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Cover of Empire

The Empire books in order A series by Orson Scott Card

The Empire series by Orson Scott Card has 3 books, from Empire (2006) to Hidden Empire (Dec 2009). Read it in order, starting with Empire.

Reading order: 1 Empire (2006) · 2 Shadow Complex (2009) · 3 Hidden Empire (2009)

Updated September 2026

All 3 The Empire books in order

  1. 1.

    Empire (2006)

    352 pages★ 2.9 (7 ratings)

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  2. 2.

    Shadow Complex (2009)

    Buy
  3. 3.

    Hidden Empire (Dec 2009)

    336 pages

    Buy

The Empire FAQ

How many The Empire books are there?
There are 3 The Empire books, as of September 2026.
What order should I read the The Empire books in?
In publication order, starting with Empire (2006): 1 Empire (2006) · 2 Shadow Complex (2009) · 3 Hidden Empire (2009).
What is the first The Empire book?
Empire (2006).
What is the latest The Empire book?
Hidden Empire (Dec 2009).
Is the Empire series finished?
There have been no new The Empire books since 2009.
Did Orson Scott Card write other series?
Yes: The Worthing, Ender's Saga, The Tales of Alvin Maker, Homecoming Saga and The Pathfinder trilogy.

More series by Orson Scott Card

All Orson Scott Card books

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