Meet Otto at villain school
Begin with H.I.V.E. and follow the nine-book story in order.
Reading order
How to Read the H.I.V.E. Books
Read the nine books in numbered order, beginning with H.I.V.E. and ending with Bloodline. The conspiracies, loyalties, and consequences carry across the full series.
Bloodline arrived after a long publication gap, but Mark Walden identifies it as book nine and the final installment—not a reboot or separate series.
Sources: Mark Walden's official H.I.V.E. series page, Mark Walden's official Bloodline publication announcement, Bloomsbury's official Mark Walden bibliography.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
These books play their supervillain-school premise with humor, gadgets, teamwork, and fast action, but the danger becomes more serious over time. Expect kidnapping, imprisonment, assassination attempts, weapons, explosions, mind control, torture and threats of torture, injuries, and character deaths. The violence is adventure-focused rather than graphic, though later installments are darker than the school-story opening.
Where to start
Where Should My Child Start?
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$858
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2006
H.I.V.E.
By Mark Walden
Trapped in a villain academy, Otto plots a daring escape.
320 pages· 65,909 words· Est. 9 hour read
$8.99Save 5%
Paperback
Summary: Thirteen-year-old Otto Malpense is whisked away to H.I.V.E., a secret school for future supervillains hidden in a volcano. With no way out, Otto and his new friends—a martial arts expert, a diamond thief, and a computer genius—must outsmart their captors. Can they defy the odds and escape this sinister academy, or will they be trapped in a life of villainy forever? The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking as Otto devises a plan that could change everything.
In reading order
H.I.V.E. Series
9 books · Published 2006–2021
#1
Sale price
$858
H.I.V.E.
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2006
Trapped in a villain academy, Otto plots a daring escape.
#2
Sale price
$858
The Overlord Protocol
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2007
A trap lures Otto into a deadly game to stop a world-conquering villain.
#3
Sale price
$858
Escape Velocity
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2008
A student escapes a villainous school to rescue a captured leader and uncover hidden truths.
#4
Sale price
$858
Dreadnought
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2009
A rogue villain threatens global chaos. Can Otto stop them before it's too late?
#5
Sale price
$858
Rogue
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2010
A rogue student threatens global villains; friends race to save him before it's too late.
#6
Sale price
$858
Zero Hour
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2010
A villain seeks a host to unleash chaos, sparking a global race against time.
#7
Sale price
$799
Aftershock
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2011
Villainous civil war looms as Otto faces betrayal and danger in Siberia.
#8
Sale price
$858
Deadlock
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2013
A daring prison break challenges villains to question their loyalties.
#9
Sale price
$858
Bloodline
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2021
A legacy threat emerges, forcing Otto to confront his past and save his friends.
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the H.I.V.E. series?
There are 9 books in the H.I.V.E. series. It began with H.I.V.E. in 2006, and the newest book, Bloodline, was published in 2021.
What order should you read the H.I.V.E. books in?
Start with H.I.V.E. and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #9.
What ages are the H.I.V.E. books best for?
The series is best for ages 8–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
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