Tad Williams books in order
American fantasy and science fiction writer
- Born
- 1957
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 34
- Series
- 4
Tad Williams has published 33 novels and 1 short story collection, beginning with Tailchaser's Song (1985). The 4 series include Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (5 books, starting with The Dragonbone Chair), Otherland (4 books, starting with City of Golden Shadow) and Shadowmarch (4 books, starting with Shadowmarch). The best-known is The Dragonbone Chair (1988). The latest is Into the Narrowdark (2022).
Updated September 2026
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn books in order (5)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Dragonbone Chair (1988) · 1.1 The Dragonbone Chair, Part 1 (2001) · 2 Stone of Farewell (1990) · 3 To Green Angel Tower (1993) · 3.1 To Green Angel Tower, Part 1 (1993)
- 1.
The Dragonbone Chair (Oct 1988)
- 1.1.
The Dragonbone Chair, Part 1 (Jan 2001)
- 2.
Stone of Farewell (1990)
- 3.
To Green Angel Tower (Mar 1993)
- 3.1.
To Green Angel Tower, Part 1 (1993)
Otherland books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 City of Golden Shadow (1996) · 2 River of Blue Fire (1998) · 3 Mountain of Black Glass (1999) · 4 Sea of Silver Light (2001)
- 1.
City of Golden Shadow (Dec 1996)
- 2.
River of Blue Fire (Jul 1998)
- 3.
Mountain of Black Glass (Sep 1999)
- 4.
Sea of Silver Light (Apr 2001)
Shadowmarch books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 Shadowmarch (2004) · 2 Shadowplay (2007) · 3 Shadowrise (2010) · 4 Shadowheart (2010)
- 1.
Shadowmarch (Nov 2004)
- 2.
Shadowplay (Mar 2007)
- 3.
Shadowrise (Mar 2010)
- 4.
Shadowheart (Nov 2010)
The Last King of Osten Ard books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Witchwood Crown (2017) · 2 Empire of Grass (2019) · 3 Into the Narrowdark (2022)
- 1.
The Witchwood Crown (2017)
- 2.
Empire of Grass (2019)
- 3.
Into the Narrowdark (Jul 2022)
Where to start with Tad Williams
Start here
The Dragonbone Chair
Tad Williams's most-read book and the first of the 5 Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn books.
Shortest way in
Tailchaser's Song
One of the most-read, at about 320 pages.
Newest
Into the Narrowdark
Published July 2022.
Standalone novels in order
Tailchaser's Song (Nov 1985)
Caliban's Hour (1993)
Siege (Memory, Sorrow & Thorn) (1994)
Storm (Memory, Sorrow & Thorn) (1994)
Tad Williams' Mirror World (1998)
The War of the Flowers (May 2003)
To Green Angel Tower, Book Three (2005)
Rite Short Work (2006)
Dirty Streets of Heaven Bobby Dollar 1 (2012)
Happy Hour in Hell (2012)
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day (2014)
The Very Best Of Tad Williams (2014)
To Green Angel Tower Bk. 4 (2016)
The Heart of What Was Lost (Osten Ard) (2017)
Brothers of the Wind (2021)
Navigator's Children Book Three of the Last King of Osten Ard (2022)
Otherland
Short story collections in order
Legends II (2003), with George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman
About Tad Williams
Robert Paul "Tad" Williams is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. He is the author of the multivolume Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, Otherland series, Shadowmarch series, and The Bobby Dollar series, as well as the standalone novels Tailchaser's Song and The War of the Flowers. Most recently, Williams published The Last King of Osten Ard series, with its final novel The Navigator's Children being published in 2024. More than 17 million copies of Williams' works have been sold.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Tad Williams FAQ
- How many books has Tad Williams written?
- Tad Williams has published 33 novels and 1 short story collection that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Tad Williams's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn with The Dragonbone Chair, Otherland with City of Golden Shadow and Shadowmarch with Shadowmarch. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Tad Williams's latest book?
- Into the Narrowdark (2022).
- What is Tad Williams's most famous book?
- The Dragonbone Chair (1988) is Tad Williams's most widely read book.
- Are Tad Williams's books connected?
- 16 books belong to 4 series (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Otherland, Shadowmarch and The Last King of Osten Ard); the other 18 books stand alone.
Authors like Tad Williams
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.