Blackbird
#8093.79 adjusted 3.89 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 5 books Status Unfinished 1986–1990 Reading commitment Medium Freda Warrington Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
Freda Warrington's Blackbird series began with A Blackbird in Silver in 1986 and follows a quest to destroy a vast Serpent that threatens to wipe out the Earth. The first two books, A Blackbird in Silver and A Blackbird in Darkness, follow three companions, among them the warrior-prince Ashurek and the woman Silvren, as they hunt the Serpent and the Silver Staff. A Blackbird in Amber and A Blackbird in Twilight continue the story with Melkavesh, daughter of Ashurek and Silvren, and the empire of Gorethria under the usurper Xaedrek. Darker than the Storm returns to Ashurek and Silvren in the city of Niankan-Siol. The last book appeared around 1990.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (5 works) counts toward ranking
Blackbird Freda Warrington
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | A Blackbird in Silver | 1986 | 1 | core | 3.73 (202 ratings) |
 | A Blackbird in Darkness | 1986 | 2 | core | 3.84 (137 ratings) |
 | A Blackbird in Amber | 1988 | 3 | core | 3.75 (103 ratings) |
 | A Blackbird in Twilight | 1988 | 4 | core | 3.89 (89 ratings) |
 | Darker than the Storm; Published after the main quartet; follows Ashurek and Silvren after the events of the first two books. | 1990 | 5 | core | 3.77 (35 ratings) |
Five fantasy novels about the quest against the Serpent and its aftermath in Gorethria.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Blackbird? Blackbird's Core Canon is 5 books.
- What is the reading order for Blackbird? Publication order, starting with A Blackbird in Silver. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Blackbird finished? Unfinished (1986–1990).
- How much reading does Blackbird take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 5 Core Canon books).
- How is Blackbird ranked? #809 in this site's official ranking, based on 566 reader ratings across 5 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #809?
Ranked #809 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.79 across 5 core books.
- A smaller readership (566 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.09 behind #808, Lilith.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 5 books · Unfinished · 566 ratings · Ranks #809 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (5 Core Canon books)
- A Blackbird in Darkness (1986)
- A Blackbird in Silver (1986)
- A Blackbird in Amber (1988)
- A Blackbird in Twilight (1988)
- Darker than the Storm (1990)
Documented internal/story order
- A Blackbird in Silver (1986)
- A Blackbird in Darkness (1986)
- A Blackbird in Amber (1988)
- A Blackbird in Twilight (1988)
- Darker than the Storm (1990)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.79 across 566 ratings on 5 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: 28 universes; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = A Blackbird in Silver (1986), A Blackbird in Darkness (1986), A Blackbird in Amber (1988), A Blackbird in Twilight (1988) and Darker than the Storm (1990). Excludes the omnibus editions A Blackbird in Silver Darkness (2008) and A Blackbird in Amber Twilight (2009).