How To Read The Kingkiller Chronicle Books In Order

The Kingkiller Chronicle series depicts the past and present life of Kvothe, an adventurer, musician, and wizard, and there are a couple of orders to consume his story and read the books (and short stories and novellas). Patrick Rothfuss wrote the fantasy trilogy and subsequent works, which received instant acclaim following the first book’s release. Even George R. R. Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, was open about his love for the second novel after it was published, calling it one of his favorite fantasy books that year.

Plans for adaptations of The Kingkiller Chronicle have been discussed for years, and, unfortunately, updates on the projects are slim. They have been in development hell since 2013, even though they made some progress in 2015 when Rothfuss announced that Lionsgate would adapt his novels through a movie, television series, and video game. Several big names have been tied to the projects, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sam Raimi, but nothing else is known about the adaptations (including if they are still being worked on). However, while waiting for news, one could read Rothfuss’ series in release or chronological order.

The Kingkiller Chronicle Books In Release Order

Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle series consists of three books (one of which has yet to be released), three novellas, and one short story. The fantasy universe is told in a “story-within-a-story” format with Kvothe as the narrator (written in omniscient third person) as he relays his life story to a scribe — Chronicler. So, the book series often jumps between the past and present timelines in the fictional world of Temerant as Kvothe reflects on his adventures and how he ended up as an innkeeper living under an assumed name.

Each installment in the trilogy is meant to chronicle one day of Kvothe recounting his story to Chronicler, with the first novel reflecting the first day, the second book the second day, and, assumingly, the third one will depict the third day. Meanwhile, the other works focus on different parts and characters in Temerant. Some novellas in The Kingkiller Chronicle serve as prequels to the original series, even though they were released after the books. Nevertheless, the release order of Rothfuss’ series is:

The Kingkiller Chronicle Books In Chronological Order

Those who want to read Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle in chronological order must ignore the release dates of every book, novella, and short story. A couple of the works in the series are prequels, while others take place after the main trilogy. The best place to start would be with the short story, “How Old Holly Came to Be,” which was published in Shawn Speakman’s Unfettered and takes place centuries before the events of The Name of the Wind. The Lightning Tree follows the short story, and afterward, the first two books in the trilogy come into play.

After reading The Wise Man’s Fear, one should pick up The Slow Regard of Silent Things, which takes place between chapters four and eleven of the second novel in the main trilogy. It makes more sense to consume the novella following the second book to make things easier for the reader, even though its events occur within The Wise Man’s Fear‘s story. Then, The Narrow Road Between Desires would be the last work to be read until Rothfuss publishes the highly-anticipated third novel — The Doors of Stone.

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When Will The Next Kingkiller Chronicle Book Be Released?

Unfortunately, the timeline of The Doors of Stone‘s release is unknown. The third and final book in the Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy has been in the works for more than a decade, following the debut of the second novel, The Wise Man’s Fear, in 2011. Many fans have expressed frustration with the delay of The Doors of Stone, and Patrick Rothfuss has explained that personal struggles have affected progress on the third book. Hopefully, it will be published sometime soon, and readers can finally learn the conclusion to Kvothe’s story. Meanwhile, good news surrounding the film and television adaptations is welcome but unlikely.

Showtime passed on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Kingkiller Chronicle series in 2019, so it’s unclear if the show is still being shopped around to other networks and streaming services or if it’s dead in the water. The most recent update on the film adaptation was the announcement that Sam Raimi would direct the Kingkiller Chronicle movie in 2018. However, as of March 2024, nothing else is known about the Kingkiller Chronicle adaptations.