This is adapted from the “Reading Order” page at Elwher’s Witch-World wiki (as edited 23 Aug 2010). I (CWC) added the author and collection info myself. The right-hand column contains notes on the internal order of the stories from Elwher’s wiki, mostly intact.
Abbreviations
| 4FTWW | Four from the Witch World (Tor, 1989) | 4 novellas by other writers |
| Lore… | Lore of the Witch World (DAW, 1980) | 7 stories by AN |
| Spell… | Spell of the Witch World (DAW, 1972) | 3 stories by AN |
| TOTWW1 | Tales of the Witch World (Tor, 1987) | 17 stories, 1 by AN |
| TOTWW2 | Tales of the Witch World 2 (Tor, 1988) | 17 stories by others |
| TOTWW3 | Tales of the Witch World 3 (Tor, 1990) | 19 stories by others |
| Sorceress | Sorceress of the Witch World | 1968 Novel by AN (#6) |
| Warding | The Warding of the Witch World | 1996 Novel by AN |
| Warlock | Warlock of the Witch World | 1967 Novel by AN (#5) |
| The Arrival of the Sulcar | |
|---|---|
| “S’Olcarias’s Sons”
Lisa Swallow [TOTWW2]
| Tells of the origin of the Sulcar but contradicts Warding and has Krogan, so call it a legend |
| The Turning (Estcarp/Escore) | |
| “Futures Yet Unseen”
Melinda M. Snodgrass [TOTWW2]
| Ends with the Turning of the mountains between Estcarp & Escore |
| The Settling of the Dales of High Hallack | |
| Horn Crown | People from High Hallack arrive in the Dales |
| “Peacock Eyes”
Shirley Meier [TOTWW2]
| Origin of Neevor & Volt |
| “Plumduff Potato-Eye”
Jayge Carr [TOTWW3]
| When Herrel or Kethan was a child |
| “Bloodspell”
A.C. Crispin [TOTWW1]
| Were-Riders banished from Arvon, Neevor & Ibycus appear as 2 different people |
| “The Judgement of Neave”
S. N. Lewitt [TOTWW2]
| A Daleswoman becomes Neave’s Votary in Arvon only a few generations after arriving in the Dales |
| “Rite of Failure” Susan M. Shwartz [TOTWW2]
| Were-Rider shaman’s apprentice fails his rite of passage sometime after “Bloodspell” |
| “One Spell Wizard” | Becomes a tale/song by the time of Songsmith |
| “The Sentinel at the Edge of the World”
David Wind [TOTWW2]
| Sometime before Simon Tregarth arrives |
| “Dream Smith” [Spell…]
| Sometime before the invasion of High Hallack |
| “Fortune’s Children” Patricia A. McKillip [TOTWW3]
| Sometime before the invasion of High Hallack (this may be one of the attacks from the Waste mentioned in “Dream Smith”) |
| “Of the Shaping of Ulm’s Heir” [TOTWW1]
| Kerovan’s birth |
| “Heir Apparent” Robert Bloch [TOTWW1]
| |
| “Tall Dames Go Walking” Rose Wolf [TOTWW2]
| Set on Earth, origin of Jorge Petronius |
| “Rampion” Meredith Ann Pierce [4FTWW]
| Ends just after Kolder invade Gorm |
| The Horning / The Invasion of High Hallack | |
| Witch World | Simon enters Witch World, Fall of Sulcarkeep, the Horning, the re-taking of Gorm from the Kolder |
| “Neither Rest nor Refuge” Ardath Mayhar [TOTWW1]
| The Horning |
| Web of the Witch World | Death of Yvian, destruction of the Kolder Gate |
| “Sea Serpents of Domnudale”
Ginger Simpson Curry [TOTWW2]
| Ends in Year of the Moss Wife |
| The Crystal Gryphon | The Hounds of Alizon invade High Hallack 2 years after the fall of Sulcarkeep |
| “A Question of Magic” Marta Randall [TOTWW3]
| The Invasion just begun |
| “Stormbirds” C.J. Cherryh [4FTWW]
| Probably takes place in Year of the Leopard |
| “Wolfhead” Michael D. Winkle [TOTWW3]
| During the Invasion after alliance of northern lords |
| “Fenneca” Wilanne Schneider Belden [TOTWW1]
| Sometime during the Invasion |
| “Dragon Scale Silver” [Spell…]
| The invasion of High Hallack |
| Gryphon in Glory | The Were-Riders join the war in the Year of the Gryphon |
| “Were-Wrath” | Thra fleeing invasion, destruction of her keep |
| “Green in High Hallack” Kiel Stuart [TOTWW1]
| Year after the Hounds pass through their Dale, turning point of the war? |
| After the Invasion in High Hallack | |
| Zarsthor’s Bane | Just after Hounds defeated, late summer Year of the Hornet |
| “Whispering Cane” Carol Severance [TOTWW3]
| Shortly after the Hounds defeated, Year of the Hornet |
| “Sword of Unbelief” [Lore…]
| Late autumn of Year of the Hornet |
| “The Toads of Grimmerdale” [Lore…]
| Early winter of Year of the Hornet |
| Year of the Unicorn | End of Year of the Hornet & beginning of the Year of the Unicorn |
| “Changeling” [Lore…]
| After “Toads of Grimmerdale”, spring of the Year of the Unicorn |
| Gryphon’s Eyrie | Spring/summer of the Year of the Unicorn |
| “Amber out of Quayth” [Spell…]
| From late summer to winter of the Year of the Unicorn |
| Silver May Tarnish
AN with Lyn McConchie
| During Invasion & after Hounds defeated |
| “Ully the Piper” [High Sorcery]
| After Hounds defeated |
| “Legacy from Sorn Fen” [Lore…]
| After Hounds defeated |
| “Nine Words in Winter” Caralyn Inks [TOTWW1]
| After Hounds defeated, around time of “Ully the Piper” |
| “The Sword Seller” Patricia C. Wrede [TOTWW3]
| 4 years after “Amber out of Quayth” |
| “The White Road” Charles de Lint [TOTWW1]
| Sometime after Hounds defeated |
| “The Road of Dreams and Death”
Robert E.Vardeman [TOTWW1]
| Sometime after Hounds defeated and “Amber Out of Quayth” |
| “The Salt Garden” Sandra Miesel [TOTWW2]
| 10 years after home destroyed during Invasion |
| “Candletrap” Mary H. Schaub [TOTWW3]
| 18 years after Year of the Crowned Swan |
| “Knowledge” P. M. Griffin [TOTWW3]
| Lormt before the Turning |
| The Turning (Estcarp/Karsten) | 24 years after The Horning |
| Three Against the Witch World | The Turning and the opening of Escore |
| “Old Toad” Geary Gravel [TOTWW2]
| Witch protects a Gate from the Turning |
| “An Account of the Turning”
Sasha Miller [GURPS Witch World]
| The witches council at the moment of the Turning |
| Trey of Swords | Ends in chapter 6 of Warlock |
| Warlock of the Witch World | Light vs Dark |
| “The Stones of Sharnon” Ann Miller [TOTWW2]
| Probably shortly after Old Race from Karsten resettle Escore |
| Sorceress of the Witch World | Light vs Dark, return of Simon & Jaelithe, Hilarion |
| ’Ware Hawk | Probably during Sorceress |
| “The Scent of Magic” Juanita Coulson [TOTWW3]
| Probably during Sorceress |
| The Jargoon Pard | After the Turning |
| “Voice of Memory” M. E. Allen [TOTWW3]
| 17 years after Year of the Hornet |
| “Were-Flight” Lisa Woodworth [TOTWW3]
| 18 years after Year of the Fire Drake |
| “Were-Hunter” Mercedes Lackey [TOTWW1]
| Roughly 20 years after Year of the Unicorn |
| “To Rebuild the Eyrie” Sasha Miller [TOTWW1]
| After the destruction of the Eyrie in the Turning |
| “Oath-bound” Pauline Griffin [TOTWW1]
| Falconer knows of Escore |
| “Falcon’s Chick”
Patricia Shaw Mathews [TOTWW3]
| The Turning &emdash; after the Turning, before Falcon Blood |
| “Milk from a Maiden’s Breast”
Elizabeth Scarborough [TOTWW1]
| Three years since Tregarth triplets entered Escore |
| Ciara’s Song AN with Lyn McConchie
| Ends sometime after the Turning |
| The Gate of the Cat | After ’Ware Hawk, the cleansing of Escore |
| The Duke’s Ballad AN with Lyn McConchie
| Begins three years after Ciara’s Song, events of Gate mentioned taking place during this |
| “Isle of Illusion” Carol Severance [TOTWW1]
| Anytime after Amber Out of Quayth |
| “Through the Moon Gate”
Jacqueline Lichtenberg [TOTWW2]
| Could go anytime |
| “The Circle of Sleep” Caralyn Inks [TOTWW3]
| Around the same time as “The Stillborn Heritage” or “Voice of Memory” |
| “Strait of Storms” K. L. Roberts [TOTWW3]
| Sometime after The Gate of the Cat |
| “Gunnora’s Gift” Elisabeth Waters [TOTWW3]
| Could go anytime |
| “The Hunting of Lord Etsalian’s Daughter”
Clare Bell [TOTWW2]
| At least 6 years after the Turning |
| “The Stillborn Heritage” Elizabeth H. Boyer [4FTWW]
| Around the same time as Falcon Magic |
| “Falcon Blood” [Lore…]
| After the destruction of the Eyrie in the Turning, Salzarat the former home of the Falconers rediscovered, curse of Jonkara broken |
| Witch World: The Turning trilogy | |
| 1. Storms of Victory | After Sorceress |
| 1a. Port of Dead Ships | |
| 1b. Seakeep P.M. Griffin
| |
| 2. Flight of Vengeance | Probably around the same time as “Falcon Blood” |
| 2a.
Exile Mary H. Schaub
| |
| 2b. Falcon Hope P. M. Griffin
| |
| 3. On Wings of Magic | After “Falcon’s Chick” / 6 years after “To Rebuild the Eyrie”, around the same time as “Stillborn Heritage” |
| 3a.
We, the Women Patricia Mathews
| |
| 3b. Falcon Magic Sasha Miller
| |
| “The Magic Sword”
A. R. Major [TOTWW2]
| Anytime after “Changeling” and We, the Women, probably before Warlock |
| “Darkness Over Mirhold”
Patricia Shaw Mathews [TOTWW2]
| Probably after Port of Dead Ships, before Warlock |
| “Falcon Law”
Judith Tarr [4FTWW]
| After “Falcon Blood” and Falcon Hope |
| “Spider Silk” [Lore…]
| 8 years after the Turning |
| “Sand Sister” [Lore…]
| Tursla & Simond shortly before the Warding |
| Songsmith AN with A.C. Crispin
| Alon & Eydryth shortly before the Warding |
| The Secrets of the Witch World trilogy | |
| 1. The Key of the Keplian AN with Lyn McConchie
| |
| 2. The Magestone AN with Mary H. Schaub
| |
| 3. The Warding of the Witch World | |
| “Dream Pirates’ Jewel”
Brad & Cynthia Linaweaver [TOTWW2]
| Long after Invasion, possibly around Warding |
| “The Root of All Evil”
Sharon Green [TOTWW3]
| Anytime after The Gate of the Cat |
| “Earthborne”
[Masters of Fantasy, Baen, 2004]
| After the Warding |
| “Heroes” Diana L. Paxson [TOTWW2]
| 17 years after Old Race from Karsten resettle Escore |
| “The Weavers” Esther M. Friesner [TOTWW3]
| Anytime after The Gate of the Cat |
| “Godron’s Daughter”
Ann Miller & Karen Elizabeth Rigley [TOTWW3]
| 17 years after “Stones of Sharnon” |
| “Cat and the Other” Marylois Dunn [TOTWW1]
| Around the time of Heartspell? |
| “Yellow Eyes” [Catfantastic, DAW 1989]
| New lands introduced, after “Cat and the Other” |
| “Shado” [Catfantastic II, DAW 1991]
| Some years after “Cat and the Other” |
| “Heartspell” A. C. Crispin [TOTWW3]
| 30 years after the Turning |
| “Gate of the Kittens” | Simon Tregarth’s grandson |
| Stories set at unknown times | |
| “Of Ancient Swords and Evil Mists”
James R. Heidbrink [TOTWW1]
| Could take place any time around the Invasion of High Hallack or the Turning |
| “Night Hound’s Moon” Mary H. Schaub [TOTWW1]
| Set in the Dales, perhaps before the Invasion or perhaps about 7 years afterwards. |