The 13th Reality
fantasy
Series · urban fantasy
Dark Swan
The Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead has 4 known books (4 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Storm Born (2008). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Shadow Heir.
- Books
- 4 known books (4 novels)
- Published
- 4
- First published
- 2008
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: Storm Born (2008) — 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:
Storm Born
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Storm Born - Book 2:
Thorn Queen
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Thorn Queen - Book 3:
Iron Crowned
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Iron Crowned - Book 4:
Shadow Heir
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Shadow Heir
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.
If you like the Dark Swan series
Reading order last verified .