Reading order
The Maze Runner reading order
1
2
3
4
5- 5 volumes
- Volumes
- 2009–2016
- Published
- about 35 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Dystopian#14
- Genre
Quick answer
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Publication order
5 volumes2009–2016Completed
- The trilogy (2009–2011) is one story — read it in order from The Maze Runner.
- The Kill Order (2012) and The Fever Code (2016) are prequels; read first they spoil the trilogy’s mystery, so leave them for last.
A plan for the whole series
5 volumes, 1,829 pages, about 35 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 6 weeks.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: low
- From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 4, “The Kill Order” (by 66%).
- Readers scored volume 3, “The Death Cure”, below its predecessor (7.1 after 7.4). If you slow down there, that is on the book, not on you. From volume 5 the form returns.
Stages
2 stages, with 1 short book from outside the series between them. You finish around December 17, 2026, 4 days later than in one go.
- Stage 114 h19 daysby November 17, 2026
- Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.8
- Stage 220 habout 4 weeksby December 17, 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: a dip in the middle, then the form returns. Readers scored the middle volumes (7.2) below the opening (7.6); the ending (7.8) comes back up. If you slow down in the middle, there is still a reason to go on.
Best volume: The Fever Code (7.8, 176 ratings). Weakest: The Kill Order (7.1). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 3 and 4: 66%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (7.8) 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 Maze Runner books ranked, best to worst
- 1.The Fever CodeBook 5 · 20167.8
- 2.The Maze RunnerBook 1 · 20097.6
- 3.The Scorch TrialsBook 2 · 20107.4
- 4.The Death CureBook 3 · 20117.1
- 4.The Kill OrderBook 4 · 20127.1
Frequently asked questions
Which Maze Runner book is the best?
By reader score, The Fever Code (7.8/10). The lowest-rated is The Kill Order (7.1/10).
Which The Maze Runner book is the longest?
“The Scorch Trials” is the longest at 384 pages; the shortest is “The Kill Order” with 328 pages.
What should I read after The Maze Runner?
Other series by James Dashner: The Mortality Doctrine.
