Reading order
Brian's Saga reading order
1
2
3- 5 volumes
- Volumes
- 1987–2003
- Published
- about 13 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Adventure#21
- Genre
Quick answer
Publication order
5 volumes1987–2003Completed
- Hatchet, about a boy surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash, is the book most readers know.
- The sequels branch: The River follows the ending you read, while Brian’s Winter imagines he was never rescued — and rates highest.
- Brian’s Return and Brian’s Hunt continue from Brian’s Winter.
A plan for the whole series
5 volumes, 689 pages, about 13 hours. At 45 min a day that is 17 days.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: low
Stages
This series fits in one stage. You finish around November 15, 2026.
- Stage 113 h17 daysby November 15, 2026
- 1. Hatchet
- 2. The River
- 3. Brian's Winter
- 4. Brian's Return
- 5. Brian's Hunt
- The end of the series
We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.
Does the series hold up
Shape of the series: it gets better. Readers scored the opening (7.5) below the ending (7.9). After the first volume you do not yet know how good this series is.
Best volume: Brian's Winter (7.9, 70 ratings). Weakest: Hatchet (7.5). The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (7.9) scores close to the series average or above it.
How this plan is calculated
The plan comes from the pages and ratings of each volume: we split the series into stages of about three weeks’ reading, size each break to the stage before it, and read the chance of finishing from how many readers rate the last volume compared with the first. How we work out the plan →
Every volume in order
Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026
Brian's books ranked, best to worst
- 1.Brian's WinterBook 3 · 19967.9
- 2.The RiverBook 2 · 19917.7
- 3.HatchetBook 1 · 19877.5
Frequently asked questions
Which Brian's book is the best?
By reader score, Brian's Winter (7.9/10). The lowest-rated is Hatchet (7.5/10).
Which Brian's Saga book is the longest?
“Hatchet” is the longest at 192 pages; the shortest is “Brian's Hunt” with 103 pages.