Immerse Yourself in the Maasverse: A Guide to Sarah J. Maas’s Romantasy Series
It feels impossible to be in the literary world without hearing about Sarah J. Maas. But who is she? What are her books about? Which one should you start with? Answer all these questions and more with our complete guide to the Throne of Glass, Crescent City, and ACOTAR books today.
Who is Sarah J. Maas?
In the last decade, Sarah J. Maas has made a name for herself as one of the most beloved writers in the romantasy genre, combining all the best elements of romance and fantasy to create compelling, emotional, and sometimes spicy stories. The #1 New York Times and internationally best-selling author currently has three series published (with more installments on the way, if we’re lucky) and is building a multiverse that Brandon Sanderson would be proud of.
A Deep Dive into Every Sarah J. Maas Book
The next time you’re browsing an audiobook service or shopping in a bookstore in Rochester, Michigan, head to the fantasy section to check out all the books by Sarah J. Maas. There are three series to choose from, each with its own unique plots, enticing characters, and fascinating world-building.
Series by Sarah J. Maas:
- Throne of Glass
- A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Crescent City
Lose Yourself in Erilea in the Throne of Glass Series
There’s no doubt about it—fans of YA fantasy will fall in love with the Throne of Glass books. Between jaw-dropping plot twists, tear-inducing turns, and one of the most powerful female characters of the genre, these Sarah J. Maas books never fail to impress.
The Order of the Throne of Glass Books:
- 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
Throne of Glass
Pulled from the brutal slave labor camp in the Salt Mines of Endovier, Celaena Sardothien is brought to the castle in Throne of Glass to compete against 23 murderers, thieves, and warriors. The prize? Her freedom—and the role of King’s Champion.
But with the Crown Prince provoking her, the Captain of the Guard trying to protect her, a princess from a faraway land attempting to befriend her, and something evil stirring in the castle, Celaena will have to do more than complete the King’s challenges. Her competitors are dying mysteriously, one by one. Will she be able to discover the truth before it’s too late?
Crown of Midnight
In the second Throne of Glass book, Crown of Midnight, Celaena Sardothien might have won the brutal contest to become the King’s Champion, but that doesn’t mean she is loyal to the kingdom. The more she tries to safeguard her secret, the more difficult it becomes to keep up the charade. As danger grows and her search for justice narrows in, no one in her circle, not Prince Dorian, not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, not even her best friend, Nehemia, is safe from suspicion.
In the aftermath of tragedy, truths come out, and the world as Celaena knows it shatters. She’s left with no choice—it’s time to decide what she’s actually willing to fight for.
The Assassin’s Blade
Growing up in the Assassin’s Guild under the careful, sadistic eye of its scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, Celaena Sardothien has become the most feared assassin in her kingdom. Raised to trust no one (save her fellow killer-for-a-hire, Sam), she’d never dare question Arobynn. But when he dispatches her on missions that take her far from home, she finds herself questioning her allegiance. Can she escape his clutches without a knife ending up in her back?
While The Assassin’s Blade is technically the prequel to the Throne of Glass book, the author recommends reading it third (in publication order) to avoid any spoilers. If you ever re-read the series, maybe then you can start with this collection of short stories!
Tales Included in The Assassin’s Blade:
- The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
- The Assassin and the Healer
- The Assassin and the Desert
- The Assassin and the Underworld
- The Assassin and the Empire
Heir of Fire
Everything changes in the third Throne of Glass book, Heir of Fire. After suffering immeasurable heartbreak and surviving deadly contests, Celaena must travel to a new land to confront something with the power to change her life and future forever. With monstrous forces gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving the world, she’ll need to unleash her strength and harness her inner demons to win the battle. Can she face her destiny?
Note: Massive spoilers for the series below! If you want to read the Throne of Glass books, stop here and either grab the first on your favorite audiobook app or stop in your local indie bookstore. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Queen of Shadows
In this Throne of Glass book, Queen of Shadows, Celaena Sardothien has finally embraced her true identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But with everyone she loves taken from her and everything she holds dear in danger, the throne is far from hers. First, she must fight for her cousin, her friend, and most of all ,her people, who are enslaved to the king and eagerly awaiting their lost queen’s return.
Empire of Storms
For Aelin Galathynius, the long path to the throne has only just begun. With friends lost and gained, loyalties betrayed and bought, a heart sworn warrior-prince, and war looming on the horizon, the future is uncertain. The only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that forces Aelin to dive deep into her power and choose what, and whom, she’s willing to sacrifice to secure peace for her nation. See kingdoms collide in the fifth Throne of Glass book, Empire of Storms.
Tower of Dawn
In the second-to-last Throne of Glass book, tasked with forging an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent to save Erilea, Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have made their way to the city of Antica. If they’re lucky, they’ll secure what their friends need to save the kingdom—and maybe find healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the injuries Chaol received in Rifthold.
Traumatized by past experiences with Adarlanian soldiers, Yrene Towers has no instinct to help, let alone heal, Chaol. But her sworn oath demands she assist those in need—even when it comes clear Lord Westfall brings a dark, dangerous past with him. Is she powerful enough to cure these wounds? Or will his shadows engulf her, too?
Soon, Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene find themselves tangled in the political web of the khaganate, seeking answers that either have the power to save their world or doom them all. Everything that matters is at risk in Tower of Dawn.
Kingdom of Ash
With stakes this high, saving your people comes at a cost. Locked in an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin has endured months of torture. She knows that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves, but her fiery resolve is beginning to dim.
After Aelin’s capture, her friends and allies have been scattered, severed, and scared. But if Erilea has any hope of salvation, everyone will have to reunite and stand together. If they succeed, everything and everyone they’ve lost will have been worth it. But what if they fail? Pick up the heart-wrenching conclusion of the Throne of Glass books, Kingdom of Ash.
Is the Tandem Read for the Throne of Glass Books Worth It?
If you’ve ever seen a video talking about the Sarah J. Maas books, you might’ve heard of something called “the tandem read.” This refers to reading the fifth and sixth titles together, and while it’s not entirely necessary to enjoy the series, it does help readers comprehend the overlapping timelines, rather than being left on a cliffhanger and switching plots. The real answer? It’s up to you.
Fall in Love with the High Fae in the A Court of Thorns and Roses Books
If you’ve been on BookTok in the last few years, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the acronym ACOTAR even without having read them. Since the first ACOTAR book came out a decade ago, this spicy romantasy series has managed to capture the minds and hearts of readers around the globe.
People have only fallen more in love with Feyre, Rhysand, Nesta, and the rest of the Inner Circle. Support your local bookstore and see what the ACOTAR books are all about!
The Order of the ACOTAR Books:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)
- A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF)
- A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOWAR)
- A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS)
- A Court of Silver Flames (ACOSF)
- Book #6 (untitled)
- Book #7 (untitled)
A Court of Thorns and Roses
After 19-year-old Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives at her family’s doorstep, demanding retribution. Determined to spare her sisters and father from any further punishment, she goes with it to a treacherous magical land she’d only heard about in legends. But her captor is not a beast—he is Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, and one of the lethal, immortal faeries who used to rule her world.
Adapting to her new home, Feyre can’t help but feel her icy hostility melt into a fiery passion for Tamlin. But in Sarah J. Maas’s most popular book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, something is not right. Something ancient is stirring, and it’s up to Feyre to stop it or doom her love and his world forever.
A Court of Mist and Fury
Everything changes in the second (and for many fans, favorite) ACOTAR book, A Court of Mist and Fury. After undergoing more trials and tribulations than any one human should have to experience, Feyre now has the powers and lifespan of the High Fae. But as her marriage to Tamlin approaches, the nightmares from her time Under the Mountain begin to consume her. Soon, she is split in two, one version upholding her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court, and the other acting out a life of love in the Spring Court. As she navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and power, a great evil looms—and she might be the key to stopping it.
A Court of Wings and Ruin
The first trilogy concludes in the third ACOTAR book, A Court of Wings and Ruin. Against her better judgment, Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to play a game of deceit, gathering as much intel on Tamlin’s actions and the king threatening to invade her land as possible. With war looming, she and Rhysand must decide who to trust amongst the High Fae, hunt for allies in unexpected places in the process, and do everything in their power to save the people they love.
A Court of Frost and Starlight
Think of A Court of Frost and Starlight as a filler episode for the ACOTAR books—lovely, serene, and a set-up for more to come. After the war is over, Feyre, Rhysand, and their inner circle are hard at work rebuilding the Night Court. Winter Solstice, a time for joy and reprieve, is approaching, but even the festivities can’t heal the emotional wounds of those Feyre loves most.
A Court of Silver Flames
The ACOTAR books pivot to Feyre’s sister, Nesta’s, perspective in A Court of Silver Flames. Ever since she was forced into the Cauldron and became High Fae against her will, she’s struggled to find where she belongs in this strange new world. Even worse? As much as she wishes she could, Nesta can’t seem to move on from the horrors of the war.
No one in the Inner Circle ignites her temper as much as Cassian, the fiercely loyal, beautiful General Commander of the Night Court’s armies. But when her sister and her husband, Rhysand, threaten to cut her funding and housing off unless she trains with him in the isolated House of Wind, she discovers the fire between them is undeniable—and the key to halting the new threats to the Continent may very well rely on the two facing their haunted pasts and working together.
When Do the Next ACOTAR Books Come Out?
In March of this year, Maas sent fans everywhere scrambling after her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast. There, she announced that not only is the next Sarah J. Maas book in the ACOTAR series—we’re getting two! Since we don’t yet have titles, we don’t know much, but what we can say for certain is that Book #6 comes out October 27, 2026, and Book #7 comes out January 12, 2027.
Dig Into Urban Fantasy with The Crescent City Series
If you’re interested in reading or listening to fantasy on audiobook, but don’t love the idea of classic fairy world elements, you’ll love these Sarah J. Maas books. With fallen angels, intense romance, violent, high-stakes plots, and modern-day technology, the Crescent City series is unlike anything else in the genre. Fall in love and solve endless mysteries with Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar.
The Order of the Crescent City Books:
- House of Earth and Blood
- House of Sky and Breath
- House of Flame and Shadow
House of Earth and Blood
With a job at Griffin Antiquities, a party girl reputation, and the best friends in the world, Bryce Quinlan had it all—that is, until a demon brutally kills her closest companion. When similar crimes start up again, she decides she’ll stop at nothing to avenge their deaths and solve the investigation. Even if that means working with Hunt Athalar, a notorious Fallen angel enslaved to the Archangels, who might earn his freedom once the murderer is found. Together, in House of Earth and Blood, the two dig deep into the dark side of Crescent City, discovering secrets big enough to threaten everything and everyone they care about—including, if they’d only admit it, each other.
House of Sky and Breath
Hunt and Bryce may have saved Crescent City, but in House of Sky and Breath, they’re just trying to find their way back to normal. So far, the Asteri have kept their word, leaving the two of them alone. But as the rebels chip away at the Asteri’s power and dangerous threats grow, Bryce, Hunt, and their posse find themselves pulled into the rebels’ plans. When faced with the choice between staying silent or fighting for the oppressed, there’s an obvious choice—even if that means risking everything they’ve worked for.
House of Flame and Shadow
Note: Sarah J. Maas’s third book in the series, House of Flame and Shadow, is full of surprises. If you want to avoid any major spoilers, skip ahead!
Bryce Quinlan never even dreamed that leaving Midgard was possible, but now, after being stranded in a strange new world, all she wants is to get home to her family, friends, and mate. But with no idea who she can trust, and Hunt trapped in the Asteri’s dungeons with no clue where she’s gone or if she’s alive, that feat is easier said than done. Can they reunite to save their world? Find out in the exhilarating conclusion.
Do you want to fall in love with the Fae like Feyre in the ACOTAR books? Are you looking to get lost in an audiobook version of an urban fantasy series like Crescent City? Do you dream of being a hardcore assassin like Celaena in the Throne of Glass books? Then it’s time to head to your nearest Rochester bookstore and start shopping.