Six series. Twenty books. One question everyone asks: "Which one first?" This page exists to answer that. Whether you want epic magic systems, dark political intrigue, laugh-out-loud fantasy comedy, or something in between — there is a right starting point for you.
If you hand this question to a hundred readers who have worked through the full catalog, most of them say the same thing: start with Runic Awakening. It is the first book of the Runic Series, and it is the book that introduced everything that defines Clayton's writing — the tightly constructed magic, the grounded characters, and the sense that the world continues beyond the edges of the page.
It is rated PG-13 in tone and appropriate for readers 14 and up. It does not require any prior reading. It ends in a way that makes you want to continue without leaving you stranded if you stop there. That is a harder thing to achieve than it sounds.
The second most common answer is Blade of Hylon — same quality, darker tone, more visceral combat. If "rune-carved kingdoms" appeals less than "the battlefield aftermath," skip below and find the right match.
The Runic Series · Book One
Every series is worth reading. But your first one should match the kind of story that keeps you up past midnight. Pick the description that sounds most like you.
You love when magic has rules — costs, limitations, internal logic that holds up. You notice when writers cheat. You want to feel like you could solve the puzzle yourself if you had all the pieces.
Fantasy fights too often feel weightless. You want impact, consequence, and technique. Injuries that matter. A protagonist who wins because they're skilled, not because the plot says so.
You prefer fantasy that doesn't pull its punches. Dark choices, complex factions, characters who might be wrong about everything they believe. You're not here for tidy resolutions.
You're drawn to stories where the magic flows from something personal — art, music, design, creation. Worlds where power is not just fought for but made. Something original in the system.
You're tired of fantasy that takes itself too seriously, but you've been burned by comedy that abandons the plot. You want both: actual wit, actual story, and characters who earn your investment.
You like not knowing who to trust. Hidden histories, unreliable narrators, secrets embedded in the setting itself. Fantasy as investigation — every chapter revealing more questions than answers.
A world where ancient runes encode power — but every glyph comes with a price the user doesn't fully understand until it's too late. Tight logic, high stakes, character-driven pacing.
Epic fantasy with a martial heart. Battles that move like a trained fighter thinks — in weight, leverage, and consequence. For readers who want their action to mean something.
Dark political fantasy where the lines between hero and villain are not just blurred — they're actively contested. Rated R for content and moral complexity.
A magic school story unlike the ones you've read. Power here flows through art, design, and creative mastery — and the secrets embedded in the curriculum run deeper than any student suspects.
Fantasy that earns its laughs without sacrificing its stakes. A protagonist whose relationship with magic is genuinely absurd — and genuinely dangerous. Rated R for language and adult comedy.
Mystery embedded in world-building. A world where identity is power, the past is contested, and the protagonist is not certain what — or who — they are trying to uncover.
Each series takes place in a shared universe — meaning the world has consistent history, geography, and lore across all six. Attentive readers will notice threads and echoes that reward reading in order. But the short answer is: you do not need to read them in any particular sequence.
Start wherever the story calls to you. Every series is designed to be a complete entry point. No prior reading is assumed, no critical context will be missing. If you want to read them in publication order, start with the Runic Series. If you want to understand the timeline chronologically, the reading guide below will help.
Download the Full Reading Guide