The responses I’ve got so far have been strongly in favour of reading each novel in one go, without stepping out between chapters to read short stories or any other such business.

That collapses the problem space down to the point that I can do this:

Draft Reading Order

• “Dragon Tide”
• “Necessary Evils”
• Crystal Soldier
• Crystal Dragon
• “Eleutherios”
• “Where the Goddess Sends”
• “A Spell for the Lost”
• “The Wine of Memory”
• Balance of Trade
• Trade Secret
• “Naratha’s Shadow”
• “The Space at Tinsori Light”
• “Sweet Waters”
• “Phoenix”
• “Pilot of Korval”
• “A Choice of Weapons”
• “The Beggar King”
• Local Custom
• Scout’s Progress
• Mouse and Dragon
• “Guaranteed Delivery”
• “Veil of the Dancer”
• “Heirloom”
• “Intelligent Design”
• “A Matter of Dreams”
• “Moonphase”
• “Fighting Chance”
• “To Cut an Edge”
• “Shadow Partner”
• “A Day at the Races”
• “Certain Symmetry”
• “This House”
• Conflict of Honors
• “Changeling”
• Agent of Change
• Carpe Diem
• “Quiet Knives”
• “Daughter of Dragons”
• Fledgling
• Plan B
• “Breath’s Duty”
• I Dare
• “Persistence”
• “Misfits”
• Saltation
• “Landed Alien”
• “Moon on the Hills”
• “Hidden Resources”
• “Kin Ties”
• Ghost Ship
• “Prodigal Son”
• Necessity’s Child
• Dragon Ship
• “Skyblaze”

This is, of course, not the final order, but it gives us something to react to. How does it look? Can you see any problems with it?