The Licanius Trilogy reading order

A plan for the whole series

3 volumes, 2,352 pages, about 45 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 8 weeks.

Stages

3 stages, with 2 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around January 9, 2027, 8 days later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 113 h17 daysby November 21, 2026

   • 1. The Shadow of What Was Lost2014 · 704 pages · 13 h
2. Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by November 25, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 214 h19 daysby December 14, 2026

   • 2. An Echo of Things to Come2017 · 784 pages · 14 h
4. Short breakOn Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century · Timothy Snyder · 128 pp. · score 8.42 h, by December 18, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
5. 3
   Stage 316 habout 3 weeksby January 9, 2027

   • 3. The Light of All That Falls2019 · 864 pages · 16 h
6. The end of the series

   January 9, 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: the finale is the best part. The last volume (8.5) stands above the rest. Whoever reaches the end gets the reward.

Best volume: The Light of All That Falls (8.5, 350 ratings). Weakest: The Shadow of What Was Lost (8.0). The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.5) scores close to the series average or above it.