Seven Realms Books In Order

Publication Order of Seven Realms Books

The “Seven Realms” is a series of fantasy novels by New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima. Apart from the Seven Realms series, Chima is also known for the “Shattered Realm” series, a spin-off of the Seven Realms, and her most popular “Heir Chronicles” series. She published the first of the still ongoing Seven Realms series “The Demon King” in 2009. Williams was born in Ohio and by the time she was in high school she showed her interest in writing by penning several short stories that she shared with her friends. She stopped writing when she went to college as she found the demands of study to be too high. However, having been born in Jackson County that was the center for Celtic magic ritual and been heavily influenced by her grandmother that told fortunes, she found herself drawn to write fantasy. She got her bachelors in Philosophy in 1975 and six years later a post graduate diploma in Nutrition from the University of Akron. In 1984, she graduated with a masters from the Case Western Reserve University where she had mastered in Nutrition.

After college, Chima spent quite some time practicing as a clinical dietitian and filled several leadership and management positions at the Cleveland MetroHealth System, and at the private Cleveland Clinic. During this time, she wrote for the Cleveland paper “The Palin Dealer” in addition to freelancing on matters health and family life for several regional and local publications. She ventured into teaching in 2004 and until 2009 was a University of Akron assistant professor, before she quit to become a full time author. Chima’s novels have earned her several awards over the years including a VOYA Kirkus Starred Reviews, and Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association. She was awarded the Literature Award for Fiction and was the 2009 Cleveland Magazine Interesting Person of the Year. Professionally she is a member of the Society of Children’s Illustrators and Novel Writers. She lives with Rod Chima a rocket scientist and their two sons in Ohio.

The “Seven Realms” series of novels are set in an alternate universe named the Queendom of the Fells. The Queendom is traditional fantasy world that is in the medieval period and hence castles, keeps, swordplay and the obligatory conspiracies are the order of the day. Most of the action in the novels happens in seven loosely divided areas that are known as “The Seven Realms.” The realms had once been under the dominion of the Gray Wolf Queens or Kings and their wizard associates. The realms include the Northern Islands, the Southern Islands, Kingdom of We’enhaven, Kingdom of Bruinswallow, Kingdom of Arden, Kingdom of Tamron and Queendom of Fells.

The thrust of the “Seven Realms” series of novel is the quest to prevent evil magic from taking over the world. The quest is led by Han Alister a sixteen-year old that stumbles upon a coven of underage wizards performing a dangerous ritual that will put the survival of the world in jeopardy. He learns that one of the wizards has a magical amulet with a dark history given that it once was the property of the Demon King. The Demon King is one of the most feared sorcerers that had come close to destroying the world 1000 years past. Alister has acquired the amulet by force but now the wizards want it back and will do anything to have it back in their possession. Meanwhile, Princess Raisa who is next in line to inherit the Queenship of the Fells is battling some fierce enemies. She has just come from spending three years at the Demonai Camp with her family. She had the opportunity to work at the Clan markets, go hunting, and ride the finest ponies in the realms. She has now learned that everything could change if she goes to Fellsmarch where she would likely feel like she is in a cage as compared to her carefree life back home. She is facing decreased opulence and the prospect of an arranged marriage. But all that fades in comparison to a rebellious and starving people who are increasingly turning to the Wizard Council that has also been growing in influence in recent times. While Raisa and Alister have had very disparate upbringing, they come together to save Fellmarch and fight to maintain the balance in the realms.

“The Demon King” is the explosive first novel of the “Seven Realms” series of novels by Cinda Williams Chima. The city of Fellsmarch high up in the mountains is facing hard times making life even harder for Han Alister, a reformed thief trying to make a living and support his family. He has nothing of value to sell for food except for a family heirloom – a pair of thick silver cuffs that have been in his family for generations. These are magical cuffs that he has had since he was a child. But against him is an amulet with a dark history having been in the possession of the wizard the Demon King. Meanwhile, Raisa is trying to save the Queendom and has left her cushy life in the palace to go down to the people. She want to be more than a princess as she has aspirations of following in the footsteps of the legendary warrior queen Hanalea that had saved the world by striking down the Demon King. But she will have to contend with her mother who has other plans.

The “Exiled Queen” is the second novel of the “Seven Realms” series of novels that continues the story of Han Alister. Han Alister is headed south where he is to enroll at Oden’s Ford Mystwerk House for his schooling. He is still grieving the loss of his sister and mother and believes that going to study in the far off school may keep him safer. But danger follows him to Oden Ford as the powerful wizard family known as the Bayars follow him, seeking to recover a powerful amulet her has taken from one of their own. His school at Mystwerk House is also not that safe from the dangers of magic. But at the school he meets a mysterious wizard named Crow who will tutor him in wizardry, if only he can get a good bargain. In the meantime, Raisa the Princess has run away from her forced marriage and is on the run with Amon her friend and a troop of cadets. The only place Raisa may be safe from danger is deep inside the military academy in Wein House. But first she needs to pass for a regular student if she is to survive and be accepted in school.