Endling
#814.28 adjusted 4.26 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2018–2021 Reading commitment Medium Katherine Applegate Last reviewed 2026-11-06
Overview
Endling is a middle-grade fantasy trilogy by the American author Katherine Applegate, published by HarperCollins. The three books are The Last (2018), The First (2019) and The Only (2021). Applegate, who also writes as K. A. Applegate, won the Newbery Medal in 2013 for The One and Only Ivan; the Endling books are separate from that work. The series is complete at three novels.
Epic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Endling Katherine Applegate
| Cover | Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Last; HarperCollins | 2018 | 1 | core | 4.21 (7,186 ratings) |
 | The First; HarperCollins | 2019 | 2 | core | 4.35 (3,428 ratings) |
 | The Only; HarperCollins | 2021 | 3 | core | 4.40 (2,177 ratings) |
Three middle-grade fantasy novels published by HarperCollins from 2018 to 2021.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Endling? Endling's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Endling? Publication order, starting with The Last. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Endling finished? Complete (2018–2021).
- How much reading does Endling take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Endling ranked? #81 in this site's official ranking, based on 12,791 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #81?
Ranked #81 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.28 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (12,791 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #80, Jim Button (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 3 books · Complete · 13k ratings · Ranks #81 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Last (2018)
- The First (2019)
- The Only (2021)
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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Suggestions computed from what Endling and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Wings of Fire Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.37
- Dragon Slippers Epic fantasy / Fairy-tale retelling · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.23
- Ranger's Apprentice Epic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.30
- The Letter for the King Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.19
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.28 across 12,791 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: 13 universes from the candidate register (El libro de Nobac to The Broken Blades); 6 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-06
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-06
Rule: Core Canon = The Last (2018), The First (2019), The Only (2021).