The Stress of Her Regard
#7813.73 adjusted 3.76 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 1989–2012 Reading commitment Low Tim Powers Last reviewed 2026-10-26
Overview
Tim Powers' fantasy-infused nineteenth-century England, where the Romantic poets and their families are bound up with the Nephilim, ancient vampiric beings that feed on their victims and inspire their art. The Stress of Her Regard (1989) sends Michael Crawford across Europe with Byron, Keats and Shelley to escape a lamia; Hide Me Among the Graves (2012) follows John Crawford, born in the final pages of the first novel, and the Rossetti family against the ghost of John Polidori in 1862 London. The first novel won the 1990 Mythopoeic Award, and the second was a 2013 Mythopoeic finalist.
Historical fantasy, Dark fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
The Stress of Her Regard Tim Powers
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Stress of Her Regard | 1989 | 1 | core | 3.80 (4,394 ratings) |
The first novel of the world.
Hide Me Among the Graves Tim Powers
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Hide Me Among the Graves | 2012 | 1 | core | 3.60 (2,345 ratings) |
The sequel, set in 1862 London.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Stress of Her Regard? The Stress of Her Regard's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for The Stress of Her Regard? Publication order, starting with The Stress of Her Regard. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Stress of Her Regard finished? Complete (1989–2012).
- How much reading does The Stress of Her Regard take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is The Stress of Her Regard ranked? #781 in this site's official ranking, based on 6,739 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #781?
Ranked #781 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.73 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (6,739 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #780, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 2 books · Complete · 7k ratings · Ranks #781 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- The Stress of Her Regard (1989)
- Hide Me Among the Graves (2012)
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)
- Mythopoeic Award, 1990: won: The Stress of Her Regard
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 2013: finalist: Hide Me Among the Graves
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Suggestions computed from what The Stress of Her Regard and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Bone Clocks / Slade House Urban fantasy / Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.83
- Under Heaven / River of Stars Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.17
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue / Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil Mythic fantasy / Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.13
- Who Fears Death Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.93
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.73 across 6,739 ratings on 2 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: The Stress of Her Regard (Tim Powers, 2 books); author bios for Patrice Kindl and Peter Dickinson accepted 2026-10-26
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Shelf Awareness: Hide Me Among the Graves (returns to the world of The Stress of Her Regard) Tier 2
- Tachyon Publications: The Stress of Her Regard (Hide Me Among the Graves is its sequel) Tier 2
- Mythopoeic Society (final ballots) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-26
Rule: Core Canon = The Stress of Her Regard (1989) and Hide Me Among the Graves (2012), set in one world; Powers' other novels are separate universes.