Order of the Sanguines
supernatural thriller
Series · horror
Arkham Horror: The Dark Waters Trilogy
The Arkham Horror: The Dark Waters Trilogy series by Graham McNeill has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Ghouls of the Miskatonic (2011).
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 2011
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Horror
- Last checked
Start here: Ghouls of the Miskatonic (2011) — 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:
Ghouls of the Miskatonic
Ghouls of the Miskatonic (2011) opens the trilogy at 329 pages, the shortest of the three, launching Miskatonic University professor Oliver Grayson's investigation into a cult conspiracy in Arkham, Massachusetts.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ghouls of the Miskatonic - Book 2:
Bones of the Yopasi
Bones of the Yopasi followed a year later in 2012 at 345 pages, pushing Grayson's search into Central American ruins as the scope of the threat widens.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bones of the Yopasi - Book 3:
Dweller in the Deep
At 349 pages, Dweller in the Deep (2014) is the longest of the trilogy and closes the investigation, deliberately synchronized to unfold as a different perspective on the same events as Lovecraft's 'The Call of Cthulhu.'
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dweller in the Deep
About the Arkham Horror: The Dark Waters Trilogy series
A Lovecraftian tie-in trilogy set in Fantasy Flight Games' Arkham Horror universe, following Miskatonic University professor Oliver Grayson as he uncovers a cult conspiracy tied to the awakening of Cthulhu itself. Ghouls of the Miskatonic opens the investigation in Arkham, Massachusetts; Bones of the Yopasi pushes the search into Central American ruins as the scope of the threat widens; Dweller in the Deep brings Grayson and his allies to the story's climax, deliberately synchronized by McNeill to unfold as a different perspective on the same events as H. P. Lovecraft's original short story "The Call of Cthulhu."
It's cosmic horror played fairly straight -- creeping dread, forbidden knowledge, and a protagonist whose expertise (ancient languages, esoteric scholarship) is as much a liability as an asset -- rather than the pulpy action of McNeill's Warhammer work, and it's a rare example of him writing in someone else's established mythos rather than Games Workshop's.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Dark Waters trilogy?
Three: Ghouls of the Miskatonic (2011), Bones of the Yopasi (2012), and Dweller in the Deep (2014).
What order should I read them in?
Publication order, which is the only order -- it's one continuous investigation following the same protagonist, Professor Oliver Grayson, throughout.
Is this connected to Graham McNeill's Warhammer fiction?
No -- it's set in Fantasy Flight Games' Arkham Horror universe (itself derived from H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos), entirely separate from McNeill's Black Library work.
Do I need to know the Arkham Horror board game to read this?
No prior knowledge of the game is required -- the trilogy stands on its own as Lovecraftian horror fiction.
If you like the Arkham Horror: The Dark Waters Trilogy series
Reading order last verified .