The Expanse reading order

A plan for the whole series

9 volumes, 5,136 pages, about 95 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 4 months.

• Readers scored volume 6, “Babylon's Ashes”, below its predecessor (8.3 after 8.7). If you slow down there, that is on the book, not on you. From volume 8 the form returns.

Stages

7 stages, with 6 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around March 27, 2027, about 3 weeks later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 111 h14 daysby November 12, 2026

   • 1. Leviathan Wakes2011 · 592 pages · 11 h
2. Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by November 16, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 211 h15 daysby December 1, 2026

   • 2. Caliban's War2012 · 611 pages · 11 h
4. Short breakThe Emperor's Soul · Brandon Sanderson · 96 pp. · score 8.82 h, by December 5, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
5. 3
   Stage 311 h14 daysby December 19, 2026

   • 3. Abaddon's Gate2013 · 576 pages · 11 h
6. Short breakOn Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century · Timothy Snyder · 128 pp. · score 8.42 h, by December 23, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
7. 4
   Stage 411 h15 daysby January 7, 2027

   • 4. Cibola Burn2014 · 605 pages · 11 h
8. Short breakAnimal Farm · George Orwell · 128 pp. · score 8.32 h, by January 11, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
9. 5
   Stage 510 h13 daysby January 24, 2027

   • 5. Nemesis Games2015 · 544 pages · 10 h
10. Short breakThe Importance of Being Earnest · Oscar Wilde · 102 pp. · score 8.22 h, by January 28, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
11. 6
    Stage 620 habout 4 weeksby February 24, 2027

    • 6. Babylon's Ashes2016 · 544 pages · 10 h
    • 7. Persepolis Rising2017 · 560 pages · 10 h
12. Short breakA Room of One's Own · Virginia Woolf · 144 pp. · score 8.23 h, by February 28, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
13. 7
    Stage 720 habout 4 weeksby March 27, 2027

    • 8. Tiamat's Wrath2019 · 544 pages · 10 h
    • 9. Leviathan Falls2021 · 560 pages · 10 h
14. The end of the series

    March 27, 2027

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: uneven. Scores jump by 0.7 points with no clear direction.

Best volume: Tiamat's Wrath (8.9, 1,072 ratings). Weakest: Babylon's Ashes (8.3). 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.