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The Cinder Spires Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start with The Aeronaut's Windlass (2015).

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.

Where to start

Start with The Aeronaut's Windlass (2015).

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

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Complete Series Reading Order

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.
Best Start Here
1

The Aeronaut's Windlass

Pub: 2015

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Within their halls, the ruling aristocratic houses develop scientific marvels, foster trade alliances, and maintain fleets of airships to keep the peace. Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. 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 damaged in combat, Grimm joins a team of Albion agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring his ship. And as Grimm undertakes this task, he learns 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...

2

The Olympian Affair

Pub: 2023

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Aeronaut's Windlass".

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What order should I read The Cinder Spires in?

Start with The Aeronaut's Windlass (2015).

How many books are in The Cinder Spires?

2 main books, published 2015–2023.

Can I read The Cinder Spires out of order?

It's best not to. The books build on each other, so reading out of order spoils earlier twists.