BookRank

Reading order

Emperor reading order

Conn Iggulden

  1. The Gates of Rome2003
  2. The Death of Kings2004
  3. The Field of Swords2005
  4. The Gods of War2006
  5. The Blood of Gods2013
8.08.0 / 10
145 ratings
Score
5 volumes
Volumes
2003–2013
Published
about 45 h
Reading time
Completed
Status
Historical fiction#7
Genre

Quick answer

The Gates of Rome
Start withThe Gates of Rome2003 · Volume 1 of 5
Open the volume →Buy the first volumeListen to the audiobook

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Publication order

5 volumes2003–2013Completed

  • Conn Iggulden’s novels of Julius Caesar’s life, from a Roman boyhood alongside his friend Marcus Brutus to the ides of March, with a fifth book that follows the aftermath of his murder.
  • Vivid, fast and openly free with history; each book ends with a note on what was changed.
  • The Gates of Rome is the start; The Death of Kings rates a little higher.
  • Read in order.

A plan for the whole series

5 volumes, 2,545 pages, about 45 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 9 weeks.

59%

Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: high

Stages

3 stages, with 2 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around January 6, 2027, 7 days later than in one go.

  1. Stage 119 habout 4 weeksby November 23, 2026
  2. Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by November 27, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
  3. Stage 211 h14 daysby December 11, 2026
    • 3. The Field of Swords2005 · 588 pages · 11 h
  4. Short breakThe Emperor's Soul · Brandon Sanderson · 96 pp. · score 8.82 h, by December 14, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
  5. Stage 317 habout 3 weeksby January 6, 2027
    • 4. The Gods of War2006 · 496 pages · 9 h
    • 5. The Blood of Gods2013 · 449 pages · 8 h
  6. The end of the series
    January 6, 2027
In one goDecember 30, 2026about 9 weeks
In stages, with breaksJanuary 6, 2027about 10 weeks · +4 h of other books

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

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

Read: 0 of 5
  1. The Gates of Rome
    The Gates of Rome2003 · 91 ratingsStart here
    8.08.0 / 10
  2. The Death of Kings
    The Death of Kings2004 · 54 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  3. The Field of Swords
    The Field of Swords2005 · 1 rating · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  4. The Gods of War
    The Gods of War2006 · 31 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  5. The Blood of Gods
    The Blood of Gods2013 · 25 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet

Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026

Frequently asked questions

Which Emperor book is the best?

By reader score, The Death of Kings (8.1/10). The lowest-rated is The Gates of Rome (8.0/10).

Which Emperor book is the longest?

“The Field of Swords” is the longest at 588 pages; the shortest is “The Blood of Gods” with 449 pages.

What should I read after Emperor?

Other series by Conn Iggulden: Conqueror.

More series by Conn Iggulden

All books by Conn Iggulden in order →

ConquerorConn Iggulden
ConquerorConn Iggulden