Book Series Guide
Jim Butcher

Author guide

Jim Butcher Books in Order

Jim Butcher is an American fantasy and speculative-fiction author whose career began with Storm Front in 2000. He is the creator of the urban-fantasy series The Dresden Files, the completed epic-fantasy series Codex Alera, and the steampunk-fantasy series The Cinder Spires. His bibliography also includes novellas, short fiction, graphic novels, and a Spider-Man tie-in novel.

fantasyurban fantasyparanormal fictionspeculative fictionscience fictionsteampunkmystery

Catalog record updated .

Jim Butcher's Newest Book

Cover of Out Law

Out Law

novella · First published 2026

In a city that's just beginning to recover from the devastation caused by the Battle of Chicago, Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together as well. He's ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds, and training an eager new apprentice. The last thing he wants is any trouble. But, as history has consistently—and quite annoyingly—shown, what Harry wants is rarely what Harry gets. It starts with a visit from Harry's most powerful frenemy, Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago. He needs Harry to assist in the redemption of an underling who's looking to go straight. And since Harry does kinda sorta owe Marcone for saving his life once (stupid honorable debt!), it's not a request he can refuse. He'll just wish he had. Because this little favor is going to drag Harry into a fight he doesn't want on behalf of a lowlife he doesn't trust against an enemy more powerful and pestilent than he ever could've expected: an insatiable, demonic foe whom Harry himself may have created when he wiped out the vampires of the Red Court so long ago. Before, all it wanted was blood. Now it wants the entire world . . .

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of Storm Front

Storm Front

The first and foundational novel of The Dresden Files.

Cover of Furies of Calderon

Furies of Calderon

The first novel and natural entry point to Codex Alera.

Cover of The Aeronaut's Windlass

The Aeronaut's Windlass

The first novel of The Cinder Spires.

Cover of Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours

Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours

A self-contained Spider-Man tie-in novel.

Read in order

Books by series

fiction-series · ongoing

The Dresden Files

An ongoing urban-fantasy detective series following wizard and private investigator Harry Dresden in modern Chicago, accompanied by novellas, short fiction, and graphic works.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Storm Front

    Book 1 · novel · 2000

    In the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, Harry Dresden’s investigation of a grisly double murder pulls him into the darkest depths of magical Chicago… As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows…

  2. 2
    Fool Moon

    Book 2 · novel · 2001

    You’d think there’d be a little more action for the only professional wizard listed in the Chicago phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of work: magical, mundane, or menial. Just when it looks like…

  3. 3
    Grave Peril

    Book 3 · novel · 2001

    Now in hardcover from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dresden Files.Harry Dresden's faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. All par for the course for…

  4. 4
    Summer Knight

    Book 4 · novel · 2002

    Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with her newly acquired taste for blood, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can't pay his rent. He's alienating his friends. He can't even recall the last time he took a shower.…

  5. 5
    Death Masks

    Book 5 · novel · 2003

    Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard P.I. Turns out the 'everyday' world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Harry Dresden should be happy…

  6. 6
    Blood Rites

    Book 6 · novel · 2004

    Harry Dresden has had worse assignments than going undercover on the set of an adult film. Like fleeing a burning building full of enraged demon-monkeys, for instance. Or going toe-to-leaf with a walking plant monster. Still, there’s…

  7. 7
    Dead Beat

    Book 7 · novel · 2005

    Paranormal investigations are Harry Dresden’s business and Chicago is his beat, as he tries to bring law and order to a world of wizards and monsters that exists alongside everyday life. And though most inhabitants of the Windy City don’t…

  8. 8
    Proven Guilty

    Book 8 · novel · 2006

    The only wizard in the Chicago phone book, Harry is given the task of investigating rumors of black magic in the Windy City, while, at the same time, searching for some malevolent entities that feed on fear who have been set loose on…

  9. 9
    White Night

    Book 9 · novel · 2007

    A sensational addition to the Dresden Files adventures-from a USA Today bestselling author.Professional wizard Harry Dresden is investigating a series of deaths in Chicago. Someone is killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of…

  10. 10
    Small Favor

    Book 10 · novel · 2008

    No one's tried to kill Harry Dresden for almost an entire year, and his life finally seems to be calming down. For once, the future looks fairly bright. But the past casts one hell of a long shadow. An old bargain has placed Harry in debt…

  11. 11
    Turn Coat

    Book 11 · novel · 2009

    The Warden Morgan has been accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council and theres only one, final punishment for that crime. He's on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog.…

  12. 12
    Changes

    Book 12 · novel · 2010

    Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden's lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could…

  13. 13
    Side Jobs

    Book collection · collection · 2010

  14. 14
    Ghost Story

    Book 13 · novel · 2011

    "In his life, Harry's been shot, stabbed, sliced, beaten, burned, crushed, and tortured. And after someone puts a bullet through his chest and leaves him to die in the waters of Lake Michigan, things really start going downhill. But even…

  15. 15
    Cold Days

    Book 14 · novel · 2012

    After a brief interlude in the afterlife, Harry Dresden’s new job makes him wonder if death was really all that bad. Harry Dresden is no longer Chicago’s only professional wizard. Now, he’s Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and…

  16. 16
    Skin Game

    Book 15 · novel · 2014

    Chicago’s only professional wizard is about to have a very bad day in the latest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files... As Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry Dresden never knows what the scheming…

  17. 17
    Working for Bigfoot

    Book collection · collection · 2015

    Chicago wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden is used to mysterious clients with long hair and legs up to here. But when it turns out the long hair covers every square inch of his latest client’s body, and the legs contribute to a nine-foot…

  18. 18
    Peace Talks

    Book 16 · novel · 2020

    When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he…

  19. 19
    Battle Ground

    Book 17 · novel · 2020

    Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders. But this time it’s different. A…

  20. 20
    Brief Cases

    Book collection · collection · 2018

    The world of Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, is rife with intrigue—and creatures of all supernatural stripes. And you’ll make their intimate acquaintance as Harry delves into the dark side of truth, justice, and the…

  21. 21
    Twelve Months

    Book 18 · novel · 2026

    Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity. In the…

  22. 22
    Backup

    Book between 10 and 11 · novella · 2008

    Harry's in trouble he knows nothing about, and it's up to his big brother Thomas to track him down and solve those little life-threatening difficulties without his little brother even noticing. Set in Jim Butcher's ultra-popular Dresden…

  23. 23
    The Law

    Book after 17 · novella · 2022

    From the number one New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, a forthcoming novella that thrusts Chicago’s only professional Wizard, Harry Dresden, back into battle–both a legal one…and the kind with explosions.

  24. 24
    Out Law

    Book after 17 · novella · 2026

    In a city that's just beginning to recover from the devastation caused by the Battle of Chicago, Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together as well. He's ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds, and…

  25. 25
    Restoration of Faith

    Book before 1 · short-story · 2010

    A short story of the Dresden Files which introduced Harry Dresden and his world for the very first time. (Also included in Side Jobs.)

  26. 26
    Publicity and Advertising

    Book between 5 and 6 · short-story · 2010

  27. 27
    Christmas Eve

    Book after 17 · short-story · 2018

  28. 28
    Mike

    Book between 9 and 10 · short-story · 2020

  29. 29
    Journal

    Book during 11 · short-story · 2020

  30. 30
    Goodbye

    Book during 12 · short-story · 2020

    Concurrent with the end of Changes and contains RADIOACTIVE-LEVEL SPOILERS for Changes and Ghost Story.

  31. 31
    Job Placement

    Book between 15 and 16 · short-story · 2020

  32. 32
    Everything the Light Touches

    Book between 15 and 16 · graphic-short · 2020

  33. 33
    The Good People

    Book after 17 · short-story · 2020

  34. 34
    Welcome to the Jungle

    Book prequel · graphic-novel · 2008

    Harry Dresden, the only professional wizard listed in the Chicago phone book, takes on supernatural villains out to turn the world upside down, in an original graphic novel adventure.

  35. 35
    Ghoul, Goblin

    Book between 2 and 3 · graphic-novel · 2013

  36. 36
    War Cry

    Book after 7 · graphic-novel · 2014

    "Collects materials originally published in Jim Butcher's The Dresden files: War cry #1-5."

  37. 37
    Down Town

    Book between 9 and 10 · graphic-novel · 2015

  38. 38
    Wild Card

    Book between 10 and 11 · graphic-novel · 2016

  39. 39
    Dog Men

    Book between 10 and 11 · graphic-novel · 2018

fiction-series · complete

Codex Alera

A completed six-book epic-fantasy series set in the world of Carna, where an empire draws power from elemental spirits called furies.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Furies of Calderon

    Book 1 · novel · 2004

    In this extraordinary fantasy epic, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files leads readers into a world where the fate of the realm rests on the shoulders of a boy with no power to call his own... For a thousand…

  2. 2
    Academ's Fury

    Book 2 · novel · 2005

    For centuries, the people of Alera have relied on the power of the furies to protect them from outside invaders. But the gravest threat might be closer than they think. Tavi has escaped the Calderon Valley and the mysterious attack of the…

  3. 3
    Cursor's Fury

    Book 3 · novel · 2006

    When the power-hungry High Lord of Kalare launches a merciless rebellion against the First Lord, young Tavi of Calderon joins a newly formed legion under an assumed name. And when the ruthless Kalare allies himself with a savage enemy of…

  4. 4
    Captain's Fury

    Book 4 · novel · 2007

    In his acclaimed Codex Alera novels, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher has created a fascinating world of elemental magic. Now, as enemies become allies, and friends become bitter foes, a danger beyond reckoning looms for…

  5. 5
    Princeps' Fury

    Book 5 · novel · 2008

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Captain's Fury and the Dresden Files novels.Tavi of Calderon, now recognized as Princeps Gaius Octavian and heir to the crown, has achieved a fragile alliance with Alera's oldest foes, the…

  6. 6
    First Lord's Fury

    Book 6 · novel · 2009

    The aging First Lord of Alera has fallen in battle. Yet his people must continue to resist an invading inhuman army. Desperate Alerans even pledge fealty to the Vord Queen to survive, turning the incredible power of Aleran furies back on…

fiction-series · ongoing

The Cinder Spires

An ongoing steampunk-fantasy series of airships, towering spires, crystal technology, and intelligent cats.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Aeronaut's Windlass

    Book 1 · novel · 2015

    Jim Butcher, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files and the Codex Alera novels, conjures up a new series set in a fantastic world of noble families, steam-powered technology, and magic-wielding warriors... Since…

  2. 2
    Warriorborn

    Book between 1 and 2 · novella · 2023 Optional

  3. 3
    The Olympian Affair

    Book 2 · novel · 2023

    The fate of the Cinder Spires may be decided by crossed swords in the next exhilarating fantasy adventure from the author of the Dresden Files, in this New York Times bestselling series of noble families, swordplay, and airships. For…

shared-universe-series · ongoing

Spider-Man

Marvel's shared-universe Spider-Man franchise, represented here by Butcher's standalone tie-in novel.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours

    Book standalone · novel · 2006

    Enjoying his work as a high-school science teacher, his marriage to Mary Jane, and a period of low crime, Peter Parker learns that the Rhino has resumed his nefarious activities in Times Square, a situation that is further complicated by…

Frequently asked questions about Jim Butcher

Who is Jim Butcher, and what is he best known for?

Jim Butcher is a fantasy author best known as the creator of The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and The Cinder Spires.

Source: jim-butcher.com (opens in a new tab)

When and where was Jim Butcher born?

Jim Butcher was born on October 26, 1971, in Independence, Missouri. He later earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Source: encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)

How did Jim Butcher begin his writing career?

Butcher developed the first Dresden Files novel as a project for a writing class taught by Deborah Chester. The manuscript was rejected repeatedly before it was published.

Sources: encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)reactormag.com (opens in a new tab)

What influenced Jim Butcher's writing?

Butcher credits his writing teacher, Deborah Chester, with teaching him essential craft techniques. He has also said that Babylon 5 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer strongly influenced his early writing style.

Source: grimdarkmagazine.com (opens in a new tab)

What awards has Jim Butcher won or been nominated for?

He has won Dragon Awards for Battle Ground and the graphic novel Wild Card. His work has also received three Hugo Award nominations, including for Skin Game and The Aeronaut's Windlass.

Sources: sfadb.com (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)