Welcome · Where to Begin
Three honest paths into the SOR universe
Seventeen books. One universe. Three ways in —
depending on how you like to read.
Three Paths
There is no wrong way to read SOR. The seventeen books form one universe, but each path through it is complete. Pick the one that fits how you read.
Path A · The Free Sample
1 book · 99k words · Free Prequel
Start with the prequel: Before the Silence (B0). Complete in itself. The three years before the world goes dark. If the voice and stakes land for you here, the rest of the universe is waiting.
Read B0 →Path B · The Full Saga
10 books · B0 → B9 · In order
The main spine: B0 prequel, then three trilogies covering 65,000 years of consequence. Silence Trilogy (B1-B3), First Contact Trilogy (B4-B6), Factions Trilogy (B7-B9). Each trilogy closes; the saga arc spans all three.
See All Saga Books →Path C · By Character
7 books · Origins, Characters, Event · Any order
Standalone novels you can read without the saga: Origin Novels (B10 AION, B11 Precursors, B12 Synth) — how the three big intelligences began. Character Novels (B13 MARA, B14 TANAKA, B16 KARA) — intimate single-POV stories. Event Novel (B15 Convergence) — the saga capstone.
Explore Origins →The Map
All seventeen books exist in one continuous universe. The saga spine is linear; the standalone novels orbit it. None require the others — but every book deepens the rest.
The Saga Spine · B0 → B9
Prequel · Silence Trilogy · First Contact Trilogy · Factions Trilogy · read in order
Origin Novels · Any Order
How the three big intelligences began · read any time, any order
Character & Event Novels · Any Order
Intimate single-POV stories + the event-capstone · read first, last, or alone
Common Questions
Where should I start if I'm not sure?
B0 — Before the Silence. The free prequel. One complete novel, no commitment. If the voice and stakes pull you in, B1 follows directly from where B0 ends. If they don't — you've spent nothing.
Do I need to read in order?
For the saga (B1 → B9): yes. Each trilogy closes its own arc, but the spine runs across all nine. For the Origin Novels (B10–B12) and Character/Event Novels (B13–B16): no. Each is fully standalone.
I want short. Which book is shortest?
B8 The Nomads (64k words) and B16 KARA: Scrap Queen (68k) are the tightest. B1 The Silence (77k) is the leanest entry into the saga spine.
Audio?
Every book page has a free two-voice podcast companion — a 14-to-25-minute discussion of the book's themes. Full audiobooks launch alongside the Kindle release.
When does it launch on Amazon?
SOR is in final review. The launch order and date are still being locked. Drop your email → and you'll hear the moment the first books go live.
Ready?
Whatever path you choose, the universe is the same.
The choice is only how you want to enter it.