The Book of Wirrun
#4254.07 adjusted 3.99 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 1977–1981 Reading commitment Medium Patricia Wrightson Last reviewed 2026-09-05
Overview
The Book of Wirrun is a complete three-novel mythic-fantasy trilogy by Patricia Wrightson, following the Aboriginal hero Wirrun of the Wind as he confronts spirits and beings drawn directly from Australian Aboriginal oral tradition, including the ice-spirits called the Ninya. A landmark work for grounding children's high fantasy in Aboriginal mythology rather than European folklore. The opening novel, The Ice Is Coming (1977), follows a city-raised Aboriginal youth who discovers that the ancient ice-spirits are advancing across the continent intending to trigger a new ice age, and sets out, joined by the spirit-companion Mimi and an Aboriginal talisman, to stop them, before The Dark Bright Water (1978) and Behind the Wind (1981) complete the trilogy. The Ice Is Coming won the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers in 1978, and critics praised Wrightson's careful, escalating use of Aboriginal mythological figures as both an accessible adventure narrative and a serious introduction to Aboriginal storytelling for younger readers.
Mythic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
The Book of Wirrun Patricia Wrightson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Ice Is Coming | 1977 | 1 | core | 4.03 (133 ratings) |
 | The Dark Bright Water | 1978 | 2 | core | 4.04 (72 ratings) |
 | Behind the Wind | 1981 | 3 | core | 4.23 (53 ratings) |
Completed mythic-fantasy trilogy (1977-1981) following the Aboriginal hero Wirrun of the Wind as he confronts spirits and beings drawn from Australian Aboriginal oral tradition (including the ice-spirits called the Ninya). Landmark work in drawing directly on Aboriginal mythology for children's high fantasy; the opening volume won Australia's Children's Book of the Year Award for Older Readers.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Book of Wirrun? The Book of Wirrun's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for The Book of Wirrun? Publication order, starting with The Ice Is Coming. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Book of Wirrun finished? Complete (1977–1981).
- How much reading does The Book of Wirrun take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is The Book of Wirrun ranked? #425 in this site's official ranking, based on 258 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #425?
Ranked #425 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.07 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (258 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #424, Imaro (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 · 258 ratings · Ranks #425 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Ice Is Coming (1977)
- The Dark Bright Water (1978)
- Behind the Wind (1981)
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)
- Children's Book of the Year Award (Older Readers), 1978: won: The Ice Is Coming
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 1980: nominated: The Dark Bright Water
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.07 across 258 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: The Book of Wirrun (Patricia Wrightson) accepted 2026-09-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-09-05
Rule: Core Canon is the complete three-book sequence: The Ice Is Coming (1977), The Dark Bright Water (1978), and Behind the Wind (1981).