The Bound and the Broken
#314.33 adjusted 4.33 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Ongoing 2021–present Reading commitment Medium Ryan Cahill Last reviewed 2026-08-24
Overview
The Bound and the Broken is a self-published, in-progress epic fantasy series by Ryan Cahill, following Calen Bryer and his companions as a sheltered village life gives way to a sprawling, continent-spanning war against an ancient evil, told across an expanding main sequence and several companion novellas. Beginning with Of Blood and Fire (2021), the series follows a traditional coming-of-age structure before widening into a larger conflict involving elves, dragons, and returning ancient powers, drawing comparisons to classic epic fantasy while building an audience largely through audiobook listeners and online fantasy communities. Cahill self-publishes the series and has continued to expand its scope with companion novellas set in the same world, alongside the main four-book sequence running through Of Empires and Dust (2025), making it one of the more prominent self-published epic fantasy series to gain a substantial following without a traditional publishing deal.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
The Bound and the Broken Ryan Cahill
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Of Blood and Fire | 2021 | core | 4.05 (26,533 ratings) |
 | Of Darkness and Light | 2021 | core | 4.42 (14,572 ratings) |
 | Of War and Ruin | 2023 | core | 4.63 (11,739 ratings) |
 | Of Empires and Dust | 2025 | core | 4.73 (6,945 ratings) |
Self-published epic fantasy main sequence, planned for 5 novels. The fifth and concluding volume, Of Gods and Ashes, is announced for 2028 per the author's own 2025 year-end update and is correctly excluded as unpublished. Several companion novellas (The Fall, The Exile, The Ice, and others) exist in the same continuity but were not catalogued.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Bound and the Broken? The Bound and the Broken's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for The Bound and the Broken? Publication order, starting with Of Blood and Fire. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Bound and the Broken finished? Ongoing (2021–present).
- How much reading does The Bound and the Broken take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books · ~1,369 pages).
- How is The Bound and the Broken ranked? #31 in this site's official ranking, based on 59,789 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #31?
Ranked #31 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.33 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (59,789 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 4.05 to 4.73.
- Less than 0.01 behind #30, First Law World (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 4 books · Ongoing · 60k ratings · Ranks #31 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (4 Core Canon books)
- Of Blood and Fire (2021)
- Of Darkness and Light (2021)
- Of War and Ruin (2023)
- Of Empires and Dust (2025)
Awards (verified)
- No confirmed award wins found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what The Bound and the Broken 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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- Lightbringer Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.33
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.33 across 59,789 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: The Bound and the Broken admitted (Ryan Cahill) accepted 2026-08-24
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24
Rule: Core = the four published main-sequence novels (Of Blood and Fire, Of Darkness and Light, Of War and Ruin, Of Empires and Dust). A fifth and concluding novel, Of Gods and Ashes, is scheduled by the author for 2028 and is excluded as unpublished. Several companion novellas in the same continuity were not catalogued this pass.