Record of Lodoss War

#8623.65 adjusted 3.87 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking

Books 23 books Status Unfinished 1988–2019 Reading commitment High Ryo Mizuno Last reviewed 2026-11-04

Overview

Record of Lodoss War is a Japanese fantasy novel franchise by Ryo Mizuno, set on the island of Lodoss in the world of Forcelia. Mizuno created the setting for tabletop role-playing games; the Group SNE replay appeared in Comptiq from 1986, and Kadokawa published his novel version from 1988. The first series follows the young knight Parn and his companions, including Deedlit, a high elf, Ghim, Slayn, Etoh and Woodchuck, in the war against the Dark Island. Legend of Lodoss is a prequel, New Record of Lodoss War and a 2019 novel continue the story later. Only the first novel has an English edition.

Epic fantasy, Sword & sorcery · For YA

Core Canon: Reading Order (23 works) counts toward ranking

Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記) Ryo Mizuno

	Work	Year	Internal chron.	Canon	Rating
	灰色の魔女; English edition: Record of Lodoss War: The Grey Witch (Seven Seas Entertainment, 2017).	1988	1	core	3.65 (355 ratings)
	炎の魔神	1989	2	core	N/A
	火竜山の魔竜(上)	1990	3	core	N/A
	火竜山の魔竜(下)	1990	4	core	N/A
	王たちの聖戦	1991	5	core	N/A
	ロードスの聖騎士(上)	1991	6	core	N/A
	ロードスの聖騎士(下)	1993	7	core	N/A

Seven-volume main novel series about the war against the Dark Island and the Grey Witch Karla.

Legend of Lodoss (ロードス島伝説) Ryo Mizuno

	Work	Year	Internal chron.	Canon	Rating
	ロードス島伝説 亡国の王子	1994	1	core	N/A
	ロードス島伝説2 天空の騎士	1996	2	core	N/A
	ロードス島伝説 太陽の王子、月の姫	1996	3	core	N/A
	ロードス島伝説3 栄光の勇者	1997	4	core	N/A
	ロードス島伝説4 伝説の英雄	1998	5	core	N/A
	ロードス島伝説 永遠の帰還者	2000	6	core	N/A
	ロードス島伝説5 至高神の聖女	2002	7	core	N/A

Prequel novel series set earlier in the history of Lodoss.

New Record of Lodoss War (新ロードス島戦記) Ryo Mizuno

	Work	Year	Internal chron.	Canon	Rating
	新ロードス島戦記1 闇の森の魔獣	1998	1	core	N/A
	新ロードス島戦記序章 炎を継ぐ者; Published as a prelude volume (序章) between volumes 1 and 2 of the series.	1999	2	core	N/A
	新ロードス島戦記2 新生の魔帝国	2001	3	core	N/A
	新ロードス島戦記3 黒翼の邪竜	2001	4	core	N/A
	新ロードス島戦記4 運命の魔船	2004	5	core	N/A
	新ロードス島戦記5 終末の邪教(上)	2005	6	core	N/A
	新ロードス島戦記6 終末の邪教(下)	2006	7	core	N/A

Sequel novel series set after the original Lodoss story, with a prelude volume.

Record of Lodoss War: Seiyaku no Houkan (誓約の宝冠) Ryo Mizuno

	Work	Year	Internal chron.	Canon	Rating
	ロードス島戦記 誓約の宝冠; Set about a hundred years after the original series. A manga adaptation has been published in English; the novel has no English edition listed.	2019	1	core	N/A

Standalone sequel novel set about a hundred years after the original series.

Deedlit's Tale (ハイエルフの森 ディードリット物語) Ryo Mizuno

	Work	Year	Internal chron.	Canon	Rating
	ハイエルフの森 ディードリット物語	1995	1	core	N/A

Standalone novel about the elf Deedlit.

Quick answers

• How many books are in Record of Lodoss War? Record of Lodoss War's Core Canon is 23 books.
• What is the reading order for Record of Lodoss War? Publication order, starting with 灰色の魔女. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
• Is Record of Lodoss War finished? Unfinished (1988–2019).
• How much reading does Record of Lodoss War take? High reading commitment (estimated from 23 Core Canon books).
• How is Record of Lodoss War ranked? #862 in this site's official ranking, based on 355 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.

Why is it ranked #862?

Ranked #862 in the official ranking.

• Average reader rating of 3.65 across 1 core book.
• A smaller readership (355 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
• 0.06 behind #861, Dwellers in the Mirage.
• Below the top-10 average of 4.46.

22 Core Canon books here don't have a recorded rating yet and aren't counted above: “炎の魔神” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “火竜山の魔竜(上)” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “火竜山の魔竜(下)” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “王たちの聖戦” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードスの聖騎士(上)” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードスの聖騎士(下)” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島伝説 亡国の王子” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島伝説2 天空の騎士” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島伝説 太陽の王子、月の姫” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島伝説3 栄光の勇者” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島伝説4 伝説の英雄” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島伝説 永遠の帰還者” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島伝説5 至高神の聖女” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “新ロードス島戦記1 闇の森の魔獣” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “新ロードス島戦記序章 炎を継ぐ者” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “新ロードス島戦記2 新生の魔帝国” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “新ロードス島戦記3 黒翼の邪竜” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “新ロードス島戦記4 運命の魔船” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “新ロードス島戦記5 終末の邪教(上)” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “新ロードス島戦記6 終末の邪教(下)” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ロードス島戦記 誓約の宝冠” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.); “ハイエルフの森 ディードリット物語” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.).

How the ranking works →

Why explore this universe?

Modestly rated · 23 books · Unfinished · 355 ratings · Ranks #862 overall

Good choice if you want a long-running epic fantasy universe.

Reading order

Publication order (23 Core Canon books)

1. 灰色の魔女 (1988)
2. 炎の魔神 (1989)
3. 火竜山の魔竜(上) (1990)
4. 火竜山の魔竜(下) (1990)
5. ロードスの聖騎士(上) (1991)
6. 王たちの聖戦 (1991)
7. ロードスの聖騎士(下) (1993)
8. ロードス島伝説 亡国の王子 (1994)
9. ハイエルフの森 ディードリット物語 (1995)
10. ロードス島伝説 太陽の王子、月の姫 (1996)
11. ロードス島伝説2 天空の騎士 (1996)
12. ロードス島伝説3 栄光の勇者 (1997)
13. ロードス島伝説4 伝説の英雄 (1998)
14. 新ロードス島戦記1 闇の森の魔獣 (1998)
15. 新ロードス島戦記序章 炎を継ぐ者 (1999)
16. ロードス島伝説 永遠の帰還者 (2000)
17. 新ロードス島戦記2 新生の魔帝国 (2001)
18. 新ロードス島戦記3 黒翼の邪竜 (2001)
19. ロードス島伝説5 至高神の聖女 (2002)
20. 新ロードス島戦記4 運命の魔船 (2004)
21. 新ロードス島戦記5 終末の邪教(上) (2005)
22. 新ロードス島戦記6 終末の邪教(下) (2006)
23. ロードス島戦記 誓約の宝冠 (2019)

Documented internal/story order

1. 灰色の魔女 (1988)
2. ロードス島伝説 亡国の王子 (1994)
3. 新ロードス島戦記1 闇の森の魔獣 (1998)
4. ロードス島戦記 誓約の宝冠 (2019)
5. ハイエルフの森 ディードリット物語 (1995)
6. 炎の魔神 (1989)
7. ロードス島伝説2 天空の騎士 (1996)
8. 新ロードス島戦記序章 炎を継ぐ者 (1999)
9. 火竜山の魔竜(上) (1990)
10. ロードス島伝説 太陽の王子、月の姫 (1996)
11. 新ロードス島戦記2 新生の魔帝国 (2001)
12. 火竜山の魔竜(下) (1990)
13. ロードス島伝説3 栄光の勇者 (1997)
14. 新ロードス島戦記3 黒翼の邪竜 (2001)
15. 王たちの聖戦 (1991)
16. ロードス島伝説4 伝説の英雄 (1998)
17. 新ロードス島戦記4 運命の魔船 (2004)
18. ロードスの聖騎士(上) (1991)
19. ロードス島伝説 永遠の帰還者 (2000)
20. 新ロードス島戦記5 終末の邪教(上) (2005)
21. ロードスの聖騎士(下) (1993)
22. ロードス島伝説5 至高神の聖女 (2002)
23. 新ロードス島戦記6 終末の邪教(下) (2006)

Awards (verified)

• No awards found for this universe.

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• The Change Epic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 3.73
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• Chronicles of the Emerged World Epic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 3.99

Official resources

• Wikipedia

Research details

Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.65 across 355 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. 22 additional Core Canon books haven't been rated yet, so they aren't counted here. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.

How do we know this?

Admission: Canon Extension: 19 universes from the candidate register; 7 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-03

Sources: (see source tier definitions)

• Record of Lodoss War encyclopedic entry (general reference encyclopedia) Tier 2
• Japanese Wikipedia Tier 2
• Japanese Wikipedia (Legend) Tier 2
• Japanese Wikipedia (New Record) Tier 2
• Wikipedia: Ryo Mizuno Tier 2

Last reviewed: 2026-11-03

Rule: Core Canon = the Lodoss/Forcelia novels by Ryo Mizuno: Record of Lodoss War (1988-1993), Legend of Lodoss (1994-2002), New Record of Lodoss War (1998-2006), Seiyaku no Houkan (2019) and Deedlit's High-Elf Forest story (1995). Replays, short-story collections and anthologies are excluded.

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