Light | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor |
Characters in the Wolf Hall books
7 characters from Hilary Mantel’s chart, with the number of Wolf Hall books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas CromwellBlacksmith's son turned King's minister | 3 | Wolf Hall 2009 |
| Henry VIIIKing of England | 3 | Wolf Hall 2009 |
| Anne BoleynHenry's second queen | 3 | Wolf Hall 2009 |
| Cardinal WolseyCromwell's first patron | 3 | Wolf Hall 2009 |
| Rafe SadlerCromwell's ward and secretary | 3 | Wolf Hall 2009 |
| Gregory CromwellCromwell's son | 3 | Wolf Hall 2009 |
| Thomas MoreLord Chancellor | 1 | Wolf Hall 2009 |