Series · fantasy
The Land of Stories
The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer has 6 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell (2012).
- Books
- 6 books
- First published
- 2012
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell (2012) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell - Book 2:
The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns - Book 3:
The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning - Book 4:
The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms - Book 5:
The Land of Stories: An Author's Odyssey
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Land of Stories: An Author's Odyssey - Book 6:
The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide
About The Land of Stories
Twins Alex and Conner Bailey fall through a magic book left by their grandmother and land in the Land of Stories, a fairy-tale world where every classic story -- Cinderella, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks -- actually happened, and its characters have gone on living their lives long after "happily ever after." What starts as a mission to find a way home becomes a sprawling quest involving a fairy-tale-wide prophecy, warring kingdoms, an escaped villainess called the Evil Queen, and Alex's own growing magical destiny.
Chris Colfer (best known as an actor from Glee) writes the twins as a genuinely well-balanced pair -- bookish, magically-gifted Alex and practical, sarcastic Conner split narrative focus fairly evenly, and their sibling dynamic anchors a plot that otherwise sprawls delightfully across dozens of reimagined fairy-tale characters and settings. The tone stays fun and fast-moving even as the stakes escalate across the six books, mixing genuine fairy-tale wonder with contemporary humor.
The series was a bestseller on release and has spawned a full expanded universe, including the prequel-adjacent spin-off series A Tale of Magic, cementing Colfer's fairy-tale mythology as one of the more ambitious modern additions to the portal-fantasy genre for middle-grade readers.
How to read this series
Read the six books in publication order, starting with The Wishing Spell (2012). This is a single continuous story told across the whole series -- not standalone adventures -- with a plot and prophecy that build directly from book to book toward one ending, so reading out of order will cause real confusion.
Chris Colfer later wrote A Tale of Magic..., a separate three-book spin-off series following a different protagonist (Brystal Evergreen) in the same fairy-tale world, decades earlier. It's designed to be read after finishing the main Land of Stories series, since it deepens and recontextualizes elements from it.
Frequently asked questions
How many Land of Stories books are there?
Six, published between 2012 and 2017. The main series is complete.
What order should I read The Land of Stories in?
Publication order, starting with The Wishing Spell. It's one continuous story, so the books must be read in sequence.
Is The Land of Stories finished?
Yes, the six-book main series concluded with Worlds Collide in 2017.
What is A Tale of Magic and should I read it first?
It's a separate three-book spin-off series set earlier in the same world. It's best read after the main Land of Stories series, not before.
What age group is The Land of Stories for?
Roughly ages 8-12, similar to other portal-fantasy series for middle-grade readers.
Reading order last verified .