The Eberron Novels: A Reader’s Guide
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We take a closer look at the world of magic and machines found in the Eberron books
First released in 2004, Eberron has since become one of the most popular Dungeons & Dragons settings, blending classic fantasy elements with pulp action, steampunk, horror and even crime noir. And while the setting has appeared in the third, fourth and fifth editions of D&D, much of the world was developed in a series of 40 novels published over the period of a decade.
To help you navigate your way through the literary side of Khorvaire, we’ve put together this complete reader’s guide to the Eberron novels. To keep things simple, we’ve broken the books out by series, including the publication dates, links to further readings and a brief write-up on what they’re all about.
So grab your dragonshards and fire up your warforged as we take a deep dive into the world of the Eberron novels.
Table of Contents
What is Eberron?
How many Eberron novels are there?
Does Eberron have a reading order?
What are the books in chronological order?
What are the best Eberron novels?
What is Eberron?
Eberron is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting that combines traditional fantasy RPG elements with pulp adventure, horror and steampunk. Most of the setting’s focus is on the continent of Khorvaire, a land recovering from a brutal conflict known as the Last War. Notably, Eberron differs from other D&D settings in that it includes technology such as trains, skyships and mechanical beings, all of which are all powered by magic. Additionally, the concept of traditional D&D races is also subverted, with “evil” species such as orcs and “good” species such as elves, presented as more complex and nuanced. Finally, religion is approached in a more unusual way, with clerics and priests often at odds with the deities they worship.
Eberron itself was created by author and game designer Keith Baker, and was selected as the winning entry in Wizards of the Coast’s Fantasy Setting Search, a 2002 contest in which fans could submit ideas for a new D&D campaign world. Baker’s submission – originally entitled Thrilling Tales of Swords and Sorcery – was chosen from more than 11,000 entries. Baker’s original material, however, did change significantly after input from a team of Wizards of the Coast designers who worked on the project. In fact, it was veteran D&D designer Bill Slavicsek who actually came up with the name “Eberron.”
The first official product was the Eberron Campaign Setting, which was released in June 2004 for the D&D 3.5 edition. Shortly after, additional D&D sourcebooks and adventure modules were released, along with a series of novels, including an early trilogy written by Keith Baker. Eberron has since appeared in every edition of D&D, including appearing most recently as one of the newest DnD 5e campaigns. Baker would also continue to release his own third-party Eberron D&D products under the OGL license, with the products sold via DMsGuild.
How many Eberron novels are there?
As of June 2023, there are 40 Eberron novels. Despite the popularity of the setting, however, the last novel was published in 2012. Unlike the Forgotten Realms books and Dragonlance books, both which continue to be published to this day, new Eberron novels are unlikely.
In fact, in April 2028 Keith Baker announced via Twitter that he would not be producing any future Eberron D&D content. In follow up interviews, he indicated that this is because Wizards of the Coast retains ownership of the setting and as such he is more interested in exploring other original campaign settings and game materials.
Notably, in addition to the novels, Eberron also appears in a series of IDW comics. The Eberron setting also appears in Dragons: Worlds Afire and Untold Adventures, both of which are anthologies that contains short stories set in D&D worlds, including the Forgotten Realms and Dark Sun.
Do the Eberron novels have a reading order?
No. There is no reading order to the Eberron novels. That being said, the vast majority of books are part of a series which do need to be read in order. There are, however, several books which are standalone in nature. For example, The Inquisitives and War-Torn series share a common theme, but each contains a self-contained story and characters and does not require readers to have familiarity with the previous novels in the series.
Additionally, some characters do appear in multiple series. For example, the shifter Geth is the primary protagonist in both the The Dragon Below trilogy and The Legacy of Dhakaan series (both of which were published several years apart).
For new readers, we recommend starting with The Dreaming Dark Trilogy as, in addition to being the first published Eberron novels, the series also does a great job of setting up the world and introducing readers to some of the key concepts and lore that make up the continent of Khorvaire.
The Eberron novels in chronological order
Below we’ve broken out the complete list of every Eberron book published to date. For ease of reference, we’ve listed the series in chronological order by publication date.
1. The Dreaming Dark Trilogy
Written by Eberron-creator Keith Baker, the series follows the journeys of the soldier Daine, the artificer Lei d’Cannith, the warforged Pierce, and the halfling healer Jode. The story takes the heroes from the infamous city of Sharn to the deadly continent of Xen’drik, as they find themselves caught up in a conspiracy that threatens both Eberron and the Outer Planes of existence themselves.
1. The City of Towers (February 2005)
2. The Shattered Land (February 2006)
3. The Gates of Night (November 2006)
2. The Lost Mark Trilogy
Written by award-winning author and game designer Matt Forbeck, this trilogy of Eberron novels follows the adventures of a warrior named Kandler who discovers that he is the bearer of a dragonmark, a powerful symbol linked to an ancient prophecy. Kandler sets out with his adopted elvish daughter Esprë to discover the secrets behind the dragonmark, while battling dark forces who want to claim its power for their own.
1. Marked for Death (March 2005)
2. Road to Death (January 2006)
3. The Queen of Death (October 2006)
3. The War-Torn Series
Each book in this unique series is written by a different author and focuses on a separate set of characters struggling to recover from the devastating effects of The Last War. Notably, these books can also be read in any order and feature some of Eberron’s most recognizable locations, factions and species.
1. The Crimson Talisman (May 2005)
2. The Orb of Xoriat (October 2005)
3. In the Claws of the Tiger (July 2006)
4. Blood and Honor (September 2006)
4. The Dragon Below Trilogy
Written by fantasy author Don Bassingthwaite, this trilogy follows the adventures of a Shifter named Geth and a druid named Adolon, who find themselves hunted by an ancient evil after they come to the rescue of a mysterious Psion woman named Dandra. As the series progresses the three heroes face down sinister cults and an ancient artifact that threatens to destroy Eberron itself.
1. The Binding Stone (August 2005)
2. The Grieving Tree (March 2006)
3. The Killing Song (December 2006)
5. Blade of the Flame Trilogy
This trilogy of novels takes place primarily in the Lhazaar Principalities and follows the exploits of Diran Bastiaan, a former assassin turned priest who serves the Church of the Silver Flame. Over the course of the series, Diran finds himself battling evil religious sects, a vampire warlord, a ruthless lich and an army of weresharks.
1. Thieves of Blood (May 2006)
2. Forge of the Mindslayers (March 2007)
3. Sea of Death (February 2008)
6. Heirs of Ash Trilogy
Set in the skies above Khorvaire, this series follows the adventures of a young street thief named Seren who finds himself joining the crew of a magical airship known as the Mourning Dawn. Seren and his newfound companions soon find themselves on the hunt to locate a mysterious artfiact known as Ashrem’s Legacy before Eberron plunges once again into all-out war.
1. Voyage of the Mourning Dawn (June 2006)
2. Flight of the Dying Sun (February 2007)
3. Rise of the Seventh Moon (October 2007)
7. The Inquisitives Series
Like The War-Torn series, each book in this series is a standalone novel written by a different author. The common theme, however, is that each of the protagonists is an “Inquisitive,” the Eberron version of a private detective who solve mysteries with a combination of brains, brawn and magic. Notably, the novel Night of the Long Shadows is also considered to the first book The Chronicles of Abraxis Wren series, which follows the exploits of the titular hero.
1. Bound by Iron (April 2007)
2. Night of the Long Shadows (May 2007)
3. Legacy of Wolves (June 2007)
4. The Darkwood Mask (March 2008)
8. The Lanternlight Files Trilogy
Written by fantasy author Parker DeWolf, this series of novels follows the exploits of Ulther Whitsun, a down-and-out “fixer” who lives in the crime-ridden bowels of the city of Sharn. The books follows Ulther as he investigates several mysteries and finds himself caught up in Eberron’s bloodsoaked underworld. The end result is a unique blend of hardboiled crime noir with a dash of fantasy action.
1. The Left Hand of Death (July 2007)
2. When Night Falls (October 2008)
3. Death Comes Easy (November 2010)
9. The Draconic Prophecies Trilogy
Written by author James Wyatt, these books explores the impact of dragons on the world of Eberron. The trilogy follows the exploits of Gaven d’Lyrandar, a former member of a powerful House and bearer of a dragonmark. Gaven soon finds himself on the hunt for a mystical artifact known as The Dragon Forge while trying to prevent a full scale war and dealing with the powerful factions of dragons which inhabit the distant land of Argonnessen.
1. Storm Dragon (August 2007)
2. Dragon Forge (June 2008)
3. Dragon War (August 2009)
10. The Legacy of Dhakaan Trilogy
Written by Don Bassingthwaite, this series is a direct sequel to The Dragon Below Trilogy and picks up the story the shifter Geth. This time, however, Geth finds himself in the newly formed goblin kingdom of Darguun and must hunt down a powerful goblin artifact, while navigating his way through political intrigue, criminal factions, deranged cultists and the looming prospect of all-out war.
1. The Doom of Kings (August 2008)
2. Word of Traitors (September 2009)
3. The Tyranny of Ghosts (June 2010)
11. Thorn of Breland Trilogy
Another series written by Eberron creator Keith Baker, this trilogy chronicles the adventures of Nyrielle “Thorn” Tam, a secret agent who works for the shadowy network known as the Dark Lanterns. Combining fantasy action with many of the tropes of the spy genre, in the books Nyrielle takes on monsters, criminal gangs, noble factions and powerful beings from the Feywild, in an effort to protect both the kingdom of Breland and Khorvaire itself.
1. The Queen of Stone (November 2008)
2. Son of Khyber (November 2009)
3. The Fading Dream (October 2010)
12. The Chronicles of Abraxis Wren
Written by award-winning thriller author Paul Crilley, this two book series follows the adventures of Abraxis Wren, a down on his luck half-elf Inquisitive operating in the seedier districts of Sharn. Working with his trusty dwarven companion Torin, Abraxis takes on a series of cases, using his wits, investigate chops and combat skills to solve a variety of mysteries. Notably, the first book, Night of the Long Shadows is also considered to be a part of the Inquisitives series. A popular character, Abraxis also appears in a comic book series from IDW which further chronicles some of his investigations.
1. Night of the Long Shadows (May 2007)
2. Taint of the Black Brigade (August 2010)
13. Standalone Novels
There are actually only two Eberron novels that are not part of any existing series. The first is Lady Ruin, a horror-themed novel which follows Lirra Brochann, a hardbitten military officer working at a secret government facility that has unleashed dark forces from the otherwordly realm of Xoriat. The second book is an anthology of short stories set during the Last War, with a heavy focus on the combat and military elements of the Eberron setting.
1. Lady Ruin (December 2010)
2. The Tales of the Last War (July 2012)
14. The Shard Axe Series
Written by fantasy author Marshiela Rockwell, this series (which actually features the last two Eberron novels published to date) follows the adventures of Sentinel Marshal Sabira d’Deneith, a law enforcement officer for the city of Stormreach. Armed with her trusty axe made of dragonshard, Sabira investigates murders, takes on criminal factions and tries to keep the peace while dealing with her own troubled past.
1. The Shard Axe (September 2011)
2. Skein of Shadows (July 2012)
What are the best Eberron novels?
With dozens of Eberron books to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start. Many new readers begin with The Dreaming Dark Trilogy, since it’s actually the first series to be published and is written by Eberron-creator Keith Baker. That being said, below are our picks for the best Eberron novels and the chronological order we’d recommend reading them in.
- The Dragon Below Trilogy
- The Blade of the Flame Trilogy
- Heirs of Ash Trilogy
- Draconic Prophecies Trilogy
- The Legacy of Dhakaan Trilogy
- The Thorn of Breland Trilogy
The other novels are a solid read, but are more likely to be of interest to completionists or hardcore Eberron fans.
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Ollie Delano is a Staff Writer who lives in Chicago, Illinois where he majored in Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 10 years and currently plays in a weekly game group where he rolls way too many natural 1s and chugs way too much Mountain Dew. His favorite D&D campaign setting is Eberron and his favorite character to play was a Tiefling rogue named Draxiss who enjoys both literal and figurative backstabbing.
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