BookPath
Home/Authors/Jim Butcher/The Cinder Spires

The Cinder Spires Reading Order.

Expert Guideby Jim Butcher
2 Entries
Ongoing
Quick Answer

Start The Cinder Spires by Jim Butcher with "The Olympian Affair", then follow the publication sequence. This order preserves the intended narrative twists and world-building progression.

The Cinder Spires is a steampunk fantasy series set on a world where humanity resides in massive, cylindrical arcologies called Spires, towering above a dangerous, beast-filled surface. Utilizing technology based on vat-grown crystals, the Spire inhabitants maintain airship fleets and engage in political and military conflict, primarily focusing on the escalating tensions between Spire Albion and Spire Aurora.

Official Verdict

Short Answer:
Start with "The Olympian Affair"

To experience the narrative as intended, read the main sequence in Publication Order.Ignore novellas and side stories until you finish the first 3 core novels. This resolves all timeline confusion and preserves every major twist.

Begin Reading Path →
Audible VersionBest for commuting

Community Consensus

Low Debate

"The series 'The Cinder Spires' is not mentioned or discussed within the provided Reddit comments. Although Jim Butcher (the author) is recommended for his 'Codex Alera' series, no information, recommendations, or reading order advice for 'The Cinder Spires' is present in this data set."

Key Reddit Advice

No specific advice on the reading order for 'The Cinder Spires' can be derived from these comments.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for The Cinder Spires conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Can I skip the short stories?

Technically yes, but we strongly advise against it for The Cinder Spires. The shorter volumes often establish the core character motivations and world-building that the main saga assumes you already know.

I watched the show/movie first — where should I start?

Ignore the screen adaptations' timeline. Start with "The Olympian Affair" to see the original depth of the world. The books offer a significantly different (and usually more complete) experience than the on-screen versions.

Why do people disagree on the order?

Disagreement usually stems from the conflict between purely chronological order and publication order. Most long-term fans recommend publication order to preserve the emotional arc and mystery reveals.

Curator's Strategy

Recommended Reading Order Strategy

The authoritative way to read the "The Cinder Spires" series is in Publication Order. Start with the first published book. It's the way the author intended the world to be revealed.This ensures you experience character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Explore all by Jim Butcher

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Order

Preserves character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended. Compare →

Chronological Order

May spoil surprises but improves timeline clarity for fans. Compare →

Publication Reading Order2 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
1

The Olympian Affair

Pub: 2023

An instant New York Times bestseller!The fate of the Cinder Spires may be decided by crossed swords in the next exhilarating fantasy adventure from the author of the Dresden Files, in this New York Times bestselling series of noble families, swordplay, and airships. For centuries the Cinder Spires have safeguarded humanity, rising far above the deadly surface world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses rule, developing scientific marvels and building fleets of airships for defense and trade.Now, the Spires hover on the brink of open war.Everyone knows it's coming. The guns of the great airship fleets that control the skies between the last bastions of humanity will soon speak in anger, and Spire Albion stands alone against the overwhelming might of Spire Aurora's Armada and its new secret weapon--one capable of destroying the populations of entire Spires.A trading summit at Spire Olympia provides an opportunity for the Spirearch, Lord Albion, to secure alliances that will shape the outcomes of the war, and to that end he dispatches privateer Captain Francis Madison Grimm and the crew of the AMS Predator to bolster the Spirearch's diplomatic agents.It will take daring, skill, and no small amount of showmanship to convince the world to stand with Spire Albion--assuming that it is not already too late.

2

The Cinder Spires

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Olympian Affair".

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace. Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory. And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake.

Prefer Listening?

Best if you commute

Get the professional narration of "The Olympian Affair" free with an Audible trial.

Try Audible →

Own the Physical Copy

Best value option

Add "The Olympian Affair" to your library. Curated links ensure you get the correct edition.

View on Amazon →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the The Cinder Spires series?

We recommend ignoring novellas and short stories until you finish the core sequence. However, main sequence novels should never be skipped as they contain critical character development and plot progression.

What is the best order to read The Cinder Spires?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "The Olympian Affair" and proceed in publication order. This sequence preserves character developments and plot reveals exactly as Jim Butcher intended.

Can I read The Cinder Spires books in any order?

No. The main narrative is strictly sequential. Skipping volumes or reading out of order will lead to significant plot spoilers and confusion regarding character arcs.

Are there spin-offs or companion books?

Yes, the The Cinder Spires universe includes several companion works. These are marked as 'Optional' in our guide and can be read at any time without disrupting the main storyline.