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- Romantasy fans can't get enough of Sarah J. Maas' books.She's written 16 novels and has the next "A Court of Thorns and Roses" book on the way.Here's the reading order I'd recommend as an avid fan of Maas' books.
We're closer than ever to a new Sarah J. Maas book.
On July 11, Maas announced she had finished the first draft of the sixth book in the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series.
In the ever-growing romantasy landscape, Maas, who has published 16 books across three series so far, is beloved for her novels about faeries. For readers like me who grew up on "The Hunger Games" and "Twilight," her books provide much-needed, adult fantasy stories told from a female perspective (and it doesn't hurt that she writes, ahem, more mature romance, either).
The New York Times bestselling author has sold millions of copies of her books. With the January 2024 release of "House of Flame and Shadow," Maas created an interconnected literary universe with her separate series, much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Because her literary work is so expansive, it can be unclear where to begin if you want to enter Maas' fictional world, especially now that the works are interconnected. To help aspiring Maas readers, I created a definitive reading order for her books to ensure her fans are prepared for the release of "ACOTAR" six.
Start with 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'
"A Court of Thorns and Roses" stars Feyre Archeron, a human huntress who gets pulled into the faerie world after killing a fae, finding conflict and romance on the other side of the wall that separates the mortal and fae worlds.
In the following books, Feyre dives deeper into the magical world of Prythian, discovering unexpected power as Maas flexes her world-building skills.
I love all of Maas' books, but I think "A Court of Thorns and Roses" offers the best introduction to her work for those who haven't read any of her writing before, even though she published "Throne of Glass" first. The otherworldly elements of the series are built out slowly, the books offer a comprehensive view of Maas' writing style, and the romance in them is steamy and compelling.
Bloomsbury
The books should be read in the order they were released:
- "A Court of Thorns and Roses""A Court of Mist and Fury""A Court of Wings and Ruin""A Court of Frost and Starlight""A Court of Silver Flames"
However, once book six is released, it shouldn't be read immediately after "Silver Flames." More on that in a bit.
The 'Throne of Glass' series was released first, but I think it works best as the second Maas series
When readers enter the expansive and epic world of "Throne of Glass," they meet Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old assassin imprisoned in Adarlan, a kingdom where magic disappeared years ago.
The crown prince of Adarlan offers Celaena a chance at freedom, proposing she compete as his contestant to become the king's champion by defeating 23 other criminals.
Celaena was raised to fight, but as the other competitors start dying mysteriously around her, she will have to confront the pain of her past to face the battles ahead.
The world of "Throne of Glass" becomes massive as the books progress, and the rich, developed fantasy world is so complex that it's easier to read once you're already familiar with Maas' style.
Bloomsbury
However, I don't think reading the "Throne of Glass" books in the order they were published offers the best narrative experience.
Mass originally wrote one of the novels in the series, "The Assassin's Blade," as four novellas published as e-books between January and July 2012. Bloomsbury released "Throne of Glass" in August 2012, and the publisher later published the novellas with one additional story as "The Assassin's Blade" in March 2013.
Chronologically, the events of "The Assassin's Blade" take place before the rest of the series, but reading it first reveals details Maas intentionally leaves out of "Throne of Glass," "Crown of Midnight," and "Heir of Fire" that quickly become relevant in "Queen of Shadows." If I had known background information from "The Assassin's Blade" when reading the first three books of the series, I don't know if I would have been as captivated as I was when I binged "Throne of Glass."
In addition, the events of "Empire of Storms" and "Tower of Dawn" take place at the same time in different parts of the "Throne of Glass" world, so there's debate among the fandom on how they should be read. They were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and although "Empire of Storms" was released first, it leaves off on a cliffhanger, while "Tower of Dawn" does not.
Some people tandem read the books since they take place at the same time, and you may see people suggesting you skip "Tower of Dawn" altogether because it doesn't center on the protagonist. That's a huge mistake, in my opinion, not just because "Tower of Dawn" has information critical to fully understanding "Kingdom of Ash" but because it's a gorgeous novel in its own right.
To maintain the series' suspense without revealing spoilers, I think the best "Throne of Glass" reading order is:
- "Throne of Glass""Crown of Midnight""Heir of Fire""The Assassin's Blade""Queen of Shadows""Empire of Storms""Tower of Dawn""Kingdom of Ash"
Maas recommends reading "The Assassin's Blade" as the third book in the series on her website, but I think "Heir of Fire" is more captivating if you read it before the collection of novellas.
After her two longer series, Maas readers will be ready for the 'Crescent City' books
Half-fae Bryce Quinlan is at a crossroads when the "Crescent City" series begins, grieving the murders of her best friends by a demon.
She believes the killer was apprehended, but when similar murders start taking place in Crescent City, Bryce agrees to investigate the deaths with Hunt Athalar, a Fallen Angel who has been enslaved for hundreds of years by the all-powerful Archangels after an attempted coup.
The stubborn, beautiful half-fae is Hunt's ticket to freedom, but neither he nor Bryce is prepared for what they find as they look into the murders — or the connection that forms between them.
The series has three installments to date, and the most recent book, "House of Flame and Shadow," was published in January 2024.
Bloomsbury
I would absolutely leave "Crescent City" as your third Maas series for a few reasons.
The fantasy in "Crescent City" is less intuitive than it is in "A Court of Thorns and Roses" or "Throne of Glass" because it combines technology and magic and includes a wide variety of fantastical creatures, like werewolves and mermaids. Elements from the other series are also key to understanding the climax of the second installment in "Crescent City," with Maas herself recommending people read "ACOTAR" before starting "Crescent City."
Likewise, "House of Earth and Blood" and "House of Sky and Breath" are arguably two of Maas' sexiest books — they're tied with "A Court of Silver Flames," in my opinion — and I found it fun to watch Maas' romance chops mature as I made my way through her books.
Plus, the events of "House of Flame and Shadow" will definitely impact the next "ACOTAR" book, so it just makes sense to take on "Crescent City" last.
You can read the series as it was released:
- "House of Earth and Blood""House of Sky and Breath""House of Flame and Shadow"
Once book six in the "ACOTAR" series is published, it should be read after "HOFAS," as it's the latest installment in the Maasiverse. I'd also recommend reviewing "A Court of Silver Flames" before diving into "House of Flame and Shadow" because the plot contains details relevant to Bryce Quinlan's journey in the third "Crescent City" book.
Happy reading!
