Sianim
#3314.03 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Complete 1993–2010 Reading commitment Low Patricia Briggs Last reviewed 2026-10-04
Overview
Patricia Briggs's first fantasy world, long before Mercy Thompson, is built around Sianim, a nation of mercenaries that hires out soldiers and spies to the kingdoms around it. Masques (1993), her debut, and its direct sequel Wolfsbane (written early, published only in 2010) follow the shapeshifting spy Aralorn and her sardonic companion Wolf against the ae'Magi, a master of illusion whom an entire kingdom has been enchanted to love. Steal the Dragon (1995) sends the escaped slave Rialla back into the slave-holding land of Darran to prevent an assassination, and When Demons Walk (1998) sets the thief and sorceress Sham hunting a demon through the occupied city of Southwood. Four novels, two of them standalones in the same world; a separate world from the Mercyverse.
Epic fantasy, Sword & sorcery · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
Sianim Patricia Briggs
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Masques | 1993 | 1 | core | 3.92 (12,463 ratings) |
 | Wolfsbane | 2010 | 2 | core | 4.12 (10,501 ratings) |
 | Steal the Dragon | 1995 | 3 | core | 4.00 (7,354 ratings) |
 | When Demons Walk | 1998 | 4 | core | 4.14 (6,997 ratings) |
Patricia Briggs's earliest fantasy world, centred on the mercenary nation of Sianim: Masques and its long-delayed direct sequel Wolfsbane follow the shapeshifting spy Aralorn and her companion Wolf; Steal the Dragon and When Demons Walk are self-contained stories in the same world. Ordered by internal chronology, as the author's bibliographies list them.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Sianim? Sianim's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for Sianim? Publication order, starting with Masques. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Sianim finished? Complete (1993–2010).
- How much reading does Sianim take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books · ~1,037 pages).
- How is Sianim ranked? #331 in this site's official ranking, based on 37,315 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #331?
Ranked #331 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.03 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (37,315 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #330, The Masquerade (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 4 books · Complete · 37k ratings · Ranks #331 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (4 Core Canon books)
- Masques (1993)
- Steal the Dragon (1995)
- When Demons Walk (1998)
- Wolfsbane (2010)
Documented internal/story order
- Masques (1993)
- Wolfsbane (2010)
- Steal the Dragon (1995)
- When Demons Walk (1998)
Awards (verified)
- No award could be confirmed for the series.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Sianim and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Scorched Throne Romantasy / Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.17
- The Bird That Drinks Tears Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 4.12
- Kane Dark fantasy / Sword & sorcery · Complete · Low commitment · 4.10
- Letters of Enchantment Romantasy / Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.08
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.03 across 37,315 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: Sianim (Patricia Briggs) accepted 2026-10-04
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia Tier 2
- Encyclopedia.com Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04
Rule: Core Canon = Masques (1993; revised 2010), Wolfsbane (2010), Steal the Dragon (1995) and When Demons Walk (1998), complete. Briggs's Hurog duology and The Hob's Bargain are separate worlds.