🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Jim Butcher
This was the book where Jim Butcher brought his readers into the Codex Alera series and the world of the Aleran Empire. In it there are ‘crafters’ who are able to control the elements by using their fury. This is where Amara comes in, a young woman who happens to be on the way to her graduation as she is traveling with Fidelias, her mentor, as she is a ‘cursori’ in training. Soon he betrays her though as she finds herself infiltrating a camp of mercenaries, but not before she escapes making her way to the First Lord Gaius who tells her to head to the city of Garrison. After this Bernard is introduced as he controls a steadholt. With the rest of his family gone, he now resides with Isana, his sister, and Tavi, his furyless nephew.
All Book Series by Jim Butcher
Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2010
Bigfoot
Latest in the series · book 12 of 12 · published 2022 Co-authored · Mark Powers
Paranormal Payback
Single-title series · published 2026 Co-authored · Kerrie L. Hughes
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2010 Edition
Series opener · book 1 of 15 · published 2010
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2011 Edition
Book 2 of 15 · published 2011
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2012 Edition
Book 3 of 15 · published 2012
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2013 Edition
Book 4 of 15 · published 2013
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition
Book 5 of 15 · published 2014
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2015 Edition
Book 6 of 15 · published 2015
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2016 Edition
Book 7 of 15 · published 2016
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2017 Edition
Book 8 of 15 · published 2017
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2018 Edition
Book 9 of 15 · published 2018
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2019 Edition
Book 10 of 15 · published 2020
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, Volume 3
Book 13 of 15 · published 2022
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Volume 5
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 2024
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2013 Edition
Book 14 of 25 · published 2013
The Collected RinthCon 2323
Latest in the series · book 25 of 25 · published 2023
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jim Butcher?
This was the book where Jim Butcher brought his readers into the Codex Alera series and the world of the Aleran Empire. In it there are 'crafters' who are able to control the elements by using their fury. This is where Amara comes in, a young woman who happens to be on the way to her graduation as she is traveling with Fidelias, her mentor, as she is a 'cursori' in training.
Which Jim Butcher series should I start with?
The best place to start is The Dresden Files series, the earliest of Jim Butcher's multi-book series: it opens with Storm Front (2000) and runs to 18 books across 2000–2026, ending with Twelve Months (2026). Jim Butcher's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Jim Butcher written?
Jim Butcher has 110 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2000 and 2026. 84 of them belong to 8 named series — the largest being The Dresden Files Short Stories/Novellas series with 26 books — and 26 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Jim Butcher's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Jim Butcher's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are The Dresden Files (2000–2026, 18 books), Codex Alera (2004–2008, 6 books) and The Dresden Files Graphic Novels (2008–2022, 12 books), plus 4 more.
How are Jim Butcher's books organised into series?
This guide splits Jim Butcher's 110 books into 8 named series and 26 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: The Dresden Files Short Stories/Novellas (26 books, 2010–2026); The Dresden Files (18 books, 2000–2026); The Dresden Files Graphic Novels (12 books, 2008–2022); Codex Alera (6 books, 2004–2008); Dresden Files Collections (3 books, 2010–2018), plus 3 further series.