Ian Irvine Books In Order

Publication Order of The View from the Mirror Books

Publication Order of The Well of Echoes Books

Publication Order of Human Rites Books

Publication Order of Song of Tears Books

Publication Order of Runcible Jones Books

Publication Order of The Tainted Realm Books

Publication Order of Tales of the Three Worlds Books

Publication Order of Gate of Good and Evil Books

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Ian Irvine is an Australian novelist with 32 novels and a short story collection that are mainly in marine science, eco-thriller, and fantasy genres. His most popular works include the Three Worlds fantasy epic sequences, The Song of the Tears Trilogy, The Well of the Echoes Quartet, and The View from the Mirror Quartet. Born in Bathurst, New South Wales Irvine had always wanted to be a scientist and not a writer. Nonetheless, he had a voracious appetite for books from the time he learnt how to read. He probably found them an appropriate outlet given that he was a small and quiet child. In fact, one of the punishments that his mother used to unleash on him was to forbid him from reading anything for a week, when he had been naughty. He discovered fantasy when he was in his twenties after reading the Earthsea trilogy and The Lord of the Rings, after which he became hooked to the genre. For the young Irvine, the 70s were severely lacking in fantasy or science fiction and it was not long before he had read everything that was to be found. Desiring more diverse and bigger canvasses, he was ultimately frustrated, a fact that drove him to become a writer. By being a writer, he could write the type of stories that he knew many fantasy readers were looking for. Nearly three decades later, the art of storytelling has grown into a passion that still keeps him going. He lives in New South Wales with his wife in a house overlooking the mountains.

Ian Irvine went to school at the Chevalier College, from where he proceeded to the University of Sydney graduating with a PhD in marine science, with a focus on contaminated sediment management. He is one of the foremost pollution experts in the world and has spent much of his life hopping around the world from far-flung countries such Western Samoa, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Mongolia, Sumatra, and Mauritius. In 1986, he set up an environmental consulting company that has helped countries all over the globe on matters environment. Some of his most important contributions include the Australia National Environmental Assessment Guidelines for Dredging and the guidelines for protection of the oceanic environment for Australia. In 1987, he started to write the first of his The View from the Mirror series, while still working as an environmental researcher. The first novel in the series, A Shadow on the Glass was published in 1998. The novel’s success was the final push that Irvine needed to become a full time author, though he still consults on environmental work when he finds the time.

Ian Irvine has written over 32 titles of eco-thrillers, fantasy, and children books that have sold over a million copies and been published in more than 11 countries around the world. His most popular series is the three world fantasy series that are set on the Tallallame, Aachan, and Santhenar fictional world. The novels tell the story of the struggle for supremacy between four human species: modern man and ancient human species Charon, Faellem, and Aachim. His eco-thrillers tackle the impact of catastrophic climate change through his Human Rites Trilogy series. Set in the near future of the Earth, they tackle the economic, political, and social impact of climate change. Published between the years 2002 and 2003, much of the happenings in the novels such as the predicted destruction of a coastal city by a monstrous hurricane have already happened. Irvine also has two novellas published in Legends of Australian Fantasy 2010 edition, and the Mystery, Magic Voodoo and Holy Grail 2000 collection. Of his 32 works, eleven have been children fantasy series. His first children’s title was the Runcible Jones: The Gate to Nowhere, the first novel of the Runcible Jones Quartet that was followed by the Sorcerer’s Tower Quartet, Grimm and Grimmer Quartet, and the Tainted Realm Trilogy, which is more of a young adult fantasy series. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Irvine’s novels are not about huge reckless warriors that fight with bold abandon or superheroes. These are novels about ordinary people and underdogs put to the limits of human endurance yet coming out victories. The application of ingenuity, cunning, and cleverness by protagonists handicapped in some way is a major theme. His heroes face off with complex antagonists with deeply held motivations for doing bad things rather than being inherently evil.

A Shadow on Glass, the first novel of The View from the Mirror series takes the reader back in time to a struggle for survival between ancient human races. The screen between the worlds has been shattered, which means that the ancient humans of Santhenar now have to fight the newer human races of Charon, Faellem, and Aachim that can now invade their lands. The Chronicler of the Great Tales has just found that the tribe has kept hidden a 3000-year-old secret that would cause untold devastation if it were revealed. Meanwhile, a young man named Karan stays true to the honor expected of the warrior clan of his tribe, and undertakes a perilous mission to save them. Meeting Ilian the Chronicler, they find commonality in being hunted fugitives running from the magic of powerful necromancers, the vengeance of warlords and the conspiracies of the immortal. They confront a millennial war rising as high a tsunami, which threatens to spread devastation and dump torrents of sorcery on the previously tranquil land.

The Tower on the Rift is an original and stunning saga of The View from the Mirror series. Thurkad, that ancient city has just fallen with the masses gathered for the Great Conclave scattering in all directions.The young and sensitive Karan is driven to insanity and is left for dead inside the city. Llian his faithful lover and the city’s Chronicler, has been taken captive by the Aachim that plan to enact an act of millennial vengeance by using the Twisted Mirror. The city’s great magicians such as Magister Mendark have either died, fled or been rendering powerless. Even the most powerful of wizards such as Yggur, who had once achieved fame as an all-conquering sorcerer, fear for the future of their world. All roads lead to the cursed desert christened the Dry Sea. Here the villains and heroes will fight the war to determine the fate of the world. Unleashing the most powerful powers available to them, folly and desperation will merge with forbidden magic in a battle that will be remembered for millennia.

One Response to “Ian Irvine”

1. Carolyne R Milne: 2 years ago

   Hi Ian, David and I went to Lou Danieli’s mother’s scholarship where you were guest speaker back in 1998 in Armidale, NSW. We bought 2 books that evening and haven’t stopped reading your wonderful stories. We have just finished your most recent story and are now rereading from the books we bought in Armidale. We have a total of 19 books. You could say we absolutely love them and will be rereading for life no doubt. Thank you so much for you wonderful imagination and writing style. We look forward to the next instalment of books re the Three Worlds you commented on in your most recent book, we will be patient. We are excited as to where you will take us to next – can’t wait. God bless you and your family.

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