Bel Dame Apocrypha
#9413.82 adjusted 3.83 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2011–2012 Reading commitment Medium Kameron Hurley Last reviewed 2026-11-04
Overview
Bel Dame Apocrypha is a trilogy by Kameron Hurley, published by Night Shade Books in 2011 and 2012. It is set on Umayma, a contaminated desert planet where the matriarchal nation of Nasheen and neighbouring Chenja have fought a holy war for centuries. Almost everything on the planet runs on bugs, and magicians control them to power machines, heal the sick and rebuild bodies. The books follow Nyx, a former government assassin turned bounty hunter, and her mercenary crew, including the magician Rhys, through a succession of covert jobs, a coup and a civil war. The three novels are read in order, and the story is complete.
Dark fantasy, New Weird · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Bel Dame Apocrypha Kameron Hurley
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | God's War | 2011 | 1 | core | 3.69 (5,629 ratings) |
 | Infidel | 2011 | 2 | core | 4.03 (1,932 ratings) |
 | Rapture | 2012 | 3 | core | 4.05 (1,432 ratings) |
Nyx, a former government assassin, works as a bounty hunter and mercenary through the holy war and its aftermath on the planet Umayma.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Bel Dame Apocrypha? Bel Dame Apocrypha's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Bel Dame Apocrypha? Publication order, starting with God's War. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Bel Dame Apocrypha finished? Complete (2011–2012).
- How much reading does Bel Dame Apocrypha take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Bel Dame Apocrypha ranked? #941 in this site's official ranking, based on 8,993 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #941?
Ranked #941 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.82 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (8,993 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #940, Pandemonium (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 3 books · Complete · 9k ratings · Ranks #941 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length dark fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- God's War (2011)
- Infidel (2011)
- Rapture (2012)
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 awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.82 across 8,993 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 20 universes from the candidate register; 2 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-04
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Penguin UK series page Tier 2
- Hardcover book page Tier 2
- TV Tropes Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Kameron Hurley Tier 2
- Rising Shadow: God's War Tier 2
- Rising Shadow: Infidel Tier 2
- Rising Shadow: Rapture Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-04
Rule: Core Canon = God's War (2011), Infidel (2011) and Rapture (2012). Excluded: the novellas and the collection Apocalypse Nyx.