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The Stars of Mithra Reading Order.

Expert Guideby Nora Roberts
4 Entries
Ongoing
Quick Answer

Start The Stars of Mithra by Nora Roberts with "Secret Star", then follow the publication sequence. This order preserves the intended narrative twists and world-building progression.

Follows four women connected by a set of legendary jewels known as the Stars of Mithra.

Reader's Guide

This series spans 4 main titles released between 2020 and 2022. For the best experience, we recommend following the Publication Order below to preserve key plot reveals.

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Official Verdict

Short Answer:
Start with "Secret Star"

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.

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Community Consensus

High Debate

"The recommended reading order for the series discussed (The Dragonriders of Pern, not 'The Stars of Mithra') is in-world chronological. However, many books are stand-alones, and there is a strong consensus that books written by anyone other than Anne McCaffrey (especially those by Todd McCaffrey) should be skipped entirely, along with several of McCaffrey's later works."

Key Reddit Advice

Follow the chronological order, starting with the 'Early Days' titles like 'ss: Survey P.E.R.N.' and 'Dragonsdawn.' Strongly skip all sequels written by her children ('Todd's books') and later McCaffrey novels like 'All the Skies of Pern.'

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for The Stars of Mithra 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 Stars of Mithra. 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 "Secret Star" 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 Stars of Mithra" 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.

Start with "Secret Star"Explore all by Nora Roberts

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 Order4 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.
Best Start Here
1

Secret Star

Pub: 2020

The Stars of Mithra trilogy comes to a gripping conclusion in this classic story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts! Lieutenant Seth Buchanan is astonished when the beautiful victim of his homicide investigation turns up—very much alive—at the scene of the murder. Grace Fontaine is keeping secrets, ones that should have killed her, but the notorious heiress refuses to reveal anything. The cool, controlled cop never lets his feelings get in the way of his job, and with a killer at large, Seth can’t afford any distractions. But there’s something irresistible about Grace…and eventually Seth finds it hard to remember there’s any mystery more important to solve than that of Grace herself.

2

Hidden Star

Pub: 2020

Plot details hidden until you finish "Secret Star".

Diamonds can be a girl’s best friend…or her worst enemy. Don’t miss the first thrilling story in the Stars of Mithra trilogy, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts! Bailey James can’t remember a thing. She doesn’t even know who she is, let alone why her bag is filled with cash, a gun, and a large blue diamond. Desperate for help, she heads to the first detective office she can find, hoping that PI Cade Parris is someone she can trust—and with no options, Bailey doesn’t have much of a choice. Cade is sure the woman of his dreams just walked through the door when Bailey shuffles in, but he’ll have to convince her that she’s not a criminal before he can consider his love for her…

3

Out Of This World

Pub: 2017Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "Hidden Star".

Blast off into space with New York Times bestselling author and artists James Dean and everyone’s favorite cat-stronaut, Pete the Cat, in Pete the Cat: Out of This World. Includes over 30 fun stickers!When Pete heads off to space camp, he gets to float in zero gravity, build rockets, and even goes on an extraordinary interstellar mission that is out of this world—literally. Houston, ready to rock out with Pete the Cat!

4

Brightest Of Stars

Pub: 2022Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "Out Of This World".

Athira, a seventeen-year teen who always had everything she desired and had things go her way finds herself in an immensely disturbing place after the death of her best friend. Her entitled self meets another entitled guy Rohit who was charming and had a totally soft corner for Athira. When she finds herself in the loop all again, when she found her friend going through cancer, she didn't want her life to be miserable all again, that's when she meets Pranav who stood by her always. What will be the future of these four? How will it end up? What is the right time to show love if at all it has one? Maybe love should be expressed then and there for no one knows how long they're going to live or when people leave. How would Athira's life change after all the traumatic incidents? What would she choose? Love or loyalty?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the The Stars of Mithra 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 Stars of Mithra?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "Secret Star" and proceed in publication order. This sequence preserves character developments and plot reveals exactly as Nora Roberts intended.

Can I read The Stars of Mithra 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 Stars of Mithra 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.