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Series · urban fantasy

Dark Swan

by Richelle Mead

The Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead has 4 known books (4 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Storm Born (2008). Shadow Heir is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.

Books
4 known books (4 novels)
Published
4
First published
2008
Status
completed
Shelved under
Fantasy
Start here: Storm Born (2008) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of Storm Born
Storm Born (2008)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Storm Born

    Novel
    Storm Born (August 2008, 374 pages) launches Dark Swan with shaman Eugenie Markham learning she's the target of a prophecy claiming she'll bear a child who will destroy the Otherworld, pulling her into warring fae courts and competing suitors from that world.
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  2. Thorn Queen

    Novel
    Thorn Queen (July 2009, 479 pages) -- the longest book in the series -- followed almost exactly a year later, continuing Eugenie's entanglement in fae power struggles she can't simply banish her way out of.
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  3. Iron Crowned

    Novel
    Iron Crowned (February 2011, 375 pages) arrived after a roughly year-and-a-half gap, the third book pushing further into the harder-edged, more sexually explicit fae mythology Richelle Mead builds around Eugenie's dual role as monster-hunter and prophesied mother.
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  4. Shadow Heir

    Novel
    Shadow Heir (December 2011, 400 pages) closes the four-book Dark Swan series ten months after Iron Crowned, resolving Eugenie's parentage, the prophecy against her, and the fae political conflict that built across the series.
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Key facts about the Dark Swan series

Our list has 4 books in the Dark Swan series. Since all 4 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with Storm Born, since it opens the publication order in 2008. Thorn Queen is book 2, from 2009. Iron Crowned is book 3, from 2011. Shadow Heir is book 4, from 2011.

The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.

Shadow Heir is the latest book with a full release date, out on 27 December 2011. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 2008 and 2011, while their length runs from 374 to 479 pages. That is a run of 3 years.

Richelle Mead has 29 books on our list. Additionally, they write Georgina Kincaid, Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, plus 2 more series. We shelve the books under urban fantasy.

About the Dark Swan series

Dark Swan follows Eugenie Markham, a shaman who hunts and banishes dangerous creatures crossing over from the Otherworld into the human world -- until a shocking revelation about her own parentage pulls her directly into that world's brutal fae politics. Storm Born opens with Eugenie learning she's the target of a prophecy claiming she'll bear a child who will destroy the Otherworld, setting off a chain of events that force her to navigate warring fae courts, competing suitors from that world, and a legacy she never asked for.

Richelle Mead builds a harder-edged, more sexually explicit fae mythology here than in her other series, with Eugenie's competence as a monster-hunter colliding against her growing entanglement in fae power struggles she can't simply banish her way out of. It's grittier and more morally grey than Vampire Academy or Bloodlines, closer in tone and content to her adult Georgina Kincaid series.

Complete at four books, Dark Swan is a good pick for readers who want Mead's worldbuilding instincts applied to fae politics with real teeth.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Dark Swan series?

Four: Storm Born (2008), Thorn Queen (2009), Iron Crowned (2011), and Shadow Heir (2011).

What order should I read Dark Swan in?

Publication order: Storm Born, Thorn Queen, Iron Crowned, Shadow Heir. It's a single continuous story.

Is Dark Swan connected to Vampire Academy or Bloodlines?

No, it's a separate adult urban fantasy series with no shared world or characters.

Is Dark Swan finished?

Yes, the series is complete at four books, concluding with Shadow Heir (2011).

Is Dark Swan appropriate for younger Vampire Academy fans?

It's written for adults with more explicit and darker content than Mead's YA series -- worth knowing before starting.

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