Jim Butcher is a popular author of high-fantasy novels. The Jim Butcher books in order take us to the words of Harry Dresden in his Dresden Files, the people of Alera in his Codex Alera stories, and to his new series, The Cinder Spires started in 2015.
I have read all the Jim Butcher books so far and while the new Cinder Spires is great as well, I still love Harry Dresden the most. I grew up with these stories and they are really close to my heart.
So here are the Jim Butcher books in reading order fin proper reading/chronological and publication order. The list will be updated with any new books the author will be writing next. Do note that the graphic novels are not currently included. They will be added at a later time.
New Jim Butcher Book
Battle Ground (The Dresden Files #17), 2020
Jim Butcher Upcoming Books
- Olympian Affair – release date TBD
The Olympian Affair has no publication date as of yet, but its actual publication seems more and more promising since the author couldn’t start working on it because he was writing his latest Dresden Files novel. So stay tuned for new info, as we update this section as soon as we know anything more.
The Dresden Files Series Order
- Restoration of Faith (#0.2), 2004
- Storm Front (#1), 2000
- Full Moon (#2), 2001
- Grave Peril (#3), 2001
- Summer Knight (#4), 2002
- Death Masks (#5), 2003
- Vignette (#5.5), 2008
- Blood Rites (#6), 2004
- Dead Beat (#7), 2005
- Proven Guilty (#8), 2006
- White Night (#9), 2007
- It’s My Birthday, Too (#9.2), 2010
- Small Favor (#10), 2008
- Backup (#10.4), 2008 (part of the Side Jobs anthology)
- The Warrior (#10.5), 2009 (part of the Mean Street anthology)
- Turn Coat (#11), 2009
- Love Hurts (#11.5), 2011
- Changes (#12), 2010
- Side Jobs (#12.5), 2010
- Ghost Story (##13), 2011
- Cold Days (#14), 2012
- Shadowed Souls (#4.5), 2016
- Skin Game (#15), 2014
- Parallel Worlds: The Heroes Within (anthology including a Dresden Files short story titled Monsters), 2019
- Brief Cases (#15.1), 2018
- Working for Bigfoot (#15.5), 2014
- Peace Talks (book #16), 2020
- Battle Ground (#17), 2020
Codex Alera Series
- Furies of Calderon, 2004
- Academ’s Fury, 2005
- Cursor’s Fury, 2006
- Captain’s Fury, 2007
- Princeps’ Fury, 2008
- First Lord’s Fury, 2008
The Cinder Spires Series
- The Aeronaut’s Windlass, 2015
- The Olympian Affair, TBA
The Dresden Files Short Stories
The short stories in thes series are included in several collections, while some are free to read on the author’s website. However, most are included Side Jobs and Brief Cases. Here is the full list, with the reading sequence included under each title.
Stories in Side Jobs
Restoration of Faith
prequel to Storm Front
Vignette
Takes place between Death Masks and Blood Rites
Something Borrowed
Takes place between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty.
It’s My Birthday Too
Takes place between White Night and Small Favor.
Heorot
Takes place between White Night and Small Favor
Day Off
Takes place between Small Favor and Turn Coat.
Backup — novelette from Thomas’ POV
Set between Small Favor and Turn Coat
The Warrior — novelette from Mean Streets
Takes place between Small Favor and Turn Coat
Last Call
Set between Small Favor and Turn Coat
Love Hurts
Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes.
Aftermath
Takes place after Changes
Stories in Brief Cases
Curses
Takes place between Small Favor and Turn Coat.
AAAA Wizardry
Takes place between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty.
Even Hand
Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes.
B is for Bigfoot
Takes place between Fool Moon and Grave Peril.
I Was A Teenage Bigfoot
Takes place circa Dead Beat.
Bigfoot on Campus
Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes.
Bombshells
Takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days.
Jury Duty
Takes place after Skin Game.
Cold Case
Takes place shortly after Cold Days.
Day One
Takes place after Skin Game.
A Fistful of Warlocks
Prequel story.
Zoo Day
Set after Skin Game.
Other Short Stories
Christmas Eve
Set sometimes after Changes and Cold Days.
Monsters
Takes place sometimes after Skin Game.
Jim Butcher Biography
Jim Butcher was born in 1971 in Independence, Missouri as the youngest of three siblings. As a child, he got introduced to the world of the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars Han Solo Adventures when he was at home sick with strep throat and his sisters gave him several of these novels to read.
He wrote his first book during his teenage years. This is when he decided that he would become a novelist. At the age of 25, when he was enrolled in a writing course in 1996, he wrote Storm Front, his first book in the Harry Dresden set of stories, as an exercise for the course.
In a Jim Butcher interview, he wrote that while he started writing his first book in 1991, he didn’t actually make any money from the book sales until 1999. He got his first book in print in 2000.
Between 1991-2003, until he made was finally able to support himself as a writer, he had various odd jobs, such as (in his own words) “a vacuum cleaner salesman, a clerk in a yogurt store, a secretary at my university, a librarian, a phone center operator, a freelance web designer, and a computer support technician.” At the same time, he was studying to get his English degree and was writing fiction as well. He tried to publish his first book for two years until the same agent who first discovered Laurell K. Hamilton also talked to him and decided to represent him. Penguin Books picked up the debut novel and published it in 2000.
Over the years, the author has written three main series, The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and the newer one, The Cinder Spires, which he started in 2015. So far, The Dresden Files is the author’s biggest success. The first book, Storm Front, introduces us to Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, a wizard, and Chicago’s first and only wizard private investigator.
While officially Storm Front is the first book in the Dresden Files series, Jim wrote a prequel that was published in 2004 where Harry was working a case before he became a PI, at a time when he owned with his partner Ragged Angel Investigations, which was focused on finding missing children. The book was very short, but if you really want to read the Jim Butcher Harry Dresden series in order, this is the one you should really start your journey with. It was made into a TV series which sadly didn’t really take off, as only one season was ever aired, despite the fans pleas that the show would be renewed.
Jim Butcher’s book Skin Game received a nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2015. While each book in the Dresden Files is a standalone story, the series should be read in the proper chronological sequence. The characters grow, evolve and form meaningful relationships throughout the novels, much of which is missed out on if you read the Dresden Files however you come across them.
Codex Alera has only six novels. It is a fantasy book about Tavi, a young boy living in Alera in Calderon Valley (the only human civilization left), who is pretty much the only one who can not do any magic (fury, which is a type of elemental magic). This makes him rather a useless person. Due to various circumstances, he gets involved in politics and has lots of interesting adventures with his friends. The origins of Codex Alera is worth mentioning for those who do not know how it was all started. Jim was engaged in a flame war in a forum where unpublished writers mentioned that to write a good fantasy novel, an author needs to have a brilliant concept, a main idea. Jim claimed that proper characters, story complexity, and a solid execution are more important than the original plot.
The Jim Butcher Cinder Spires series is a newer one, depicting a world of magic, noble families, and steampunk technology. This series is equally fast-paced just like the author’s previous two series.
The book themes are not new (although steampunk is definitely interesting), however, he knows how to appeal to his long-time and new fans, who are devouring this new set of stories just as they are the Dresden Files and Codex Alera.
The Jim Butcher Peace Talks (The Dresden Files #16) is released July 14, 2020. The author has paused writing the book because he was busy with writing a short story for Brief Cases anthology to be published in 2018. He only returned to continue writing The Dresden File Peace Talks in November 2017, so the book release has been repeatedly postponed.
The next Jim Butcher new book which is waiting for a publication date is The Olympian Affair, book #2 in the Cinder Spires series. The author mentioned that he will work on the book as soon as Peace Talks is finished.
Praise for Jim Butcher
What would you get if you crossed Spenser with Merlin? Probably you would come up with someone very like Harry, wizard, tough guy and star of [the Dresden Files]. (The Washington Times)
One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves. (Cinescape)
What’s not to like about this series?…It takes the best elements of urban fantasy, mixes it with some good old-fashioned noir mystery, tosses in a dash of romance and a lot of high-octane action, shakes, stirs, and serves. (SF Site)
Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Philip Marlowe. (Entertainment Weekly)
Epic fantasy in the best way, inspired by Tolkien. (Simon R. Green)
A stay-up-all-night-’til-you-finish-it-book, Furies of Calderon is a marvelous read. (Patricia Briggs)
Filled with plot twists and white-knuckled suspense, this is a ripping good yarn that delivers terrific magic and nonstop action. (Deborah Chester)
Die-hard fans who can’t wait for next year’s Ghost Story will want to rush to the final novella, “Aftermath,” starring Harry’s friend Karrin Murphy, but there are many others here worth reading… Adding value to this title are Butcher’s introductions to each story, filling the reader in on its place in the Dresden-verse time line and offering insight into the author’s intentions. (Library Journal on Brief Cases)
References
- Jim Butcher author website
- Publisher Jim Butcher page
- Jim Butcher interview about the Dresden Files
- Jim Butcher Reddit AMA
Books Reading Order » Fantasy Authors »
I began late in life to follow Jim Butcher, so cannot read anymore but must listen to audio books instead and I enjoy them immensely. I hope to be able to enjoy them for many years to come.
When is the next Dresden files being published?
Books are the best for a reader like myself.
What was the title of the book where he rescues his daughter Maggie & kills Susan?
LINE FOLLOWS HAS A TYPO
22. Shadowed Souls (#4.5), 2016
IT SHOULD BE
22. Shadowed Souls (#14.5), 2016
I love them. I wish that he would continue the Codex Alera series. I have read all of his books except for Peace Talks and Battle Ground. I will be ordering those tomorrow. He has an awesome imagination.
Love, love, love the Dresden Files books…so far I own half of them and I am acquiring the rest. I love the humor and interaction between the characters and how they are “fleshed” out as you go along.
This list is great, but I think it should include the graphic novels. Also, placing the short stories in their chron order would help readers to read them in order.
I have added the short stories and where they fit within the Dresden Files Universe, and the graphic novels will be added at a later time.
best
author
ever
.