6 Of The Best V.E. Schwab Books In Order

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“What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?”

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If you’re searching for the best V.E. Schwab books to add to your TBR pile, you’ve come to the right place. Renowned for her imaginative worldbuilding, morally complex characters, and genre-bending storytelling, V.E. Schwab has become a go-to for fantasy lovers and beyond. Whether you’re totally new and wondering where to begin, or you’re looking to explore more of her work, this guide is here to break down her most popular and highly recommended novels. From dark fantasy series to unforgettable standalones, Schwab’s books offer something for every type of reader. So, join us at What We Reading for our favourite V.E. Schwab books, helping you choose which ones are worth picking up first. If you’ve ever asked, “Which V.E. Schwab novel should I read?” we’ve got you covered here. 

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The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue (2020)

First up on our list of V.E. Schwab books is 2020’s book club favourite, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever – and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she encounters. 

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly three hundred years, Addie happens upon a young man in a hidden bookstore, and he remembers her name. 

A Darker Shade Of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) (2015)

Kell is one of the last travelers – magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes, connected by one magical city. There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad king – George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered. White London – a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back. And, once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now. 

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cutpurse with lofty ambitions. She robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks around every corner. To save all these worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive. 

Shades of Magic Books in Order:

• A Darker Shade of Magic (2015) – Shades of Magic #1
• A Gathering of Shadows (2016) – Shades of Magic #2
• A Conjuring of Light (2017) – Shades of Magic #3

Vicious (Villains #1) (2013)

Victor and Eli started out as roommates. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find. Armed with terrible power on both sides, fuelled by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge – but who will be left alive at the end? 

Villains Books In Order: 

• Warm Up (2013) – Villains #0.5
• Vicious (2013) – Villains #1
• ExtraOrdinary (2021) – Villains #1.5
• Vengeful (2018) – Villains #2
• Victorious (2026) – Villains #3

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Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil (2025)

1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young girl grows up wily and wild. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, Maria makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets. 1827. London. A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped to London. 2019. Boston. An out-of-character one-night stand leaves a woman questioning her past, her present, and her future. 

One of the most popular books from 2025, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a genre-bending novel about immortality and hunger, making it one of the best V.E. Schwab novels to turn to if you’re looking for an introduction to her work. 

Gallant (2022)

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal, which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet, when she arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or fi she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant – but isn’t. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

The Fragile Threads Of Power (Threads Of Powe #1) (2023)

Once, there were four worlds, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew rarer as time passed; now, only three Antari are known. But barely a glimpse has been seen of them in the past seven years – and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London. 

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely. Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds. Set in the world of A Darker Shade of Magic, V.E. Schwab opens a door into perilous adventure and tangled schemes in her 2023 book, The Fragile Threads of Power. 

Threads of Power Books in Order: 

• The Fragile Threads of Power (2023) – Threads of Power #1

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