The Dalemark Quartet
#4013.94 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Complete 1975–1993 Reading commitment Medium Diana Wynne Jones Last reviewed 2026-08-12
Overview
Diana Wynne Jones's secondary-world fantasy quartet set in the land of Dalemark, a country divided between the oppressive North and the freer South -- distinct from Jones's Chrestomanci and Howl's Moving Castle.
Epic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
The Dalemark Quartet Diana Wynne Jones
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cart and Cwidder | 1975 | 1 | core | 3.86 (5,961 ratings) |
 | Drowned Ammet | 1977 | 2 | core | 3.91 (4,192 ratings) |
 | The Spellcoats | 1979 | 3 | core | 3.97 (3,828 ratings) |
 | The Crown of Dalemark | 1993 | 4 | core | 4.07 (4,193 ratings) |
A distinct continuity from Diana Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci and Howl's Moving Castle -- shares no characters, setting, or continuity with either. The Crown of Dalemark was published 14 years after the first 3 books, completing the quartet.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Dalemark Quartet? The Dalemark Quartet's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for The Dalemark Quartet? Publication order, starting with Cart and Cwidder. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Dalemark Quartet finished? Complete (1975–1993).
- How much reading does The Dalemark Quartet take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books · ~780 pages).
- How is The Dalemark Quartet ranked? #401 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 18,174 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #401?
Ranked #401 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.94 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (18,174 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #400, Wayward Children (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 4 books · Complete · 18k ratings · Ranks #401 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 (4 Core Canon books)
- Cart and Cwidder (1975)
- Drowned Ammet (1977)
- The Spellcoats (1979)
- The Crown of Dalemark (1993)
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 awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.94 across 18,174 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 Dalemark Quartet admitted; Core Canon = all 4 novels accepted 2026-08-12
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Cart and Cwidder Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12
Rule: Core = all 4 novels: Cart and Cwidder (1975), Drowned Ammet (1977), The Spellcoats (1979), The Crown of Dalemark (1993).