Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
#2634.05 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 6 books Status Complete 2007–2022 Reading commitment Medium Brandon Sanderson Last reviewed 2026-08-13
Overview
A middle-grade comic-fantasy series narrated by Alcatraz Smedry, a boy who inherits the hereditary Smedry Talent of breaking things on purpose. Alcatraz discovers a secret war against the Evil Librarians, a shadowy cabal that controls most of the real world's information and suppresses magical 'Silimatic' technology (including Alcatraz's own Talent) hidden in the Free Kingdoms across the globe.
Comic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (6 works) counts toward ranking
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians Brandon Sanderson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians | 2007 | 1 | core | 3.92 (36,745 ratings) |
 | Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones | 2008 | 2 | core | 4.14 (19,103 ratings) |
 | Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia | 2009 | 3 | core | 4.13 (15,804 ratings) |
 | Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens | 2010 | 4 | core | 4.13 (13,767 ratings) |
 | The Dark Talent | 2016 | 5 | core | 4.12 (9,936 ratings) |
A middle-grade comic-fantasy series about a boy who can deliberately break things, opposing a secret cabal of librarians who suppress fantastical 'Silimatic' technology hidden across the real world. Books 1-5 solely authored by Brandon Sanderson (already known for the Cosmere and the Wheel of Time). No true connection to either of those universes -- a wholly separate, standalone continuity.
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians (book 6) Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians | 2022 | 6 | core | 4.09 (5,968 ratings) |
Book 6, a narrator switch to Bastille, was co-authored by Janci Patterson -- per Brandon Sanderson's own site, he 'had some trouble getting Bastille's voice right' and brought in Patterson as co-author. This is tracked as a secondary co-author on that one book, the same way this project already handles Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon's Valdemar co-authorship; the series as a whole is still credited to Sanderson as the flagship author.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians? Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians's Core Canon is 6 books.
- What is the reading order for Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians? Publication order, starting with Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians finished? Complete (2007–2022).
- How much reading does Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 6 Core Canon books).
- How is Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians ranked? #263 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 101,323 reader ratings across 6 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #263?
Ranked #263 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.05 across 6 core books.
- Backed by 101k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #262, The Scholomance (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 6 books · Complete · 101k ratings · Ranks #263 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length comic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (6 Core Canon books)
- Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (2007)
- Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones (2008)
- Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia (2009)
- Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens (2010)
- The Dark Talent (2016)
- Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (2022)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No major awards found; see Research notes for the regional children's-choice reader awards this series has been nominated for.
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Official resources
- Wikipedia: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
- Brandon Sanderson: Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series page
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.05 across 101,323 ratings on 6 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians admitted; Core Canon = all 6 novels accepted 2026-08-13
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians Tier 2
- Brandon Sanderson: Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series page Tier 1
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13
Rule: Core Canon = all 6 novels: books 1–5 (2007–2016) solely by Brandon Sanderson (already known for the Cosmere and the Wheel of Time, but a wholly separate, standalone continuity from either); book 6, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (2022), a narrator switch to Bastille, co-authored by Janci Patterson, tracked as a secondary co-author on that one book, the same way this canon already handles Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon's Valdemar co-authorship -- the series as a whole is still credited to Sanderson.