With Season 2 of The Terminal List premiering on Prime Video on Wednesday and immediately skyrocketing to on the streamer’s charts, there’s never been a better time to dig into the source material. Lucky for fans of the show, there’s plenty of source material to dig into.
Jack Carr, the Navy SEAL-turned-novelist whose novels inspired the Prime Video series, has already written seven Terminal List novels and a prequel, and has another sequel on the way. (Carr is so prolific that he even published three Terminal List novels between Seasons 1 and 2 of the show.)
However, Carr’s body of work doesn’t stop there. He’s also a prolific author of nonfiction military history books that read as engaging as his novels, and he just released the first novel in a new political thriller series, The Fourth Option. So whether you’re a fan of the Prime Video series or hoping to get into his next book before it, too, inevitably becomes a hit TV show, now is the time to start reading—in order, of course.
How To Read The Terminal List Series In Chronological Order
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Image via Prime Video</figure>
The Terminal List (2018) was Carr’s debut, and the first of his books to inspire a screen adaptation. Suffice it to say, the series that follows is the centerpiece of his body of work.
The Terminal List follows James Reece, a Navy SEAL who is wronged in just about every way possible. His platoon is killed in a mysterious ambush, he’s unjustly blamed, his family is murdered, and he’s diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor—and this is just the beginning of Book 1. The rest of the series follows Reece and a few key allies as they take revenge on those responsible for the attacks and track down a host of other wrongdoers.
To date, Carr has published seven Terminal List novels in the last eight years, with an eighth scheduled for release next fall. Luckily, these are fairly easy to read in chronological order, as broken down below.
However, The Terminal List universe doesn’t end with Book 7. In 2025, Carr released Cry Havoc, a prequel that follows James Reece’s father, Tom Reece, during his adventures as a Navy SEAL in the Vietnam War.
Because Cry Havoc is a prequel, you have a couple of options for when to incorporate it into your reading journey. However, if you’re looking to read the entire saga in chronological order, start with this book before reading any of the Terminal List series. The novel is set in 1968, roughly 50 years before the events of The Terminal List, so while it doesn’t directly affect the plot of the original series, it does provide some context for James Reece’s history.
How To Read The Terminal List Series In Publication Order
Because Cry Havoc is a prequel published in 2025—after the first seven Terminal List novels—your understanding of the original series won’t hinge on the events of that novel. Plus, it takes place decades before James Reece finds himself embroiled in the events of the original series, so its impact on the plot is tangential. (Think of it more as a spin-off than a key part of the series‘ plot.)
In short, while this book is the first story in theTerminal Listuniversechronologically, you won’t miss any key details if you choose to read Carr’s books in the order they were published.
Which Terminal List Books Should You Read Before Watching The TV Series?
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Image via Marni Grossman / ©Amazon/MGM Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection</figure>
Whether you primarily know of the Terminal List universe through the Prime Video series, or you’re a fan of the novels interested in checking out the show, there are a few things you should know.
First, the series takes a few creative liberties in adapting each novel. Season 1 of The Terminal List generally follows the premise of the first novel—Chris Pratt stars as Reece, a Navy SEAL who is unjustly blamed when his platoon is killed in a mysterious ambush, and vows to take revenge after receiving a terminal brain tumor diagnosis. But not every moment is pulled directly from the books.
Most notably, the show makes some changes to Reece’s titular list of targets: some characters don’t appear in the series at all, while others appear in a different capacity. The show even introduces original characters who never appeared in Carr’s novels.
In short, if you’re looking to read the books before starting the show, know that Season 1 generally adapts Book 1.
Likewise, Season 2 generally follows the plot of Book 2, True Believer, though it makes some changes of its own. The show’s creators recently said they have a 10-year plan for the series, so it’s reasonable to expect this pattern to continue.
One more thing to keep in mind: the spin-off series The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, which premiered on Prime Video in 2025. While Dark Wolf is a prequel to the original series, it’s not based on Carr’s prequel novel. That book, Cry Havoc, is set during the Vietnam War and follows Reece’s father, where Dark Wolf is set just a few years before the events of the original series and follows James Reece’s fellow Navy SEAL Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), a key character in both the show and books.
How (And When) To Read Jack Carr’s Real-Life Military Tales
When he’s not writing some of the world’s most popular action thrillers, Carr is chasing another project: his nonfiction series, Targeted, in which he and historian James M. Scott analyze real-life military missions. Think of it as a very up-close look at the author’s research process, and a solid next read while you await the next Terminal List novel.
Targeted: Beirut (2024)
Targeted: Beirut, the first book in Carr’s ongoing Targeted series, was published in 2024 and examines a single day in 1983 when two truck bombs crashed into American and French military barracks in Beirut, killing 307, including 241 Americans. With new research on these attacks and their aftermath, Carr and Scott zoom in on this dark day in history to investigate how it shaped the next 40 years of military policy.
You can purchase Targeted: Beirut How To Read The Terminal List and pre-order Targeted: Pan Am 103 How To Read The Terminal List.
How To Jump Into Jack Carr’s New Thriller Series
The Fourth Option By Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward (2026)
Though Carr is still writing Terminal List novels, this year was also the start of a new venture for him. Carr published the first book in his new thriller series, The Fourth Option, marking his first novel outside of the Terminal List franchise.
Co-written with Jack Ryan Jr. series author M.P. Woodward, The Fourth Option is the first book in Carr’s new military thriller series. Rest assured, if you’re a fan of The Terminal List, this book will still be right up your alley: it follows another Navy SEAL forced to fight the system after being thrust into a wide-reaching conspiracy.
The Fourth Option may sound similar to Carr’s last series, but it introduces a different grizzled, reluctant hero. Chris Walker is an ex-Navy SEAL and CIA operative who has lost everything and stays off the grid in a pop-up camper with his trusty dog by his side. Walker’s motivation to live is waning until a former teammate’s widow asks for his help getting justice for her family’s death. Carr has likened The Fourth Option to a classic “stranger comes to town” Western, with a modern military twist.
You can purchase The Fourth Option by Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward How To Read The Terminal List.
When To Expect Jack Carr’s Next Books
Carr hasn’t announced exactly when he plans to continue the Fourth Option series, or if he plans to continue Tom Reece’s story past Cry Havoc. However, he does have two new releases on the horizon.
First, Carr will continue hisTargeted series with a second book,Targeted: Pan Am 103, which is expected to hit shelves onApril 13, 2027. This book, also co-written with James M. Scott, follows the titular 1988 flight, which was on its way from Frankfurt to Detroit when the plane was bombed over Scotland. The explosion killed all 259 people on board and 11 civilians on the ground, becoming the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the United Kingdom. Carr and Scott’s research includes hours of interviews with witnesses, investigators, and the families of the victims, and focuses on the years-long international manhunt for the two Libyan operatives responsible for the attack.
Finally, James Reece’s story will continue with the eighth book in the Terminal List series, State of Exile, which is coming October 5, 2027.
You can pre-order State of Exile How To Read The Terminal List and Targeted: Pan Am 103 How To Read The Terminal List.
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