BookBingeChildren of Time Books in Order
The short answer
Adrian Tchaikovsky · 4 books
- How many books?
- There are 4 books in the Children of Time series, published 2015–2026.
- Is it finished?
- No — it's ongoing, but the next book doesn't have a release date yet.
- Where to start
- Start with Children of Time (2015).
About 2,300 pages — roughly 40 hours of reading
An award-winning saga spanning millennia as the last remnants of humanity encounter a startlingly different form of evolved intelligence on a terraformed world.
Here is the complete Children of Time reading order — all 4 books by Adrian Tchaikovsky, in the order you should read them:
Reading order
- Children of TimeA dying Earth's last human survivors approach a terraformed world where genetically uplifted spiders have evolved into an intelligent civilization guided by a long-dead scientist's AI.2015616 pages
- Children of RuinThe combined human-spider civilization investigates a second terraforming project gone wrong, uncovering an uplifted octopus society and an ancient, alien intelligence best left undisturbed.2019584 pages
- Children of MemoryA fragile human colony's uncertain survival is entangled with the awakening of an uplifted corvid society, as visitors from the spider-human coalition arrive to investigate strange happenings.2022458 pages
- Children of StrifeA crew rediscovering a long-lost world built by rival terraformers finds most of its people mysteriously vanished, exposing a planet-spanning intelligence shaped by its makers' worst impulses.2026679 pages
Good news: for this series, reading order and publication order are the same — just read straight down the list.
Track your place in Children of Time
BookBinge remembers which book you're on and writes a spoiler-safe recap before every sequel. Free on iOS.
Get BookBingeFrequently asked questions
How many Children of Time books are there?
There are 4 books in the Children of Time series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, from Children of Time (2015) to Children of Strife (2026). Together they run to about 2,300 pages.
Is the Children of Time series finished?
No, it's ongoing. The most recent book is Children of Strife (2026), and Adrian Tchaikovsky hasn't dated the next one yet.
What is the first Children of Time book?
Children of Time (2015) is book one, at 616 pages. A dying Earth's last human survivors approach a terraformed world where genetically uplifted spiders have evolved into an intelligent civilization guided by a long-dead scientist's AI.
Should I read the Children of Time series in publication order?
Yes. For the Children of Time series, reading order and publication order are the same — Children of Time (2015) through Children of Strife (2026).
How long does it take to read all Children of Time books?
About 2,300 pages across 4 books — roughly 40 hours at a page a minute. The longest is Children of Strife (679 pages); the shortest is Children of Memory (458 pages).