Reading order · 10 books · 2008 to 2014 · Set in invented worlds
Shadows of the Apt Books in Order
Shadows of the Apt is an epic fantasy set in a world of insect-kinden, peoples who share the traits of beetles, wasps, mantises and spiders, as the Wasp Empire sets out to conquer the Lowlands.
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Series facts
- Books
- 10
- Published
- 2008 to 2014
- First book
- Empire in Black and Gold
- Latest
- Seal of the Worm (2014)
- Setting
- Set in invented worlds
The reading order
Every Shadows of the Apt book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
10 books · Set in invented worlds
- 1Empire in Black and Gold2008With Stenwold MakerStenwold Maker, a Beetle-kinden artificer, has spent years warning the city-states of the Lowlands about the Wasp Empire, and now he sends his young niece and students into danger to prove it.Buy on Amazon
- 2Dragonfly Falling2009With Stenwold MakerThe Wasp Empire marches on the Lowlands, and the city of Tark is the first to face it.Buy on Amazon
- 3Blood of the Mantis2009With Stenwold MakerStenwold’s agents race to recover a powerful artefact before the Empire can claim it.Buy on Amazon
- 4Salute the Dark2010With Stenwold MakerThe war between the Lowlands and the Wasp Empire reaches a turning point.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Scarab Path2010With Stenwold MakerChe travels to the ancient city of Khanaphes.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Sea Watch2011With Stenwold MakerStenwold discovers the hidden peoples of the sea.Buy on Amazon
- 7Heirs of the Blade2011With Stenwold Maker and Cheerwell MakerTynisa flees her own troubled mind and her father’s vengeful ghost, while Empress Seda sets her sights on the ancient city of Khanaphes.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Air War2012With Stenwold MakerThe Wasp Empire returns to the Lowlands with a terrible new weapon: air power.Buy on Amazon
- 9War Master's Gate2013With Stenwold MakerStenwold Maker defends Collegium against the Wasp Empire’s new aerial weapons, while Cheerwell tries to stop Seda’s search for lost magic in an ancient Mantis forest.Buy on Amazon
- 10Seal of the Worm2014With Stenwold MakerWith the Seal broken and the Worm unleashed, the fate of the world rests on desperate measures, in the final volume of Shadows of the Apt.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Empire in Black and Gold.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Stenwold Maker | Cheerwell Maker | Thalric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Empire in Black and Gold | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 2 Dragonfly Falling | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 3 Blood of the Mantis | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 4 Salute the Dark | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 5 The Scarab Path | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 6 The Sea Watch | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 7 Heirs of the Blade | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 8 The Air War | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 9 War Master's Gate | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 10 Seal of the Worm | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
Characters in the Shadows of the Apt books
3 characters from Adrian Tchaikovsky’s chart, with the number of Shadows of the Apt books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Stenwold MakerBeetle-kinden artificer and spymaster | 10 | Empire in Black and Gold 2008 |
| Cheerwell MakerStenwold's niece | 10 | Empire in Black and Gold 2008 |
| ThalricWasp-kinden officer | 10 | Empire in Black and Gold 2008 |