The Ryland Creek Saga: There's a magic here, if you know where to look . . .

Frequently Asked Questions.

Is the Ryland Creek Saga right for me?

The Ryland Creek Saga is a family saga set in the forests of Upstate New York, sprinkled with a bit of magical realism thrown in.

If you like books like Where the Red Fern Grows or Legends of the Fall, the Ryland Creek novels may be for you.

Like dogs in general and hounds in particular? These books are definitely for you.

Do you like stories set in the outdoors? (Yes, Upstate New York is a stark contrast to New York City!) The search is over!

 What order should I read the Ryland Creek Saga?

When the first four books came out, with the subtitles ordered Books I-IV, this wasn't a question I was overly worried about as nearly all readers will follow-through in numeric order.

The Last Coon Hunter: Book I of the Ryland Creek Saga

An Exceptional Hound: Book II of the Ryland Creek Saga

The Legends of Ryland Creek: Book III of the Ryland Creek Saga

The Master of Hounds: Book IV of the Ryland Creek Saga

But then The Forest Ghost was published (in 2021, and listed as a prequel, to boot) and The Time of the Backroads (in 2022), both with the subtitle of "A Ryland Creek Novel" and both involving characters from the first four novels.

It wasn't overly clear anymore which order one should pursue reading the saga.

In talking to readers who have read the entire saga, the response was nearly universal: Read Books I-IV, and then:

The Forest Ghost, followed by

The Time of the Backroads.

Then I asked the follow-up question: Why not read The Forest Ghost, the prequel, first?

The response that stuck in my mind the most came from one dear reader who said, "You should read The Forest Ghost after Books I-IV as you'll have a much greater appreciation of whom Arthur has becomes once you know his backstory."