Patrice Caldwell
Patrice Caldwell has published 3 books across 2 series. The recommended reading order starts with A Phoenix First Must Burn (2020).
Patrice Caldwell is an American editor and literary agent who has shaped contemporary children's and young adult publishing through her work amplifying marginalized voices. Born and raised in Texas, she attended Wesleyan College before entering the book industry as a children's book editor. That foundation led her to a position as a literary agent at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, where she continues to champion stories that matter.
Caldwell founded People of Color in Publishing, a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting racially and ethnically marginalized members of the book industry, and serves as its fundraising chair. She has edited three anthologies that center Black voices and bold storytelling. A Phoenix Must Burn gathers sixteen stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope. She also edited Eternally Yours and That Way Lies Madness. Her work extends beyond individual books to reshape the industry itself, creating space for writers and stories that have been pushed to the margins.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Anthologies
- Tagsyoung-adultfantasysci-fiDescriptionA phoenix rises from ash, but first it must burn—and in these sixteen stories, Black girls are the ones setting the world ablaze. Editor Patrice Caldwell has assembled a stunning collection of speculative fiction that refuses to let Black girls be side characters in their own narratives, instead placing them at the blazing center of worlds both familiar and fantastical, where their power, pain, and possibility take up all the space they deserve. What makes this anthology essential isn't just its premise but its range—from Afrofuturist visions to contemporary fantasy, from quiet moments of self-discovery to explosive acts of rebellion, each story pulses with its own distinct heartbeat while contributing to a larger chorus. These aren't tales of survival alone but of transformation, of girls who carry magic in their bones and fire in their voices, who navigate systems designed to diminish them and emerge not just intact but incandescent. Caldwell has curated voices that understand the particular alchemy of Black girlhood, the way it demands both armor and vulnerability, the way it burns and blooms simultaneously. This is speculative fiction as reclamation, as celebration, as necessary fuel for anyone who has ever needed to see themselves reflected in the impossible made possible.Publication date2020
- Tagsparanormal-romanceshort-storiesyoung-adultromancefantasyhorrorDescriptionPatrice Caldwell curates a collection that refuses the notion that Black love stories must end in tragedy or erasure, assembling voices that insist on permanence, on futures that stretch beyond the page. "Eternally Yours" gathers narratives where affection—romantic, familial, communal—becomes an act of defiance against every force that would deny Black characters the luxury of enduring joy, of love that outlasts the final sentence. The anthology moves across speculative landscapes and intimate realities, each story a deliberate answer to the question of what it means to be loved without limit or expiration date. Caldwell's editorial vision creates space for tenderness that doesn't apologize, for relationships that claim eternity not as metaphor but as birthright, whether through time loops that refuse separation, ancestral bonds that transcend death, or futures where Black love is simply, radically, allowed to persist. This is speculative fiction wielded as both mirror and blueprint, reflecting the love that has always existed while imagining the worlds vast enough to hold it without condition or compromise.Publication date2022
Order of Where Shadows Meet Books
- Tagsyoung-adultfantasyromancehorrorDescriptionWhere Shadows Meet is the kind of book that understands the weight of secrets and the cost of power, wrapping both in a story that refuses to let you look away. At its heart is a world where shadows are more than darkness—they're currency, weapon, and mystery all at once, and the characters who navigate this realm are caught between what they've been told to believe and what they're beginning to discover for themselves. The central tension pulses through every page: when the very fabric of your reality is built on lies, how do you know who to trust, including yourself? Patrice Caldwell crafts a narrative that feels both intimate and expansive, where personal stakes bleed into something much larger and more dangerous. The characters are drawn with care and complexity, their choices shaped by loyalty, fear, and the kind of desperate hope that comes when everything familiar starts to crumble. There's a richness to the world-building that never overwhelms, instead revealing itself in layers as the story unfolds. This is fantasy that asks hard questions about power and identity, about what we inherit and what we choose to become. It's a book that lingers, the kind where you finish the last page and immediately want to press it into someone else's hands, just to have someone to talk to about what you've just experienced.Publication date2025
Frequently Asked Questions about Patrice Caldwell
The books by Patrice Caldwell are presented in two distinct series. The first is the Order of Anthologies, which includes A Phoenix First Must Burn published in 2020 and Eternally Yours published in 2022. The second series is the Order of Where Shadows Meet, with the first book, Where Shadows Meet, scheduled for release in 2025. To read them in the order they were published and within their series, begin with A Phoenix First Must Burn, then Eternally Yours, and finally look for Where Shadows Meet when it becomes available.
A good place to start with Patrice Caldwell's work is A Phoenix First Must Burn, published in 2020. This anthology is part of the Order of Anthologies series. It was followed by Eternally Yours in 2022, also within the same series. The next book in her bibliography will be Where Shadows Meet, the first in the Order of Where Shadows Meet series, planned for 2025. Reading A Phoenix First Must Burn will introduce you to her writing style and thematic elements as presented in this collection.
You do not necessarily have to read Patrice Caldwell's books in order, as they belong to different series. The Order of Anthologies includes A Phoenix First Must Burn (2020) and Eternally Yours (2022). The Order of Where Shadows Meet series begins with Where Shadows Meet in 2025. While reading within each series in publication order is recommended for narrative continuity, the two series appear to be separate. Therefore, you could potentially start with any book from the Order of Anthologies, or wait for the first book in the new series.
Patrice Caldwell writes books that are part of series. The Order of Anthologies series includes A Phoenix First Must Burn, published in 2020, and Eternally Yours, published in 2022. She is also writing the Order of Where Shadows Meet series, which will begin with the book Where Shadows Meet in 2025. As of now, there are no standalone novels listed, only books that belong to these identified series.
Patrice Caldwell has written two books that have been published: A Phoenix First Must Burn in 2020 and Eternally Yours in 2022. Both of these are part of the Order of Anthologies. An additional book, Where Shadows Meet, is planned for release in 2025, which will be the first in the Order of Where Shadows Meet series. This brings the total number of published and announced books to three.
The first book Patrice Caldwell wrote that has been published is A Phoenix First Must Burn, released in 2020. This work is part of the Order of Anthologies series. It was followed by Eternally Yours in 2022, also within the Order of Anthologies. The next book in her bibliography will be Where Shadows Meet, scheduled for 2025, which will initiate the Order of Where Shadows Meet series.
Patrice Caldwell's most recent book is Eternally Yours, which was published in 2022. This book is part of the Order of Anthologies series. She is also preparing to release Where Shadows Meet in 2025, which will be the first book in the Order of Where Shadows Meet series. Therefore, Eternally Yours is the latest publication to date.
Patrice Caldwell writes books that fall within the young adult fantasy genre. Her published works include A Phoenix First Must Burn (2020) and Eternally Yours (2022), both part of the Order of Anthologies. She is also set to release Where Shadows Meet in 2025, which will be the first book in the Order of Where Shadows Meet series. These titles suggest a focus on fantastical elements and narrative structures common in young adult fantasy.
Rory Power
Coming soon
We verified the reading order for Patrice Caldwell's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: March 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Patrice Caldwell Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/patrice-caldwell