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Series · epic fantasy

Sianim

by Patricia Briggs

The Sianim series by Patricia Briggs has 4 known books (4 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Masques (1993).

Books
4 known books (4 novels)
Published
4
First published
1993
Status
completed
Shelved under
Fantasy
Last checked

Start here: Masques (1993) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Masques

Masques (1993)

Reading order

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

  1. Masques

    Novel

    Masques is the shortest book in Sianim at 199 pages, published in 1993 as Patricia Briggs's debut novel. It introduces Aralorn, a mercenary and spy with a shapeshifting secret, sent undercover to investigate a sorcerer suspected of plotting against her homeland -- a formative early look at the competence-driven, guarded characters Briggs later carried into Mercy Thompson.

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  2. Wolfsbane

    Novel

    At 304 pages, Wolfsbane is the longest entry in Sianim. Its catalogued publication year is 2010, though the novel is understood to have been written as a direct follow-up to Masques, returning to Aralorn's story as the second half of the series' one true two-book pairing.

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  3. Steal the Dragon

    Novel

    Released in 1995, Steal the Dragon sits between Wolfsbane and When Demons Walk in the Sianim reading order. Unlike the Aralorn-focused Masques and Wolfsbane, it introduces a new lead and magic system within the same mercenary-company world, largely self-contained from the books around it.

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  4. When Demons Walk

    Novel

    When Demons Walk closes out the published run of Sianim to date, following Steal the Dragon in 1998. Like its predecessor, it brings a new protagonist into the same secondary world of political intrigue and old magic, completing Patricia Briggs's earliest published series at four books.

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About the Sianim series

Sianim is Patricia Briggs's early fantasy series, named for the mercenary company at its center, and set in a secondary world of political intrigue, old magic, and hard-won loyalty well before she moved into the urban fantasy that made her famous. Masques, her 1993 debut, introduces Aralorn, a mercenary and spy with a shapeshifting secret, sent undercover to investigate a sorcerer suspected of plotting against her homeland. The books that follow widen the cast and the world while keeping Briggs's hallmark focus on characters who are competent, guarded, and slowly learning to trust.

Each novel is largely self-contained, following different protagonists connected to the Sianim mercenary company and its world, rather than one continuous plot -- Wolfsbane returns to Aralorn's story, while Steal the Dragon and When Demons Walk introduce new leads and magic systems within the same setting. Readers who know Briggs only from Mercy Thompson will recognize the same careful world-building and grounded, competence-driven romance threaded through a more traditional epic-fantasy frame.

Complete at four books, Sianim is Briggs's earliest published work and a formative look at the writer she'd become.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Sianim series?

Four: Masques (1993), Wolfsbane, Steal the Dragon (1995), and When Demons Walk (1998).

What order should I read Sianim in?

Publication order: Masques, Wolfsbane, Steal the Dragon, When Demons Walk. Masques and Wolfsbane share a protagonist and should be read together in that order.

Is Sianim connected to Mercy Thompson?

No -- it's an earlier, unrelated secondary-world fantasy series with no shared characters or setting.

Is Sianim finished?

Yes, the series is complete at four books.

Do I need to read all four books, or can I pick one?

Each book is largely self-contained aside from the Masques/Wolfsbane pairing, so you can read selectively, though starting with Masques is the traditional entry point.

Reading order last verified .