Sarah J Maas Books in Order: Guide to ACOTAR, Throne of Glass

Sarah J. Maas fans tend to be intense — the kind of devoted that comes from discovering an author who delivers doorstopper after doorstopper with zero dip in quality. Whether you’re coming in fresh or trying to organize your existing TBR, here’s everything you need to map out her three major series and where each book fits.

Main Series Count: 3 · Total Books: 18+ · First Book Published: 2012 · Bestselling Series: Throne of Glass, ACOTAR · Publisher: Bloomsbury

In what order do I read the Sarah J. Maas books?

Sarah J. Maas released her debut novel, Throne of Glass, in 2012 — and never really stopped. Over the next twelve years, she built three interconnected-yet-standalone fantasy series that collectively span 18+ books. The good news: her official reading guide confirms you can start with the first book in any series. There’s no single “correct” entry point.

Publication order

• Throne of Glass (2012) — series one begins
• Crown of Midnight (2013)
• Heir of Fire (2014)
• The Assassin’s Blade (2014) — prequel novella collection
• Queen of Shadows (2015)
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) — series two begins
• A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
• Empire of Storms (2016)
• Tower of Dawn (2017)
• A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
• A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018) — novella
• Kingdom of Ash (2018) — Throne of Glass finale
• House of Earth and Blood (2020) — series three begins
• A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
• House of Sky and Breath (2022)
• House of Flame and Shadow (2024)

Chronological order

For most of Maas’s work, publication order equals chronological order. The main exception is The Assassin’s Blade: it’s set before the main Throne of Glass saga, though Bloomsbury recommends reading it after Crown of Midnight in publication order to avoid spoiling later events (Bloomsbury).

What is the correct order to read the Throne of Glass books?

Throne of Glass is the longest of Maas’s series — seven main books plus a prequel novella collection. It’s also the one where reading order matters most due to The Assassin’s Blade placement.

Main series sequence

• 1. Throne of Glass (2012)
• 2. Crown of Midnight (2013)
• 3. Heir of Fire (2014)
• 4. Queen of Shadows (2015)
• 5. Empire of Storms (2016)
• 6. Tower of Dawn (2017)
• 7. Kingdom of Ash (October 23, 2018) (Wikipedia)

Prequel placement

The Assassin’s Blade (2014) collects five origin stories that technically precede the main series. The publisher recommends placing it after Crown of Midnight for maximum impact without timeline spoilers (Bloomsbury).

In what order should I read A Court of Thorns and Roses?

ACOTAR is the most popular entry point for new readers — and conveniently, its books follow their chronological story order perfectly. No branching decisions required.

Core trilogy

• 1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
• 2. A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
• 3. A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)

Novella additions

• A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018) — novella spanning Winter Solstice
• A Court of Silver Flames (2021) — book 5, focuses on Nesta

The ACOTAR series release order is identical to its chronological story order — a rarity in Maas’s body of work (ScreenRant). Read straight through without skipping or reordering.

Which comes first, ACOTAR or Throne of Glass?

Throne of Glass published first (2012), but ACOTAR (2015) quickly became the more widely recognized series — especially after it gained traction on TikTok’s BookTok community. Neither is a prerequisite for the other.

Publication timeline

Throne of Glass started in 2012 with one book per year through 2018, giving the series a consistent release cadence that built its fanbase methodically (ScreenRant). ACOTAR launched in 2015 while ToG was still ongoing, adding a second concurrent series.

Recommended starting series

The official author site states readers can start with the first book of any series (Sarah J. Maas Official Site). If you’re choosing between ACOTAR and Throne of Glass, consider:

• ACOTAR: More romantic elements, fae world, larger readership, better entry point for BookTok-curious readers
• Throne of Glass: Slower burn, bigger cast, epic scope — ideal if you prefer political fantasy with found family

Which Sarah J Maas series to read first?

With three distinct series and no mandatory crossover reading, the “best first series” depends entirely on what you want from your fantasy read.

Spice level comparison

ACOTAR generally runs hotter than Throne of Glass — particularly from book two onward. Crescent City falls somewhere between, with explicit scenes that earned it an adult fantasy label. If spice level influences your choice, ACOTAR delivers more consistently from the start.

Series interconnections

Crescent City sits last in the reading order recommendation because it contains the most explicit crossovers with ACOTAR (Esta Pinto Blog). Throne of Glass and ACOTAR share only minor Easter eggs. Reading Crescent City after the others yields maximum payoff for attentive readers.

The comparison below shows how the three series stack up across key dimensions.

How to read the Sarah J. Maas books: A step-by-step guide

Here’s a practical reading order if you want to tackle everything — or just pick one series to start with.

1. Pick a starting series. Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, or Crescent City — each works as an entry point. No prerequisites.
2. For Throne of Glass: Read books 1–2, then The Assassin’s Blade, then continue through book 7. Don’t skip Tower of Dawn even though it runs parallel to Empire of Storms.
3. For ACOTAR: Start at book 1 and read straight through. The novella Frost and Starlight fits after book 3; Silver Flames is book 5.
4. For Crescent City: Read in order: House of Earth and Blood → House of Sky and Breath → House of Flame and Shadow. Best tackled after completing at least one other series.
5. For crossover Easter eggs: Save Crescent City for last. The subtle connections to ACOTAR reward readers who’ve finished that series first.

Readers who follow this sequence get the full crossover experience without spoiling either world first.

Sarah J. Maas publishing timeline

From debut to the latest Crescent City release, here’s how the books landed across the decade.

What we know — and what we don’t

Here’s the split between confirmed information and open questions as of this writing.

What readers and the publisher say

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

— Sarah J. Maas Official Site

We recommend reading in publication order… The Assassin’s Blade after Crown of Midnight.

— Bloomsbury (Publisher)

Maas released one official Throne of Glass book per year from 2012 to 2018, giving readers something new to look forward to regularly.

— ScreenRant

The pattern across all three series is consistent: publication order works, and the publisher endorses it. Where Throne of Glass requires a small decision about The Assassin’s Blade, ACOTAR and Crescent City demand zero thought — read them straight through.

For new readers, the choice is simple: pick the world that appeals to you most (fae courts, assassin tournaments, or urban fantasy mysteries) and start at book one. For completionists tackling all three, save Crescent City for last — the crossover Easter eggs land better with ACOTAR context already in place.