Red Queen reading order (Red Queen, 2015)
Start here
Red Queen
2015
Red Queen reading order: start with Red Queen (2015) through War Storm. Broken Throne is a collection. Cruel Crown and Queen Song are not book one.
Short answer · Start here
Red Queen
It is book one (2015). The three sequels assume that first court. Broken Throne is a collection, not novel five. Queen Song is a prequel novella. Do not start there.
Four novels make Mare’s run. They are a finished argument. The novellas and Broken Throne are extras that look like a fifth book on a shelf.
Aveyard’s series page presents a complete epic of four volumes. Broken Throne is the companion collection: the two earlier novellas plus later pieces after War Storm.
The four novels
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Red QueenStart here | 2015 | Start here. | |
| 2 |  Glass Sword | 2016 | ||
| 3 |  King's Cage | 2017 | ||
| 4 |  War Storm | 2018 | Ends Mare’s four. |
Read them in this order. There is no contested start inside these four.
Extras — after, not before
| Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cruel Crown | 2016 | Queen Song and Steel Scars. After Red Queen if you want the two early novellas separately. | |
 Broken Throne | 2019 | Collection. After War Storm. Includes those two novellas plus later extras. Not Red Queen 5. |
Contested order, labeled: chronological charts put Queen Song and Steel Scars before Red Queen. Those two are origin texture. They assume you already care who Cal and Farley are. Publication puts them after book one (Cruel Crown arrived as a companion to Glass Sword).
House rule:
- Red Queen through War Storm
- Broken Throne if you want the extras in one object
If you already have Cruel Crown, you do not need to buy those two novellas twice. Broken Throne still holds later pieces Cruel Crown does not.
Aveyard’s later Realm Breaker books are a different series.
Common mistakes
- Starting with Queen Song because it is “earlier.”
- Treating Broken Throne as novel five.
- Buying Cruel Crown and Broken Throne and reading the same two novellas twice without noticing.
- Starting with War Storm because it is the war book.
What to read next
- Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) — If you want another color-coded underclass trilogy with prequels that should stay prequels.
- Divergent (Veronica Roth) — If you want the other 2010s faction run whose extras look like book one.
- Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi) — If you want a YA dystopia that keeps the same voice past four books.
- The Selection (Kiera Cass) — If you want another finished YA court with extras that look like book one.
- Stop after War Storm. The four are a complete visit.
FAQ
Do I need Broken Throne?
No. The four end. Start at Red Queen (2015).
Cruel Crown or Broken Throne?
Broken Throne is the fuller collection. Cruel Crown is only the first two novellas.
Should I read Queen Song first?
Not for a first read.
Is Realm Breaker Red Queen 5?
No.
Sources
- Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen series — author series page for the four. Opened 2026-09-13.
- Victoria Aveyard, Broken Throne — author page for the collection. Opened 2026-09-13.
Same shelf
