Annika Bengtzon
nordic noir
Series · thriller
Alex Rider
The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz has 14 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Stormbreaker (2000).
- Books
- 14 books
- First published
- 2000
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Stormbreaker (2000) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Stormbreaker
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stormbreaker - Book 2:
Point Blanc
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Point Blanc - Book 3:
Skeleton Key
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Skeleton Key - Book 4:
Eagle Strike
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Eagle Strike - Book 5:
Scorpia
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scorpia - Book 6:
Ark Angel
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ark Angel - Book 7:
Snakehead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Snakehead - Book 8:
Crocodile Tears
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crocodile Tears - Book 9:
Scorpia Rising
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scorpia Rising - Book 10:
Russian Roulette
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Russian Roulette - Book 11:
Never Say Die
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Never Say Die - Book 12:
Secret Weapon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Secret Weapon - Book 13:
Nightshade
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nightshade - Book 14:
Nightshade Revenge
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nightshade Revenge
The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.
- Book 1:
Russian Roulette
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Russian Roulette - Book 2:
Stormbreaker
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stormbreaker - Book 3:
Point Blanc
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Point Blanc - Book 4:
Skeleton Key
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Skeleton Key - Book 5:
Eagle Strike
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Eagle Strike - Book 6:
Scorpia
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scorpia - Book 7:
Ark Angel
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ark Angel - Book 8:
Snakehead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Snakehead - Book 9:
Crocodile Tears
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crocodile Tears - Book 10:
Scorpia Rising
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scorpia Rising - Book 11:
Never Say Die
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Never Say Die - Book 12:
Secret Weapon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Secret Weapon - Book 13:
Nightshade
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nightshade - Book 14:
Nightshade Revenge
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Nightshade Revenge
About the Alex Rider series
Fourteen-year-old Alex Rider's uncle Ian raised him alone and, Alex discovers after Ian's sudden death, secretly worked for MI6 -- and the agency wants Alex, trained without his knowledge his entire childhood, to finish his uncle's last mission. From Stormbreaker onward, Alex is repeatedly blackmailed and coerced into deniable teenage espionage: infiltrating a billionaire's private school, a cloning facility, a Caribbean crime syndicate, and increasingly personal confrontations with the organization SCORPIA, all while trying to hold onto something like a normal adolescence in between missions.
Anthony Horowitz writes real Bond-movie-grade spy plots -- gadgets, set-piece action, globe-spanning stakes -- but keeps the emotional core grounded in a kid who never asked for any of this and resents being used as a disposable asset by adults who are supposed to protect him. That tension between thrilling action and Alex's genuine trauma and reluctance gives the series more weight than its pulpy premise might suggest, and it only deepens as the sequence goes on and the human cost piles up.
With 14 books, a prequel, a short-story collection, feature film and multiple TV adaptations, Alex Rider is the reigning YA spy series, popular with readers who've outgrown middle-grade adventure but aren't ready for adult thrillers.
Frequently asked questions
How many Alex Rider books are there?
14 books as of Nightshade Revenge (2024), including the prequel Russian Roulette and the short-story collection Secret Weapon.
What order should I read Alex Rider in?
Publication order, starting with Stormbreaker. Readers who want strict story chronology can read the prequel Russian Roulette first instead of in its 2013 publication slot.
Is Alex Rider finished?
Not definitively -- the most recent novel, Nightshade Revenge, came out in 2024, and Anthony Horowitz has not announced the series is over, but no new title is currently scheduled.
Do I need to read Secret Weapon?
It's a collection of short stories that fill in gaps between the novels -- optional, but best enjoyed after you already know the cast.
Is Alex Rider connected to the Amazon TV series?
Yes, the show adapts the novels loosely, generally one book (or storyline) per season, starting with Stormbreaker.
If you like the Alex Rider series
Reading order last verified .