Blackthorn & Grim
#1764.14 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2014–2016 Reading commitment Medium Juliet Marillier Last reviewed 2026-08-07
Overview
Blackthorn & Grim is a complete trilogy set in a fictionalized seventh-century Ireland, following Blackthorn, a healer-mage bound by a geas to help anyone who asks and to never turn away from injustice, and her silent giant companion Grim, as both serve under Prince Oran, a fair-minded ruler navigating court intrigue shadowed by old magic. Across Dreamer's Pool (2014), Tower of Thorns (2015), and Den of Wolves (2016), Juliet Marillier builds the trilogy around the tension between Blackthorn's oath-bound obligation to help and her own deep desire for vengeance against the man who destroyed her former life, slowly revealing Grim's own buried past alongside hers. The books draw on the same body of early Irish folklore and fairy belief that runs through much of Marillier's wider bibliography, including her Sevenwaters novels, but constitute a separate setting and cast from Sevenwaters, with no shared continuity found between the two despite tonal and thematic overlap.
Fairy-tale retelling · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Blackthorn & Grim Juliet Marillier
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dreamer's Pool | 2014 | 1 | core | 4.00 (17,027 ratings) |
 | Tower of Thorns | 2015 | 2 | core | 4.19 (9,600 ratings) |
 | Den of Wolves | 2016 | 3 | core | 4.38 (7,906 ratings) |
Complete trilogy; a separate universe/setting from Sevenwaters and Marillier's other series (a fictionalised 7th-century Ireland, not shared continuity).
Quick answers
- How many books are in Blackthorn & Grim? Blackthorn & Grim's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Blackthorn & Grim? Publication order, starting with Dreamer's Pool. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Blackthorn & Grim finished? Complete (2014–2016).
- How much reading does Blackthorn & Grim take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books · ~1,328 pages).
- How is Blackthorn & Grim ranked? #176 in this site's official ranking, based on 34,533 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #176?
Ranked #176 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.14 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (34,533 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #175, The Chronicles of Narnia (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 3 books · Complete · 35k ratings · Ranks #176 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length fairy-tale retelling fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Dreamer's Pool (2014)
- Tower of Thorns (2015)
- Den of Wolves (2016)
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)
- Aurealis Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 2015: finalist: Tower of Thorns
Related universes
- Same author Sevenwaters: Both by Juliet Marillier. Blackthorn & Grim is a separate setting and cast from Sevenwaters, with no shared continuity found.
- Same author Bridei Chronicles: Both by Juliet Marillier. The Bridei Chronicles is confirmed genuinely distinct from Blackthorn & Grim, different era, cast, no crossover.
- Same author Saga of the Light Isles: Both by Juliet Marillier. Saga of the Light Isles is confirmed separate from Blackthorn & Grim, different era, geography, and families.
- Same author Shadowfell: Both by Juliet Marillier. Shadowfell is confirmed a separate setting/continuity from Blackthorn & Grim.
- Same author Warrior Bards: Both by Juliet Marillier. Warrior Bards is confirmed a separate universe from Blackthorn & Grim.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Blackthorn & Grim and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Lyonesse Epic fantasy / Fairy-tale retelling · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.05
- The Winternight Trilogy Fairy-tale retelling / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.23
- The Singing Hills Cycle Mythic fantasy / Fairy-tale retelling · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.01
- The Wicked Years Fairy-tale retelling · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.50
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.14 across 34,533 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: Blackthorn & Grim admitted; Core Canon = the complete trilogy accepted 2026-08-07
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Related universes: see the Related universes section above.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-07
Rule: Core Canon = all 3 novels of the complete trilogy.