Chronicles of Elantra
#1414.17 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 18 books Status Ongoing 2005–present Reading commitment High Michelle Sagara Last reviewed 2026-10-14
Overview
Kaylin Neya, a young officer ("Hawk") in the multiracial city of Elantra -- home to humans, immortal Dragons, Barrani, Aerians, and Leontines -- investigates supernatural crimes tied to her own traumatic past, while the ongoing series builds an expansive political and magical mythology across the city and its Outlands.
Urban fantasy, Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (18 works) counts toward ranking
Chronicles of Elantra Michelle Sagara
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cast in Shadow | 2005 | 1 | core | 3.82 (18,332 ratings) |
 | Cast in Courtlight | 2006 | 2 | core | 4.13 (11,044 ratings) |
 | Cast in Secret | 2007 | 3 | core | 4.18 (9,981 ratings) |
 | Cast in Fury | 2008 | 4 | core | 4.21 (8,795 ratings) |
 | Cast in Silence | 2009 | 5 | core | 4.21 (8,485 ratings) |
 | Cast in Chaos | 2010 | 6 | core | 4.27 (7,983 ratings) |
 | Cast in Ruin | 2011 | 7 | core | 4.31 (7,271 ratings) |
 | Cast in Peril | 2012 | 8 | core | 4.25 (6,598 ratings) |
 | Cast in Sorrow | 2013 | 9 | core | 4.20 (5,759 ratings) |
 | Cast in Flame | 2014 | 10 | core | 4.29 (5,144 ratings) |
 | Cast in Honor | 2015 | 11 | core | 4.17 (4,078 ratings) |
 | Cast in Flight | 2016 | 12 | core | 4.32 (3,735 ratings) |
 | Cast in Deception | 2018 | 13 | core | 4.21 (3,141 ratings) |
 | Cast in Oblivion | 2019 | 14 | core | 4.21 (2,527 ratings) |
 | Cast in Wisdom | 2020 | 15 | core | 4.40 (2,439 ratings) |
 | Cast in Conflict | 2021 | 16 | core | 4.37 (1,947 ratings) |
 | Cast in Eternity | 2022 | 17 | core | 4.50 (1,693 ratings) |
 | Cast in Atonement | 2024 | 18 | core | 4.38 (1,215 ratings) |
Ongoing main sequence; a 2001/2012 prequel novella (Cast in Moonlight) and a 2026-announced further novel (Cast in Blood) are not included pending confirmation. Michelle Sagara also publishes unrelated fantasy as Michelle West/Michelle Sagara West.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Chronicles of Elantra? Chronicles of Elantra's Core Canon is 18 books.
- What is the reading order for Chronicles of Elantra? Publication order, starting with Cast in Shadow. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Chronicles of Elantra finished? Ongoing (2005–present).
- How much reading does Chronicles of Elantra take? High reading commitment (estimated from 18 Core Canon books · ~8,881 pages).
- How is Chronicles of Elantra ranked? #141 in this site's official ranking, based on 110,167 reader ratings across 18 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #141?
Ranked #141 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.17 across 18 core books.
- Backed by 110k reader ratings.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.82 to 4.50.
- Less than 0.01 behind #140, Kaikeyi (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 18 books · Ongoing · 110k ratings · Ranks #141 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running urban fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (18 Core Canon books)
- Cast in Shadow (2005)
- Cast in Courtlight (2006)
- Cast in Secret (2007)
- Cast in Fury (2008)
- Cast in Silence (2009)
- Cast in Chaos (2010)
- Cast in Ruin (2011)
- Cast in Peril (2012)
- Cast in Sorrow (2013)
- Cast in Flame (2014)
- Cast in Honor (2015)
- Cast in Flight (2016)
- Cast in Deception (2018)
- Cast in Oblivion (2019)
- Cast in Wisdom (2020)
- Cast in Conflict (2021)
- Cast in Eternity (2022)
- Cast in Atonement (2024)
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.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Chronicles of Elantra and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Hollows Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.30
- Kencyrath Epic fantasy / Sword & sorcery · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.28
- The Drenai Saga Epic fantasy / Sword & sorcery · Complete · High commitment · 4.27
- The Dresden Files Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.26
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.17 across 110,167 ratings on 18 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Chronicles of Elantra admitted accepted 2026-09-21
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-09-21
Rule: Core Canon is the main numbered sequence beginning with Cast in Shadow (2005); the series is still ongoing (18 novels through Cast in Atonement, 2024, with a further novel announced for 2026).