Crescent City
romantic fantasy
Series · romantic fantasy
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas has 5 books and is best read in publication order, starting with A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015). The next book, A Court of Thorns and Roses Book 6 (untitled), is due 27 October 2026.
- Books
- 4 novels + 1 novella
- First published
- 2015
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses - Book 2:
A Court of Mist and Fury
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Mist and Fury - Book 3:
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Wings and Ruin - Book 4:
A Court of Frost and Starlight
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Frost and Starlight - Book 5:
A Court of Silver Flames
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Silver Flames
The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.
- Book 1:
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses - Book 2:
A Court of Mist and Fury
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Mist and Fury - Book 3:
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Wings and Ruin - Book 4:
A Court of Frost and Starlight
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Frost and Starlight - Book 5:
A Court of Silver Flames
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Silver Flames
Our shelf-tested path for first-time readers.
- Book 1:
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses - Book 2:
A Court of Mist and Fury
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Mist and Fury - Book 3:
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Wings and Ruin - Book 4:
A Court of Frost and Starlight
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Frost and Starlight - Book 5:
A Court of Silver Flames
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Court of Silver Flames
About A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses begins as a dark riff on Beauty and the Beast: huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods to feed her family and is claimed as forfeit by a masked faerie lord, dragged from her mortal village into the treacherous, gorgeous courts of Prythian. But the fairy-tale framing is only the front door. From the second book onward the series reinvents itself — trading one romance for another that has become one of the most beloved in modern fantasy, and expanding into a story about trauma, recovery, war, and the politics of seven faerie courts on the brink of invasion.
Sarah J. Maas's signature strengths are all here: a heroine who earns her power rather than inheriting it, a found-family inner circle readers return to as much as any plot, and villains with real menace. The later books shift narrators, letting side characters step into the spotlight while the wider court conflicts simmer.
This is adult romantic fantasy — sensual, emotionally intense, occasionally brutal — and it is the most common entry point into Maas's interconnected universe, which also includes Throne of Glass and Crescent City. Readers who want lush world-building in service of character and romance, rather than the other way around, tend to fall hardest for this one. The series is still growing, with new installments announced.
How to read this series
Read in publication order, which is also chronological: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, then the holiday novella A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames. The novella (numbered 3.5) is a low-stakes epilogue to the original trilogy, but don't skip it — it plants the character threads that A Court of Silver Flames picks up, as that book hands the lead to a new couple. If you also read Crescent City, save House of Flame and Shadow until after A Court of Silver Flames to catch a universe crossover. Book 6 arrives October 27, 2026, with book 7 following January 12, 2027.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series?
Five so far: four novels plus the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight. Two more are on the way — book 6 releases October 27, 2026, and book 7 on January 12, 2027.
What order should I read ACOTAR in?
Publication 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 (novella), A Court of Silver Flames. Chronological order is the same.
When is ACOTAR book 6 coming out?
October 27, 2026. Sarah J. Maas announced in March 2026 that the next installment grew so long it was split up: book 6 arrives first, and book 7 follows on January 12, 2027. Titles have not yet been revealed.
Do I need to read A Court of Frost and Starlight?
It's a short, quiet interlude rather than a full novel, but it bridges the original trilogy and A Court of Silver Flames and sets up several character arcs — worth the hour or two it takes.
Is ACOTAR connected to Throne of Glass and Crescent City?
Yes — all three Sarah J. Maas series share one universe, and Crescent City's third book, House of Flame and Shadow, contains a direct ACOTAR crossover. Each series still works on its own, but reading A Court of Silver Flames before that crossover is recommended.
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Reading order last verified .