The Secret Country
#10573.71 adjusted 3.76 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Unfinished 1985–1994 Reading commitment Medium Pamela Dean Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Pamela Dean wrote the Secret Country books for Ace between 1985 and 1989. In the first, five cousins who have long played a make-believe game find themselves inside the kingdom they invented, taking the parts of its royal children. The Hidden Land and The Whim of the Dragon follow them as they keep up the deception, face war with the Dragon King and uncover who has been directing events. The Dubious Hills (1994) is set in the same world, in a different region and with different characters. Dean has described an unfinished sequel, Going North, as a joint sequel to The Dubious Hills and the trilogy; it has not been published.
Portal fantasy · For YA
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
The Secret Country Pamela Dean
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Secret Country | 1985 | 1 | core | 3.60 (1,692 ratings) |
 | The Hidden Land | 1986 | 2 | core | 3.80 (893 ratings) |
 | The Whim of the Dragon | 1989 | 3 | core | 3.86 (725 ratings) |
Five cousins are drawn into the kingdom of their childhood game and must play its royal children.
The Dubious Hills Pamela Dean
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Dubious Hills; Set in a different region of the Secret Country world, with new characters. | 1994 | 1 | core | 3.66 (324 ratings) |
A standalone novel set in another region of the Secret Country world.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Secret Country? The Secret Country's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for The Secret Country? Publication order, starting with The Secret Country. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Secret Country finished? Unfinished (1985–1994).
- How much reading does The Secret Country take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books).
- How is The Secret Country ranked? #1057 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,634 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1057?
Ranked #1057 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.71 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (3,634 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.02 behind #1056, The Stress of Her Regard.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 4 books · Unfinished · 4k ratings · Ranks #1057 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length portal fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (4 Core Canon books)
- The Secret Country (1985)
- The Hidden Land (1986)
- The Whim of the Dragon (1989)
- The Dubious Hills (1994)
Documented internal/story order
- The Secret Country (1985)
- The Dubious Hills (1994)
- The Hidden Land (1986)
- The Whim of the Dragon (1989)
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 1995: nominated: The Dubious Hills
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Suggestions computed from what The Secret Country and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- His Dark Materials Portal fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.06
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.71 across 3,634 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: Canon Extension: 27 universes; 5 candidates ruled out; older open items closed accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- TV Tropes - Pamela Dean Tier 2
- TV Tropes - The Secret Country Tier 2
- Fantasy Hive interview with Pamela Dean Tier 2
- Wikipedia - Pamela Dean Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = The Secret Country (1985), The Hidden Land (1986), The Whim of the Dragon (1989) and The Dubious Hills (1994).