Every Keeper of the Lost Cities Book in Order, Plus Book 10 News

Your child finished book 1 under the covers with a flashlight and wants the next one, today. Then you look at the shelf: some books have numbers like 8.5, and the newest ones are thicker than a dictionary. Below are the Keeper of the Lost Cities books in order, with dates and page counts, the answer to how many Keeper of the Lost Cities books are there (11 so far), what is known about book 10, and a straight answer on whether the series fits your child.

How many Keeper of the Lost Cities books are there?

Eleven Keeper of the Lost Cities books are out, all written by Shannon Messenger and published by Simon & Schuster. Nine are numbered novels, and two are half-step books, Unlocked (8.5) and Unraveled (9.5), listed with the rest of the series on Wikipedia.

Fans shorten the name to KOTLC. The count matters when you shop: a boxed set or a library list may stop at book 8 or 9 and leave out the half-step books.

Book 10: Elysian, with no date yet

Book 10 has a title and nothing more. According to the author's Wikipedia page, Shannon Messenger announced in November 2025 that the final book will be called Elysian.

Neither the author's upcoming releases page nor the publisher has posted a release date. Some online stores show placeholder dates in 2027, and they disagree with one another. Treat any date you see as a guess until the author or Simon & Schuster confirms it.

All Keeper of the Lost Cities books in order

The reading order is the publication order. Dates are US first editions, and page counts are for the US Aladdin paperback as library and store catalogs list it; listings differ by a few pages.

From 2012 to 2020, a new book came out every fall. The two-year gap before Stellarlune was the first long wait, and the gaps have stayed long since.

Where Unlocked and Unraveled fit

Read the half-step books in their number slots: Unlocked after Legacy, Unraveled after Stellarlune. Both pick up where the book before ended, so skipping them leaves gaps in the story.

Unlocked is two books in one. The first half is a guide to the characters and the world of the Lost Cities, and the second half is a novella set after Legacy. Unraveled, according to the author's site, is told from Keefe's point of view and follows where he went after he left for the Forbidden Cities.

What Keeper of the Lost Cities is about, and the right age

Sophie Foster is twelve, can read minds, and has never fit in with her human family in San Diego. A boy named Fitz tells her she is an elf, and she leaves her family to live in the Lost Cities, the hidden world of the elves. She moves in with an elf couple, Grady and Edaline, and starts school at Foxfire, an academy for elf kids.

The Common Sense Media review calls book 1 a fantasy adventure with positive messages and role models. Sophie's abilities keep growing, danger follows her, and each book answers one mystery while opening the next.

Kids keep going for the friendships and the mysteries more than for the magic. The group around Sophie grows with each book, and readers pick favorites and argue about them, the way Harry Potter fans argue about houses.

The publisher lists the series for ages 8 to 12, and Common Sense Media rates book 1 for ages 9 and up. Its notes for book 1 mention some scary attacks, very little bad language (taunts like "freak" and "loser"), and crushes that go no further than blushing.

The books get heavier as they go. For Neverseen, book 4, the Common Sense Media review still says 9+, but warns that some characters, including beloved ones, die.

Reading level versus maturity level

Reading level and maturity level are two different checks. A second grader who reads fast can get through book 1, but book 4 and later deal with loss and danger in more depth. If your child is under 9, read the first book with them, or start with the graphic novel, and see how the scary scenes land.

The Keeper of the Lost Cities graphic novel

The graphic novel retells book 1 in two parts, adapted by Celina Frenn. Part 1, drawn by Gabriella Chianello, came out on November 7, 2023 and covers the first half of the book. Part 2, drawn by Valeria Tenaga Romanazzi, came out on December 2, 2025, runs 336 pages and covers the second half, according to the Common Sense Media review of part 2, which rates it 8+.

The graphic novel suits a younger sibling or a child who stalls on long chapters. It only covers book 1 so far, so plan for a move to the novels after it. The author's site also lists an Illustrated and Annotated Edition of book 1, a good gift for a fan who has already read it once.

Is there a Keeper of the Lost Cities movie?

There is no movie yet. In January 2021, Disney announced that Ben Affleck would direct an adaptation.

In April 2024, Warner Bros. Pictures acquired the film rights, with Emma Watts producing and Shannon Messenger as executive producer.

The same report says the series has sold over 7 million copies worldwide. No director, cast or release date has been announced since, so a film is still years away at best.

How to keep your child reading long books

The page counts climb fast: book 1 runs about 500 pages, and Nightfall and Flashback pass 800. A child who loved book 1 can still stall halfway through book 6. Here is how to keep the series moving.

1. Set a page goal, not a book goal. Twenty or thirty pages a night feels doable and finishes book 1 in about three weeks.
2. Read the first chapters aloud. The opening chapters of a long book carry the most setup, and a shared start gets your child into the story.
3. Mix in the audiobook. If your library lends it, listening on car rides keeps a long book moving between reading sessions.
4. Get the next book before this one ends. A child who has to wait weeks on a library hold list can lose the thread and the habit.
5. Allow a break between books. A short, fast series between Lodestar and Nightfall resets a tired reader without losing the story.
6. Talk about the characters. Ask who your child trusts and who they suspect. Kids who have theories read on to check them.

Let your child be the elf with the secret power

Most KOTLC fans wonder what their own power would be. Ask your child, then turn the answer into a story where they are the hero who discovers it.

Try itCreate a personalized storybookYour child's name and photo, a story in minutes

KidTeller turns your child's photo into the illustrated hero of a new fantasy story, in any of 31 languages, and you can narrate it in your own cloned voice or order it as a printed softcover.

If your child likes Keeper of the Lost Cities, try these

KOTLC readers usually want three things: a hidden magical world, a friend group, and a long series to stay in. These series deliver at least two of the three.

• Percy Jackson. A boy learns he is half-god and goes to a hidden camp, with more jokes and faster chapters. See the Percy Jackson books in order.
• Wings of Fire. Dragons instead of elves, a new narrator each book, and big friendships. See the Wings of Fire books in order.
• The Chronicles of Narnia. Children cross into a magic world, in seven shorter books that suit a reader who needs a break from 800-page volumes. See the Narnia books in order.
• Dragon Masters. Short, illustrated chapter books for a younger sibling who wants to read "the same kind of thing." See the Dragon Masters books in order.

For a wider list at the same level, the books for 5th graders guide sorts picks by interest.

Picking the next series

Pick by what your child talks about most. A child who loves the jokes and the banter between friends will like Percy Jackson; a child who loves the made-up world and its rules will like Wings of Fire.

Common mistakes with the Keeper of the Lost Cities series

• Skipping Unlocked or Unraveled: both carry story the next numbered book builds on. Read them in their number slots.
• Trusting a book 10 date from a store page: placeholder dates change. Check the author's site before you promise your child a date.
• Starting a young reader on book 1 alone: the length and the scary scenes can stall an 8-year-old. Read the start together or begin with the graphic novel.
• Buying an old boxed set: some sets stop at book 8 or 9. Check that the set includes the half-step books, or buy those separately.
• Pushing straight through 800-page books: a tired reader quits. A short series between long books keeps the habit alive.