Reading order
The Age of Madness reading order
1
2
3- 3 volumes
- Volumes
- 2019–2021
- Published
- about 30 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Fantasy#6
- Genre
Quick answer
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Publication order
3 volumes2019–2021Completed
- A sequel trilogy set about thirty years after The First Law, with the children of its characters — read The First Law (and ideally the three standalones) first.
- It is Abercrombie’s best-rated work here: The Trouble with Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds both score above 8.8.
A plan for the whole series
3 volumes, 1,552 pages, about 30 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 5 weeks.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: high
Stages
2 stages, with 1 short book from outside the series between them. You finish around December 10, 2026, 4 days later than in one go.
- Stage 19 h13 daysby November 11, 2026
- Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.8
- Stage 219 habout 4 weeksby December 10, 2026
- 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: even. Volume scores differ by at most 0.2 points. You get the same level from the first page to the last.
Best volume: The Trouble with Peace (8.9, 436 ratings). Weakest: A Little Hatred (8.6). The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.8) 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
The Age of Madness books ranked, best to worst
- 1.The Trouble with PeaceBook 2 · 20208.9
- 2.The Wisdom of CrowdsBook 3 · 20218.8
- 3.A Little HatredBook 1 · 20198.6
Frequently asked questions
Which Age of Madness book is the best?
By reader score, The Trouble with Peace (8.9/10). The lowest-rated is A Little Hatred (8.6/10).
Which The Age of Madness book is the longest?
“The Wisdom of Crowds” is the longest at 528 pages; the shortest is “A Little Hatred” with 512 pages.
What should I read after The Age of Madness?
Other series by Joe Abercrombie: The Devils, The First Law, Shattered Sea.
