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Series / Robin Hobb

Cover of Assassin's Apprentice

Realm of the Elderlings books in order A series by Robin Hobb

The Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb has 16 books, from Assassin's Apprentice (Apr 1995) to Assassin's Fate (May 2017). Read it in order, starting with Assassin's Apprentice.

Reading order: 1 Assassin's Apprentice (1995) · 2 Royal Assassin (1996) · 3 Assassin's Quest (1997) · 4 Ship of Magic (1998) · 5 The Mad Ship (1998) · 6 Ship of Destiny (2000) · 7 Fool's Errand (2001) · 8 The Golden Fool (2002) · 9 Fool's Fate (2003) · 10 Dragon Keeper (2009) · … all 16 below

Updated September 2026

All 16 Realm of the Elderlings books in order

  1. 1.

    Assassin's Apprentice (Apr 1995)

    400 pages★ 3.9 (61 ratings)

    Buy
  2. 2.

    Royal Assassin (Mar 1996)

    581 pages★ 3.8 (41 ratings)

    Buy
  3. 3.

    Assassin's Quest (Mar 1997)

    757 pages★ 3.8 (28 ratings)

    Buy
  4. 4.

    Ship of Magic (Jan 1998)

    699 pages★ 4.0 (25 ratings)

    Buy
  5. 5.

    The Mad Ship (Nov 1998)

    769 pages★ 4.0 (20 ratings)

    Buy
  6. 6.

    Ship of Destiny (Aug 2000)

    683 pages★ 4.2 (9 ratings)

    Buy
  7. 7.

    Fool's Errand (Oct 2001)

    620 pages

    Buy
  8. 8.

    The Golden Fool (Oct 2002)

    640 pages★ 4.0 (19 ratings)

    Buy
  9. 9.

    Fool's Fate (Nov 2003)

    805 pages★ 3.9 (18 ratings)

    Buy
  10. 10.

    Dragon Keeper (2009)

    560 pages★ 3.4 (7 ratings)

    Buy
  11. 11.

    Dragon Haven (Mar 2010)

    570 pages

    Buy
  12. 12.

    City of Dragons (Sep 2011)

    375 pages★ 3.8 (6 ratings)

    Buy
  13. 13.

    Blood of Dragons (Mar 2013)

    481 pages★ 3.9 (7 ratings)

    Buy
  14. 14.

    Fool's Assassin (Aug 2014)

    Buy
  15. 15.

    Fool's Quest (Aug 2015)

    714 pages★ 4.0 (11 ratings)

    Buy
  16. 16.

    Assassin's Fate (May 2017)

    864 pages★ 4.5 (6 ratings)

    Buy

Realm of the Elderlings FAQ

How many Realm of the Elderlings books are there?
There are 16 Realm of the Elderlings books, as of September 2026.
What order should I read the Realm of the Elderlings books in?
In publication order, starting with Assassin's Apprentice (Apr 1995): 1 Assassin's Apprentice (1995) · 2 Royal Assassin (1996) · 3 Assassin's Quest (1997) · 4 Ship of Magic (1998) · 5 The Mad Ship (1998) · 6 Ship of Destiny (2000) · … all 16 below.
What is the first Realm of the Elderlings book?
Assassin's Apprentice (Apr 1995).
What is the latest Realm of the Elderlings book?
Assassin's Fate (May 2017).
Is the Realm of the Elderlings series finished?
There have been no new Realm of the Elderlings books since 2017.
Did Robin Hobb write other series?
Yes: The Ki and Vandien Quartet and Soldier Son Trilogy.

More series by Robin Hobb

All Robin Hobb books

Sources: series order and dates from Wikidata and Open Library. Last updated September 2026.