Vita Nostra books in order

The Vita Nostra trilogy by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko follows a young woman drawn into a school where language and reality bend in strange ways.
Series · Fantasy · Dark Fantasy · Literary Fiction · Science Fiction

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Vita Nostra 2007 Sergey & Marina Dyachenko Buy
2 Assassin of Reality 2021 Sergey & Marina Dyachenko Buy
3 School of Shards 2025 Sergey & Marina Dyachenko Buy

The Vita Nostra series begins when a teenage girl named Sasha is coerced through fear into attending the Institute of Special Technologies, a school where the curriculum reshapes students at a fundamental level. The first book, Vita Nostra, was originally published in Russian in 2007 and became an international hit after its English translation in 2018. Its mix of campus novel, horror, and philosophical fantasy drew comparisons to works by Lev Grossman and Donna Tartt.

Assassin of Reality (2021) continues Sasha’s story as she grows more powerful and more dangerous, while School of Shards (2025) brings the trilogy to a close. The series is known for its unsettling atmosphere and its treatment of language and meaning as literal forces that can alter physical reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Vita Nostra series?

There are three books in the Vita Nostra series, published between 2007 and 2025.

What is the first book in the Vita Nostra series?

The first book in the Vita Nostra series is Vita Nostra, published in 2007.

Do the Vita Nostra books need to be read in order?

Yes. The trilogy follows a continuous story beginning with Sasha’s enrollment at the Institute of Special Technologies, and each book builds directly on the previous one.

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