Riordan
The Lightning Thief
✦
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Rick Riordan - 5 books
A kid discovers he is the son of a Greek god and enters a hidden world of myth. Same chosen-one energy, lighter tone, faster pace.
Series - Books in order
Harry Potter books in order
by J.K. Rowling - 7 books - 1997-2007 - Updated June 2026
A boy discovers he is a wizard on his eleventh birthday and begins seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, facing the rising threat of the dark wizard Voldemort. Rowling's plotting is meticulous, with details planted in book one paying off in book seven. Read them in order. There is no other way.
Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
✦
1
Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
✦
1
The short answer
Read in publication order, starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997). publication.
7 books - read in publication order
Show orderPublication order
Contains affiliate links| # | Book | Published | Rating | Where to read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneStart | 1997 | 4.5 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $8.99Audible $14.99Bookshop $10.99 |
| 2 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | 1998 | 4.4 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $8.99Audible $14.99Bookshop $10.99 |
| 3 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 1999 | 4.6 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $8.99Audible $14.99Bookshop $10.99 |
| 4 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 2000 | 4.6 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $12.99Audible $14.99Bookshop $14.99 |
| 5 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 2003 | 4.5 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $12.99Audible $14.99Bookshop $14.99 |
| 6 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | 2005 | 4.6 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $12.99Audible $14.99Bookshop $14.99 |
| 7 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | 2007 | 4.6 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $14.99Audible $14.99Bookshop $16.99 |
Our recommended reading order
publication
Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
✦
Best book to start with
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Book #1, and still the best on-ramp. It sets up everything that makes this series work.
Catch up on the whole series
Box sets in print, or listen on Audible.
Similar series
If you love Harry Potter, try these next.
Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
✦
The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis - 7 books
Children step through into a magical world and find themselves caught up in an epic struggle. Shorter, more allegorical, equally beloved.
Guin
A Wizard of Earthsea
✦
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin - 6 books
A young mage studies at a wizard school and must confront a shadow he unleashed. Quieter and more literary, but the DNA of the magic-school story is here.
Rothfuss
The Name of the Wind
✦
The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss - 2 books
A legendary figure recounts his years at a university for magic. Beautiful prose and a deeply human protagonist. Warning: the trilogy is unfinished.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The series tells one continuous story across seven books, with each year at Hogwarts building directly on the last. Publication order is the only way to read them.
The early books suit ages 8 and up. The series matures alongside its characters, so the later books deal with heavier themes like death, sacrifice, and political corruption. Most readers find this natural if they grow up with the series.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a stage play script published in 2016, set 19 years after Deathly Hallows. It is officially considered canon, but it was not written by Rowling alone. Many fans treat the original seven novels as the complete story.
Contains affiliate linksUpdated June 2026