Born Magic Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Boundary Crossed |
2015 |
N/A |
| Born Magic |
2020 |
Buy |
| Malediction |
2015 |
N/A |
| Boundary Lines |
2015 |
N/A |
| Boundary Born |
2016 |
N/A |
| Boundary Broken |
2019 |
N/A |
| Boundary Haunted |
2019 |
N/A |
| Old World War |
2022 |
N/A |
Boundary Magic Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Boundary Crossed |
2015 |
Buy |
| Malediction |
2015 |
Buy |
| Boundary Lines |
2015 |
Buy |
| Boundary Born |
2016 |
Buy |
| Boundary Broken |
2019 |
Buy |
| Boundary Haunted |
2019 |
Buy |
| Old World War |
2022 |
Buy |
| Nightshades |
2016 |
Buy |
| Switchback |
2017 |
Buy |
| Outbreak |
2018 |
Buy |
Disrupted Magic Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Midnight Curse |
2017 |
Buy |
| Blood Gamble |
2017 |
Buy |
| Shadow Hunt |
2018 |
Buy |
| Companion Pieces |
2018 |
Buy |
| Born Magic: The Diary of Scarlett Bernard |
2020 |
N/A |
| Spell Bond: More Tales From the Old World |
2021 |
Buy |
Graphic Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Archaic |
2025 |
Buy |
Lena Dane Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Big Keep |
2014 |
Buy |
| Nightshades |
2016 |
Buy |
| Boundary Crossed |
2015 |
Buy |
| Boundary Lines |
2015 |
Buy |
| Malediction |
2015 |
Buy |
| Boundary Born |
2016 |
Buy |
| Boundary Broken |
2019 |
Buy |
| Boundary Haunted |
2019 |
Buy |
| Old World War |
2022 |
Buy |
Nightshades Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Nightshades |
2016 |
Buy |
| Switchback |
2017 |
Buy |
| Outbreak |
2018 |
Buy |
| Blood Gamble |
2017 |
Buy |
| Midnight Curse |
2017 |
Buy |
| Shadow Hunt |
2018 |
Buy |
Old World Chronology Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Bloodsick |
2014 |
N/A |
| Dead Spots |
2012 |
N/A |
| Companion Pieces |
2018 |
Buy |
| Trail of Dead |
2013 |
N/A |
| Spell Bond: More Tales From the Old World |
2021 |
Buy |
| Bloodsport |
2025 |
Buy |
| Boundary Crossed |
2015 |
N/A |
| Boundary Lines |
2015 |
N/A |
| Boundary Born |
2016 |
N/A |
| Midnight Curse |
2017 |
N/A |
| Shadow Hunt |
2018 |
N/A |
| Born Magic: The Diary of Scarlett Bernard |
2020 |
N/A |
| Old World War |
2022 |
N/A |
| Born Magic |
2020 |
Buy |
Scarlett Bernard Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Bloodsick |
2014 |
Buy |
| Sell-By Date |
2014 |
Buy |
| Dead Spots |
2012 |
Buy |
| Trail of Dead |
2013 |
Buy |
| Hunter’s Trail |
2014 |
Buy |
| The Big Keep |
2014 |
Buy |
| Nightshades |
2016 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Other Frankenstein |
2025 |
Buy |
Melissa F. Olson grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and studied film and literature at the University of Southern California before earning a master’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She worked briefly in television development before turning to fiction, and her first novel, Dead Spots, came out in 2012. Since then she has published more than twenty urban fantasy novels and novellas, along with comics work and a standalone feminist horror novel.
Her best-known fiction is set in what she calls the Old World, a shared supernatural universe where vampires, werewolves, witches, and rarer beings exist alongside ordinary humans. The universe spans the Scarlett Bernard books (set in Los Angeles), the Boundary Magic books (set in Boulder, Colorado), and the Disrupted Magic trilogy, among others. Characters from these series cross paths as the books progress, rewarding readers who follow the full universe.
Outside the Old World, Olson has written the Lena Dane private investigator mysteries, the Nightshades FBI paranormal thriller trilogy published by Tor.com, and the 2025 standalone novel The Other Frankenstein, a feminist retelling of the Frankenstein story told through two female narrators. She is also a panelist and moderator at science fiction and fantasy conventions including San Diego Comic-Con and Dragon Con.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Melissa F. Olson written?
Melissa F. Olson has written 62 books across nine series.
What was Melissa F. Olson's first book?
Melissa F. Olson’s first book is Dead Spots, published in 2012.
Are Melissa F. Olson's Old World series connected, and do they need to be read in order?
Yes, the Old World series are set in the same universe and share characters and events. Each series works as a standalone starting point, but readers who enjoy one will find plenty of crossover rewards in the others. The Old World Chronology page on this site lists a recommended reading order across all connected books.