The Anvil of the World
#6493.94 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Unfinished 2003–2010 Reading commitment Medium Kage Baker Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Kage Baker's Anvil of the World books are three fantasy novels set in one world, published by Tor in 2003, 2008 and 2010. The world is shared by the Children of the Sun, who are essentially human, and the Yendri, a spiritual people who oppose violence. The Anvil of the World follows Smith, a retired assassin who runs caravans and a hotel and befriends the half-demon Lord Ermenwyr. The House of the Stag is a prequel about Ermenwyr's parents, Gard and a goddess. The Bird of the River follows Eliss, a girl on a river barge, and has only a few links to the other two. Baker died in January 2010, shortly before the third book appeared, and no more novels were announced.
Epic fantasy, Comic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
The Anvil of the World Kage Baker
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Anvil of the World; Published as a novel; it is made up of three linked parts. | 2003 | 1 | core | 3.88 (2,060 ratings) |
 | The House of the Stag; Prequel to The Anvil of the World. | 2008 | 2 | core | 3.95 (896 ratings) |
 | The Bird of the River; Self-contained story set in the same world as the first two books. | 2010 | 3 | core | 4.12 (608 ratings) |
Three novels in one fantasy world, the second a prequel to the first and the third a loosely linked story.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Anvil of the World? The Anvil of the World's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for The Anvil of the World? Publication order, starting with The Anvil of the World. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Anvil of the World finished? Unfinished (2003–2010).
- How much reading does The Anvil of the World take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is The Anvil of the World ranked? #649 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,564 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #649?
Ranked #649 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.94 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (3,564 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #648, The River Has Roots (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 3 books · Unfinished · 4k ratings · Ranks #649 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Anvil of the World (2003)
- The House of the Stag (2008)
- The Bird of the River (2010)
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)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 2005: nominated: The Anvil of the World
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 2009: nominated: The House of the Stag
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Suggestions computed from what The Anvil of the World and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
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- The Song of the Shattered Sands Epic fantasy / Grimdark · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.07
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.94 across 3,564 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: 27 universes; 5 candidates ruled out; older open items closed accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Rising Shadow Tier 2
- Curled Up With a Good Book Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Kage Baker Tier 2
- FictionDB Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = The Anvil of the World (2003), The House of the Stag (2008) and The Bird of the River (2010). Excludes the short stories set in the same world.