Mythical animals book series in reading order

by Cornelia Funke

Rick Riordan

82 books• 19 series

Rick Riordan, born Richard Russell Riordan Jr. on June 5, 1964, is an American author. Riordan is best known for the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, which take in Percy Jackson & the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, The Trials of Apollo and The Nico di Angelo Adventures. The catalogue holds 82 books from 1997 to 2026, opening with Big Red Tequila (1997) and reaching The Lightning Thief in 2005; the Tres Navarre and Kane Chronicles lines also feature. Riordan's books have been translated into 42 languages and have sold more than 30 million copies in the United States. 20th Century Fox filmed the first two Percy Jackson books, a project Riordan had no part in.

Cornelia Funke

51 books• 9 series

Cornelia Funke (Cornelia Maria Funke, born 10 December 1958 in Dorsten) is a German author of children's fiction, called Germany's bestselling author for children. Funke worked as a social worker and then a book illustrator, began writing novels in the late 1980s and writes mostly fantasy about children facing adversity. The catalogue lists 51 books from Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost (1993) to The Green Kingdom (2025), including Dragon Rider (1997) and The Thief Lord (2000). Inkheart/Inkworld and MirrorWorld are series.

Rachel Vincent writes paranormal fantasy; the recorded subjects include children's fiction, teenage girls, banshees, psychic ability, high school students, mythical animals and death. Forty-two books are catalogued from Stray (2007) to The Alchemary (2026). Shifters, Soul Screamers, Wildcats, the Stars Never Rise duology, 100 Hours, Brave New Girl, Broken Legacy and the Alchemy Trials are the series listed, and Shifters and Soul Screamers also stand as recurring character groupings.

Maggie Stiefvater

31 books• 7 series

Maggie Stiefvater is an American author of young adult fantasy, born Heidi Hummel on November 18, 1981. The Wolves of Mercy Falls and The Raven Cycle are the series Stiefvater is best known for. The catalogue lists 31 books from Lament (2008), including Ballad, Shiver, Linger, Forever, The Scorpio Races and The Raven Boys. Other series named are Dreamer Trilogy, Pip Bartlett, Gathering Of Faerie and Curiosities. Subjects include magic, dreams, the supernatural and family secrets.

Adam Gidwitz writes children's fiction, best known for A Tale Dark & Grimm (2010), In a Glass Grimmly (2012) and The Grimm Conclusion (2013). The Inquisitor's Tale (2016) took a Newbery Honor in 2017, and Netflix adapted A Tale Dark and Grimm as an animated miniseries in 2021. The Unicorn Rescue Society is the other main series, and later titles include The Creature of the Pines (2018) and The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande (2020). The catalogue runs to 13 books and reaches Max in the Land of Lies (2025).

Katherine Applegate

228 books• 20 series

Katherine Applegate, born October 9, 1956, and sometimes published as K. A. Applegate, is an American author of children's and young adult fiction. Animorphs, Remnants and Everworld are the series most tied to Applegate, and The One and Only Ivan (2012) won the 2013 Newbery Medal. Applegate received the Publishers Weekly Best New Children's Book Series Award in 1997. The catalogue lists 228 books, from Welcome to Junior High! (1990) to The Littlest Elephant (2026), including Girl Talk, Making Out and Roscoe Riley Rules.

Seanan McGuire

160 books• 32 series

Seanan McGuire, born January 5, 1978, is an American writer and filker known for urban fantasy. McGuire writes science fiction and horror as Mira Grant, and the Up-and-Under children's portal fantasy series as A. Deborah Baker. McGuire received the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2010, and the work has earned the Alex, Hugo, Locus and Nebula awards. The catalogue records 162 titles, starting with Rosemary and Rue (2009) and A Local Habitation (2010), with A Divided Duty (2026) the newest and A Song of Sugar Sparrows due in 2027. Series include October Daye, InCryptid, Wayward Children, Newsflesh, Velveteen, Alchemical Journeys and Parasitology.

Mike Carey

109 books• 30 series

Mike Carey, born in 1959, is a British writer of comics, novels and films who also uses the pen name M. R. Carey. Carey's credits include Lucifer, a spin-off from The Sandman; three years on Hellblazer; Crossing Midnight and The Unwritten for DC's Vertigo imprint; an extended stint on Marvel's X-Men; and the 2014 novel The Girl with All the Gifts, adapted for film in 2016. The catalogue lists 109 books from 2000 to 2025, with series including Felix Castor, X-Men Legacy, Suicide Risk and Rampart Trilogy.