In popular culture, there are few anime-inspired properties as popular as Avatar: The Last Airbender – a series that has spanned numerous genres, including comic books, animated shows, video games, and novels.
The latter in particular has proven immensely popular amongst fans of the genre, providing useful background information surrounding the individual characters and their lives.
Within the main catalog of books, there are several distinct series, as well as a number of accompanying non-fiction books based around the trivia and artwork of the series itself.
What Is Avatar About?
Not to be confused with the James Cameron movie series of the same name, the Avatar series takes place in a fictional world derived from Asian mythology, wherein certain individuals have the ability to telekinetically manipulate one of the four elements – water, fire, earth, and air.
The widespread use of these powers has led to various factions forming based around the specific elements – with the fire nation, in particular, posing the greatest threat to the world.
However, the balance of the world is protected by ‘avatars’ – gifted individuals who have the ability to command and control all four of the elements.
Within the narrative of the books, the modern-day avatar is a young boy named Aang – a survivor of his fallen nation ‘the Air Nomads’ – who tries to save the world from the grips of the fire nation’s war-like campaign, with the help of his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph.
Throughout the series, we are also introduced to Zuko – a scarred, exiled prince from the fire nation, who seeks to retake his rightful place on the throne.
What Series Are There?
Within the Avatar literary universe, there are several distinct series that tell specific stories from the world.
These include The Chronicles of the Avatar (detailing the exploits of past avatars), The Lose Scrolls series (a novelization of the first series of the tv show), and The Earth Chronicles series (an adaptation of season 2 of the show).
The Chronicles Of The Avatar Reading Order
The first series we will look at is The Chronicles of the Avatar series – a series of books focused around the exploits of past avatars who reigned prior to the birth of Aang.
Focusing on the exploits of the famed earth kingdom avatar, The Rise of Kyoshi sees the titular avatar as she establishes the brave and revered Kyoshi warriors, as well as the secretive Dai Li – a group that eventually became corrupt and toxic, leading to the downfall of her empire.
Book two in this series, The Shadow of Kyoshi, sees the titular warrior as she reluctantly seeks to unite the four nations in order to combat a greater threat.
However, shadowy forces conspire to bring about the downfall of her once pure and righteous empire.
Feeling she doesn’t have the same respect as her beloved predecessor, Yangchen travels to the earth kingdom on business – unwittingly becoming involved in a plot to stop the corrupt Shangs from crippling the vulnerable Bin-Er city, and ultimately earning her place as the legendary warrior she was destined to become.
Pros
Likable protagonist
Solid character development
Interesting character relationships
Lore building
Good world-building
Cons
Takes a while for the story to find its feet
Themes: coming of age, honor, respect, heroism, justice
Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Lost Scrolls Reading Order
In this section we will look at the reading order for the Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Lost Scrolls series – a narrative adaptation of the first series of the popular animated show.
Focusing on the three central characters in the beloved series – Aang, Sokka, and Katara – The Lost Scrolls: Water remembers Katara’s discovery of Aang frozen in the ice, tells of Sokka’s childhood after meeting his father’s old friend and recounts Aang’s training with a water master to the north.
Separated once more into three stories, The Lost Scrolls: Earth sees Katara convincing some imprisoned earth benders to take a stand against the fire nation, sees Aang meeting and ultimately outsmarting the legendary earth bender King Bumi, and sees Sokka recounting the taking of the Great Divide.
Focused on two stories from the series, The Lost Scrolls: Fire sees Katara describing Aang’s victory over Admiral Zhao and the Fire Navy, and Prince Zuko recounts how he captured but lost, the titular Avatar.
Last in this series, The Lost Scrolls: Air sees Aang revisiting his former temple within the fallen air nation, shows Katara learning of Aang’s mysterious past, and tells of Sokka on a mission to save the north air temple from the invading fire nation.
Pros
Good lore building
Great backstory and info
Good character relationships
Tense and action-packed
Cons
History could’ve been more extensive
Themes: history, the past, good vs evil, secrets
Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Earth Kingdom Chronicles Reading Order
Next, we will look at The Earth Kingdom Chronicles series of books – based around the second season of the popular animated show.
Told from the perspective of Aang himself, The Tale of Aang recounts his journey through the earth kingdom, his search for a new master, and his various encounters with deadly sand benders, and the infamous fire nation – led by Azula.
Pros
Interesting story
Plenty of action
Good world-building
Cons
Weakly written style
Themes: adventure, good vs evil, training, exploration
Focusing on Azula, Prince Zuko’s sister, The Tale of Azula tells the tale from Azula’s point of view, focusing on her confrontation with Aang, her reunion with her estranged brother, and their ultimate defeat in the earth kingdom.
Pros
Interesting perspective switch
Good character relationships
Solid world-building
Cons
Weaker storytelling
Themes: good vs evil, conquest, familial ties, power
Told from the perspective of earth bender in training, Toph, The Tale of Toph tells of the titular character’s new friendship with Aang, Katara, and Sokka, as well as her quest to master earth bending with Aang throughout the earth kingdom.
Pros
Interesting perspective
Good earth benign lore
Good character relationships
Solid story
Cons
Storytelling could’ve been stronger
Themes: training, coming of age, friendship, individuality
Told from the perspective of the sword master Sokka, The Tale of Sokka sees the self-confessed ‘master planner’ retell their journey through the earth kingdom, their confrontation with dangerous moles, a fire nation princess, and an eccentric earth king.
Pros
Strong storytelling
True to the source material
Good character relationships
Action-packed
Cons
Needed more lore
Themes: combat, good vs evil, adventure, friendship
Told from the perspective of the fallen fire prince, The Tale of Zuko sees the titular antihero experience exile in the earth kingdom, witness the misery caused by his beloved fire nation, and develop his training throughout his journey.
Pros
Good lore building
Good storytelling
Strong character development
Action-packed
Cons
Retelling the TV show
Themes: exile, regret, betrayal, strength, training
The last story in the series, The Tale of Katara sees the titular water bender as she travels with earth kingdom with her friends Aang and Toph, as well as her brother Sokka.
Encountering Zuko, Azula, and all manner of other dangers, the team must band together to get through unscathed.
Pros
Good wrap up
Solid character relationships
Interesting perspective
Cons
A rehashing of the show
Themes: friendship, adventure, family, good vs evil
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, everything you need to know about Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the definitive way to read them in order!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Avatar Series For Adults?
While designed primarily for children, there are numerous fans who have carried their love of the series into adulthood.
From Which Country Does Avatar Originate?
Despite being inspired by Asiatic cultures, and the anime style, the Avatar series is actually produced by Americans in collaboration with South Korean animation studios, DR Movie.
Noah Burton works as a Librarian full time, and is a blogger in his spare time. His goal is to write compelling recommendations for all of the most popular books he can find, from science fiction to romance.
With a passion for books, a drive to find new reads to get stuck into, and a love for sharing book recommendations with others, Noah can help you find the next novel for your bucket list.
