Cherie Dimaline is one of the most powerful voices in contemporary Indigenous literature. A Métis author from the Georgian Bay Métis Community in Ontario, Canada, she blends speculative fiction, horror, young-adult drama, and deep cultural truth-telling in a way that leaves readers haunted, hopeful, and hungry for more.
Whether you discovered her through the viral success of The Marrow Thieves or you’re a longtime fan waiting for each new release, this up-to-date guide puts every Cherie Dimaline book in chronological publication order (including short stories and anthologies when they’re available in standalone form) so you can read her work the way it unfolded—or binge it however you want.
List Of Cherie Dimaline Books In Order by Year
Cherie Dimaline Books by Series
Cherie Dimaline has authored several series and standalone works, blending Indigenous storytelling with speculative fiction, horror, and YA elements. Below is a complete list of her books organized by series (where applicable), presented in internal series order. Standalone titles are grouped in a separate table for clarity. All publication years are based on first editions.
| Series Name | Book # | Title | Publication Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marrow Thieves | 1 | The Marrow Thieves | 2017 |
| Marrow Thieves | 2 | Hunting by Stars | 2021 |
| VenCo | 1 | VenCo | 2023 |
| Quill & Crow Remixed Classics | 1 | Into the Bright Open | 2023 |
| Seven | 1 | Seven: Stories of an Unfinished Country (co-authored anthology) | 2010 |
Standalone Books
| Title | Publication Year | Genre Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Red Rooms | 2007 | Short story collection |
| Seven Gifts for Cedar | 2010 | Children’s/YA |
| The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy | 2013 | Poetry collection |
| A Gentle Habit | 2015 | Literary fiction |
| Empire of Wild | 2019 | Horror/romance |
| Little Bird Stories, Volume 9 | 2019 | Short stories (anthology) |
| Funeral Songs for Dying Girls | 2023 | YA contemporary/ghost story |
| An Anthology of Monsters: How Story Saves Us from Our Anxiety | 2023 | Essay/anthology |
| Tiger Lily and the Secret Treasure of Neverland | 2023 | YA fantasy (Peter Pan remix) |
Cherie Dimaline Books in Publication Order
- Red Rooms (2011) Genre: Short story collection (adult literary/horror) Her debut is a raw, unflinching collection that already shows Dimaline’s gift for dark, poetic prose. These stories of haunted hotels, missing women, and urban Indigenous life are perfect if you love Shirley Jackson or Eden Robinson.
- Spirits Rising (2014) – co-authored with Cherie Dimaline & various authors, Part of the Seven series (a multi-author Indigenous speculative project). Not always listed as a solo Dimaline title, but it contains one of her earliest published short stories.
- A Gentle Habit (2015) Genre: Literary fiction / linked short stories (adult) A gritty, gorgeous portrait of addiction, love, and survival in Toronto’s underground scene. Think Denis Johnson meets Indigenous realism.
- The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy (2016) Genre: Poetry collection Often overlooked because it’s poetry, but absolutely worth tracking down. Cosmic, tender, and fierce.
- The Marrow Thieves (2017) – Book 1 of the Marrow Thieves series Genre: YA dystopian/speculative fiction The book that put Dimaline on the world stage. In a near-future Canada, Indigenous people are hunted for their bone marrow—the only source of dreams left in a dreamless world. Winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award, Kirkus Prize, and a thousand broken hearts.
- Empire of Wild (2019) Genre: Adult literary horror/romance A modern rogurogarou (Métis werewolf) story set on the rez and in the city. Sexy, scary, and steeped in Métis mythology. Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.
- Hunting by Stars (2021) – Book 2 of the Marrow Thieves series (published in some markets as The Marrow Thieves 2). The long-awaited sequel. Frenchie and his found family fight to stay free—and to rescue Rose. Darker and more brutal than the first, but just as beautiful.
- Funeral Songs for Dying Girls (2023) Genre: YA contemporary with ghostly elements. Winifred lives in a crematorium with her grieving father and starts seeing the ghost of a girl who died tragically. A heartbreaking, hilarious coming-of-age story about grief, friendship, and first love.
- VenCo (2022 in Canada / 2023 in the US & UK) Genre: Adulspeculative/witchyhy realism A Métis woman in Toronto discovers she’s part of a secret coven of witches racing to find the final sixth member before evil forces do. Think Practical Magic, but make it Indigenous and set in Salem and New Orleans. First in the VenCo series.
- Into the Bright Open (2023) – A Remixed Classic (part of the Quill & Crow Remixed Classics series) Genre: YA historical fantasy A queer, Indigenous retelling of The Secret Garden set on the Georgian Bay with an Anishinaabe/Mét-object head girl protagonist. Gorgeous and groundbreaking.
- A Council of Dolls (2024) Genre: Adult literary historical fiction Spanning generations of Yankton Dakota women and the dolls that carry their stories and traumas. Already being called one of the most important Indigenous novels of the decade.
Upcoming & Rumored Releases (as of November 2025)
- VenCo #2 – Title and release date still under wraps, but Dimaline has confirmed the sequel is written and coming in 2026.
- Marrow Thieves #3 – Dimaline has teased that the trilogy will be completed “when the time is right.” No firm date yet.
Recommended Reading Orders
- Publication order (above) – Best for seeing how her craft evolves from dark literary short stories to blockbuster YA dystopia to adult speculative horror.
- Start here if you’re new → The Marrow Thieves → Empire of Wild → Funeral Songs for Dying Girls → VenCo This path gives you her most accessible, award-winning work first.
- Chronological by target audience
- YA readers: The Marrow Thieves → Hunting by Stars → Funeral Songs for Dying Girls → Into the Bright Open
- Adult readers: Red Rooms → A Gentle Habit → Empire of Wild → VenCo → A Council of Dolls
Where to Buy or Borrow Cherie Dimaline Books
- IndieBound or Bookshop.org (support Indigenous and independent bookstores)
- Strong Nations (Indigenous-owned bookstore in Canada)
- Libraries—most of her titles are in OverDrive/Libby
- Audiobooks: Her narrators (especially Meegwun Fairbrother for the Marrow Thieves duology) are phenomenal.
Cherie Dimaline doesn’t just write stories—she resurrects languages, memories, and futures that colonial powers tried to erase. Every book is an act of resistance wrapped in irresistible storytelling.
Which Cherie Dimaline book broke your heart first? Drop your favorite in the comments—I need to know I’m not the only one still crying over Frenchie and Rose.
Keep reading Indigenous authors. Keep buying Indigenous books. The stories are medicine.
#OwnVoices #IndigenousReads #CherieDimaline #TheMarrowThieves #CanadianLit
