The Bard's Tale Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of The Bard's Tale books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: January 2026
Publication Order
Castle of Deception (By: Mercedes Lackey,Josepha Sherman)
Buy on Amazon1992
Fortress of Frost and Fire (By: Mercedes Lackey)
Buy on Amazon1993
Prison of Souls (By: Mercedes Lackey,Mark Shepherd)
Buy on Amazon1993
The Chaos Gate (By: Josepha Sherman)
Buy on Amazon1994
Thunder of the Captains (With: Aaron Allston)
Buy on Amazon1996
Wrath of the Princes: A Bard's Tale Novel (With: Aaron Allston)
Buy on Amazon1997
Escape from Roksamur (By: Mark Shepherd)
Buy on Amazon1997
Curse of the Black Heron
Buy on Amazon1998
Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended reading order for the The Bard's Tale series is publication order: 1. Castle of Deception (By: Mercedes Lackey,Josepha Sherman) (1992), 2. Fortress of Frost and Fire (By: Mercedes Lackey) (1993), 3. Prison of Souls (By: Mercedes Lackey,Mark Shepherd) (1993), 4. The Chaos Gate (By: Josepha Sherman) (1994), 5. Thunder of the Captains (With: Aaron Allston) (1996), and 3 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.
The The Bard's Tale series by Holly Lisle contains 8 books. The series began in 1992 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.
The The Bard's Tale series is written by Holly Lisle. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.
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