Zombay
#11203.58 adjusted 3.68 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Unfinished 2012–2013 Reading commitment Low William Alexander Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Zombay is the setting of two fantasy novels by American author William Alexander, Goblin Secrets (2012) and Ghoulish Song (2013). Zombay is a river city with ancient magic and new clockwork, divided into a wealthy north side and a poor south side. Goblin Secrets follows the orphan Rownie as he searches for his missing brother among a troupe of goblin actors. Ghoulish Song follows Kaile, a baker's daughter whose shadow is separated from her. Alexander has said the second book is not precisely a sequel: both take place at the same time in the same city and share several characters. He had planned further novels set in Zombay, but none has been published.
Mythic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Zombay William Alexander
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Goblin Secrets | 2012 | 1 | core | 3.55 (2,337 ratings) |
 | Ghoulish Song; Companion to Goblin Secrets; set in the same city at the same time rather than after it. | 2013 | 2 | core | 3.73 (510 ratings) |
Two companion fantasy novels set at the same time in the river city of Zombay.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Zombay? Zombay's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Zombay? Publication order, starting with Goblin Secrets. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Zombay finished? Unfinished (2012–2013).
- How much reading does Zombay take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is Zombay ranked? #1120 in this site's official ranking, based on 2,847 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1120?
Ranked #1120 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.58 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (2,847 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.09 behind #1119, The Girl of Ink and Stars.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 2 books · Unfinished · 3k ratings · Ranks #1120 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Goblin Secrets (2012)
- Ghoulish Song (2013)
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)
- National Book Award for Young People's Literature (Young People's Literature), 2012: won: Goblin Secrets
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.58 across 2,847 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: 27 universes from the candidate register; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: William Alexander (author) Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Goblin Secrets Tier 2
- Publishers Weekly: Ghoulish Song Tier 2
- Kirkus Reviews: Ghoulish Song Tier 2
- Publishers Weekly: Goblin Secrets Tier 2
- National Book Foundation Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = Goblin Secrets (2012) and Ghoulish Song (2013).