🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Derek Prior
Derek Prior is a fantasy fiction author originally from South East England who now makes his home in Florida. Before he lived in Florida he was all over the place though he spent a lot of time in Australia and West Wales. The critically acclaimed author held several jobs before becoming a writer that included being an actor, mental health nurse, musician, and personal trainer. Prior is known for high stakes and fast-paced fantasy novels in which the good triumph over evil though this often comes at a huge cost. He usually makes use of common tropes and expands them in an exploration of heroism, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal in a world in which evil is never far away and magic is both a blessing and a curse and characters are battle-hardened veterans.
All Book Series by Derek Prior
Ravine of Blood and Shadow / Carnifex: A Portent of Blood
Series opener · book 1 of 10 · published 2012
The Hunter: Takes a Demon to Catch a Demon
Latest in the series · book 10 of 10 · published 2023
Ward of the Philosopher: Shader Origins
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2015
The Seventh Horse: Shader Origins
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2015
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Derek Prior?
Derek Prior is a fantasy fiction author originally from South East England who now makes his home in Florida. Before he lived in Florida he was all over the place though he spent a lot of time in Australia and West Wales. The critically acclaimed author held several jobs before becoming a writer that included being an actor, mental health nurse, musician, and personal trainer.
Which Derek Prior series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Shader series, the earliest of Derek Prior's multi-book series: it opens with Sword of the Archon (2010) and runs to 4 books across 2010–2015, ending with The Archon's Assassin (2015). Derek Prior's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Derek Prior written?
Derek Prior has 21 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2010 and 2023. 20 of them belong to 6 named series — the largest being the Annals of the Nameless Dwarf series with 10 books — and 1 is a standalone title, collection or anthology.
In what order should Derek Prior's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Derek Prior's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Shader (2010–2015, 4 books), Memoirs of Harry Chesterton (2010, 1 book) and Annals of the Nameless Dwarf (2012–2023, 10 books), plus 3 more.
How are Derek Prior's books organised into series?
This guide splits Derek Prior's 21 books into 6 named series and 1 title that stands alone or appear only in collections: Annals of the Nameless Dwarf (10 books, 2012–2023); Shader (4 books, 2010–2015); Shader Origins (2 books, 2015); Sorcerers' Isle (2 books, 2018–2022); Memoirs of Harry Chesterton (1 book, 2010), plus 1 further series.