Ballantyne Chronicles Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Fortune’s Soldier | 2018 | Buy |
| Fortune’s Heir | 2021 | Buy |
Empire of the Moghul Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Raiders from the North | 2009 | Buy |
| রাইডারস ফ্রম দ্য নর্থ | 2009 | N/A |
| Brothers At War | 2010 | N/A |
| Brothers at War/A Kingdom Divided | 2010 | Buy |
| Ruler of the World | 2011 | Buy |
| The Tainted Throne | 2012 | Buy |
| Empire of the Moghul: The Serpent’s Tooth | 2013 | N/A |
| The Serpent’s Tooth | 2013 | Buy |
| Empire of the Moghul: Traitors in the Shadows | 2015 | N/A |
| Traitors in the Shadows | 2015 | Buy |
Alex Rutherford is the pen name used by Diana Preston and Michael Preston, a married couple of British historians who turned their academic background into sweeping historical fiction. Their primary work is the Empire of the Moghul series, which follows the Mughal dynasty across two centuries of Indian history, from the warrior-conqueror Babur through to the reign of Aurangzeb. The six core novels draw heavily on primary historical sources while filling in personal drama, court intrigue, and battlefield action.
The Prestons also wrote the Ballantyne Chronicles, beginning with Fortune’s Soldier in 2018 and continuing with Fortune’s Heir in 2021. Outside the Alex Rutherford name, Diana Preston has published several well-regarded nonfiction history books on her own, covering topics from the Boxer Rebellion to the Lusitania sinking. Readers who enjoy detailed historical sagas set in periods outside the usual Western European focus will find the Mughal books particularly satisfying.