⭐ Star Wars Book Reading Order Checker
Check your progress through Canon & Legends — track books read, estimate reading time, and find your place in the galaxy
| Series Name | Type | Books | Era | Avg Pages | Total Read Time* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Republic Phase I | Canon | 3 main + comics | 232 BBY | ~380 | ~14 hrs |
| Heir to the Empire (Thrawn Trilogy) | Legends | 3 | 9 ABY | ~320 | ~12 hrs |
| New Jedi Order | Legends | 19 | 25–29 ABY | ~380 | ~72 hrs |
| Aftermath Trilogy | Canon | 3 | 4–5 ABY | ~370 | ~13 hrs |
| Darth Bane Trilogy | Legends | 3 | 1,000 BBY | ~340 | ~12 hrs |
| Fate of the Jedi | Legends | 9 | 43 ABY | ~400 | ~36 hrs |
| X-Wing Series | Legends | 10 | 6–20 ABY | ~310 | ~31 hrs |
| Han Solo Trilogy | Legends | 3 | 10–0 BBY | ~300 | ~11 hrs |
| Thrawn Canon Trilogy | Canon | 3 | 2–1 BBY | ~420 | ~15 hrs |
| Old Republic (Lost Tribe, etc.) | Legends | 4+ | 3,000+ BBY | ~360 | ~15 hrs |
*Estimated at average reading speed of 250 pages/hr
| Pages | Slow (150/hr) | Average (250/hr) | Fast (350/hr) | Speed (450/hr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 pages | 1.3 hrs | 0.8 hrs | 0.6 hrs | 0.4 hrs |
| 300 pages | 2.0 hrs | 1.2 hrs | 0.9 hrs | 0.7 hrs |
| 350 pages | 2.3 hrs | 1.4 hrs | 1.0 hrs | 0.8 hrs |
| 400 pages | 2.7 hrs | 1.6 hrs | 1.1 hrs | 0.9 hrs |
| 500 pages | 3.3 hrs | 2.0 hrs | 1.4 hrs | 1.1 hrs |
| 600 pages | 4.0 hrs | 2.4 hrs | 1.7 hrs | 1.3 hrs |
| Format | Size (in) | Size (cm) | Avg Weight (oz) | Avg Weight (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mass Market Paperback | 6.75 x 4.19 | 17.1 x 10.6 | ~10 oz | ~283 g |
| Trade Paperback | 9.0 x 6.0 | 22.9 x 15.2 | ~14 oz | ~397 g |
| Hardcover | 9.5 x 6.5 | 24.1 x 16.5 | ~22 oz | ~624 g |
| eBook (Kindle) | 6.4 x 4.5 | 16.3 x 11.4 | ~6.9 oz device | ~196 g device |
| Audiobook (CD) | 5.6 x 5.0 | 14.2 x 12.7 | ~3 oz/disc | ~85 g/disc |
| Omnibus Edition | 10.0 x 7.0 | 25.4 x 17.8 | ~48 oz | ~1,361 g |
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Count the right order for reading the books can be hard, especially with long cycles with several volumes. Various websites help to settle this question. Some pages sort all book series by author, then by characters or the name of the cycle.
Where possible, one gives the order of publications together with the timeline. Some sites offer printable PDF lists so that readers mark the volumes while they progress.
Which Order Should I Read a Book Series?
The order of publications almost always stays the most reliable choice. One wrote later books in a cycle knowing about the prior, that forms the base. That has bigger weight than many readers think.
For instance prehistories work best in publishing order, because they usually assume that one already knows the world of the main works.
Even so, some cycles become really complicated. The novels of the Foundation of Asimov appeared in an order that differs from the real timeline of the plot. Complex guides online exist only to avoid spoilers.
With the books of The Witcher something similar happens: one must choose between publishing and chronological order, because the two first volumes are made up of short stories, while the full book Blood of the Elves comes after whcih the story of Geralt already started.
For the world of the Realm in the range of Robin Hobb, the right way to read is: first Farseer, then the Traders of Liveship, then Tawny Man, then the Chronicles of Rain Wild and finally Fitz and the Fool. The main stories range, but shared links hide through everything.
The books of the Cosmere of Brandon Sanderson have there own suggested way. Read early Warbreaker and Elantris, because references and even some patterns return later in the Records of Stormlight. Mistborn: The Secret History goes after Dark Empire.
The publishing order works very well, although saving the Records of Stormlight for the finish can be a good idea, because the cycle really matters.
For the Malazan cycle, one first reads the main volumes in publishing order to get a good feel, then moves to the books of Ian C. Esslemont and finally to Fall of Light and the rest. The series of Murderbot Diaries causes similar discussion, where some prefer the timeline order during rereads, while others first read by publication.
Standalone books clearly can be read in any order. Even in a cycle, one is advised to start with the first volume of that particular series. If the books are not directly linked, the strict order matters less.
Even so, reading pages out of order inside one book would make the plot impossible to follow. Basically, the publishing order mostlyworks best for the first reading.
