Albatross Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Albatross |
2017 |
Buy |
| Shimmer |
2018 |
Buy |
Black Dragon Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Tea with the Black Dragon |
1983 |
Buy |
| Twisting the Rope |
1986 |
Buy |
Damiano Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Damiano |
1984 |
Buy |
| Damiano’s Lute |
1984 |
Buy |
| Raphael |
1984 |
Buy |
Lens of the World Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Lens of the World |
1990 |
Buy |
| King of the Dead |
1991 |
Buy |
| The Belly of the Wolf |
1993 |
Buy |
| The Lens of the World Trilogy: Lens of the World, King of the Dead, and The Belly of the Wolf |
2017 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Book of Kells |
1985 |
Buy |
| The Grey Horse |
1987 |
Buy |
| The Third Eagle |
1989 |
Buy |
| In Between |
2009 |
Buy |
| Death and Resurrection |
2011 |
Buy |
R.A. MacAvoy published her debut novel, Tea with the Black Dragon, in 1983 and won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer the same year. That book set the tone for everything she would write: careful, literary fantasy that prioritises character and atmosphere over action, often drawing on historical settings or myth.
Her Damiano trilogy, also published in 1984, follows Damiano, the young son of a wizard, through an alternate-history Italian Renaissance. All three books appeared in the same year and work best read as a continuous novel. The Lens of the World trilogy, which began in 1990, follows Nazhuret — orphan, soldier, linguist, philosopher — through three stages of his life in a secondary world that feels grounded and specific.
MacAvoy returned to publishing with the Albatross series in 2017 and 2018, decades after her earlier work. Her standalone novels include The Book of Kells (1985), a time-travel story set in early medieval Ireland, and The Grey Horse (1987), set in nineteenth-century Ireland with shapeshifter folklore. She writes at a pace readers must adjust to, but the rewards are considerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has R.A. MacAvoy written?
R.A. MacAvoy has written sixteen books across five series.
What was R.A. MacAvoy's first book?
R.A. MacAvoy’s first book is Tea with the Black Dragon, published in 1983.
Where should a new reader start with R.A. MacAvoy?
Tea with the Black Dragon (1983) is her debut and remains her most accessible entry point — a quiet, character-driven fantasy about a possible dragon in human form and a mother searching for her missing daughter. The Damiano trilogy and Lens of the World trilogy are equally recommended for readers who want something longer.