Book Series Guide
T. Kingfisher

Author guide

T. Kingfisher Books in Order

Ursula Vernon writes adult fantasy, horror, fantasy romance, and fairy-tale retellings under the name T. Kingfisher. Her work includes novels, novellas, short-story collections, and books for younger readers, and has received Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Dragon Awards. She lives in New Mexico.

fantasyhorrorfantasy romancedark fairy tales

Catalog record updated .

T. Kingfisher's Newest Book

Cover of Wolf Worm

Wolf Worm

novel · First published 2026

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator—but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope. So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?” With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. His ground-breaking discoveries come with a cost—one that Halder is paying with human flesh. If Sonia can’t find a way to stop the monstrosity, she may be next under the knife.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of Swordheart

Swordheart

A welcoming entry to the interconnected Temple of the White Rat fantasy-romance setting.

Cover of What Moves the Dead

What Moves the Dead

A short, self-contained gothic-horror novella and the first Sworn Soldier story.

Cover of Nettle & Bone

Nettle & Bone

A standalone dark fairy-tale fantasy novel.

Read in order

Books by series

shared-world · ongoing

Temple of the White Rat

A shared-world fantasy setting encompassing the Clocktaur War, Swordheart, and Saint of Steel stories.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Clockwork Boys

    Book 1 · novel · 2017

    A paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T. Kingfisher’s new novel begins the tale of a murderous band of criminals (and a…

  2. 2
    The Wonder Engine

    Book 2 · novel · 2018

    Pull three people out of prison--a disgraced paladin, a convicted forger, and a heartless assassin. Give them weapons, carnivorous tattoos, and each other. Point them at the enemy.What could possibly go wrong?In the sequel to CLOCKWORK…

  3. 3
    Swordheart

    Book 3 · novel · 2018

    "Unfortunately, she is also saddled with money-hungry relatives full of devious plans for how to wrest the inheritance away from her. While locked in her bedroom, Halla inspects the ancient sword that's been collecting dust on the wall…

  4. 4
    Paladin's Grace

    Book 4 · novel · 2020

    Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the…

  5. 5
    Paladin's Strength

    Book 5 · novel · 2021

    From the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of Swordheart and The Twisted Ones comes a saga of murder, magic, and love on the far side of despair.

  6. 6
    Paladin's Hope

    Book 6 · novel · 2021

    Piper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard's investigations. It's a peaceful, if solitary profession...until the day when he's called to the river to examine the latest in…

  7. 7
    Paladin's Faith

    Book 7 · novel · 2023

    Marguerite Florian has spent her life acquiring and selling information, using whatever means necessary. When she falls afoul of a powerful former employer, her usual methods of self-preservation no longer work. Fortunately, she has…

series · complete

Clocktaur War

A two-volume fantasy adventure about a disparate group working to stop a clockwork invasion.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Clockwork Boys

    Book 1 · novel · 2017

    A paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T. Kingfisher’s new novel begins the tale of a murderous band of criminals (and a…

  2. 2
    The Wonder Engine

    Book 2 · novel · 2018

    Pull three people out of prison--a disgraced paladin, a convicted forger, and a heartless assassin. Give them weapons, carnivorous tattoos, and each other. Point them at the enemy.What could possibly go wrong?In the sequel to CLOCKWORK…

series · ongoing

Swordheart

A fantasy-romance series beginning with a woman who discovers a warrior living inside an enchanted sword.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Swordheart

    Book 1 · novel · 2018

    "Unfortunately, she is also saddled with money-hungry relatives full of devious plans for how to wrest the inheritance away from her. While locked in her bedroom, Halla inspects the ancient sword that's been collecting dust on the wall…

series · complete

Saint of Steel

A fantasy-romance series following the paladins of a dead god and their allies.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Paladin's Grace

    Book 1 · novel · 2020

    Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the…

  2. 2
    Paladin's Strength

    Book 2 · novel · 2021

    From the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of Swordheart and The Twisted Ones comes a saga of murder, magic, and love on the far side of despair.

  3. 3
    Paladin's Hope

    Book 3 · novel · 2021

    Piper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard's investigations. It's a peaceful, if solitary profession...until the day when he's called to the river to examine the latest in…

  4. 4
    Paladin's Faith

    Book 4 · novel · 2023

    Marguerite Florian has spent her life acquiring and selling information, using whatever means necessary. When she falls afoul of a powerful former employer, her usual methods of self-preservation no longer work. Fortunately, she has…

series · ongoing

Sworn Soldier

A gothic-horror series following retired soldier Alex Easton through uncanny investigations.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    What Moves the Dead

    Book 1 · novella · 2022

    When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal…

  2. 2
    What Feasts at Night

    Book 2 · novella · 2024

    The follow-up to T. Kingfisher’s bestselling gothic novella, "What Moves the Dead ". Retired soldier Alex Easton returns in a horrifying new adventure. After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just…

  3. 3
    What Stalks the Deep

    Book 3 · novella · 2025

    The next novella in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a coal mine in America Alex Easton does not want to visit America. They particularly do not want…

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (17)
  1. Nine Goblins

    novella · 2013

    Nessilka had been in any number of battles, and she couldn't remember the first ten minutes of any of them.She had a theory that if you could remember the first ten minutes, you'd never, ever charge at anybody again, so parts of your…

  2. The Seventh Bride

    novella · 2015

    Young Rhea is a miller’s daughter of low birth, so she is understandably surprised when a mysterious nobleman, Lord Crevan, shows up on her doorstep and proposes marriage. Since commoners don’t turn down lords—no matter how sinister they…

  3. Bryony and Roses

    novella · 2015

    Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city. But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and…

  4. The Raven and the Reindeer

    novella · 2016

    When Gerta’s friend Kay is stolen away by the mysterious Snow Queen, it’s up to Gerta to find him. Her journey will take her through a dangerous land of snow and witchcraft, accompanied only by a bandit and a talking raven. Can she win…

  5. Summer in Orcus

    novel · 2017

    When the witch Baba Yaga walks her house into the backyard, eleven-year-old Summer enters into a bargain for her heart’s desire. Her search will take her to the strange, surreal world of Orcus, where birds talk, women change their shape,…

  6. Minor Mage

    novella · 2019

    Oliver was a very minor mage. His familiar reminded him of this several times a day. He only knew three spells, and one of them was to control his allergy to armadillo dander. He was a very minor mage. Unfortunately, he was all they had.

  7. The Twisted Ones

    novel · 2019

    When a young woman clears out her deceased grandmother’s home in rural North Carolina, she finds long-hidden secrets about a strange colony of beings in the woods in this chilling novel that reads like The Blair Witch Project meets The…

  8. The Hollow Places

    novel · 2020

    Kara finds the words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring this…

  9. Nettle & Bone

    novel · 2022

    After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from…

  10. Illuminations

    novel · 2022

    Rosa Mandolini knows in her heart that her family are the greatest painters of magical illuminations in the city. But the eccentric Studio Mandolini has fallen on hard times and the future is no longer certain. While trying to help her…

  11. A House with Good Bones

    novel · 2023

    "Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone. She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit,…

  12. Thornhedge

    novella · 2023

    There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story. Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the…

  13. A Sorceress Comes to Call

    novel · 2024

    *The hardcover edition features a foil stamp on the casing and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.* Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this…

  14. Hemlock & Silver

    novel · 2025

    Healer Anja knows little of politics but much of poisons. When she is summoned to treat the mysterious illness afflicting the king’s daughter, she finds herself against the clock, desperate to track down the source of the poison killing…

  15. Snake-Eater

    novel · 2025

    Fleeing an unhappy marriage, she has exactly twenty-seven dollars to her name, and her only friend in the world is her dog, Copper. On arrival, Selena learns Amelia is dead. But the inhabitants of Quartz Creek are only too happy to have a…

  16. Wolf Worm

    novel · 2026

    Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator—but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is…

Short fiction (5)
  1. Jackalope Wives

    short-story · 2014

  2. The Halcyon Fairy Book

    short-story-collection · 2017

    The Halcyon Fairy Book is a delightful collection of wry and insightful comments on traditional fairy tales, originally presented in her blog, along with her first collection of fairy-tale inspired original work, Toad Words, previously…

Frequently asked questions about T. Kingfisher

Who is T. Kingfisher, and what is her real name?

T. Kingfisher is the pen name of Ursula Vernon, an American author and illustrator who writes fantasy, horror, and fairy-tale fiction.

Sources: simonandschuster.com (opens in a new tab)penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)

Why does Ursula Vernon write as T. Kingfisher?

She uses T. Kingfisher primarily for her adult fiction, while Ursula Vernon is associated with children’s books and comics. Vernon has said the name reflects her love of kingfishers and pays homage to Ursula K. Le Guin.

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

What did T. Kingfisher study before becoming an author?

Ursula Vernon studied anthropology at Macalester College and later developed a career spanning illustration, comics, children’s books, and adult fiction.

Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)thenerddaily.com (opens in a new tab)

What influences T. Kingfisher’s writing?

Her writing is strongly influenced by fairy tales and folklore. Vernon has said that old fairy-tale collections and folk-story archives shaped her interest in retelling familiar stories in darker, more personal ways.

Sources: grimdarkmagazine.com (opens in a new tab)thenerddaily.com (opens in a new tab)

What awards has T. Kingfisher won?

Her work has won major genre honors, including a Hugo Award and the Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction.

Sources: thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)nebulas.sfwa.org (opens in a new tab)