Fault Lines Trilogy
#3853.96 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 1992–1997 Reading commitment Medium Tim Powers Last reviewed 2026-08-18
Overview
A trio of interconnected secret-history novels set in modern California, built on a hidden tarot/Fisher King mythology beneath the everyday world: Last Call follows a professional poker player drawn into a supernatural game for the kingship of the West; Expiration Date and Earthquake Weather widen the same world before converging characters from all three books together. Tim Powers's first universe in this canon.
Urban fantasy, Dark fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
The Fault Lines Trilogy Tim Powers
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Last Call | 1992 | 1 | core | 4.05 (6,735 ratings) |
 | Expiration Date | 1996 | 2 | core | 3.85 (2,598 ratings) |
 | Earthquake Weather | 1997 | 3 | core | 3.83 (2,081 ratings) |
A genuinely interconnected secret-history/urban-fantasy trilogy set in modern California, built on a tarot/Fisher King mythology, with recurring characters across all three; Earthquake Weather explicitly converges protagonists from both earlier books.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Fault Lines Trilogy? Fault Lines Trilogy's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Fault Lines Trilogy? Publication order, starting with Last Call. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Fault Lines Trilogy finished? Complete (1992–1997).
- How much reading does Fault Lines Trilogy take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Fault Lines Trilogy ranked? #385 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 11,414 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #385?
Ranked #385 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.96 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (11,414 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #384, The Elemental Masters (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 3 books · Complete · 11k ratings · Ranks #385 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Last Call (1992)
- Expiration Date (1996)
- Earthquake Weather (1997)
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)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 1993: won: Last Call
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.96 across 11,414 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: Fault Lines Trilogy admitted; Core Canon = all 3 novels accepted 2026-08-18
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-18
Rule: Core = all 3 novels (Last Call, Expiration Date, Earthquake Weather), a genuine shared continuity, not 3 loosely-linked standalones.