Lois McMaster Bujold books in order
American novelist
- Born
- 1949
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 55
- Series
- 5
Lois McMaster Bujold has published 38 novels, 14 novellas and 3 other books, beginning with Shards of Honor (1986). The 5 series include Vorkosigan Saga (17 books, starting with Shards of Honor), Penric and Desdemona (7 books, starting with Penric and the Shaman) and The Vorkosigan Saga (4 books, starting with Borders of Infinity). The best-known is The Curse of Chalion (2001). The latest is Demon Daughter (2024).
Updated September 2026
Vorkosigan Saga books in order (17)Series page
Reading order: 1 Shards of Honor (1986) · 2 The Warrior's Apprentice (1986) · 3 Ethan of Athos (1986) · 4 Falling Free (1988) · 5 Brothers in Arms (1989) · 6 The Vor Game (1990) · 7 Barrayar (1991) · 8 Mirror Dance (1994) · 9 Cetaganda (1996) · 10 Memory (1996) · … all 17 below
- 1.
Shards of Honor (Jun 1986)
- 2.
The Warrior's Apprentice (Aug 1986)
- 3.
Ethan of Athos (Dec 1986)
- 4.
Falling Free (Apr 1988)
- 5.
Brothers in Arms (Jan 1989)
- 6.
The Vor Game (Sep 1990)
- 7.
Barrayar (Jul 1991)
- 8.
Mirror Dance (Mar 1994)
- 9.
Cetaganda (Jan 1996)
- 10.
Memory (Oct 1996)
- 11.
Komarr (Jun 1998)
- 12.
A Civil Campaign (Sep 1999)
- 13.
Diplomatic Immunity (May 2002)
- 14.
Cryoburn (Oct 2010)
- 15.
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Nov 2012)
- 16.
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen (2016)
- 17.
The Flowers of Vashnoi (May 2018)
Penric and Desdemona books in order (7)Series page
Reading order: 2 Penric and the Shaman (2016) · 3 Penric's Mission (2016) · 4 Penric's Fox (2017) · 5 Mira's Last Dance (2017) · 6 The Prisoner of Limnos (2017) · 8 The Orphans of Raspay (2019) · 9 The Physicians of Vilnoc (2020)
- 2.
Penric and the Shaman (Jun 2016)
- 3.
Penric's Mission (2016)
- 4.
Penric's Fox (2017)
- 5.
Mira's Last Dance (2017)
- 6.
The Prisoner of Limnos (2017)
- 8.
The Orphans of Raspay (2019)
- 9.
The Physicians of Vilnoc (May 2020)
The Vorkosigan Saga books in order (4)
Reading order: 6 Borders of Infinity (1989) · 6 The Mountains of Mourning (1989) · 11 Dreamweaver's Dilemma (1996) · 15 Winterfair Gifts (2004)
- 6.
Borders of Infinity (1989)
- 6.
The Mountains of Mourning (May 1989)
- 11.
Dreamweaver's Dilemma (1996)
- 15.
Winterfair Gifts (Sep 2004)
The Sharing Knife books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 Beguilement (2006) · 2 Legacy (2007) · 3 Passage (2008) · 4 Horizon (2009)
- 1.
Beguilement (Oct 2006)
- 2.
Legacy (2007)
- 3.
Passage (2008)
- 4.
Horizon (Jan 2009)
World of the Five Gods books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Curse of Chalion (2001) · 2 Paladin of Souls (2003) · 3 The Hallowed Hunt (2005)
- 1.
The Curse of Chalion (Aug 2001)
- 2.
Paladin of Souls (Sep 2003)
- 3.
The Hallowed Hunt (May 2005)
Where to start with Lois McMaster Bujold
Start here
The Curse of Chalion
Lois McMaster Bujold's most-read book and the first of the 3 World of the Five Gods books.
Highest rated
Barrayar
Rated 3.9 out of 5 by 26 readers.
Shortest way in
Shards of Honor
One of the most-read, at about 272 pages.
Standalone novels in order
FREE LANCERS (Alien Stars, No 4) (1987)
Vorkosigan's Game (1992)
The Spirit Ring (Nov 1992)
Women at War (1995)
Cordelia's Honor (1996)
Miles, Mystery & Mayhem (2001)
Miles Errant (2002)
Young Miles (2003)
Miles in Love (2006)
Miles, Mutants and Microbes (2007)
Penric's Travels (2020)
The Assassins of Thasalon (2021)
Penric's Labors (2022)
Demon Daughter (2024)
Novellas in order
Knife Children (2019)
Penric's Progress (2020)
Masquerade in Lodi (2021)
Other books in order
Labyrinth (1989)
Penric's Demon (2016)
Knot of Shadows (2023)
About Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold is an American speculative fiction writer. She has won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record. Bujold is best known for her Vorkosigan Saga, a series of science fiction novels featuring Miles Vorkosigan, a physically impaired interstellar spy and mercenary admiral from the planet Barrayar, set approximately 1000 years in the future. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association named her its 36th SFWA Grand Master in 2019.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Lois McMaster Bujold FAQ
- How many books has Lois McMaster Bujold written?
- Lois McMaster Bujold has published 38 novels, 14 novellas and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Lois McMaster Bujold's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Vorkosigan Saga with Shards of Honor, Penric and Desdemona with Penric and the Shaman and The Vorkosigan Saga with Borders of Infinity. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Lois McMaster Bujold's latest book?
- Demon Daughter (2024).
- What is Lois McMaster Bujold's most famous book?
- The Curse of Chalion (2001) is Lois McMaster Bujold's most widely read book.
- Are Lois McMaster Bujold's books connected?
- 35 books belong to 5 series (Vorkosigan Saga, Penric and Desdemona, The Vorkosigan Saga and The Sharing Knife); the other 20 books stand alone.
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.