Series checklist

The Courtney Novels series Books in Order

Checked by Harriet Ellis, MyVolumes editor · Updated 2 Nov 2026

The Courtney Novels series series is 27 books by Wilbur Smith, published 1964 to 2026. Start with When the Lion Feeds (1964). We have catalogued 2 of them so far, with 3 editions between them; the rest are being added.

Books
27
2 of 27 catalogued so far
Editions tracked
3
Numbers
1 to 2
Published
1964 to 2026

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Reading order

The The Courtney Novels series books in the order they were published, with the year each first appeared; the story's own order follows.

  1. 1When the Lion FeedsTwin brothers Sean and Garrick Courtney grow up in Natal and are driven apart against the background of the Zulu war.Buy a copy: eBay1964
  2. 2The Sound of ThunderSean Courtney fights for the British in the Second Boer War while his son Dirk grows bitter and vows to ruin the family.Buy a copy: eBay1966
  3. 3A Sparrow FallsAfter the First World War, Sean's protege Mark Anders sets himself against Dirk Courtney's land grabbing dam scheme.Buy a copy: eBay1977
  4. 4The Burning ShoreEngaged to the airman Michael Courtney in the First World War, Centaine de Thiry is shipwrecked on Africa's desert coast and must survive the Kalahari.Buy a copy: eBay1985
  5. 5Power of the SwordShasa Courtney and Manfred De La Rey, half brothers, grow up on opposite sides of South African society from the Depression to the 1940s.Buy a copy: eBay1986
  6. 6RageIn 1952, as apartheid takes hold, the ANC's armed wing under Moses Gama plots revolution and draws in Shasa's wife Tara.Buy a copy: eBay1987
  7. 7A Time to DieIn 1987 the professional hunter Sean Courtney is drawn into Mozambique's civil war to rescue Claudia, the woman he loves.Buy a copy: eBay1989
  8. 8Golden FoxIn 1969 Isabella Courtney, living in London, is seduced by the KGB agent Ramon and pushed into spying on her own family.Buy a copy: eBay1990
  9. 9Birds of PreyIn the 1660s Sir Francis Courtney is executed by the Dutch East India Company, and his son Hal escapes captivity bent on revenge against the Buzzard.Buy a copy: eBay1997
  10. 10MonsoonHal Courtney's sons William, Tom, Guy and Dorian face Arab pirates in the Indian Ocean as family rivalries spread from Madagascar to India.Buy a copy: eBay1999
  11. 11Blue HorizonJim Courtney and his cousin Mansur, raised together at the Cape, flee Dutch colonial control.Buy a copy: eBay2003
  12. 12The Triumph of the SunIn 1884 the trader Ryder Courtney, Captain Penrod Ballantyne and the consul David Benbrook are caught in the Mahdi's siege of Khartoum.Buy a copy: eBay2005
Show all 27 books in order
  1. 13AssegaiIn 1913 British East Africa the hunter Leon Courtney is recruited to spy on the German industrialist Otto von Meerbach and falls for his mistress.Buy a copy: eBay2009
  2. 14Golden LionHal Courtney, now captain of his own ship, pursues his old enemy the Buzzard across Africa after he kidnaps Hal's beloved Judith.Buy a copy: eBay2015
  3. 15War CrySaffron Courtney grows up on a Kenyan estate and travels to England before the Second World War, while Gerhard von Meerbach resists his family's Nazi sympathies.Buy a copy: eBay2017
  4. 16The Tiger's PreyFrancis Courtney seeks revenge on Tom Courtney for his father's death amid piracy and feuds across the Indian Ocean.Buy a copy: eBay2017
  5. 17Courtney's WarParted in Paris in 1939, Saffron Courtney becomes an SOE agent in occupied Europe while her lover Gerhard von Meerbach fights at Stalingrad.Buy a copy: eBay2018
  6. 18Ghost FireMansur's children Theo and Connie Courtney are separated when their parents die in a French attack, and Theo fights in the French and Indian War.Buy a copy: eBay2019
  7. 19CloudburstFourteen year old Jack Courtney and his friends Amelia and Xander brave the Congo rainforest to rescue his conservationist parents from mercenaries.Buy a copy: eBay2020
  8. 20Legacy of WarAfter the Second World War, Saffron and Gerhard are hunted by his Nazi brother Konrad, while Leon Courtney faces rebellion at home in Kenya.Buy a copy: eBay2021
  9. 21Storm TideRob Courtney takes the Neptune Sword to England and joins the Royal Navy as the American War of Independence begins in 1774.Buy a copy: eBay2022
  10. 22NemesisDuring the Reign of Terror Paul Courtney flees Paris to join Napoleon's army in Egypt, while the naval officer Adam Courtney seeks revenge in India.Buy a copy: eBay2023
  11. 23Warrior KingIn 1820 the escaped convict Ralph Courtney, the settler Ann Waite and the boy Harry try to build a life at Nativity Bay inside Shaka's Zulu kingdom.Buy a copy: eBay2024
  12. 24Fire on the HorizonIn South Africa in 1899 the Courtney and Ballantyne families are divided by the outbreak of the Boer War when young Leon Courtney stows away to the front.Buy a copy: eBay2024
  13. 25CrossfireIn 1943 the SOE agent Saffron Courtney is sent to unmask a mole in the British Embassy in Washington before Churchill meets Roosevelt.Buy a copy: eBay2025
  14. 26VengeanceIn 1829, after Shaka's murder, Ralph Courtney, Ann Waite and their son Harry take refuge at the Mahikeng mission station on the Highveld.Buy a copy: eBay2026
  15. 27FlashpointIn 1943 Saffron Courtney must extract a vital scientist from besieged Leros, and in 1946 she is blackmailed into finding him again.Buy a copy: eBay2026

The Courtney Novels series in chronological order

The same books by the story's own timeline, for readers who prefer events in sequence.

  1. 1Birds of Prey1997
  2. 2Golden Lion2015
  3. 3Monsoon1999
  4. 4The Tiger's Prey2017
  5. 5Blue Horizon2003
  6. 6Ghost Fire2019
  7. 7Storm Tide2022
  8. 8Nemesis2023
  9. 9Warrior King2024
  10. 10Vengeance2026
  11. 11When the Lion Feeds1964
  12. 12The Triumph of the Sun2005
Show all 27 books in chronological order
  1. 13Fire on the Horizon2024
  2. 14The Sound of Thunder1966
  3. 15Assegai2009
  4. 16The Burning Shore1985
  5. 17A Sparrow Falls1977
  6. 18War Cry2017
  7. 19Power of the Sword1986
  8. 20Courtney's War2018
  9. 21Crossfire2025
  10. 22Flashpoint2026
  11. 23Legacy of War2021
  12. 24Rage1987
  13. 25Golden Fox1990
  14. 26A Time to Die1989
  15. 27Cloudburst2020
Checklist

Editions we track

No.CoverBookYear
1 When the Lion Feeds FirstWilbur Smith · Viking · +1 edition 1964
2 The Sound of Thunder FirstWilbur Smith · Heinemann 1966
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About The Courtney Novels series

The Courtney novels are Wilbur Smith's family saga following many generations of the Courtney family, mostly in Africa, from the 1660s to the present day. There are 27 Courtney books, published from When the Lion Feeds (1964) to Flashpoint (2026). Smith wrote the early books alone, and many later titles were written with co-authors. The crossover King of Kings (2019) is labelled a Courtney book on the official site but has no number there and is not counted, while Fire on the Horizon is also numbered in the Ballantyne series. Cloudburst opens the Jack Courtney Adventures for younger readers, and read by story date the saga begins with Birds of Prey.

Questions collectors ask

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the The Courtney Novels series books in?

Start with When the Lion Feeds (1964), then The Sound of Thunder and A Sparrow Falls. The full list on this page gives every book in order with its first edition year.

How many The Courtney Novels series books are there?

There are 27 books in the The Courtney Novels series series, from 1964 to 2026. We have catalogued 2 of them so far.

What is the first The Courtney Novels series book?

When the Lion Feeds, first published in 1964, is the first book in the The Courtney Novels series series.

Should I read the The Courtney Novels series books in publication or chronological order?

Most readers follow publication order, starting with When the Lion Feeds. The story's own timeline begins with Birds of Prey; both lists are on this page.

Sources

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 2 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.

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