Georgina Kincaid
urban fantasy
Series · fantasy
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
The Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series by Brandon Sanderson has 6 known books (6 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (2007). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians.
- Books
- 6 known books (6 novels)
- Published
- 6
- First published
- 2007
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (2007) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians is the first entry in the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series, written by Brandon Sanderson, published in October 2007 at 320 pages. The series continues from here with Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians - Book 2:
Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones
Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones is the 2nd book in the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series, written by Brandon Sanderson, published in November 2008 at 320 pages. In the reading order it follows Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians and precedes Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones - Book 3:
Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia
Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia is the 3rd book in the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series, written by Brandon Sanderson, published in October 2009 at 320 pages. It follows Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones and precedes Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia - Book 4:
Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens
Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens is the 4th book in the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series, written by Brandon Sanderson, published in December 2010 at 320 pages. In the reading order it follows Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia and precedes The Dark Talent.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens - Book 5:
The Dark Talent
The Dark Talent is the 5th book in the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series, written by Brandon Sanderson, published in September 2016 at 320 pages. In the reading order it follows Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens and precedes Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians. It was originally published as Alcatraz Versus the Dark Talent and later reissued under this shorter title; both refer to the same book.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Dark Talent - Book 6:
Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians
Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians is the 6th book in the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series, written by Brandon Sanderson, published in September 2022 at 336 pages. It follows The Dark Talent, closing out the series as recorded in this catalogue. The narration switches here from Alcatraz to Bastille, though it's treated by the publisher and fandom as the series' closing sixth entry rather than a spinoff.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians
About the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series
On his thirteenth birthday, Alcatraz Smedry is mailed a bag of sand by the father he's never met -- and promptly discovers it's the only thing standing between him and a home invasion by Evil Librarians. It turns out the world's librarians secretly run a global conspiracy to suppress magic and keep humanity ignorant, and Alcatraz's own bizarre "Smedry Talent" (a supernatural gift for breaking things at exactly the wrong moment) makes him exactly the weapon the resistance needs.
Brandon Sanderson wrote this middle-grade series as a deliberate change of pace from his doorstop adult epics: fast, silly, aggressively self-aware, with a narrator who interrupts his own story constantly to argue with the reader, mock fantasy-novel conventions, and admit when he's stalling. Beneath the gags sits real Sanderson craftsmanship -- an inventive magic system built on absurd "Talents" (being late, tripping, getting lost), and a plot that rewards attention even while it's making fun of itself.
Five numbered books follow Alcatraz's escalating war against the Evil Librarians; a sixth volume shifts the narration to his fierce, sword-wielding bodyguard Bastille to close out the series from a new angle.
Frequently asked questions
How many Alcatraz books are there?
Six: the five numbered Alcatraz novels (Evil Librarians through The Dark Talent) plus Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, which shifts the narration to Alcatraz's bodyguard Bastille to close out the series.
What order should I read the Alcatraz series in?
Publication order, starting with Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians and ending with Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians.
Is this connected to Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books like Mistborn?
No. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians is a standalone middle-grade series with its own separate world and magic system, unrelated to the Cosmere.
Why does the last book have a different title style?
Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians hands narration to Bastille, Alcatraz's bodyguard, as promised in a letter she writes at the end of The Dark Talent -- the title change signals the switch in narrator and closes out plot threads the earlier books left open.
Is the Alcatraz series finished?
Yes, as of Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (2022) the series is complete; no further volume has been announced.
If you like the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series
Reading order last verified .