Megan Whalen Turner
Megan Whalen Turner has published 11 books across 4 series. The recommended reading order starts with Firebirds (2003).
Megan Whalen Turner is an American author who writes both short fiction and young adult fantasy novels. She earned her bachelor's degree with honors in English language and literature from the University of Chicago, grounding that would serve her well across two distinct forms.
Turner became a published author in 1995 with Instead of Three Wishes, a collection of short stories. The following year she published The Thief, the first novel in what readers have come to call the Queen's Thief series, though Turner herself has never settled on a single name for it. The books, sometimes also known as the Attolia series or the Thief of Eddis, have earned her a shelf of recognition: a Newbery Honor, a Los Angeles Times Book Award for Young Adult Literature, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, and the Mythopoeic Award. She was twice shortlisted for the Andre Norton Award. Turner lives with her husband, cognitive scientist Mark Turner, and their three sons.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Anthologies
- Tagsfantasysci-fiDescriptionFirebirds gathers sixteen original stories from writers who have won the National Book Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the Newbery Medal. Published in 2003, the anthology brings together Lloyd Alexander, Diana Wynne Jones, Garth Nix, Patricia A. McKillip, Meredith Ann Pierce, and Nancy Farmer, each contributing work written exclusively for this collection. The authors share a connection to Firebird Books, an imprint dedicated to fantasy and science fiction for teenage and adult readers, and each brings a distinct style to the page. The stories span both genres — fantasy and science fiction — and aim to entertain, provoke, startle, and amuse. Some will resonate long after the final page; others will surprise in the moment. The anthology runs 432 pages and marks a milestone for the Firebird imprint, offering readers a chance to see what happens when some of the genre's most admired voices write new work for the same book. The question is which story will land hardest, and whether the collection as a whole delivers on the promise of its contributors' reputations.Publication dateSeptember 29, 2003Amazon rating4.5/5Print length432LanguageEnglishPublisherFirebird
- Tagsfantasygraphic-novelsDescriptionYear's Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventeenth Annual Collection gathers nearly four dozen stories and poems from a year-long survey of the field, edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link, and Gavin Grant. The 2004 anthology spans fairy tales and gothic horror, magical realism and dark Grand Guignol tales, pulling together work from writers including Terry Bisson, Kevin Brockmeier, Thomas Ligotti, Michael Swanwick, and Megan Whalen Turner across 720 pages. Beyond the fiction, the collection offers three critical overviews: the editors trace the year in fantasy and horror, Charles Vess examines comics, Joan D. Vinge surveys anime and manga, and Edward Bryant covers film and television. Each section maps what defined the genre that year — which stories broke new ground, which trends took hold, which voices emerged. The anthology serves both as a reading guide and as a record of a single year's imaginative range, from the quietest fairy tale to the darkest corner of horror.Publication dateAugust 1, 2004Amazon rating4.5/5Print length720LanguageEnglishPublisherSt. Martin's Press
Order of Attolia Books
- TagsfantasyDescriptionGen brags about his skills as a thief until his boasting lands him in the King's Prison, shackled to the wall of his cell. The Thief, a fantasy novel first published in 2005, follows what happens when months of isolation end with an unexpected offer: the King's Scholar, the Magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure and needs the best thief in the land to steal it. Gen has no position to refuse. The Magus leads him on a dangerous journey to a remote temple of the gods, where a legendary object waits — a precious stone that may be more than it seems. To the Magus, Gen is simply a tool, a means to an end. But Gen is a survivor and a trickster, kept sane in his cell by his sharp intelligence, and he has learned to see angles no one else does. The quest is fraught with divine intervention, political intrigue, and deception at every turn. Gen relishes the adventure, but the closer they come to the treasure, the clearer it becomes that he has plans of his own — plans the Magus never anticipated. The question is whether the thief everyone underestimates can outwit the scholar who thinks he holds all the cards.Publication dateDecember 27, 2005Amazon rating4.3/5Print length280LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
- TagsfantasyDescriptionEugenides the thief has slipped into the Queen of Attolia's palace too many times, leaving small tokens behind to prove he can. The Queen of Attolia is a fantasy novel about what happens when she finally catches him. The ruthless queen takes her revenge, and the loss Eugenides suffers changes him in ways that go deeper than the physical wound. His small mountain country is now at war with the powerful nation of Attolia, and Eugenides faces a challenge that will demand more than cleverness and stealth. He must steal a man, steal a queen, and steal peace itself. The schemes he devises are as elaborate and crafty as ever, but the stakes have shifted. His greatest triumph can only come if he succeeds in capturing something the Queen of Attolia may have sacrificed long ago — and whether he can reach it depends on whether he can survive what she has already taken from him. The novel deepens the character readers first met in the Newbery Honor-winning The Thief, following him through suffering, strategy, and a question that carries through every move: whether the thief who once stole for sport can steal what matters most when the cost is already unbearable.Publication dateJanuary 24, 2006Amazon rating4.5/5Print length368LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
- TagsfantasyDescriptionA Conspiracy of Kings, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, is a fantasy novel in which the heir to a throne vanishes into slavery and must decide who he will become. Sophos, heir to Sounis, practices swordplay under his tutor and imagines escape routes from his father's villa — but when armed men swarm the courtyard, he disappears without a trace. Kidnapped and sold into bondage, he becomes anonymous, alone, and stripped of every certainty he once had. In Attolia, Eugenides — now an unlikely king — and the Queen of Eddis send spies and pay informants, searching for any sign of their friend. Time passes. The odds of finding Sophos alive grow thinner. Across the peninsula, battles erupt, bribes change hands, and conspiracies take shape. The Mede Empire looms from across the sea, threatening every fragile alliance. Sophos, drawing on memories of Gen, Pol, the magus, and Eddis, begins to plot. The question is not whether he will escape, but what kind of man — and what kind of ruler — he will choose to be when he does. His country is being torn apart by rebellion and exploitation, and the person he was before may not be enough to save it.Publication dateAugust 23, 2011Amazon rating4.5/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
- TagsfantasyDescriptionBy scheming and theft, Eugenides has become King of Attolia — but he wanted the queen, not the crown. The King of Attolia is a fantasy novel about a thief who finds himself trapped in a web of his own making, ruling a court that despises him. The Attolian nobility treat him with contempt, subjecting him to pranks and insults. He endures it all with dwindling patience, used to wariness or respect but getting neither. Then he drags a young guard named Costis into the center of the political maelstrom. Costis knows he is the victim of the king's caprice and holds nothing but contempt for Eugenides. Yet as the king struggles against his fate, Costis begins to see past the surface. The newly crowned king is much more than he appears — and when Eugenides rescues the hot-headed soldier, the reasons behind his actions start to come into focus. The corrupt Attolian court believes its subtle and dangerous intrigue will break this unwanted king. What they do not yet understand is that Eugenides, no stranger to desperate circumstances, has survived worse than their scheming — and their assumptions about him may be the last mistake they make.Publication dateFebruary 28, 2017Amazon rating4.7/5Print length432LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
- Tagsfantasysuspenseepic-fantasythrillerDescriptionKamet is a secretary and a slave in the Mede Empire, where his position gives him access to power few of his status could imagine. He keeps records for his master, manages correspondence, and quietly builds the skills and connections that could one day make him one of the most influential people in the Empire. His future is clear, carefully planned, and within reach. Then a whispered warning tears that future away. Thick as Thieves, the fifth novel set in the world of the Queen's Thief, follows Kamet as he is forced onto a path he never chose and never wanted. The ambition that once promised elevation now means nothing. The means he cultivated are suddenly useless. What replaces his old life is a journey across hostile territory, a mission he does not fully understand, and a traveling companion whose motives he cannot trust. The novel turns an ordinary man into the center of something far larger than himself. The question is whether Kamet can survive a world where the rules he mastered no longer apply, and whether the person he becomes on the road is someone he can live with when the journey ends.Publication dateMay 16, 2017Amazon rating4.6/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
- Tagsfantasysuspenseepic-fantasythrillerDescriptionEugenides has risen from thief to high king of Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis, but the three nations he rules do not accept him and do not love him. Return of the Thief is the final novel in the Queen's Thief series, a fantasy of political schemes, prophecy, and gods who meddle in the fates of kings. Eugenides holds the Lesser Peninsula together through an uneasy truce, the fragile linchpin of a peace that could collapse the moment he does. Baron Erondites, treacherous as ever, is scheming again. A prophecy surfaces that appears to foretell the king's death. The Mede empire, ruthless and vast, musters its forces to strike. Eugenides has survived betrayal, war, and the will of the gods before, but now the threats converge from every direction — the court where every ally may hide a blade, the empire that sees his kingdoms as prey, and a prophecy that suggests his time has run out. The question is whether one thief, no matter how cunning, can outmaneuver fate itself when the stability of three nations and his own life hang in the balance.Publication dateOctober 6, 2020Amazon rating4.7/5Print length480LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
- Tagsshort-storiesDescriptionMoira's Pen: A Queen's Thief Collection gathers short fiction, poetry, vignettes, and never-before-published stories from the world of Eugenides, the thief who moves through the kingdoms of Eddis, Attolia, and Sounis. The collection opens doors that the six novels left closed: Eugenides as a young boy in Breia's Earrings, Irene as a princess before her crown in The Princess and the Pastry Chef, and the kings and queens who shaped their world in moments the main series never showed. Each piece adds a missing fragment — a theft, a choice, a betrayal — to a world built on political schemes, divine meddling, and battles that turn on a single deception. The volume also includes the objects that inspired the world itself: museum artifacts, maps, a recipe for almond cake, and an introduction that traces the origins of the kingdoms and their gods. What begins as a companion to the novels becomes a map of everything that happened just out of frame — the childhood thefts, the royal decisions, the small cruelties and kindnesses that made Eugenides and Irene who they are when the novels begin. The question is whether these missing pieces complete the story or crack it open all over again.Publication dateNovember 1, 2022Amazon rating4.5/5Print length218LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
Order of Short Stories/Novellas
- Tags---DescriptionDestruction is a 2011 novella in the Order of Short Stories/Novellas series by Megan Whalen Turner.Publication date2011
Order of Short Story Collections
- Tagsshort-storiesDescriptionInstead of Three Wishes is a collection of fantasy stories where magic arrives in the last places anyone expects. A leprechaun appears in a New Hampshire town. A city boy finds himself in prehistoric Sweden and has to become something he never was. An elf prince insists on rewarding a girl who wants nothing more than for him to disappear. Each story in the collection turns an ordinary setting into the site of an encounter — with creatures who follow their own logic, wishes that complicate rather than solve, and moments when the magical and the everyday collide. Published in 2006 as part of the Order of Short Story Collections series, the book gathers seven tales that ask what happens when fantasy refuses to stay where it belongs.Publication dateAugust 8, 2006Amazon rating4.5/5Print length160LanguageEnglishPublisherGreenwillow Books
Frequently Asked Questions about Megan Whalen Turner
Megan Whalen Turner's books are best read in publication order. The series, particularly the Order of Attolia, builds upon itself, revealing plot points and character developments that are best experienced as they were released. Starting with the earliest published work allows readers to follow the narrative arcs and world-building without encountering spoilers or narrative confusion. This approach ensures a richer understanding of the characters and their relationships as the story unfolds across the different books.
A good starting point for Megan Whalen Turner's books is The Thief. This novel introduces the world of Attolia and its central characters, including the cunning thief Gen. It sets the stage for the subsequent books in the Order of Attolia series and establishes the intricate political landscape and unique magic system that define her work. Reading The Thief first provides essential background and context for the rest of the series, allowing readers to fully appreciate the complexities that follow.
While some books might offer a degree of standalone enjoyment, reading Megan Whalen Turner's books in publication order is strongly recommended, especially for the Order of Attolia series. Later books often reveal plot twists and character motivations that were carefully set up in earlier installments. Skipping around can diminish the impact of these revelations and potentially lead to confusion regarding character relationships and the unfolding political intrigue. Publication order respects the author's intended narrative flow.
Megan Whalen Turner primarily writes series, with her most well-known work being the Order of Attolia. Within this larger framework, some individual books can feel like distinct arcs, but they are all interconnected. She also has contributions to anthology series and has published short stories and novellas. Her main body of work, however, is built around the continuing saga of the Attolian world, making her output largely serial in nature.
Megan Whalen Turner has written at least eleven books, including those in the Order of Attolia series, contributions to anthology series like Firebirds and Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, and collections of her short stories and novellas. The exact count can vary depending on how one categorizes anthology contributions and individual short fiction pieces. Her primary focus has been the interconnected narrative of the Attolian world.
The first book Megan Whalen Turner wrote that is part of her main series is The Thief, published in 2005. This novel initiated the Order of Attolia series and introduced readers to the character of Gen and the intricate world of Attolia. Prior to this, she contributed to anthology series, with her earliest listed work being Firebirds in 2003.
The most recent book by Megan Whalen Turner is Thick as Thieves, published in 2017. This novel is part of the Order of Attolia series. While it was released in the same year as The King of Attolia, it is generally considered the later publication within the sequence and concludes certain narrative threads.
Megan Whalen Turner writes young adult fantasy novels. Her books are characterized by intricate political intrigue, complex characters with morally gray motivations, and a richly imagined world with a unique blend of historical and mythological elements. While fantasy is the primary genre, her work often incorporates elements of adventure, mystery, and coming-of-age stories, focusing on character development and the consequences of choices.
Emily R. King
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We verified the reading order for Megan Whalen Turner's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Megan Whalen Turner Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/megan-whalen-turner