Runemarks
#10813.73 adjusted 3.74 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Unfinished 2007–2018 Reading commitment Medium Joanne M. Harris Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
The Runemarks books are Norse-myth fantasy novels by Joanne M. Harris. Runemarks (2007) and Runelight (2011) follow Maddy Smith, a girl marked with a rune, in a world after the Ragnarok apocalypse, where the old gods survive in diminished form under the rule of the Order. The Gospel of Loki (2014) is a companion told by Loki himself, from his recruitment into Asgard to the end of the gods, and The Testament of Loki (2018) continues his story after Ragnarok. The books can be read in any order. No further novel has been announced since 2018.
Mythic fantasy · For All ages
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
Runemarks Joanne M. Harris
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Runemarks | 2007 | 1 | core | 3.74 (9,071 ratings) |
 | Runelight | 2011 | 2 | core | 3.83 (2,152 ratings) |
Maddy Smith, marked with a rune, helps the surviving Norse gods against the Order.
Loki Joanne M. Harris
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Gospel of Loki | 2014 | 1 | core | 3.74 (15,579 ratings) |
 | The Testament of Loki; First published in the UK by Gollancz in May 2018; the US edition came from Saga Press the same month. | 2018 | 2 | core | 3.57 (2,906 ratings) |
Loki narrates his own story, from the creation of Asgard to his return after Ragnarok.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Runemarks? Runemarks's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for Runemarks? Publication order, starting with Runemarks. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Runemarks finished? Unfinished (2007–2018).
- How much reading does Runemarks take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books).
- How is Runemarks ranked? #1081 in this site's official ranking, based on 29,708 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1081?
Ranked #1081 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.73 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (29,708 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #1080, The Iron Dragon's Daughter (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 4 books · Unfinished · 30k ratings · Ranks #1081 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length mythic fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (4 Core Canon books)
- Runemarks (2007)
- Runelight (2011)
- The Gospel of Loki (2014)
- The Testament of Loki (2018)
Documented internal/story order
- Runemarks (2007)
- The Gospel of Loki (2014)
- Runelight (2011)
- The Testament of Loki (2018)
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 2015: finalist: The Gospel of Loki
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.73 across 29,708 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: 31 universes; 3 candidates ruled out; open items closed accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Runelight Tier 2
- Wikipedia: The Gospel of Loki Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Runemarks Tier 2
- Joanne Harris official site Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = Runemarks (2007), Runelight (2011), The Gospel of Loki (2014) and The Testament of Loki (2018).