The best Sarah J. Maas reading order is publication order within each series, starting with whichever of her three series sounds most appealing: A Court of Thorns and Roses for romance-led fantasy, Throne of Glass for epic fantasy, or Crescent City for modern urban fantasy. The one tip that crosses series lines is to read A Court of Thorns and Roses before Crescent City, which her publisher, Bloomsbury, says can make the Crescent City experience more rewarding.
Every book below is listed with its year, and the new ACOTAR books and TV status are current as of October 2026. No plot spoilers: story details stop at each series’ opening premise, and the crossover notes say only which books connect, not how.
Where to start with Sarah J. Maas
Maas’s official site says readers “can start with the first book in any of the three series.” Bloomsbury’s reading guide breaks the choice down by taste:
- Start with A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) if romance is the main draw. Bloomsbury calls the series “a great place to start for readers who love romance” and “perfect for someone who is newer to the fantasy genre.” Nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a creature arrives to demand retribution, and she is dragged into a land of faeries she knows only from legend. Deadline has described the book as a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
- Start with Throne of Glass (2012) for epic fantasy built around an assassin. Celaena Sardothien is brought from prison to the king’s castle to compete against twenty-three murderers, thieves and warriors, and winning means release to serve as the King’s Champion.
- Start with House of Earth and Blood (2020), the first Crescent City book, for modern urban fantasy with a murder mystery at its center. After a demon kills her closest friends, Bryce Quinlan is pulled into the investigation when the killings start again, working alongside Hunt Athalar, an enslaved Fallen angel.
With no strong preference, start with ACOTAR, since it also sets up the recommended path into Crescent City.
Throne of Glass reading order
Throne of Glass is complete at eight books. This is the order on Maas’s official site and in Bloomsbury’s guide, both of which follow publication order:
- Throne of Glass (2012)
- Crown of Midnight (2013)
- The Assassin’s Blade (2014, prequel novellas)
- Heir of Fire (2014)
- Queen of Shadows (2015)
- Empire of Storms (2016)
- Tower of Dawn (2017)
- Kingdom of Ash (2018)
When to read The Assassin’s Blade
The Assassin’s Blade collects prequel novellas set before Throne of Glass, but it was published in March 2014, after Crown of Midnight. That gap drives a common Throne of Glass reading order debate, which has two accepted answers:
- Publication order (Bloomsbury’s recommendation): read it third, after Crown of Midnight and before Heir of Fire. Bloomsbury says the novellas feature characters and locations that appear in later books, “so it’s helpful to read before moving on to Heir of Fire.”
- Chronological order: read it first. Bloomsbury says this is also fine, “as it won’t spoil anything for you.”
Both options put the novellas ahead of Heir of Fire, which is the point Bloomsbury stresses.
Tower of Dawn, Empire of Storms and Kingdom of Ash
Bloomsbury confirms that Tower of Dawn happens at the same time as Empire of Storms. TODAY describes the pair as taking place “in two different locations but at the same point in the story.” That overlap gives readers two options:
- Publication order: finish Empire of Storms, then read Tower of Dawn. Bloomsbury prefers this to avoid spoilers, warning that reading Tower of Dawn first “would spoil some parts of Empire of Storms.”
- Tandem read: alternate between the two books. Bloomsbury notes that some readers do this and suggests looking up the chapter order readers recommend, which is fan-made, not an official sequence.
Neither option moves Kingdom of Ash. Maas’s site and Bloomsbury both list Tower of Dawn seventh and Kingdom of Ash eighth, so the finale comes last and Tower of Dawn belongs before it, not after it.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) reading order
For ACOTAR, publication order and story order are the same, and TODAY’s October 2026 reading guide lists them as one sequence. These are the five published books plus the two Bloomsbury has scheduled:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
- A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
- A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
- A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)
- A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
- A Court of Splintered Harmony (scheduled for October 27, 2026)
- A Court of Forgotten Melody (scheduled for January 12, 2027)
Where A Court of Frost and Starlight fits
A Court of Frost and Starlight is a shorter book that outlets such as TV Insider count as a novella, but it is not optional. Bloomsbury’s guide says it “marks the end of” Feyre’s story arc and “sets the scene for” A Court of Silver Flames, which moves to a different lead character. Read it fourth, between A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Silver Flames.
ACOTAR books 6, 7 and 8: the Valkyrie Cycle
As of October 2026, ACOTAR is not finished. On the Call Her Daddy podcast in March 2026, Maas described the next story as having four parts and said, as reported by TODAY, “It’s meant to be read as one massive, massive story.” Bloomsbury’s listings show how those parts are split:
- A Court of Splintered Harmony, subtitled The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I, scheduled for October 27, 2026.
- A Court of Forgotten Melody, subtitled The Valkyrie Cycle, Movements II & III, scheduled for January 12, 2027.
- An untitled eighth book will carry the fourth part, according to the Irish Examiner’s August 2026 report on the title reveal. TODAY’s report on the podcast says the fourth and final part will come later. No title or date had been announced as of October 2026.
Bloomsbury’s guide offers some reassurance for new readers: the first four books “wrap up in a rewarding way, as does A Court of Silver Flames,” so there is no reason to wait for the new arc before starting.
Crescent City reading order
Read the three Crescent City books in publication order:
- House of Earth and Blood (2020)
- House of Sky and Breath (2022)
- House of Flame and Shadow (2024)
How Crescent City connects to ACOTAR and Throne of Glass
Bloomsbury says the three series can be read in any order, then adds: “you may find the Crescent City reading experience more rewarding if you pick up the Court of Thorns and Roses series first.” TODAY’s guide to the Maas universe says Crescent City “more clearly establishes” that the worlds of the three series are interconnected, and TODAY’s reading guide is blunter: “Read the ‘ACOTAR’ books before you pick up the ‘Crescent City’ books.”
Throne of Glass is a different case. TODAY’s universe guide also notes that House of Flame and Shadow includes “notable crossovers” with Throne of Glass, so readers who have finished it will catch more references. Bloomsbury does not ask readers to finish it first, though.
Will there be a Crescent City 4?
Yes, eventually. Maas told TODAY in January 2024 that a fourth Crescent City book is happening but that readers “will have to wait a bit.” As of October 2026 it has no announced title or release date: her official site lists three Crescent City books, and its homepage pre-order section lists only the two new ACOTAR titles.
Every Sarah J. Maas book in order of release
This combined list shows how the three series overlapped on shelves, including the two scheduled ACOTAR releases, which bring the count to 18 books. Reading in this exact order is not necessary.
- Throne of Glass (2012)
- Crown of Midnight (2013)
- The Assassin’s Blade (2014)
- Heir of Fire (2014)
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
- Queen of Shadows (2015)
- A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
- Empire of Storms (2016)
- A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
- Tower of Dawn (2017)
- A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)
- Kingdom of Ash (2018)
- House of Earth and Blood (2020)
- A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
- House of Sky and Breath (2022)
- House of Flame and Shadow (2024)
- A Court of Splintered Harmony (October 2026)
- A Court of Forgotten Melody (January 2027)
Are Sarah J. Maas books adult or young adult?
Bloomsbury’s US website files all three series under Fiction, not its Children’s section, where its Young Adult and teen lists sit: A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass under Romance, and House of Earth and Blood under Fantasy, Mythology & Sci-Fi, all on the Bloomsbury Publishing imprint. Bloomsbury’s reading guide also notes that all of Maas’s series feature romance “and varying levels of spice.”
Crown of Midnight was a New York Times young adult bestseller in 2013, and ACOTAR was first published as young adult. In Reactor’s report on a 2019 New York Comic Con panel, Maas said she was surprised the series was shelved as YA and acknowledged that it skews a lot older, and the same report said Crescent City was “being marketed as adult from the get go.” Anyone choosing books for a teenager should treat ACOTAR and Crescent City as adult reading, and note that Bloomsbury now files Throne of Glass under Fiction as well.
Sarah J. Maas TV adaptation status
- A Court of Thorns and Roses: Hulu and 20th Television set up a series with Ronald D. Moore in 2021, and Deadline reported in February 2025 that they “will not be proceeding” with it. On Call Her Daddy in March 2026, Maas said “I have the rights back to everything now” and “my focus is on books,” TheWrap reported. TV Insider, citing a May 2026 Puck report, says she is reportedly shopping the project elsewhere. A Deadline article on October 22, 2026 notes that the rights “have reverted back to Maas” and names no new studio.
- Throne of Glass: Reactor reported in September 2016 that Hulu was developing a series called Queen of Shadows, with Kira Snyder writing the pilot. It never reached the screen, and Wikipedia’s series article says the rights went back to the author.
What to read after Sarah J. Maas
Readers who enjoy tracking connections across several series can try the Brandon Sanderson reading order, and Throne of Glass fans who want another long epic fantasy series can start with the Stormlight Archive reading order.
Frequently asked questions
What order should you read Sarah J. Maas books in?
Read each series in publication order and start with the one that suits your taste. If you plan to read everything, read ACOTAR before Crescent City, as Bloomsbury suggests. Throne of Glass can fit in at any point.
Do you need to read Throne of Glass before Crescent City?
No. Bloomsbury says the series can be read in any order, and its only cross-series tip concerns ACOTAR. Reading Throne of Glass first adds context for the crossovers in House of Flame and Shadow, but it is not required.
When should you read The Assassin’s Blade?
Bloomsbury recommends reading it third, after Crown of Midnight and before Heir of Fire, which is publication order. Reading it first, in story order, is also fine and, according to Bloomsbury, spoils nothing.
How many ACOTAR books will there be?
Eight are planned so far, as of October 2026. Five came out between 2015 and 2021, the sixth is scheduled for October 27, 2026, the seventh for January 12, 2027, and an untitled, undated eighth book will complete the four-part Valkyrie Cycle.
Is there an ACOTAR TV show?
No. Hulu and 20th Television dropped their planned series in February 2025. Maas said in March 2026 that she has the rights back, and a Deadline article in October 2026 names no new studio.
More series guides: fantasy reading orders.
Lead photo: A fantasy and science fiction bookshop in Barcelona. Photo: Ferran Cornellà, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
