The Counterclockwise Heart
#6533.92 adjusted 3.94 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2022 Reading commitment Low Brian Farrey Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
The Counterclockwise Heart is a middle grade fantasy novel by Brian Farrey, published by Algonquin Young Readers in February 2022. It is set in the empire of Rheinvelt, where a strange statue, the flight of the Hierophants (powerful magic users) and shadowy beasts gathering at the borders signal coming war. Prince Alphonsus has a clock in his chest that runs backward toward an unknown fate. He teams up with Esme, a Hierophant girl who is searching for a sorceress called the Nachtfrau, to solve riddles from their shared past and save the empire. It is a standalone book and no sequel has been announced.
Epic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Counterclockwise Heart Brian Farrey
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Counterclockwise Heart | 2022 | 1 | core | 3.92 (286 ratings) |
A standalone middle grade fantasy set in the empire of Rheinvelt.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Counterclockwise Heart? The Counterclockwise Heart's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Counterclockwise Heart finished? Complete (2022).
- How much reading does The Counterclockwise Heart take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Counterclockwise Heart ranked? #653 in this site's official ranking, based on 286 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #653?
Ranked #653 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.92 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (286 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #652, Khaled (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 1 book · Complete · 286 ratings · Ranks #653 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
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Minnesota Book Award (Middle Grade Literature), 2023: won: The Counterclockwise Heart
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Suggestions computed from what The Counterclockwise Heart and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Letter for the King Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.19
- The Last Mapmaker Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.13
- Bamarre Fairy-tale retelling / Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.06
- Magisterium Portal fantasy / Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.03
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.92 across 286 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. 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)
- Tattered Cover listing Tier 2
- FictionDB Tier 2
- NetGalley Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = The Counterclockwise Heart (2022).