The Covenant of Steel
#654.27 adjusted 4.27 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2021–2023 Reading commitment Medium Anthony Ryan Last reviewed 2026-09-23
Overview
The Covenant of Steel is a completed grimdark epic fantasy trilogy set in the kingdom of Albermaine, following Alwyn Scribe, raised an outlaw and forced by betrayal into the army of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman tormented by visions of an approaching apocalypse. As Alwyn rises from soldier to spymaster and finally to knight and trusted advisor across the three books, the growing, fervent following Evadine's prophecies attract, and the rebellions and wars fought in their name, push both the kingdom and Alwyn's own loyalties toward a final reckoning over what she has become.
Epic fantasy, Grimdark · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
The Covenant of Steel Anthony Ryan
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Pariah | 2021 | 1 | core | 4.16 (19,488 ratings) |
 | The Martyr | 2022 | 2 | core | 4.36 (11,669 ratings) |
 | The Traitor | 2023 | 3 | core | 4.41 (9,020 ratings) |
Core Canon is all three books.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Covenant of Steel? The Covenant of Steel's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for The Covenant of Steel? Publication order, starting with The Pariah. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Covenant of Steel finished? Complete (2021–2023).
- How much reading does The Covenant of Steel take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books · ~1,664 pages).
- How is The Covenant of Steel ranked? #65 in this site's official ranking, based on 40,177 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #65?
Ranked #65 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.27 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (40,177 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #64, The Song of Achilles and Circe (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 3 books · Complete · 40k ratings · Ranks #65 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Pariah (2021)
- The Martyr (2022)
- The Traitor (2023)
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)
- No award nomination could be confirmed for any of the three books despite a targeted search.
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- Shadow of the Leviathan Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.37
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.27 across 40,177 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 Covenant of Steel admitted accepted 2026-09-23
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-09-23
Rule: Core Canon is all three books: The Pariah (2021), The Martyr (2022), and The Traitor (2023).