Whether you’ve finally given in to your friends pestering you to read A Court of Thorns and Roses or you tuned into the latest episode of Alex Cooper’s viral podcast Call Her Daddy, chances are you’ve heard of best-selling author Sarah J Maas. Perhaps, like me, Maas has been on your mind since 2012 when she released her debut novel, Throne of Glass. Fourteen years on, Maas’ 15-strong romantasy line-up is somewhat of a worldwide phenomenon.
The author has proved especially popular over the past week following her Call Her Daddy appearance, where Maas announced that she would be releasing instalments six, seven and eight of the ACOTAR series over two books (confusing, I know) in October 2026 and January 2027. These new releases are particularly exciting for long-term fans of the series (including myself), who’ve been waiting since 2021 to discover what happens next.
Thankfully, Maas has given devotees of her ‘Maasverse’ – as it’s affectionately called – plenty to keep busy, including the release of a third Cresent City novel (her newest series) in 2024. In the book, titled House of Flame and Shadow, Maas indulged readers with an ACOTAR crossover, proving a theory that fans have long been sitting on: the different worlds of TOG, ACOTAR and CC are all linked.
As such, Maas obsessives are advising fans both new and longstanding to swat up on all three series in anticipation of another crossover in books six and seven. The tricky part? Much like Star Wars and Dune, you can either read the books in order of publication or, as many fans suggest, in chronological order.
To make things easier, I’ve broken down these two ways to read in simple bullets, so you needn’t feel you’re undergoing an algebra exam. Here’s everything you need to know, plus links to shop the books now.
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How to read the Sarah J Maas books in chronological order
- 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
- The Assassin’s Blade
- Throne of Glass
- Crown of Midnight
- Heir of Fire
- Queen of Shadows
- Empire of Storms*
- Tower of Dawn*
- Kingdom of Ash
- Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood
- Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath
- Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow
Neither ACOTAR or TOG series are technically ‘first’ in the timeline, but most readers agree that ACOTAR is a better introduction to the Maasverse.
How to read the Sarah J Maas books in order of publication
The following list runs through how to read each individual series in the order it was published, versus hopping between series, which offers no benefit to the plot.
- Throne of Glass
- Crown of Midnight
- The Assassin’s Blade
- Heir of Fire
- Queen of Shadows
- Empire of Storms*
- Tower of Dawn*
- Kingdom of Ash
- 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
- Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood
- Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath
- Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow
If you’ve exhausted these options but need your Sarah J Maas fix, there’s also the option to read in tandem, which I’ve explained further down.
The ACOTAR series
As discussed below,Throne of Glass leans more young adult, but A Court of Thorns and Roses shifts firmly into new adult romantasy territory.
The series begins with Feyre Archeron, who is trying to keep her impoverished family afloat when her life changes dramatically and she’s taken to the magical land of Prythian. From there, the story evolves into a sweeping mix of fae politics, romance and high-stakes conflict that expands well beyond the initial fairy-tale premise.
Many readers consider ACOTAR the easiest entry point to the Maasverse, thanks to its relatively contained opening arc. The novella A Court of Frost and Starlight is technically optional, acting more as a quieter interlude between major plotlines, but it does set the stage for A Court of Silver Flames and Nesta’s storyline.
Eagle-eyed fans will also spot the occasional Easter egg hinting that Maas’ three series may share deeper connections, such as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment involving a certain Throne of Glass character quite literally shooting across the sky.
'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £4.73, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Mist and Fury' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £4.23, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Wings and Ruin' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £4.98, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Frost and Starlight' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £7, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Silver Flames' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £8.79, Amazon.co.uk
The ‘Throne of Glass’ series
Maas’s debut series, Throne of Glass, is the most traditionally young adult of the three and follows assassin Celaena Sardothien as she’s pulled from slavery into a royal competition, which quickly spirals into something far bigger. What begins as court intrigue gradually expands into a sprawling fantasy epic involving magic, rebellion and multiple perspectives across the continent.
The prequel novella, The Assassin’s Blade, can technically be read first, but it’s recommended by publisher Bloomsbury that you tackle it third, after Crown of Midnight.
Later in the series, fans often opt for the famous ‘tandem read’, where Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn are read alongside one another, chapter by chapter. Because the books follow different characters in different locations at the same time, the tandem approach lets the dual storylines unfold simultaneously. If that sounds like a lot of logistical juggling, some particularly dedicated fans have even compiled unofficial Kindle versions that present the chapters in tandem order. Though, you’re only likely to stumble across these after a session of ‘booktok’ scrolling and keen-eyed research.
'Throne of Glass' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £4.8, Amazon.co.uk
'Crown of Midnight' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £9.49, Amazon.co.uk
'The Assassin's Blade' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £6.99, Amazon.co.uk
'Heir of Fire' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £9.49, Amazon.co.uk
'Queen of Shadows' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £9.49, Amazon.co.uk
'Empire of Storms' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £9.49, Amazon.co.uk
'Tower of Dawn' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £9.49, Amazon.co.uk
'Kingdom of Ash' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £9.49, Amazon.co.uk
The ‘Crescent City’ series
Like ACOTAR, Maas’s newest series, Crescent City, is also new adult, but with a more modern, urban-fantasy setting. The books follow Bryce Quinlan, a party-loving half-fae woman, whose life is upended after a devastating tragedy draws her into a dangerous investigation. Compared with Maas’s earlier work, the world-building here is denser with angels, fae, politics and technology all colliding in one city.
Crucially, this is the series readers are advised to leave until last. The third book, House of Flame and Shadow, confirmed what fans had long suspected: the worlds of Throne of Glass, ACOTAR and Crescent City are linked. As a result, there are crossovers and references that land far better if you’re already familiar with the earlier series (along with plenty of other hidden gems that reward long-time readers for paying close attention).
'Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £6.84, Amazon.co.uk
'Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £5, Amazon.co.uk
'Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Buy now £4.75, Amazon.co.uk
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