Brak the Barbarian
#10853.35 adjusted 3.73 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Unfinished 1968–1978 Reading commitment Medium John Jakes Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
Brak the Barbarian is a sword-and-sorcery series by the American writer John Jakes. Brak is a blond barbarian from the frozen north who is exiled by his tribe's shamans and travels toward the golden southern land of Khurdisan, fighting sorcerers, demon cults and monsters on the way, and opposed by the dark god Yob-Haggoth. The first book appeared from Avon in 1968 and was made from linked magazine stories. Two more novels followed from Paperback Library in 1969 and a fourth from Pocket Books in 1978, plus a story collection in 1980. No new Brak novel has been announced since.
Sword & sorcery · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
Brak the Barbarian John Jakes
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brak the Barbarian; Published by Avon as a novel, assembled from linked stories that first appeared in a magazine. | 1968 | 1 | core | 3.40 (258 ratings) | |
| Witch of the Four Winds; First book edition was retitled Brak the Barbarian Versus the Sorceress; first serialised in 1963. | 1969 | 2 | core | 3.24 (133 ratings) | |
| The Mark of the Demons; First published as Brak the Barbarian Versus the Mark of the Demons. | 1969 | 3 | core | 3.40 (97 ratings) | |
 | When the Idols Walked; First serialised in a magazine in 1964; first book edition 1978. | 1978 | 4 | core | 3.27 (63 ratings) |
A northern barbarian journeys toward Khurdisan the Golden through four paperback novels.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Brak the Barbarian? Brak the Barbarian's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for Brak the Barbarian? Publication order, starting with Brak the Barbarian. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Brak the Barbarian finished? Unfinished (1968–1978).
- How much reading does Brak the Barbarian take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books).
- How is Brak the Barbarian ranked? #1085 in this site's official ranking, based on 551 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1085?
Ranked #1085 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.35 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (551 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.30 behind #1084, The Endsong.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 4 books · Unfinished · 551 ratings · Ranks #1085 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length sword-and-sorcery universe.
Reading order
Publication order (4 Core Canon books)
- Brak the Barbarian (1968)
- The Mark of the Demons (1969)
- Witch of the Four Winds (1969)
- When the Idols Walked (1978)
Documented internal/story order
- Brak the Barbarian (1968)
- Witch of the Four Winds (1969)
- The Mark of the Demons (1969)
- When the Idols Walked (1978)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what Brak the Barbarian and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Aeons' Gate Sword & sorcery / Dark fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.44
- Thongor Sword & sorcery · Unfinished · Medium commitment · 3.43
- Kothar Sword & sorcery · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.27
- Capitale du Sud Epic fantasy / Sword & sorcery · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.28
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.35 across 551 ratings on 4 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: 29 universes; Inda widened to Sartorias-deles; 5 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Brak the Barbarian Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Witch of the Four Winds Tier 2
- Wikipedia: The Mark of the Demons Tier 2
- Wikipedia: When the Idols Walked Tier 2
- Wikipedia: The Fortunes of Brak Tier 2
- Rising Shadow Tier 2
- Wikipedia: John Jakes Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = Brak the Barbarian (1968) to When the Idols Walked (1978). Excludes the story collection The Fortunes of Brak (1980).