Sarah J. Maas is the reason modern romantasy exists as a category. She has written three massive interconnected series — A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), Throne of Glass (TOG), and Crescent City — and as of House of Flame and Shadow (2024), she confirmed what fans suspected: the three series share a universe. Which means reading order matters more than it used to. Here's the definitive guide.
The Short Answer
For most new readers: start with A Court of Thorns and Roses. It's her most accessible book, it's the shortest entry point, and it's the series that made her famous. Read the whole ACOTAR series, then decide whether to jump to Throne of Glass or Crescent City based on what you want next — epic fantasy (TOG) or urban fantasy (Crescent City).
If you want the "correct" reading order to get the crossover references in the right order, skip to the "If You Want the Full Universe" section below.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) — Faerie Realms
Five main books plus a novella. This is the series that built Maas's adult romantasy audience.
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
Feyre, a 19-year-old human huntress, kills a faerie wolf in the forest and is dragged into the fae realm as payment. A Beauty-and-the-Beast retelling with a darker, political second half.
2. A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
The book that made the series a phenomenon. Feyre begins a new chapter with different stakes and a very different love interest. Every ACOTAR reader will tell you that you have to read past book one to reach book two — they're right.
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
The original trilogy's climax. Massive-scale fantasy war.
4. A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018, novella)
A holiday novella set after book 3. Read it; it's short.
5. A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
Shifts POV to a secondary character from the earlier books. Many readers consider this her spiciest and most emotionally intense romance. Required reading if you want the full ACOTAR experience.
Throne of Glass (TOG) — Epic Fantasy
Eight books total. Her first major series — started when she was a teenager and posting chapters to FictionPress. The early books read almost YA; the series matures significantly. The full epic arc is her most ambitious work.
1. The Assassin's Blade (2014, novella collection)
Five novellas serving as a prequel. Many readers (including Maas herself at various points) recommend reading this after Throne of Glass #1 rather than before.
2. Throne of Glass (2012)
Celaena Sardothien, the kingdom's greatest assassin, is pulled from a death-camp to compete to become the King's Champion. Almost YA in tone. Many readers struggle with the first book; stick with it.
3. Crown of Midnight (2013)
4. Heir of Fire (2014)
5. Queen of Shadows (2015)
6. Empire of Storms (2016)
7. Tower of Dawn (2017)
Runs parallel in time to Empire of Storms. Should be read between Empire of Storms and Kingdom of Ash for the emotional beats to land properly.
8. Kingdom of Ash (2018)
The series finale. A 900-page epic fantasy cap. Fans regularly call it one of the best fantasy finales ever published.
Optimal TOG reading order: Throne of Glass → Crown of Midnight → Heir of Fire → Queen of Shadows → Empire of Storms → Tower of Dawn → Kingdom of Ash. (Slot The Assassin's Blade in after Crown of Midnight if you want the lore context before heavy character development.)
Crescent City — Urban Fantasy / Adult
Three books so far. Maas's darkest, most adult series — modern cityscapes layered with magic, shifters, angels, fae and demons. Darker, sexier and more contemporary-feeling than her other series.
1. House of Earth and Blood (2020)
Bryce Quinlan, half-fae half-human, investigates her best friend's murder alongside a fallen angel assassin named Hunt Athalar. The book opens at a party and closes with a level of emotional devastation that earns Maas's "don't read in public" reputation.
2. House of Sky and Breath (2022)
3. House of Flame and Shadow (2024)
The book that confirmed the three series share a universe. Major crossover content — and a reason the "full universe" reading order below starts to matter.
If You Want the Full Universe Reading Order
For readers who want to get every crossover reference in the right order — and who have the patience for a 20+ book journey — here's the recommended universe-wide reading 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
- Throne of Glass
- Crown of Midnight
- The Assassin's Blade (novellas)
- Heir of Fire
- Queen of Shadows
- Empire of Storms
- Tower of Dawn
- Kingdom of Ash
- House of Earth and Blood
- House of Sky and Breath
- A Court of Silver Flames (yes, here, for the Crescent City crossover to land)
- House of Flame and Shadow
Practical Advice for New Readers
Don't start with Throne of Glass unless you've been warned about the pacing. The first book's tone doesn't represent where the series ultimately lands. ACOTAR is the better entry.
Book 2 of ACOTAR is the one. If you don't click with book 1 after 150 pages, push through to book 2 before you quit the series entirely. A major percentage of ACOTAR's devoted fanbase originally thought book 1 was fine-not-great and then got demolished by book 2.
Crescent City is the most adult of the three. More explicit, darker, more modern. If that's your preference, start there — though you'll miss the universe-crossover context.
All three series have unfinished business. Maas has confirmed more ACOTAR books (we're waiting for the Azriel book). She's confirmed more Crescent City. Throne of Glass is the only truly finished arc — eight books, complete.