For the full connected Rinaverse, start with Cruel King and keep going in Rina Kent's official recommended order.
If you only want one corner of the universe, you do not have to read all 38 books. Rina Kent says each series can work independently, as long as you stay in order within that series.
The official order below starts with the new adult books. There is also a dedicated mafia-first route if that is the tone you want most.
About the Rinaverse
The Rinaverse is one of those reading universes that makes you want to grab someone by the shoulders and say, “No, listen, this is bigger than it looks.” You might come in for one possessive antihero or one chaotic couple and then suddenly realize half the families know each other, the next generation is already waiting in the wings, and side characters you barely clocked in one book end up wrecking you later in another. That is the fun of it. The books do not feel random. They feel like one messy, dramatic, addictive world that keeps opening outward.
The only thing that trips readers up is the structure. Rinaverse is not one straight numbered series. It is a cluster of connected subseries with different flavors: school romance, mafia romance, college romance, and a few male/male romance books. If you want the fullest experience, the official order below works well. If you already know which flavor you want most, it also helps to know what each branch is doing.
Choose your path
The Rinaverse does not need to be one giant all-or-nothing project. Pick the lane that matches what you actually want out of Rina Kent's world.
Start with Royal Elite and follow the official order if you want the cleanest first-time experience across the connected universe.
Open the official order →Begin with the darkest criminal-power branch if mafia romance is the reason you are here and you want that tone first.
Open the mafia-first route →If you only want one subseries or one dynamic, choose that branch and read it straight through without forcing the whole universe.
See where to start by taste →What The Subseries Feel Like
The best place to start if you want the original heartbeat of the universe. Dark school romance, vicious social politics, obsession, revenge energy, and the first generation of characters who keep echoing through later books.
These feel like the bridge from the school-world drama into the larger family web. Still romance-first, but with more secrets, power plays, and the sense that the universe is getting wider.
This is the mafia-heavy side of the Rinaverse. More criminal empires, arranged marriages, identity games, and higher-stakes danger. If you want the darkest and most power-driven stretch, this is the lane.
Connected standalones with older, wealthier, more established characters. Still dramatic, still intense, but often with a more adult-world feel than the academy and college books.
The second-generation branch. These are the children and heirs of earlier characters, so the emotional payoff is huge if you have already read the older books. College-age chaos, elite families, and big connected-world rewards.
MM means male/male romance. In this universe, that mainly points readers toward God of Fury and the Villain books, with Tempting Venom also continuing that side of the world. If that is your favorite dynamic, you do have a clear lane here.
The newest branch and a more glamorous, secret-society hockey corner of the universe. It still has the dark edge, but the setting feels slicker, newer, and a little more like the Rinaverse opening a fresh chapter.
Where to start
Cruel King, then Deviant King. This is the official recommended path if you want the whole connected universe to unfold in the cleanest order.
God of Malice works if you mainly want the newer Legacy of Gods books first. It is a valid entry point, but it is not the best full-Rinaverse introduction.
Throne of Power. Use this if you want darker mafia energy first and plan to follow the official mafia-first alternative afterward.
God of Fury or the Villain series if your main interest is the MM side of the universe. For the cleanest context, still read within that lane in order.
What you can skip
Rule of a Kingdom and Dark Deception are omitted from the official order because each only contains one prequel chapter.
Entire branches of the universe, if you are not doing the full project. You can read one duet, trilogy, or series on its own and come back later if you want more.
The internal order inside a duet, trilogy, or numbered series. Once you pick a lane, read that lane straight through.
Official recommended reading order
This follows the official recommended order on Rina Kent's site, which begins with the new adult books before moving through the mafia and newer-generation branches.
- Royal Elite Book 1: Cruel King (2019) · Amazon
- Royal Elite Book 2: Deviant King (2019) · Amazon
- Royal Elite Book 3: Steel Princess (2019) · Amazon
- Royal Elite Book 4: Twisted Kingdom (2020) · Amazon
- Royal Elite Book 5: Black Knight (2020) · Amazon
- Royal Elite Book 6: Vicious Prince (2020) · Amazon
- Royal Elite Book 7: Ruthless Empire (2020) · Amazon
- Kingdom Duet Book 1: Reign of a King (2020) · Amazon
- Kingdom Duet Book 2: Rise of a Queen (2020) · Amazon
- Royal Elite Epilogue (2020) · Amazon
- Lies & Truths Book 1: All the Lies (2020) · Amazon
- Lies & Truths Book 2: All the Truths (2020) · Amazon
- Throne Duet Book 1: Throne of Power (2021) · Amazon
- Throne Duet Book 2: Throne of Vengeance (2021) · Amazon
- Empire Book 1: Empire of Desire (2021) · Amazon
- Empire Book 2: Empire of Sin (2022) · Amazon
- Empire Book 3: Empire of Hate (2022) · Amazon
- Empire Book 4: Empire of Lust (2022) · Amazon
- Deception Trilogy Book 1: Vow of Deception (2021) · Amazon
- Deception Trilogy Book 2: Tempted by Deception (2021) · Amazon
- Deception Trilogy Book 3: Consumed by Deception (2021) · Amazon
- Monster Trilogy Book 1: Blood of My Monster (2023) · Amazon
- Monster Trilogy Book 2: Lies of My Monster (2023) · Amazon
- Monster Trilogy Book 3: Heart of My Monster (2023) · Amazon
- Legacy of Gods Book 1: God of Malice (2022) · Amazon
- Legacy of Gods Book 2: God of Pain (2022) · Amazon
- Legacy of Gods Book 3: God of Wrath (2022) · Amazon
- Legacy of Gods Book 4: God of Ruin (2023) · Amazon
- Legacy of Gods Book 5: God of Fury (2023) · Amazon
- Legacy of Gods Book 6: God of War (2024) · Amazon
- Villain Book 1: Kiss the Villain (2025) · Amazon
- Villain Book 2: Hunt the Villain (2026) · Amazon
- Villain Book 3: Crave the Villain (2027, expected) · Amazon
- Vipers Book 1: Beautiful Venom (2025) · Amazon
- Vipers Book 2: Sweet Venom (2025) · Amazon
- Vipers Book 3: Tempting Venom (2026) · Amazon
This order does not include Rule of a Kingdom or Dark Deception. The official note is that both only add one prequel chapter, so they are not required for the main pass.
Your reading progress
Check off books as you finish them. Your progress is saved in your browser.
Reading Progress
0 of 38 read- Royal Elite Book 1: Cruel KingReading
- Royal Elite Book 2: Deviant KingReading
- Royal Elite Book 3: Steel PrincessReading
- Royal Elite Book 4: Twisted KingdomReading
- Royal Elite Book 5: Black KnightReading
- Royal Elite Book 6: Vicious PrinceReading
- Royal Elite Book 7: Ruthless EmpireReading
- Kingdom Duet Book 1: Reign of a KingReading
- Kingdom Duet Book 2: Rise of a QueenReading
- Royal Elite EpilogueReading
- Lies & Truths Book 1: All the LiesReading
- Lies & Truths Book 2: All the TruthsReading
- Throne Duet Book 1: Throne of PowerReading
- Throne Duet Book 2: Throne of VengeanceReading
- Thorns Duet Book 1: Red ThornsReading
- Thorns Duet Book 2: Black ThornsReading
- Empire Book 1: Empire of DesireReading
- Empire Book 2: Empire of SinReading
- Empire Book 3: Empire of HateReading
- Empire Book 4: Empire of LustReading
- Deception Trilogy Book 1: Vow of DeceptionReading
- Deception Trilogy Book 2: Tempted by DeceptionReading
- Deception Trilogy Book 3: Consumed by DeceptionReading
- Monster Trilogy Book 1: Blood of My MonsterReading
- Monster Trilogy Book 2: Lies of My MonsterReading
- Monster Trilogy Book 3: Heart of My MonsterReading
- Legacy of Gods Book 1: God of MaliceReading
- Legacy of Gods Book 2: God of PainReading
- Legacy of Gods Book 3: God of WrathReading
- Legacy of Gods Book 4: God of RuinReading
- Legacy of Gods Book 5: God of FuryReading
- Legacy of Gods Book 6: God of WarReading
- Villain Book 1: Kiss the VillainReading
- Villain Book 2: Hunt the VillainReading
- Villain Book 3: Crave the VillainReading
- Vipers Book 1: Beautiful VenomReading
- Vipers Book 2: Sweet VenomReading
- Vipers Book 3: Tempting VenomReading
Mafia-first alternative
Rina Kent also provides an alternative order that starts with the mafia side of the universe. Choose that route if you want the darkest criminal-power books first and would rather enter the Rinaverse through its most dangerous lane.
Open the dedicated Mafia-first guide for the full list, Amazon links, and a separate progress tracker that follows that exact route.
Open the Mafia-first reading order →That route begins with Throne of Power, then Throne of Vengeance, then moves into the Deception and Monster books before circling back to Royal Elite.
What to expect
Dark romance first. Expect possessive characters, family dynasties, revenge energy, and a lot of emotional intensity rather than light comfort-reading vibes.
More connected than it first appears, but not so rigid that you must read all 38 books. The main rule is to protect the internal order of whichever branch you choose.
Check the author's content warnings if you are sensitive to darker material. These are adult books and the edge is part of the appeal.
FAQ
Do I have to read all Rinaverse books in order?
No. Rina Kent says each series, duet, and standalone can be read independently. If you only want one lane, stay inside that series and read its books in order.
What is the first book in the full Rinaverse order?
If you want the full recommended path through the connected universe, start with Cruel King and then move into Deviant King.
Can I start with Legacy of Gods?
Yes. Rina Kent says you can start there. It works best if you want the newer second-generation books first, but Royal Elite is still the cleaner starting point for the whole world.
Is there a mafia-first reading order?
Yes. Rina Kent provides an alternative order that starts with Throne of Power and the mafia-connected books before circling back to Royal Elite and the rest of the universe.
Do I need Rule of a Kingdom or Dark Deception?
Not for the main recommended pass. Rina Kent omits both from the official order because each only contains one prequel chapter.
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