The Book of Wirrun
#2284.07 of 664 ranked universes · 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.
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? #228 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 258 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #228?
Ranked #228 of 664 ranked universes.
- 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 #227, Merry Gentry (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 #228 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).