Boris Akunin books in order
Russian writer, translation, and historian
- Born
- 1956
- Country
- Russia
- Books
- 40
- Series
- 4
- Also writes as
- Борис Акунин, Анатолий Брусникин, Анна Борисова
Boris Akunin has published 34 novels, 3 novellas, 1 short story collection, 1 poetry collection and 1 other book, beginning with The Death of Achilles (1998). The 4 series include Erast Fandorin (17 books, starting with Murder on the Leviathan), Death by Brotherhood (5 books, starting with The Infant and the Devil) and The Adventures of Pelagia (3 books, starting with Pelagia and the White Bulldog). The best-known is The Winter Queen (1998). The latest is The Mistress of Death (2025).
Updated September 2026
Erast Fandorin books in order (17)Series page
Reading order: 1 Murder on the Leviathan (1998) · 2 The Death of Achilles (1998) · 3 The Turkish Gambit (1998) · 4 The Winter Queen (1998) · 5 Special Assignments (1999) · 6 The Decorator (1999) · 7 The Jack of Spades (1999) · 8 The State Counsellor (1999) · 9 The Coronation (2000) · 10 He Lover of Death (2001) · … all 17 below
- 1.
Murder on the Leviathan (1998)
- 2.
The Death of Achilles (1998)
- 3.
The Turkish Gambit (1998)
- 4.
The Winter Queen (1998)
- 5.
Special Assignments (1999)
- 6.
The Decorator (1999)
- 7.
The Jack of Spades (1999)
- 8.
The State Counsellor (1999)
- 9.
The Coronation (2000)
- 10.
He Lover of Death (2001)
- 11.
She Lover of Death (2001)
- 12.
The Diamond Chariot (2002)
- 13.
The Jade Rosary (2006)
- 14.
All the World's a Stage (Dec 2009)
- 15.
The Black City (Nov 2012)
- 16.
Planet Water (2015)
- 17.
Not Saying Goodbye (2018)
Death by Brotherhood books in order (5)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Infant and the Devil (2007) · 2 Children of the Moon (2008) · 3 The Flying Elephant (2008) · 4 Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble! (2009) · 5 The Wandering Man (2009)
- 1.
The Infant and the Devil (2007)
- 2.
Children of the Moon (2008)
- 3.
The Flying Elephant (2008)
- 4.
Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble! (2009)
- 5.
The Wandering Man (2009)
The Adventures of Pelagia books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Pelagia and the White Bulldog (2000) · 2 Pelagia and the Black Monk (2001) · 3 Pelagia and the Red Rooster (2003)
- 1.
Pelagia and the White Bulldog (2000)
- 2.
Pelagia and the Black Monk (2001)
- 3.
Pelagia and the Red Rooster (2003)
The Adventures of the Master books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Altyn-Tolobas (2001) · 2 F. M (2006) · 3 The Falcon and the Swallow (2009)
- 1.
Altyn-Tolobas (2001)
- 2.
F. M (2006)
- 3.
The Falcon and the Swallow (2009)
Where to start with Boris Akunin
Start here
Murder on the Leviathan
Book 1 of Erast Fandorin, the series that includes The Winter Queen, Boris Akunin's most-read book.
Shortest way in
The Winter Queen
One of the most-read, at about 256 pages.
Newest
The Mistress of Death
Published 2025.
Standalone novels in order
Writer and Suicide (1999)
Azazel (2001)
Leviathan (2004)
Spy Novel (2005)
Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog (2007)
Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk (2008)
Sister Pelagia and the Red Cockerel (2009)
Fiery Finger (2025)
The Lover of Death (2025)
The Mistress of Death (2025)
Poetry in order
Haiku (2025)
Other books in order
Koronatsiia, Ili Poslednii Iz Romanov (2006)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Turkish Gambit (2005)Film · from The Turkish Gambit
- Azazel (2002)TV · from The Winter Queen
- The State Counsellor (2005)Film · from The State Counsellor
- Spy (2012)Film · from Spy Novel
About Boris Akunin
Grigori Chkhartishvili, better known by his pen name Boris Akunin, is a Georgian and Russian writer residing in the United Kingdom. He is best known as a writer of historical fiction, specifically his Erast Fandorin detective novels. He is also an essayist and literary translator. Grigory Chkhartishvili has also written under pen names Anatoly Brusnikin, Anna Borisova, and Akunin-Chkhartishvili. His characters include Erast Fandorin, Nicholas Fandorin and Sister Pelagia.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Boris Akunin FAQ
- How many books has Boris Akunin written?
- Boris Akunin has published 34 novels, 3 novellas, 1 short story collection, 1 poetry collection and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Boris Akunin's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Erast Fandorin with Murder on the Leviathan, Death by Brotherhood with The Infant and the Devil and The Adventures of Pelagia with Pelagia and the White Bulldog. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Boris Akunin's latest book?
- The Mistress of Death (2025).
- What is Boris Akunin's most famous book?
- The Winter Queen (1998) is Boris Akunin's most widely read book.
- Are Boris Akunin's books connected?
- 28 books belong to 4 series (Erast Fandorin, Death by Brotherhood, The Adventures of Pelagia and The Adventures of the Master); the other 12 books stand alone.
- Does Boris Akunin write under a pen name?
- Yes: Boris Akunin has also published as Борис Акунин, Анатолий Брусникин and Анна Борисова.
- Which Boris Akunin books have been adapted?
- 4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Turkish Gambit (film, 2005), The Winter Queen (as Azazel, TV, 2002), The State Counsellor (film, 2005) and Spy Novel (as Spy, film, 2012).
Authors like Boris Akunin
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.