Trickster's Game
#7683.29 adjusted 3.90 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2005–2009 Reading commitment Medium Barbara Campbell Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Trickster's Game is a fantasy trilogy by the American writer Barbara Campbell, published by DAW Books between 2005 and 2009. In Heartwood, a tribe that marks each Midwinter with a ritual battle between the Oak and the Holly sees the rite go wrong. Darak, the tribe's hunter, sets out to restore the lost spirits of his people, even if it means entering Chaos. Bloodstone follows Darak and his healer wife Griane, now leaders of their tribe, when their son Keirith, who can ride the spirits of animals, is taken by slavers to a distant civilization. Foxfire is set years later, when the family has founded a new tribe and their youngest son Rigat, fathered by the Trickster God, becomes the central danger. The series is complete.
Mythic fantasy, Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Trickster's Game Barbara Campbell
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Heartwood | 2005 | 1 | core | 3.08 (39 ratings) |
 | Bloodstone | 2006 | 2 | core | 3.72 (18 ratings) |
 | Foxfire | 2009 | 3 | core | 3.31 (13 ratings) |
A trilogy about the hunter Darak, his wife Griane and their children, who face the spirits of Chaos and the Trickster God.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Trickster's Game? Trickster's Game's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Trickster's Game? Publication order, starting with Heartwood. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Trickster's Game finished? Complete (2005–2009).
- How much reading does Trickster's Game take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Trickster's Game ranked? #768 in this site's official ranking, based on 70 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #768?
Ranked #768 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.29 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (70 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.08 to 3.72.
- 0.60 behind #767, Chronicles of an Age of Darkness.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 3 books · Complete · 70 ratings · Ranks #768 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Heartwood (2005)
- Bloodstone (2006)
- Foxfire (2009)
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 (Adult Literature), 2010: nominated: Foxfire
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Suggestions computed from what Trickster's Game and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Fire of Heaven Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.42
- The Dreamers Epic fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.33
- The Kingkiller Chronicle Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.53
- Opowieści z meekhańskiego pogranicza Epic fantasy / Dark fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.42
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.29 across 70 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: Canon Extension: 27 universes from the candidate register; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Worlds Without End: Heartwood Tier 2
- Worlds Without End: Bloodstone Tier 2
- Rising Shadow: Heartwood Tier 2
- Astra Publishing House: Foxfire Tier 2
- Worlds Without End: Barbara Campbell Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = Heartwood (2005), Bloodstone (2006) and Foxfire (2009).