Reading Guides · October 22, 2026

Grishaverse Books in Order and Every Edition Explained (Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows, King of Scars ISBN Guide)

The Grishaverse reading order with US publication dates, the world behind Ravka and Ketterdam, and a guide to every edition: Square Fish paperbacks, Netflix tie-ins, the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows Collector's Editions, The Gathering Dark, and the 2026 story A Darker Shore.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Square Fish paperback cover

Last updated October 22, 2026. Publication dates and ISBNs below were checked against Wikipedia, publisher pages and bookseller catalog listings; sources are linked at the end.

Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse is one world told across three series, a fairy-tale collection, a book of saints and, as of 2026, a found-document novella. Most guides stop at the reading order. But if you buy these books secondhand, you also run into a second puzzle: the same title exists as an original Square Fish paperback, a Netflix tie-in, a Collector's Edition and (in the UK) under a completely different name. Because every copy in our shop is listed by its exact ISBN, we had to sort this out anyway. Here is the reading order, the world behind it, and a plain guide to which edition is which.

The short answer

  • Read in publication order: the Shadow and Bone trilogy (2012–2014), then the Six of Crows duology (2015–2016), then the King of Scars duology (2019–2021). The Language of Thorns and The Lives of Saints can be read any time.
  • Newest book: Six of Crows: A Darker Shore — Letters from Ketterdam (June 30, 2026), a short illustrated story set after Crooked Kingdom. Read it last in the Crows thread.
  • Most common used editions in the US are the Square Fish paperbacks (Macmillan's paperback imprint for young readers). Their ISBNs start with 978-1-250.
  • "The Gathering Dark" is not a different book — it was the 2012 UK title of Shadow and Bone.

Grishaverse books in order (with US first-publication dates)

# Book Series First published (US)
1 Shadow and Bone Shadow and Bone trilogy, book 1 June 5, 2012
2 Siege and Storm Shadow and Bone trilogy, book 2 June 2013
3 Ruin and Rising Shadow and Bone trilogy, book 3 June 17, 2014
4 Six of Crows Six of Crows duology, book 1 September 29, 2015
5 Crooked Kingdom Six of Crows duology, book 2 September 2016
— The Language of Thorns Illustrated fairy tales (Sara Kipin) 2017
6 King of Scars King of Scars duology, book 1 January 29, 2019
— The Lives of Saints Illustrated companion (Daniel J. Zollinger) 2020
7 Rule of Wolves King of Scars duology, book 2 March 30, 2021
— Demon in the Wood Graphic novel prequel (Dani Pendergast) September 27, 2022
— Six of Crows: A Darker Shore — Letters from Ketterdam Found-document story set after Crooked Kingdom June 30, 2026

Can I read Six of Crows before Shadow and Bone?

Yes, Six of Crows works on its own, and many readers start there. You'll just learn how the trilogy ends along the way, so if spoilers bother you, read the trilogy first.

What comes after Ruin and Rising?

Six of Crows is next in publication order. King of Scars comes after Crooked Kingdom, and it assumes you've read both earlier series, because characters from each come back.

Where does A Darker Shore fit?

After Crooked Kingdom. The publisher describes it as a mystery told through found documents, including letters between Kaz Brekker and an anonymous sailor of the Wraith, set in the years after the Kuwei auction. It's a 64-page illustrated hardcover with in-world collectible inserts, so read it as a coda, not a third Crows novel.

The world behind the books, briefly

Knowing where the Grishaverse comes from makes the editions and covers easier to understand, because the art leans hard on these influences.

  • Ravka, the setting of the trilogy and King of Scars, draws on early-19th-century Russia. Bardugo has called the trilogy's style "Tsarpunk": court intrigue, a tsar-like king, and the Darkling's Second Army.
  • Ketterdam, capital of Kerch and home of the Dregs, is loosely inspired by Dutch Republic–era Amsterdam: canals, merchant councils and trade money.
  • Fjerda, Ravka's northern enemy, is home to the drüskelle, soldiers who hunt Grisha. Its Ice Court is the "unbreachable" fortress at the center of the Six of Crows heist.
  • The Grisha themselves are people who practice the Small Science. They're grouped into three orders: Corporalki (who work on the body), Etherealki (who summon elements) and Materialki (who make things).

Bardugo's in-world books add texture to all this. The Language of Thorns collects the folk tales Ravkans, Kerch and Fjerdans tell each other, and The Lives of Saints is an illustrated version of the in-world book of saints, the Istorii Sankt'ya, that turns up in the trilogy.

Grishaverse editions explained

1. The original US hardcovers and Square Fish paperbacks

The series was bought by Henry Holt and Co., part of Macmillan, and the first editions are Holt hardcovers. Shadow and Bone's first hardcover carries ISBN 9780805094596, with cover art by Rich Deas. A year or so after each hardcover, the paperback came out under Square Fish, Macmillan's paperback imprint for young readers. These are the copies you're most likely to find used today:

Book Edition ISBN-13 Published Pages (listed)
Shadow and Bone Square Fish paperback 9781250027436 May 7, 2013 416
Siege and Storm Square Fish paperback 9781250044433 June 17, 2014 496
Ruin and Rising Square Fish paperback 9781250063168 August 18, 2015 480
Six of Crows Square Fish paperback 9781250076960 February 6, 2018 496
Crooked Kingdom Square Fish paperback 9781250076977 September 4, 2018 576
King of Scars First-edition hardcover 9781250142283 January 29, 2019 528
Rule of Wolves First-edition hardcover 9781250142306 March 30, 2021 608

Page counts come from bookseller listings and differ slightly from one source to the next, so don't use them on their own to identify an edition. The King of Scars books also came out in paperback later (December 29, 2020 and March 7, 2023, according to bookseller listings).

2. Netflix tie-in editions (2021)

Netflix's Shadow and Bone series blended the trilogy with the Crows, and its first season came out April 23, 2021 (season 2 followed on March 16, 2023). Ahead of the premiere, tie-in paperbacks appeared with show photography on the cover. For example, the Shadow and Bone Netflix tie-in paperback is ISBN 9781250777881, listed with an April 20, 2021 publication date. The text is the same novel. The difference is the cover, and some collectors either want it or avoid it on purpose.

3. Shadow and Bone: The Collector's Edition (2020)

Henry Holt published a deluxe hardcover of book 1 on November 10, 2020: ISBN 9781250781611. Retail listings describe it as having brand-new artwork, a slipcase with an exclusive design and a ribbon marker. If you're buying one secondhand, ask whether the slipcase is included. It's a big part of why people want this edition.

4. Six of Crows Collector's Edition (UK, 2018)

In the UK, Hachette published a Six of Crows Collector's Edition hardcover (ISBN 9781510106284, on sale October 11, 2018) with red sprayed edges, six full-color character portraits and a letter from the author. It's a UK edition. US sellers do import it, so check the barcode if you want a particular printing.

5. "The Gathering Dark" (UK, 2012)

The first UK edition of Shadow and Bone was titled The Gathering Dark (Indigo, 2012, ISBN 9781780621104), with a softer cover. In a November 2012 post, Bardugo said later UK printings would switch to the US title and cover. That makes The Gathering Dark a short-lived oddity. It's the same story, and you don't need it if you already own Shadow and Bone.

How to tell which edition you have

  1. Check the ISBN on the back cover or the copyright page. It's the only reliable method. Match it against the tables above.
  2. Look for the imprint. "Square Fish" on the spine or copyright page means the standard US paperback. "Henry Holt" on a hardcover usually means a first-edition hardcover or the Collector's Edition.
  3. Photos on the cover mean a Netflix tie-in. Illustrated or typographic covers are the book editions.
  4. Red sprayed edges on a Six of Crows hardcover may point to the UK Collector's Edition. Confirm with the ISBN.
  5. Remember that "first edition" means hardcover. The Square Fish paperbacks are not first editions, even though they're the original-era covers.

Which edition should you buy?

  • You want to read the whole Grishaverse cheaply: used Square Fish paperbacks. They're the most widely available editions.
  • You want a gift: the Shadow and Bone Collector's Edition (with its slipcase) or the Six of Crows Collector's Edition.
  • You came from the show: start with Shadow and Bone, then Six of Crows. Remember that the show mixes the two timelines; the books keep them separate.
  • You're caught up: King of Scars and Rule of Wolves, then A Darker Shore for Kaz.

Grishaverse books we have in stock

Each listing on our site names the exact format and ISBN. Each used copy carries a condition grade from the independent US bookseller holding it, and books ship from that seller. Stock changes daily — when a copy sells, it's gone.

See everything on our Leigh Bardugo books page, including her adult Alex Stern novels Ninth House and Hell Bent, or browse the King of Scars series. If you like collecting by edition, our ACOTAR editions guide and Fourth Wing editions guide work the same way, and our list of the best romantasy series covers what to read next. US orders over $35 ship free; under $35, shipping is $3.99.

Frequently asked questions

How many Grishaverse books are there?

Seven novels: three in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, two in Six of Crows and two in King of Scars. There are also two illustrated companion books (The Language of Thorns and The Lives of Saints), the Demon in the Wood graphic novel and the 2026 story A Darker Shore.

What order should I read the Grishaverse in?

Publication order: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising, Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, King of Scars, Rule of Wolves.

Is The Gathering Dark the same as Shadow and Bone?

Yes. The Gathering Dark was the 2012 UK title of Shadow and Bone. Later UK printings use the US title.

Is there a Shadow and Bone collector's edition?

Yes. Henry Holt published Shadow and Bone: The Collector's Edition on November 10, 2020 (ISBN 9781250781611), with new artwork, a slipcase and a ribbon marker.

Is A Darker Shore a third Six of Crows book?

No. It's a short (64-page) illustrated story told through letters and documents, set after Crooked Kingdom.

Sources