Sarah J. Maas Books in Order: How to Read All Three Series

Sarah J. Maas is one of my favorite authors of all time. I’ve read everything she’s written, usually within about a week of release. New readers are discovering her every day and I can’t tell you how many times I’m asked for a list of the Sarah J. Maas books in order.

Most readers are better off finishing one series at a time, though the full publication order is useful if you want to follow every release. I’ve already written an in-depth reading order for Throne of Glass, but we’ll cover the basic details here as well.

Jump to:

• What Should You Read First?
• Sarah J. Maas Books by Series
• Sarah J. Maas Books in Publication Order
• Sarah J. Maas Reading Guide & Checklist

What Should You Read First?

Most new readers should start with either Throne of Glass or A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Throne of Glass is the better place to start if you want the full fantasy journey from the beginning and don’t mind a slower build early on. A Court of Thorns and Roses is the easier entry point if you’re more interested in romance and want to get to the most popular series first.

I’d save Crescent City for later. For a fantasy-first route, read Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and then Crescent City. For a romance-first route, read A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and then Crescent City. You don’t need to jump back and forth between individual books from the three series.

Sarah J. Maas Books by Series

Sarah J. Maas has written three main series: Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City.

Let’s start with Throne of Glass.

Throne of Glass

There are two main ways to read Throne of Glass, but for simplicity, I’m listing the books in publication order here.

There’s some debate about the best time to read The Assassin’s Blade, and some readers are tempted to skip Tower of Dawn after the cliffhanger in Empire of Storms.

For help with The Assassin’s Blade, Tower of Dawn, and the different reading options, see my full Throne of Glass reading order.

1. Throne of Glass
2. Crown of Midnight
3. The Assassin’s Blade
4. Heir of Fire
5. Queen of Shadows
6. Empire of Storms
7. Tower of Dawn
8. Kingdom of Ash

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A Court of Thorns and Roses

While Throne of Glass was Sarah J. Maas’s first series, A Court of Thorns and Roses is probably her most popular.

It follows Feyre Archeron, a human who gets pulled into the fae world after a hunt goes wrong. What starts with a Beauty and the Beast feel quickly grows into something bigger, with romance, darker politics, and war.

And yes, there’s a lot more sex in this series.

I cover the complete sequence, novella placement, and future books in my A Court of Thorns and Roses books in order guide.

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
2. A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
4. A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018) (Novella)
5. A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
6. Untitled ACOTAR Book 6 (2026)
7. Untitled ACOTAR Book 7 (2027)

Do I Need to Read A Court of Frost and Starlight?

Yes, I recommend it, even though it isn’t as plot-heavy as the main books.

A Court of Frost and Starlight bridges A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Silver Flames, gives you some emotional fallout after the war, and adds setup for Nesta and Cassian. You can still follow Silver Flames if you skip it, but the transition is smoother if you read it.

And honestly, Christmas is probably the best time to pick it up. The story takes place during the Winter Solstice, which is basically the fantasy-world version of Christmas.

What Are ACOTAR Books 6 and 7?

Sarah J. Maas has two untitled ACOTAR books dated October 27, 2026, and January 12, 2027. They continue one much larger story, so I’d plan to read them back to back.

Maas has also described another book that would finish the final part of that story, but it doesn’t have a title or release date.

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Crescent City

Crescent City begins with House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas’s first adult fantasy book, published in 2020.

It’s kind of like a mash-up of epic fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and a whodunit mystery.

Maas has confirmed a fourth Crescent City book, but it doesn’t have a title or release date. My full Crescent City books in order guide has the complete sequence and more detailed crossover guidance. For my spoiler-filled thoughts on where the story stands after Book 3, read my House of Flame and Shadow review.

1. House of Earth and Blood
2. House of Sky and Breath
3. House of Flame and Shadow

Do I Have to Read A Court of Thorns and Roses Before Crescent City?

No, but I recommend reading A Court of Thorns and Roses before Crescent City if you plan to read both. House of Earth and Blood works on its own, but the series becomes more connected to the ACOTAR world later, and those moments land better when you already know the characters.

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Standalone Book

Sarah J. Maas also wrote one standalone book outside her three fantasy series. It belongs to the DC Icons collection, but you don’t need to read the other books first.

1. Catwoman: Soulstealer (2018)

Sarah J. Maas Books in Publication Order

Publication order isn’t how I’d recommend reading Sarah J. Maas for the first time, since it jumps between series instead of letting you stay in one world. Still, it’s how many longtime readers experienced the books as they were released.

For most readers, it makes more sense to finish one series before starting the next. Publication order is still useful if you want to see how Maas’s books unfolded across all three worlds.

Four Throne of Glass prequel novellas were released as ebooks in 2012: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire. The Assassin and the Healer followed in 2013, and all five were collected in The Assassin’s Blade in 2014.

Throne of Glass, published later in 2012, was Sarah J. Maas’s first full-length book.

1. Throne of Glass (2012) (Throne of Glass #1)
2. Crown of Midnight (2013) (TOG #2)
3. The Assassin’s Blade (2014) (Throne of Glass Prequel Collection)
4. Heir of Fire (2014) (TOG #3)
5. A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
6. Queen of Shadows (2015) (TOG #4)
7. A Court of Mist and Fury (2016) (ACOTAR #2)
8. Empire of Storms (2016) (TOG #5)
9. A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017) (ACOTAR #3)
10. Tower of Dawn (2017) (TOG #6)
11. A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018) (ACOTAR #4) (Novella)
12. Catwoman: Soulstealer (2018)
13. Kingdom of Ash (2018) (TOG #7)
14. House of Earth and Blood (2020) (Crescent City #1)
15. A Court of Silver Flames (2021) (ACOTAR #5)
16. House of Sky and Breath (2022) (CC #2)
17. House of Flame and Shadow (2024) (CC #3)
18. Untitled ACOTAR Book 6 (2026) (ACOTAR #6)
19. Untitled ACOTAR Book 7 (2027) (ACOTAR #7)

Sarah J. Maas Reading Guide & Checklist

Download my Sarah J. Maas reading guide and checklist for the fantasy-first and romance-first series orders, plus a printable list of the books.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• Cassandra Clare Books in Order
• The Cruel Prince Series in Order
• Leigh Bardugo Books in Order