5th Wave Books in Order
Richard Yancey has written 3 5th Wave books, published between 2013 and 2016. The first book is The 5th Wave (2013) and the newest is The Last Star (2016). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 3
- Published
- 2013–2016
- Confirmed
- 3 of 3 titles
- Pages on record
- 338 in 1 of 3 books
The 5th Wave is a young adult science fiction series by Richard Yancey built around an alien invasion and the people who survive it. Three books make up the run: The 5th Wave (2013), The Infinite Sea (2014) and The Last Star (2016). Subjects across the trilogy include extraterrestrial contact, war and survival. The series is likely complete at three volumes.
How many 5th Wave books are there?
5th Wave has 3 books, released between 2013 and 2016.
5th Wave Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 3 5th Wave books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 12013–4/4
- 22014–4/4
- 320163383/4
Do you have to read 5th Wave books in order?
You should read the 5th Wave books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each 5th Wave book also stands alone.
Where to start with 5th Wave
Start with The 5th Wave (2013), the earliest published title.
What is the newest 5th Wave book?
The Last Star (2016) is the newest 5th Wave book released so far.
Is there a new 5th Wave book coming?
No next 5th Wave book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
5th Wave at a glance
- No recent titles
- The newest 5th Wave title on record dates from 2016, 10 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
- Release pace
- 5th Wave books have appeared about one every 2 years on average.
- Length
- 338 pages across the 1 of 3 books with a recorded length, a median of 338 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most 5th Wave books, 3 of 3, were published in the 2010s.
- Corroboration
- 2 of the 3 titles appear in all four independent book listings, and every one of them in at least three.
What the 5th Wave books are about
All 3 5th Wave books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: extraterrestrial beings is tagged on 3 of 3. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Extraterrestrial beings 3 of 3 books
- Science fiction 3 of 3 books
- Survival 3 of 3 books
- War 3 of 3 books
- War stories 2 of 3 books
- Alien Contact 1 of 3 books
- Aliens 1 of 3 books
- Eccentrics and eccentricities 1 of 3 books
- Home schooling 1 of 3 books
- Children's fiction 1 of 3 books
- Letters 1 of 3 books
- Survival skills 1 of 3 books
More books by Richard Yancey
The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.
- Richard Yancey books in order 16 books
Series that include 5th Wave books
The series linked below has its own reading-order page.
- Fifth Wave books in order 3 books