Half Upon a Time Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Half Upon a Time |
2010 |
Buy |
| Twice Upon a Time |
2012 |
Buy |
| Once Upon the End |
2013 |
Buy |
Once Upon Another Time Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Once Upon Another Time |
2022 |
Buy |
| Tall Tales |
2022 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Dragon’s Apprentice |
2025 |
Buy |
Story Thieves Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Story Thieves |
2015 |
Buy |
| The Stolen Chapters |
2016 |
Buy |
| Secret Origins |
2017 |
Buy |
| Pick the Plot |
2017 |
Buy |
| Worlds Apart |
2018 |
Buy |
The Revenge of Magic Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Revenge of Magic |
2019 |
Buy |
| The Last Dragon |
2019 |
Buy |
| The Future King |
2020 |
Buy |
| The Timeless One |
2020 |
Buy |
| The Chosen One |
2021 |
Buy |
James Riley writes fantasy for middle-grade readers, with 16 books published between 2010 and 2025. His debut series, Half Upon a Time, ran for three books (2010-2013) and put a twist on fairy tale conventions. He continued working with that kind of meta-fictional approach in Story Thieves (2015-2018), a five-book series where characters can jump in and out of the stories they read.
The Revenge of Magic series (2019-2021) marked a shift toward darker fantasy, running five books and dealing with ancient powers and prophecy. Once Upon Another Time (2022) returned to the fairy tale space in a two-book set. His most recent title, The Dragon’s Apprentice (2025), is a standalone. Riley’s catalog is compact compared to more prolific fantasy authors, but each series has been well-defined, with clear beginning and end points rather than open-ended runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has James Riley written?
James Riley has written sixteen books across five series.
What was James Riley's first book?
James Riley’s first book is Half Upon a Time, published in 2010.
What genres does James Riley write in?
James Riley writes fantasy. Their best-known work includes the Half Upon a Time series.