The best authors can connect multiple novels and series into one expansive universe. It’s even more impressive if that universe earns its own name among readers.

However impressive these feats of fiction are, vast worlds with established lore can be intimidating to new readers. Sometimes a fantasy universe will be written in one order, but can be read chronologically in another.

Here are five universes broken down into the best reading order.

The Riordanverse

Rick Riordan’s universe of gods, goddesses and demigods spans five complete series, four pantheons and no less than ten companion works.

For those less familiar with Riordan’s work, the most recognizable series is his first, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Originally published in 2005, everyone considered this series completed at five books in 2009.

However, Riordan has recently published two additional installments in the “Percy” series. But we’ll come back to those. Don’t read ahead!

The sequel series, “The Heroes of Olympus,” is also five books. The first book, “The Lost Hero,” introduces the Roman pantheon of gods and demigods, who have a longstanding beef with the Greeks. Although it’s not the next in publication order, it is set a mere eight months after “Percy Jackson” and can be read next in its entirety.

After finishing “The Heroes of Olympus,” Riordan’s two most recent publications, “Chalice of the Gods” and “Wrath of the Triple Goddess,” can finally be read to complete the Greco-Roman arc.

Egyptian gods are introduced in “The Kane Chronicles,” a trilogy that follows magicians who can host gods and channel their powers. There are only five scenes in which either Greeks or Romans are mentioned, including a brief cameo from two minor “Percy Jackson” characters.

The final godly pantheon is introduced in the trilogy “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard,” which explores Norse mythology. Magnus Chase experiences the Norse afterlife of Valhalla firsthand after dying 50 pages in.

If Magnus Chase’s last name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the cousin of Annabeth Chase, a Greek demigod who plays a huge role in the first two series.

For those who miss the Greeks, and aren’t satisfied with the brief appearance of Annabeth Chase and Jackson in “Magnus Chase,” Riordan wrote a five-book series, “The Trials of Apollo.” It follows the sun god’s journey as a mortal after being punished by Zeus following the events of “The Heroes of Olympus.”

Last, for now, is the ongoing “Sun and the Star” series, written with Mark Oshiro and set after “The Trials of Apollo.” This one details another Greek story, featuring Nico DiAngelo, a son of Hades who has faced his fair share of struggles throughout previous series. “The Court of the Dead,” set directly after “Sun and the Star,” will go on sale Sept. 23, 2025.

Cosmere

Brandon Sanderson’s expertise lies in creating the most intricate, detailed systems of magic he can. These complicated magical systems are reflected in the Cosmere universe, which includes “The Mistborn Saga,” “White Sand,” “The Stormlight Archive,” “Arcanum Unbounded” and various standalone novels.

Up to this point, each story operates independently, despite existing within one universe. This means that although it may look daunting, each series and standalone title can be read according to preference – except for “Arcanum Unbounded,” which is a collection of stories from each of the series and contains spoilers.

As for the individual series, they’re pretty straightforward. Many people start with “The Mistborn Saga,” which is split into two parts: “The Original Trilogy,” followed by “The Wax & Wayne Cycle,” set 300 years later.

The magic of “Mistborn” is called allomancy; certain people have the ability to swallow certain metals and draw different powers from them. A mistborn can draw power from every type of allomantic metal.

“The Stormlight Archive” is ongoing, but currently has five installments, plus a 2.5 and 3.5. This world’s magic comes from stormlight, which can be caught and stored in gems. In addition, everything, inanimate or otherwise, has a soul called a “spren.” To access different kinds of magic, you must be bonded to specific types of spren.

If this sounds confusing, that’s because it is. The best way to make sense of it is to just start reading, and somewhere in the third book, it might start making a little bit of sense.

The final series, “White Sand,” is a trilogy of graphic novels. The characters’ magic can access the arcane in order to manipulate sand to great effect.

The four additional standalone novels are “Tress of the Emerald Sea,” “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter,” “The Sunlit Man,” “Elantris” and “Warbreaker,” each exploring entirely new casts of characters and systems of magic.

The Grishaverse

In Leigh Bardugo’s “Grishaverse,” magic is called “the small science” and is practiced by the Grisha. There are three orders of Grisha, including Corporalki who control the human body to heal or hurt, Materialki who manipulate matter such as fabric or metal and Etherealki who control the elements.

The “Shadow and Bone” trilogy kicks off the “Grishaverse” following a battle between light and dark, literally. The Darkling is a rare Etherealki who can wield shadows, and the only one who can stop him from terrorizing the world is Alina Starkov, an even rarer Etherealki who can wield sunlight.

The “Six of Crows” duology takes place two years later, across the sea and with a whole new cast of characters. The story features found family, an epic heist and the criminal underworld. The ultimate goal is to dethrone crime lords and take their place. It is widely agreed upon in book communities that this duology is Bardugo’s best work.

The finale duology, “King of Scars,” is set shortly after the last one. It takes place back across the ocean, returning to a beloved character from the original trilogy, the now-King Nikolai Lantsov.

Don’t worry, though. Bardugo wasn’t done. First, she wrote a prequel graphic novel with Dani Pendergast about the Darkling’s origins, “Demon in the Wood.”

She expanded the world more with “The Lives of Saints.” It’s essentially a religious text in “Shadow and Bone,” but because their saints are mostly powerful Grisha, their histories make for thrilling adventures full of magic and miracles.

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” is still a baby universe compared to others. With only one additional published novel to add to the original trilogy and one more on the way, it’s really more of a potential universe that readers hope to see more of. Especially since Collins’ books are being made into movies almost as fast as she can write them.

“The Hunger Games” is an immensely popular dystopian world that follows Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark as they compete in front of the nation in a fight to the death, where only one comes out on top.

In a surprise move almost 11 years after the final installment of “The Hunger Games” trilogy, Collins released “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in 2020. The story follows a young Coriolanus Snow, 64 years before he would become the man who torments Everdeen.

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Coming soon on March 18, “Sunrise on the Reaping” will tell the story of Haymitch Abernathy, Everdeen’s mentor, 14 years before the original trilogy. Abernathy’s story is sure to cause tears since not only is he a beloved character already, but bits and pieces of his story are already known, and it’s not looking good.

Although “Sunrise on the Reaping” has yet to come out, readers are already calling for more. Some of the most requested stories are the origins of the Hunger Games, such as the 25th anniversary of the games, called a Quarter Quell, and the fall of District Thirteen. As long as Collins’ is on board, “The Hunger Games” could easily join the ranks of the greatest literary universes.