Reading Orders
Sarah J Maas Reading Order: A Complete Guide to 3 Series
Reading order at a glance: The safest Sarah J Maas reading order is publication order inside each series. Start with A Court of Thorns and Roses for romance, Throne of Glass for high fantasy, or Crescent City for urban mystery. The one rule: finish the first five Court books before House of Flame and Shadow.
Every new reader eventually asks the same thing: which book comes first? It sounds like a one-line answer. It is not, because Sarah J. Maas has three separate series, a prequel collection that arrived after the first book, a novella tucked between full novels, and one late crossover that links two worlds. Add two new books announced for late 2026 and early 2027, and the lists that circulate online start to disagree.
This guide lays out the whole timeline in the order the books reached shelves, explains where each series is a safe starting point, and marks the single place where order genuinely matters. Release years come from Bloomsbury, the publisher of all three series, and were checked in October 2026.
Which Sarah J. Maas series should you read first?
Pick by taste, not by date. Bloomsbury’s own reading guide suggests A Court of Thorns and Roses for readers who come for romance or are new to fantasy, Throne of Glass for readers who want a long high fantasy arc, and Crescent City for readers who like a modern setting and a murder mystery.
The complication is that all three series share an author’s habits: slow-building romance, found family, and big final books. So the choice is less about quality and more about which hook you want in the first hundred pages.
- You mostly read romance and want to try fantasy: start with A Court of Thorns and Roses. Bloomsbury calls it the perfect start for someone newer to the fantasy genre.
- You want worldbuilding, politics and a slow climb in stakes: start with Throne of Glass. It is the only finished series of the three, which Bloomsbury points out in its guide.
- You prefer city streets and nightclubs to castles: start with House of Earth and Blood, the first Crescent City book, which Bloomsbury describes as a contemporary fantasy world.
- You plan to read everything: put the Court series before Crescent City. Bloomsbury notes that Crescent City reads as more rewarding when A Court of Thorns and Roses comes first.
- You dislike waiting for sequels: Throne of Glass is the safe bet, since it ended with Kingdom of Ash in 2018 according to Bloomsbury’s listing.
Readers who bounce off one opening are not stuck. The three series can be read in any order, as the publisher’s guide says plainly, so switching after one book costs nothing except the crossover covered further down.
What is the Sarah J Maas reading order by publication date?
By publication date, the sequence runs from Throne of Glass in 2012 to House of Flame and Shadow in 2024, with the Court series weaving through the middle. Reading every book in that exact order is possible, but it interrupts each story, so most guides use it as a map rather than a reading plan.
The full timeline below follows the US release dates on Bloomsbury’s book pages. It is also the order in which the author revealed her secrets.
- Throne of Glass, August 2012
- Crown of Midnight, August 2013
- The Assassin’s Blade (collected prequel novellas), March 2014
- Heir of Fire, September 2014
- A Court of Thorns and Roses, May 2015
- Queen of Shadows, September 2015
- A Court of Mist and Fury, May 2016
- Empire of Storms, September 2016
- A Court of Wings and Ruin, May 2017
- Tower of Dawn, September 2017
- A Court of Frost and Starlight (novella), May 2018
- Kingdom of Ash, October 2018
- House of Earth and Blood, March 2020
- A Court of Silver Flames, February 2021
- House of Sky and Breath, February 2022
- House of Flame and Shadow, January 2024
That makes 16 books, which matches the statement in Bloomsbury’s March 2026 trading update that all 16 of the author’s previous novels are Bloomsbury titles. A pattern is visible too: from 2014 to 2017 the Throne of Glass books arrived each September and the Court books each May, and those overlap years are where a strict timeline reader would jump between worlds. Nothing in the first two series requires that jumping.
Where do Throne of Glass and The Assassin’s Blade fit?
Throne of Glass runs eight books, seven novels plus The Assassin’s Blade. The author’s own site lists her preferred order as Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, The Assassin’s Blade, then Heir of Fire through Kingdom of Ash, which places the prequel collection third, matching its 2014 release slot.
The collection is the reason this series produces more forum threads than the other two combined. Its five novellas take place before the first novel, so some readers start with it, while others hold it until after Heir of Fire. A frequently upvoted comment in a Throne of Glass subreddit reading order thread put the case for reading it early: several friends who saved it for later felt pulled backward in time just as the main plot was gripping them (the discussion is here).
The second debate concerns Tower of Dawn, which runs alongside Empire of Storms in story time. Bloomsbury’s guide says the publisher prefers publication order, because reading Tower of Dawn first would spoil parts of Empire of Storms, and it describes the “tandem read” option of reading both at once as a choice some readers make. For a first read, the author’s listed order is the low-risk path.
How does A Court of Thorns and Roses run, novella included?
A Court of Thorns and Roses has five published books: three core novels, the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames. Read them in that publication order. The novella sits between the third and fifth books and sets up the shift in focus that the fifth book makes.
The common question here is whether the novella can be skipped. It is short and quieter than the novels, and some readers treat it as optional. The safe answer is to keep it: the author’s reading guide lists it fourth in the series, and its winter setting bridges the aftermath of the war in book three with the new point of view in A Court of Silver Flames.
The bigger news is that the series is no longer paused. Bloomsbury’s series page, checked in October 2026, announces The Valkyrie Cycle: A Court of Splintered Harmony on 27 October 2026 and A Court of Forgotten Melody on 12 January 2027. The publisher’s March 2026 announcement to investors confirms both dates. The author’s own site lists them as the sixth and seventh books, so the order simply extends:
- 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, novella (2018)
- A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
- A Court of Splintered Harmony (announced for 27 October 2026)
- A Court of Forgotten Melody (announced for 12 January 2027)
Some fan sites still list these as untitled. As of October 2026, both titles and dates appear on Bloomsbury’s own pages, so those older lists are simply out of date.
Where does Crescent City sit on the timeline?
Crescent City is the newest of the three series. It has three books so far: House of Earth and Blood (2020), House of Sky and Breath (2022) and House of Flame and Shadow (2024), with release dates taken from Bloomsbury’s listings.
The first book works as a standalone entry point. Bloomsbury describes it as an excellent place to start, especially for readers who enjoy a murder mystery, and it introduces a divided world called Midgard, a modern city setting where magic and politics collide. The second book widens the cast and ends on a cliffhanger. The third is where the series meets another of the author’s worlds, which is why its position matters more than any other title on the list.
What about a fourth book? Wikipedia’s series page records that a fourth Crescent City novel is planned, but neither Bloomsbury nor the author’s site lists a title or date as of October 2026. Until one appears there, treat it as not announced. A YouTube viewer offered a useful counterweight for anyone tempted to rush through all three: after loving the first book, that reader lost interest in the second and third and did not enjoy the crossover (comment on a beginner’s guide video). Taste varies, and pacing between series is allowed.
Which crossover needs a set order? (spoilers, kept light)
Only one: read A Court of Thorns and Roses through A Court of Silver Flames before House of Flame and Shadow. That third Crescent City book spends a long stretch of its story in the Court world, and it assumes you already know who is who there.
Spoiler warning for the rest of this section, kept to structure only. Time’s 2024 explainer reports that the crossover was planned from the first Crescent City book and that House of Sky and Breath ends by sending its heroine toward the other world. Reading out of order does not ruin the plot of Crescent City; it mostly gives away where the Court characters ended up. The map below shows what each shortcut costs.
- House of Flame and Shadow before the first five Court books: reveals how the Court series stands after book five, including relationships and who holds which powers. High spoiler risk.
- House of Sky and Breath before the Court series: its final chapters point toward the crossover, but give away little about the Court plot itself. Low risk, though the ending lands harder for readers who recognise the world.
- House of Earth and Blood at any point: no prerequisite, according to Bloomsbury’s guide.
- Throne of Glass relative to the other two: no required order. The publisher’s guide does not ask for it before or after either series.
- The new Court books (2026 and 2027): no confirmed crossover content has been announced as of October 2026, so no extra rule applies yet.
Readers who already started Crescent City need not stop entirely. Finishing the second Crescent City book, then pausing to read the Court series, then returning for the third book keeps every reveal in its intended place.
Release years at a glance
The table gathers the whole map in one place. Years are the first US release on Bloomsbury’s listings, checked in October 2026; the two upcoming titles use the dates on Bloomsbury’s series page.
| Series | Books in reading order | Years (Bloomsbury listing) | Start here? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throne of Glass | 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 | 2012 to 2018 (8 books, complete) | Yes, for high fantasy readers |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | 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 | 2015 to 2021 (5 books published) | Yes, the easiest entry for romance readers |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Valkyrie Cycle | A Court of Splintered Harmony, A Court of Forgotten Melody | 27 Oct 2026 and 12 Jan 2027 (announced) | No, read books 1 to 5 first |
| Crescent City | House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, House of Flame and Shadow | 2020 to 2024 (3 books, fourth not dated) | Yes, but save book 3 until after the Court series |
A first-read checklist
Before opening the first book, a few small decisions save backtracking later.
- Choose one series and commit to it in publication order, prequel and novella included.
- For Throne of Glass, decide on The Assassin’s Blade placement before starting; the author’s order puts it third.
- Keep A Court of Frost and Starlight in the run; the author lists it as book four.
- Hold House of Flame and Shadow until A Court of Silver Flames is finished.
- Check dates for upcoming books on Bloomsbury or the author’s site, not on fan lists.
- Avoid series wikis and comment sections until finishing, since they assume full knowledge.
More guides to series order sit in the reading order guides section, with each series covered on its own as the site grows.
Series questions
How many Sarah J. Maas books are there?
Sixteen across the three series, as of October 2026: eight Throne of Glass books, five Court books and three Crescent City books. Bloomsbury’s March 2026 update gives the same count, and the sixth Court book on 27 October 2026 will make seventeen.
Is Throne of Glass a finished series?
Yes. Kingdom of Ash closed it in October 2018, and Bloomsbury’s reading guide describes it as a complete series.
What does a tandem read mean?
It means reading two books side by side, switching between chapters. Bloomsbury’s guide uses the term for Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn, though the publisher itself prefers reading them one after the other.
Is a fourth Crescent City book coming?
A fourth book is planned according to Wikipedia’s series page, but no title or date appears on Bloomsbury’s pages or the author’s site as of October 2026, so it counts as not announced.
Does the Sarah J Maas reading order change once the new Court books arrive?
No. A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody follow A Court of Silver Flames as books six and seven, and nothing announced so far changes the crossover rule.
The safe answer
For a first read, choose a series by taste, read it in publication order with its prequel or novella included, and keep the third Crescent City book until the first five Court books are done. That single rule covers every real spoiler risk in the Sarah J Maas reading order. Everything else, including which series comes second, is a matter of preference.
The timeline will grow on 27 October 2026, and again on 12 January 2027, when the next two Court books arrive on the dates Bloomsbury has announced. For the order inside each individual series, the full set of series order guides is the next stop.
Series order and release dates follow the publishers’ own listings; spoilers are flagged before they appear. A first draft was prepared with AI and rewritten by an editor.
Sources: Bloomsbury reading order guide, Bloomsbury series page for the Court books, Bloomsbury investor announcement (March 2026), author site (FAQ), Time crossover explainer, Wikipedia series page