SERIES HUB · SPOILER-LIGHT
Pentagram books in order
The four-book 1980s occult sequence whose ideas Horowitz later reimagined on a larger scale in The Power of Five.
Recommended starting point
Begin with The Devil's Door-Bell and read the four surviving volumes in publication order.
Publication order vs chronology
Publication order is the reading order. These are predecessors in creative development, not story-continuity prequels to The Power of Five.
Prequels, origins & interstitials
Each volume supplied ideas later transformed in the five-book reimagining.
Series status
Four volumes were published; the originally conceived larger sequence was not completed.
Themes & recurring ideas
Latent power, destiny, occult conspiracy and young people confronting forces concealed by ordinary adult life.
Locations & organisations
A changing set of British and international locations linked by psychic powers, occult enemies and the Pentagram mythology.
The Devil's Door-Bell
1983 · NovelThe first, darker ancestor of The Power of Five, later reimagined as Raven's Gate.
The Night of the Scorpion
1985 · NovelThe second Pentagram adventure, later substantially reworked into Evil Star.
The Silver Citadel
1986 · NovelThe third volume of the original occult sequence, and the seed from which Nightrise later grew.
Day of the Dragon
1989 · NovelThe last published Pentagram novel; its ideas were revisited and expanded in Necropolis.
Publication timeline
Spoiler-free FAQ
Where should I start?
Begin with The Devil's Door-Bell and read the four surviving volumes in publication order.
Do I need to read in order?
Publication order is the reading order. These are predecessors in creative development, not story-continuity prequels to The Power of Five.
Is the series complete?
Four volumes were published; the originally conceived larger sequence was not completed.
Continuity FAQ — reveal spoiler-marked guidance
What belongs to the main sequence?
Each volume supplied ideas later transformed in the five-book reimagining.
Does story chronology differ from publication order?
Publication order is the reading order. These are predecessors in creative development, not story-continuity prequels to The Power of Five.
Warning: follow the individual book pages' ending controls before reading solution-level discussion.
Sources
Order, format and publication year use the source links on each permanent book page.