"Rina Kent Books in Order: The Complete Rinaverse Reading Guide (2026)"
"In what order should you read Rina Kent? The full Rinaverse reading order: Royal Elite, Legacy of Gods, Deception, Empire and more — with where to start."
Want to read Rina Kent in order? Here's the short answer. All of her series share one interconnected universe — the Rinaverse — so reading order matters to avoid spoilers. Start with Royal Elite (Deviant King) for the author's recommended order, or with God of Malice (Legacy of Gods) if you came from BookTok. Every series tells a standalone story, but characters carry over across generations.
I'm Elia Acheri, a dark romance author. Rina Kent is one of the most prolific names in the genre, and her biggest reader question is exactly this: what order do I read the Rinaverse in? Here's the full bibliography, by series and in order.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon links below are affiliate links — at no extra cost to you. Her books are dark and intended for adult (18+) readers; check the trigger warnings.
The Rinaverse, explained
Think of it in two generations. Royal Elite and the mafia branch (Deception, Throne, Monster) are the first generation. Legacy of Gods is the second generation — the children of those characters. That's why reading Royal Elite first protects you from spoilers about who ends up with whom. The author's official order is "New Adult first."
Royal Elite (start here)
The foundation of the Rinaverse — elite-school New Adult dark romance. Reading order: Cruel King (prequel) → Deviant King → Steel Princess → Twisted Kingdom → Black Knight → Vicious Prince → Ruthless Empire → Royal Elite Epilogue.
📖 Start with Deviant King → · See the full Royal Elite series →
Legacy of Gods (the BookTok phenomenon)
The second generation — dark college romance with morally black anti-heroes. Order: God of Malice → God of Pain → God of Wrath → God of Ruin → God of Fury → God of War. Each is near-standalone, but you'll spoil the Royal Elite couples (they're the parents).
📖 Start with God of Malice → · See the full Legacy of Gods series →
The mafia branch (first generation)
These connect directly into Legacy of Gods. Read them after Royal Elite if you want the mafia side of the family.
Deception Trilogy
Vow of Deception → Tempted by Deception → Consumed by Deception. Adrian Volkov and Lia Morelli — a dark arranged-marriage mafia story.
📖 Start with Vow of Deception →
Throne Duet
Throne of Power → Throne of Vengeance. Arranged marriage in the mafia world.
📖 Start with Throne of Power →
Monster Trilogy
Blood of My Monster → Lies of My Monster → Heart of My Monster. Russian-mafia dark romance.
📖 Start with Blood of My Monster →
The billionaire & New Adult branch
Kingdom Duet
Reign of a King → Rise of a Queen. Billionaire age-gap; tied to the Rinaverse.
📖 Start with Reign of a King →
Empire Series
Empire of Desire → Empire of Sin → Empire of Hate → Empire of Lust. Each book a different couple, near-standalone.
📖 Start with Empire of Desire →
Lies & Truths Duet · Thorns Duet
All The Lies → All The Truths (amnesia New Adult), and Red Thorns → Black Thorns.
The newest series
Villain (Kiss the Villain → Hunt the Villain → Crave the Villain) and Vipers (Beautiful Venom → Sweet Venom → Tempting Venom, a dark hockey-romance series).
📖 Start with Beautiful Venom → · Kiss the Villain →
Where to start
- Want the full Rinaverse in order? Begin with Deviant King (Royal Elite). You'll meet the parents of the Legacy of Gods cast.
- Came from BookTok? Begin with God of Malice (Legacy of Gods) — just know you'll spoil some Royal Elite couples.
- Here for the mafia? Start with Vow of Deception (Deception Trilogy).
> Heads-up on the order: Cruel King is the #0 prequel (before Deviant King), and the Royal Elite Epilogue is meant to be read after the Kingdom Duet, per the author's official reading order.
If you love Rina Kent, you'll love…
If her possessive anti-heroes and grey morality are your thing, that's exactly the territory I write in.
- Discover Stolen Heartbeats → — dark romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn.
- New to the genre? My ultimate guide to dark romance → breaks down the best books by level.
Frequently asked questions
In what order should I read Rina Kent's books?
Royal Elite first (Deviant King), then the mafia branch (Deception, Throne, Monster) and Kingdom Duet, then Legacy of Gods. If you came from BookTok, you can start with God of Malice — but expect spoilers about the parents' couples.
Do Rina Kent's books need to be read in order?
Each series tells a standalone story, but characters overlap across the Rinaverse. Reading in order prevents spoilers about who relatives end up with.
Is Legacy of Gods a spin-off of Royal Elite?
Yes — Legacy of Gods follows the second generation: the children of the Royal Elite and Deception characters.
Where does the Royal Elite Epilogue go?
After the Kingdom Duet, according to the author's official reading order — not immediately after Ruthless Empire.
Which Rina Kent series is best for beginners?
Royal Elite (New Adult, elite school) eases you in; Legacy of Gods is darker and more viral. Both are popular starting points.
This reading guide reflects my experience as an author and reader of the genre. Rina Kent publishes frequently and editions vary (Kindle, paperback, special editions): check the format on the Amazon page before buying.