Book Series Guide

Author guide

Samantha Shannon Books in Order

Samantha Shannon is an award-winning British fantasy author and a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Born in London in 1991, she studied English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford. Her work spans near-future dystopian fantasy, paranormal fiction, and epic fantasy, including The Bone Season saga and The Roots of Chaos cycle.

fantasydystopian fictionparanormal fictionscience fiction

Catalog record updated .

Samantha Shannon's Newest Book

Cover of Among the Burning Flowers

Among the Burning Flowers

novella · First published 2025

With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree. Take your first steps into the epic. Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze. It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind. Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world. A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries. And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall . . . A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic events that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree. Richly illustrated with magical artwork by Rovina Cai (@rovinacai).

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Bone Season

The Bone Season

The first novel and primary entry point to The Bone Season saga.

Cover of The Priory of the Orange Tree

The Priory of the Orange Tree

A self-contained epic and the original entry point to The Roots of Chaos.

Cover of Among the Burning Flowers

Among the Burning Flowers

A shorter, faster entry point to The Roots of Chaos.

Read in order

Books by series

fantasy fiction series · ongoing

The Bone Season

A seven-book saga following clairvoyant Paige Mahoney in a near-future Europe ruled by the Republic of Scion.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Bone Season

    Book 1 · novel · 2013

    "It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is…

  2. 2
    The Mime Order

    Book 2 · novel · 2015

    The stunning second novel in the New York Times bestselling Bone Season series expands Samantha Shannon's epic world of Scion in a new heart-pounding story of revolution. Paige Mahoney has escaped the clandestine prison city of Oxford.…

  3. 3
    On the Merits of Unnaturalness

    Book companion · pamphlet · 2015 Optional

    Be aware, my good Reader, that this Pamphlet, no matter how controversial its content, must never fall into enemy Hands. The most important piece of clairvoyant literature written in the twenty-first century, On the Merits of…

  4. 4
    The Pale Dreamer

    Book prequel novella · novella · 2016 Optional

    A dreamer is born – the exhilarating prequel to the ground-breaking, extraordinary Bone Season series From the bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree 'Truly extraordinary and thrilling' Andy Serkis on The Bone Season In the…

  5. 5
    The Song Rising

    Book 3 · novel · 2017

    The magnificent new book in the New York Times-bestselling series: a fantastic tale of rebellion and courage against enormous odds. Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of…

  6. 6
    The Dawn Chorus

    Book between 3 and 4 · novella · 2020 Optional

    An ebook exclusive which bridges the story between the previous and forthcoming instalments of Samantha Shannon's international phenomenon series The Bone Season Paige Mahoney and Arcturus Mesarthim have arrived in the Scion Citadel of…

  7. 7
    The Mask Falling

    Book 4 · novel · 2021

    The Sunday Times bestseller, from the bestselling author of The Bone Season and The Priory of the Orange Tree Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of…

  8. 8
    The Dark Mirror

    Book 5 · novel · 2025

    Paige Mahoney is outside the Republic of Scion for the first time in more than a decade – but she has no idea how she got to the free world. Half a year has been wiped from her memory. As she makes her way back to the revolution, her…

  9. 9
    The Moth Reborn

    Book 6 · novel · 2027

    The next installment in the Bone Season series from Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Samantha Shannon

epic fantasy series · ongoing

The Roots of Chaos

An epic fantasy cycle about wyrms, magic, faith, political power, and the recurring threat of the Nameless One.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Priory of the Orange Tree

    Book 1 · novel · 2019

    The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at…

  2. 2
    A Day of Fallen Night

    Book 2 · novel · 2023 Optional

    In A Day of Fallen Night, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come. Tunuva Melim is a…

  3. 3
    Among the Burning Flowers

    Book prelude · novella · 2025 Optional

    With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree. Take your first steps into the epic. Yscalin, land of sunshine…

Frequently asked questions about Samantha Shannon

Who is Samantha Shannon?

Samantha Shannon is a London-born fantasy author whose career includes the bestselling The Bone Season and The Roots of Chaos series. She is also a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller.

Sources: samanthashannon.co.uk (opens in a new tab)bloomsbury.com (opens in a new tab)

Where was Samantha Shannon born, and what did she study?

She was born in London in 1991 and studied English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford from 2010 to 2013.

Source: samanthashannon.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

How did Samantha Shannon begin her writing career?

She started writing at 15, drafted The Bone Season in 2011 while at Oxford, and signed her first book deal with Bloomsbury in 2012. The novel was published in 2013, when she was 21.

Sources: samanthashannon.co.uk (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)

What inspired Samantha Shannon's writing?

She has cited Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale as the trigger for writing a dystopian novel and a major feminist awakening. She also identified the Middle English poem Pearl as an inspiration for The Bone Season.

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

What awards has Samantha Shannon won?

Her official biography lists the 2026 NIFFF Special Award for a Visionary and Authoritative Literary Body of Work and a 2024 gold medal for A Day of Fallen Night in the Independent Publisher Book Awards. The award body's medalist page confirms the 2024 fantasy gold.

Sources: samanthashannon.co.uk (opens in a new tab)ippyawards.com (opens in a new tab)