Sarah J Maas Books: Reading Order and Series Guide

Sarah J. Maas has built three distinct fantasy worlds across 15+ books, and the debate over where to start never ends. Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City each offer different entry points—but the official reading guide confirms readers can begin anywhere. Below is a complete roadmap built from the author’s official site, Bloomsbury recommendations, and verified publication dates.

Main Series: 3 (Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Crescent City) · Total Books: Over 15 across series · Upcoming Release: A Court of Thorns and Roses 6 (Oct 27, 2026)

In what order should you read Sarah Maas books?

The official word from Sarah J. Maas’s website is refreshingly straightforward: readers can start with the first book of any series without missing critical backstory. That said, the path you choose shapes the experience. Bloomsbury Publishing recommends Throne of Glass first for readers who want a complete epic fantasy arc with an assassin protagonist, world-building built across seven main books, and a faster pace than the romantasy-heavy ACOTAR. Three reading approaches dominate the conversation—publication order, chronological order within each series, and cross-series purist order.

Throne of Glass series order

Publication order is the standard approach: Throne of Glass (2012), Crown of Midnight (2013), The Assassin’s Blade (2014), Heir of Fire (2014), Queen of Shadows (2015), Empire of Storms (2016), Tower of Dawn (2017), Kingdom of Ash (2018). The Assassin’s Blade is a prequel novella collection set before the main series, and Bloomsbury specifically recommends reading it after Crown of Midnight to preserve the gradual reveal of Celaena Sardothien’s backstory. Chronological purists start with The Assassin’s Blade, then work through Throne of Glass forward. Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn run simultaneously—some fans read them in tandem by chapter, though publication order prevents spoilers.

A Court of Thorns and Roses order

The official sequence runs: 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 original trilogy follows Feyre Archeron into the Fae world; books four and five expand the cast and setting. ACOTAR Books 6 and 7 are listed as pre-order on the author’s site, with Book 6 confirmed for October 27, 2026.

Crescent City order

Crescent City runs: House of Earth and Blood (2020), House of Sky and Breath (2022), House of Flame and Shadow (2024). The urban fantasy series follows Bryce Quinlan, a half-human, half-fae protagonist, through a modern setting with adult content. Bloomsbury notes that Crescent City reading is more rewarding after ACOTAR because of subtle crossover connections between the universes. Starting with Crescent City means missing these references, though it doesn’t break the standalone story.

Cross-series recommendations

No official cross-series chronological order exists—Maas designed the series to be independent. The purist approach interleaves them by publication date: ACOTAR 1-3, then full Throne of Glass, then ACOTAR 4-5, then Crescent City. This tracks the author’s release pattern but requires discipline across three very different tones. Most readers pick one series to complete before moving to the next, which preserves each world’s distinct atmosphere.

Do you read ACOTAR or Throne of Glass first?

This is the question flooding BookTok and book club forums, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you want from the reading experience. Sarah J. Maas’s official site states you can start with any series, but the publisher offers more specific guidance for readers still on the fence.

Standalone appeal of each

Throne of Glass stands alone as a complete epic fantasy saga. Seven main books plus novellas give you a fully realized world, a protagonist who evolves over thousands of pages, and a finished story. ACOTAR reads as a romantasy series that grew into something larger—it’s often recommended for readers who enjoy romance-forward fantasy with spice levels that escalate through the series. Crescent City is urban fantasy with contemporary setting and more explicit adult content than the other two series.

Fan preferences from BookTok

BookTok trends skew heavily toward ACOTAR as the entry point, largely because the series went viral for its romantic content and has spawned multiple spin-offs. Throne of Glass fans argue their series is the better crafted of the two, with tighter plot structure and longer character development arcs. Crescent City sits lower in the hierarchy for most fans, often saved for readers who’ve already fallen into Maas’s worlds and want more crossover connections.

Which Sarah J. Maas series is best?

This question has no objective answer—determining the “best” series depends entirely on what you’re looking for. All three are fantasy, but they operate in different subgenres with distinct tone profiles.

Throne of Glass overview

The Throne of Glass series features Celaena Sardothien in a magic-banished world, following her journey from assassin prisoner to champion to revolutionary. It runs the widest tonal range: brutal competition sequences, political intrigue, found family, and romance that develops gradually over seven books. The series is complete with Kingdom of Ash (October 2018). Goodreads ratings show strong reader investment, though the early books have a slower build than ACOTAR’s punchy start.

ACOTAR highlights

ACOTAR follows Feyre Archeron through the Fae world, starting as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and expanding into a sprawling romantasy universe. The series has higher spice levels than Throne of Glass, particularly in books three through five. It has spawned the most fan discussion, fan fiction, and cultural penetration—ACOTAR is largely responsible for bringing “romantasy” into mainstream book club vocabulary. The series continues with Book 6 scheduled for October 27, 2026.

Crescent City details

Crescent City is urban fantasy with a contemporary setting—think angels, demons, and half-fae detectives rather than traditional high fantasy. Bryce Quinlan is a more sardonic protagonist than Celaena or Feyre, and the prose reflects a modern voice. The series has the highest explicit content rating and appeals most to adult fantasy readers who want fresh takes on familiar mythological frameworks. House of Flame and Shadow (2024) completed the current trilogy.

Will there be a 6th Court of Thorns and Roses book?

Yes. The hardcover release date is confirmed for October 27, 2026, according to the official site and publisher announcements. Sarah J. Maas has listed both ACOTAR 6 and ACOTAR 7 as pre-order on her website, though Book 7 currently has no announced title or release date. This puts the series in an unusual position—readers who started ACOTAR in 2015 are still waiting for the saga to conclude nearly eleven years later.

Confirmed release date

October 27, 2026 is the hard date for Book 6. Pre-orders are live on major retailer sites and the author’s official store. The publisher hasn’t released cover art or synopsis details as of early 2025, but the date itself is locked.

Book 7 speculation

Book 7 has no confirmed title, cover, or release date. Maas has hinted through social media and interviews that the series will continue beyond Book 6, but specifics remain under wraps. Fans expect at least one more installment to complete whatever narrative arc Book 6 begins.

Is Throne of Glass as spicy as ACOTAR?

No, and that’s by design. The two series serve different reader expectations, and comparing their spice levels is like comparing thriller pacing to slow-burn character studies. ACOTAR builds toward explicit romantic content that intensifies through the series, particularly from book three onward. Throne of Glass keeps its romantic elements secondary to plot, character development, and world-building for most of the run.

Spice level breakdown

ACOTAR books three through five have significantly higher spice content than Throne of Glass books one through seven. Throne of Glass does develop romantic storylines—Celaena’s relationships evolve across the series—but the intimate scenes are fewer, shorter, and less explicit. Crescent City sits at the highest spice level of the three, with content that pushes into romance novel territory rather than fantasy-with-romance.

ACOTAR has faced bans in some libraries and school systems, primarily due to sexual content, violence, and language. The series appears on banned book lists in certain US districts, which has only increased its cultural visibility among adult readers. If you’re buying for younger readers, know that these books sit firmly in the New Adult category with content expectations that differ from YA fantasy.

The “50 page rule” circulating on social media refers to a common reader practice: if a book hasn’t hooked you by page 50, set it down and try something else. For Sarah J. Maas books specifically, this advice is more applicable to Throne of Glass, whose early books take time establishing the world and Celaena’s voice. ACOTAR hooks faster; Crescent City’s first book drops readers into immediate action.

Reading order across all three series

Four approaches to choose from: each offers a different tradeoff between spoiler avoidance, pacing, and crossover awareness.

The comparison reveals that Bloomsbury and the official site agree on one thing: there’s no single correct answer, but there are better paths depending on your priorities. For spice and romance, start with ACOTAR. For epic fantasy with a complete arc, start with Throne of Glass. For urban fantasy with adult content, save Crescent City for after you’ve absorbed the other two.

Timeline of key releases

Two decades of publication, one clear arc: Sarah J. Maas built her audience one series at a time, starting with a complete epic fantasy saga and expanding into romantasy and urban fantasy.

The pattern is clear: Maas alternates between series, giving each world its moment before returning to advance it. The 2026 gap between House of Flame and Shadow and ACOTAR 6 spans two years—unusual for a series that has published fairly consistently since 2012.

You can start with the first book in any of the three series.

— Sarah J. Maas Official Site

If you love an epic fantasy series with beautiful world-building, self-discovery, found family, romance, and rogue assassins, then we’d recommend starting with Throne of Glass.

— Bloomsbury Publishing

For fantasy romance readers, the choice is clear: ACOTAR delivers the romantic payoff faster and with higher spice levels, making it the natural entry point for anyone whose primary interest is relationship-driven storytelling. For epic fantasy readers who want complete arcs before moving to the next world, Throne of Glass is the safer investment. Crescent City rewards the wait—it gains depth when you recognize crossover callbacks to the other series, and its adult content hits harder after you’ve built expectations through the other two.

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Sarah J. Maas built her empire across three interconnected fantasy series, where the complete 2024 reading guide confirms readers can start with Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, or Crescent City.

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