Vergil Magus
#9043.61 adjusted 3.85 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Unfinished 1969–2005 Reading commitment Medium Avram Davidson Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
Avram Davidson's Vergil Magus novels follow the Roman poet Vergil as he appears in medieval legend, a learned magician, in an alternate Mediterranean where scholastic magic works. The Phoenix and the Mirror (1969) was published first but is set last in his life: Vergil must make a virgin mirror to win back his stolen masculinity. Vergil in Averno (1987) shows him as a young man summoned to a polluted volcanic city, and The Scarlet Fig (2005), published after the author's death, follows his flight from Rome. The series was planned to be longer, and no further novels have appeared.
Historical fantasy, Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Vergil Magus Avram Davidson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Phoenix and the Mirror; Published first, but set last in Vergil's life; the later novels Vergil in Averno and The Scarlet Fig take place earlier. | 1969 | 1 | core | 3.61 (319 ratings) | |
 | Vergil in Averno; Published second, but set before The Phoenix and the Mirror. | 1987 | 2 | core | 3.58 (64 ratings) |
 | The Scarlet Fig; or, Slowly Through a Land of Stone; Published posthumously in 2005, edited by Grania Davis and Henry Wessells; set earlier in Vergil's life than The Phoenix and the Mirror. | 2005 | 3 | core | 3.72 (29 ratings) |
Three novels about the legendary magician Vergil, published out of story order.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Vergil Magus? Vergil Magus's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Vergil Magus? Publication order, starting with The Phoenix and the Mirror. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Vergil Magus finished? Unfinished (1969–2005).
- How much reading does Vergil Magus take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Vergil Magus ranked? #904 in this site's official ranking, based on 412 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #904?
Ranked #904 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.61 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (412 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Remarkably consistent across the whole series: all 3 rated core books rate within 0.14 of each other.
- 0.23 behind #903, The Butcher of the Forest.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 3 books · Unfinished · 412 ratings · Ranks #904 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length historical fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Phoenix and the Mirror (1969)
- Vergil in Averno (1987)
- The Scarlet Fig; or, Slowly Through a Land of Stone (2005)
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)
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 1988: nominated: Vergil in Averno
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.61 across 412 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: 28 universes; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: The Phoenix and the Mirror Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Vergil in Averno Tier 2
- Wikipedia: The Scarlet Fig Tier 2
- EBSCO Research Starter: The Phoenix and the Mirror Tier 2
- SF Encyclopedia: Avram Davidson Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Avram Davidson Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = the three Vergil Magus novels, The Phoenix and the Mirror (1969), Vergil in Averno (1987) and The Scarlet Fig (2005).