Honestly, the reading order is pretty straightforward: publication order. Start with 'Marked', then 'Betrayed', then 'Chosen'. That's it for the first three. The books after that are 'Untamed', 'Hunted', 'Tempted', etc. I see people trying to overcomplicate it by mixing in the novellas chronologically, but I don't recommend that for a first read. The novellas assume you know the characters from the main series.
The only hiccup might be the 'House of Night Other World' series, but that's a spin-off and comes way later, after the original twelve-book series wraps up. Just follow the numbers on the spines; they won't steer you wrong.
Man, I just dove into 'Chosen' this week and had the exact same question. It's confusing because this is a series where the author order and the timeline don't match up perfectly. 'Chosen' is actually the third book in the main House of Night series, following 'Marked' and 'Betrayed'. You really have to read it in that order or Zoey's whole crisis with her affinities and the whole Loren Blake mess won't make any sense.
There's also the companion novellas, like 'Dragon's Oath', but those are prequels focused on the professors. You can skip them until you're done with the main sequence if you want. I made the mistake of reading 'Lenobia's Vow' too early and it spoiled some later world-building for me. Stick with 'Marked', 'Betrayed', then 'Chosen'—that's the core emotional arc for that chunk of the story.
Just go by the numbers on the books: 1. Marked, 2. Betrayed, 3. Chosen. That's the simplest way. The novellas are extra backstory you can read after you're hooked. Trying to slot them in as you go ruins the pacing of the main plot.
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The Fated Series
Hallie Shoemaker
10
6.3K
“I reject you.”
Three words shattered her soul.
Her mate bond severed, her future stolen.
But in the silence of heartbreak… the Moon Goddess answered.
Four Alphas. Four packs.
One Queen Luna to unite them or be their undoing
Book One
A Choice Lost to Fate
Evandra Johnson is the Luna of the Pearl Pack and life is going great.... until it isn't. What she thought was a happy marriage to the love of her life, Jalen, her mate and Alpha, turns to something she doesn't recognize overnight. How did she not see the signs? He chose an Omega over her and now the pack will have a new Luna.
Now she is faced with heartbreak, pain, humiliation, and a new sense of hopelessness. She has no family to turn to, no friends outside of the Pearl Pack and nowhere to go. Staying a lone wolf means she accepts the status of a rogue. But approaching another pack's territory could cost her life.
After her mate's rejection and being banished from her pack, she must figure out her own way. Although she is a trained warrior and has a fierce wolf spirit within her, many dangers await in the forest. She is weakened by the strain of her mate's rejection, making her vulnerable and putting her at great risk.
Can she find herself before her wolf becomes a feral beast she no longer can control, or will she rise above?
*Sexually graphic scenes, multiple mates.
The Fated Series is a fast-paced shifter romance mini series presented to you in three parts.
Book One: A Choice Lost to Fate
Book Two: A Choice to Survive
Book Three: A Choice Bound in Blood
Every century years mates are chosen, destined to produce the Fated one - the offspring who will lead in the war between Werewolf and Vampire.
Many have tried and many have failed. Death and fear dominate the two communities.
Anastasia, a seer and messenger of the moon goddess foresees the Chosen, but all is not as it seems.
Felicity Stone is resisting the pull of the mate bond and as a result putting herself and the world in danger, without even realising it.
Born to lead, feared by many, Alpha Selene rules her pack with strength, pride, and a heart sealed shut. She’s never needed a mate until the moon chooses one for her.
Liam, a quiet outsider with no known rank or past, arrives on pack territory wounded and lost. The moment their eyes meet under the full moon, Selene feels the bond snap into place — powerful, undeniable, and completely unwanted.
But fate doesn’t make mistakes.
As enemies close in and secrets unravel, Selene must decide whether to fight the bond… or embrace it — and risk losing everything she’s built for the one the moon chose just for her.
Soulbound: Chosen by Darkness
In a city that devours the vulnerable, Tharien has learned one rule: distance is the only way to protect what he loves. Dangerous by nature and hunted by forces that fear the power of connection, he walks away from the one person who anchors him—Nori—believing his absence will keep her safe.
But their bond is not something that can be outrun.
A rare and forbidden soulbond ties them together, threading their hearts, their pain, and their survival into one. When Tharien disappears, the bond fractures, leaving Nori hollowed by longing and hunted by shadows that feed on separation. The farther he goes, the darker the world becomes—because something ancient has awakened in the space between them.
As secret watchers circle and those who sever bonds hunt in the name of “mercy,” Tharien is forced to confront the lie he’s lived by. His distance is not protection. It is a wound. And the darkness that stalks their world grows stronger with every step he takes away from her.
To save Nori, Tharien must return to the one place he swore he’d never stand again—at her side.
Because in a world that calls separation mercy, choosing each other is rebellion.
And loving her may be the only thing that keeps the darkness from devouring them both.
💗Obsession. Power. Desire. A story of messy love, broken rules, and choices you can’t undo. Dark romance, BDSM, intense passion, and dangerous attraction await. Enter at your own risk… you might fall for the wrong man. 💗Rejected on her twentieth birthday by the Alpha’s son who chooses her perfect twin sister instead, Ashleigh Summers watches her life crumble: framed for poisoning the bride, blacklisted from every law school, and traded like unwanted baggage to the ruthless Northern Crescent Pack. But when a mysterious vampire saves her from taking her life at a frozen lake, he leaves a handwritten note that sets her heart racing, Ashleigh vows to find him. She never expected that the cold, hidden brother among the Northern Alpha’s four sons would be the one who pulled her from the edge… and now he’s warning her to stay away from his secrets. In a castle full of curses and possessive wolves, can a rejected mate be claimed by the forbidden vampire who believes she’s worth saving even when his three brothers want her too?
My name is Athena Argos, and I’m the future Gamma of the Blood-Moon pack.
I should be training to take over my position, but instead, I’ve left my pack to find the truth about the horrific attack that killed my father two years ago. He was my hero, and I can’t stand by and allow the pack responsible to get away with his murder.
Follow the story of Athena and her lycan, Enyo, as they uncover the truth about who attacked their pack.
What will happen when they find out that they are chosen by the Moon Goddess to fulfil a centuries-old prophecy, and are the reason why their father is dead?
Will Athena and Enyo be able to protect the ones they love and fulfil the prophecy?
Trigger Warnings:
Violence
This story includes random and/or deliberate acts of violence towards others which may be triggering to some readers with lived experience. Please proceed with caution.
Physical Abuse
This story contains descriptions of physical and/or verbal abuse, including SA, which may be triggering to readers with lived experiences.
Mental or Emotional Abuse
This story contains descriptions of mental and/or emotional abuse which may be triggering to survivors.
Kidnapping
This story contains descriptions of kidnapping, which may include forceful deprivation of/disregard for personal autonomy, which may be triggering for readers with lived experiences.
Death
This story includes references to death, violence, and/or abuse. Please proceed with caution.
Blood
This story includes descriptions of horror, blood, and/or violent behaviors. Please proceed with caution.
the novellas add so much depth to the main story. If you want the full experience, start with 'Dragon’s Oath'—it’s a prequel that sets up the lore and gives crucial backstory for Dragon Lankford. Then jump into 'Lenobia’s Vow,' which explores the past of another fan-favorite professor. After that, 'Neferet’s Curse' is essential for understanding the villain’s tragic origins.
Save 'Kalona’s Fall' for later, ideally after book 10 in the main series, because it ties into the big revelations about Kalona’s history. 'Nyktos’ Promise' should be read after book 12, as it’s a bridge to the final arcs. The key is balancing chronology with emotional impact. Reading them out of order ruins the slow unraveling of secrets that make the series so addictive.