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Alex Stern

by Leigh Bardugo

3 books Started 2019 Latest 2026
Publication Reading Order

The Alex Stern is a YA Fantasy / Fantasy series by Leigh Bardugo, made up of 3 books published between 2019 and 2026. It begins with Ninth House (2019), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Dead Beat (2026), spanning 7 years of storytelling.

3books
7years active
2decades
~3.5yrs between books
2026latest release
# Title Year Buy
2010s
1 Ninth House ★ NYT 4w · peaked #4 🏆 Goodreads Choice Award 2019Locus Award 2020Audie Award 2020Shirley Jackson Award 2019Full award history → 2019 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2020s
2 Hell Bent ★ NYT 3w · #1 🏆 Goodreads Choice Award 2023Full award history → 2023 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
3 Dead BeatLatest 2026 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia

Alex Stern series: frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Alex Stern series?

Start with Ninth House (2019), the first book in the Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.

How many books are in the Alex Stern series?

There are 3 books in the Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo, published between 2019 and 2026.

What is the first book in the Alex Stern series?

The first book in the Alex Stern series is Ninth House, published in 2019 by Leigh Bardugo.

What is the latest book in the Alex Stern series?

The most recent book in the Alex Stern series is Dead Beat (2026) by Leigh Bardugo.

More books by Leigh Bardugo View all series and reading orders →
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About Leigh Bardugo

Leigh was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Southern California, and graduated from Yale University. These days she lives and writes in Los Angeles.

View all Leigh Bardugo series →

About the Alex Stern series

Leigh Bardugo's Alex Stern is her acclaimed adult dark-academia fantasy — a far cry from her YA roots. Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a high-school dropout who can see ghosts, is given a mysterious full ride to Yale on one condition: she must monitor the university's secret societies, whose members really do practise magic, with deadly consequences.

The series is darker, grittier and more adult than Bardugo's Grishaverse, blending occult horror, class rage and a gripping murder mystery with the gothic glamour of secret Ivy League power. It's atmospheric and seriously twisty.

Read in order from "Ninth House," as Alex's past and the societies' conspiracies unspool.