Sarah J Maas's Series: Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, and Crescent City have all become insanely popular since BookTok got a hold of them, especially around 2020. With three different series, many newcomers to her books are often confused about which one they should read first. I have answers for you.
How I Read SJM’s Fantasy Series
Now, this might not be the best choice for everyone (I will explain), but this is how I read Sarah J Maas books:
- Throne of Glass
- Crown of Midnight
- Heir of Fire
- The Assassin's Blade
- Queen of Darkness
- Empire of Storms
- Tower of Dawn
- Kingdom of Ash
Then I took a break and read Catwoman: Soul Stealer, which is a lesser-known Sarah J Maas book. I have a video about that if you want more background.
Afterward, I read:
- ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses)
- ACOMAF (A Court of Mist and Fury)
- ACOWAR (A Court of Wings and Ruin)
- The novella A Court of Frost and Starlight
- A Court of Silver Flames
Finally, I finished with the Crescent City series:
- House of Earth and Blood
- House of Sky and Breath
- House of Flame and Shadow, which I just read in January.
Was This the Correct Reading Order?
Do I think I read them in the correct order? Yes, I do. I read Throne of Glass back in 2013, so ACOTAR wasn't available for me to pick up yet. When it did come out, I wasn't initially interested because I loved Throne of Glass so much that I thought no other series could beat it. So, I put it off until I finished all of Throne of Glass. Even then, I had such a bad book hangover that I couldn't fathom starting another series, which is why I read Catwoman: Soul Stealer—I wanted more Sarah J Maas but couldn't commit to another series.
Eventually, BookTok convinced me to read ACOTAR, and that's when I read ACOTAR and Crescent City. While I think this was the right choice for me, there are reasons you might not want to follow this specific flow.
Reading Recommendations
My adorable pup, Maple
If you're like me and prefer to read series straight through without alternating between different series, you don't want to break the story. I recommend picking either Throne of Glass or ACOTAR and reading them all the way through. Once you're done, move on to the other series.
Whether you read Throne of Glass or ACOTAR first depends on your personal preference. I read Throne of Glass first, and I feel it's Sarah's strongest series. However, Sarah was still finding her voice and style as a writer with the first few Throne of Glass books, so they might feel a bit slow. If you prefer adult books over young adult books or need romance present early on in the story, I suggest starting with ACOTAR, which is technically an adult series.
Publication Order
For those who can handle alternating between series and enjoy reading an author's books in publication order to see their growth, I recommend this approach:
- Throne of Glass
- Crown of Midnight
- The Assassin's Blade
- Heir of Fire
- A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Queen of Shadows
- A Court of Mist and Fury
- Empire of Storms
- A Court of Wings and Ruin
- Tower of Dawn
- A Court of Frost and Starlight
- Kingdom of Ash
- Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood
- A Court of Silver Flames
- Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath
- Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow
Sarah J Maas was regularly publishing two books a year, and in 2018, she published three books, including Catwoman: Soul Stealer. This is a testament to her prolific writing.
Alternate Recommendations
If you prefer a more modern feel with technology, you might want to start with Crescent City. However, be aware that by the second book, the series starts hinting at other series, so you might risk spoilers.
The Side Quests - Prequel Novellas, Tower of Dawn, and the Tandem Read
Throne of Glass: The Assassin's Blade
One of the biggest controversies is when to read The Assassin's Blade. This bind-up of novellas happens before the events of Throne of Glass, leading some to suggest reading it first. Personally, I don't love this idea. I believe you should have an understanding of who Celaena is before reading this book. It's essential to read it before Queen of Shadows because elements from The Assassin's Blade keep popping up.
Throne of Glass: Do I Have to Read Tower of Dawn?
Yes. I know it’s about Chaol. (Trust me, I was not thrilled that it was about Chaol.) But SO MUCH happens that becomes so important in the final book. I personally consider this “required reading” - and with how much Sarah J Maas packed into this book, I think she does, too.
Throne of Glass: Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn Tandem Read
These two books happen simultaneously in the timeline. Some people prefer a tandem read, alternating between chapters of each book. Personally, that sounds horrible. I recommend reading Empire of Storms first and then Tower of Dawn to maintain the flow of the story.
A Court of Thorns and Roses: A Court of Frost and Starlight (“Book 4”)
As you might have noticed, book four in the ACOTAR series is quite small. That’s because it’s more of a novella. It’s very much a feel-good Solstice story that provides a sort of transition between the third book (primarily Feyre’s story) and the next part of the series (where we begin following Nesta).
In my opinion, you don’t have to read this one if you don’t want to. There are important details revealed, but they are recapped in A Court of Silver Flames in a way that I think covers what you need to know. Anything that isn’t outrightly recapped in ACOSF, you get enough context clues to move forward.
All SJM Fantasy Series: Bonus Chapters
Similar to A Court of Frost and Starlight, bonus chapters are great for those who want to see more from the characters but aren't essential to the main story. Different editions of books like House of Flame and Shadow have various bonus chapters. If these were mandatory, they would likely be in one place.
What is Each Series About?
If you’re completely new to the Maas-verse, which series you pick to read first might just be up to your personal preference and what you enjoy most in a story. Here’s a quick look at the vibes of each.
Throne of Glass
Throne of Glass is an epic fantasy series that follows the journey of Celaena Sardothien, a fierce and skilled assassin with a mysterious past. Pulled out of a labor camp where she’s imprisoned to compete for the chance to become the king’s personal assassin and her eventual freedom, Celaena is ready to do anything to win.
Set in a world where magic has been banished, the series blends action, intrigue, and romance as Celaena navigates court politics, deadly competitions, and dark forces threatening her world. With a cast of richly developed characters, including royals, warriors, rebels, and even a pirate lord, the story unfolds in a realm filled with danger, secrets, and unexpected twists. (Not to mention that there’s a gorgeous prince and a very intriguing Captain of the Guard.)
The world of Throne of Glass is maassive (pun intended) with our characters traveling from Adarlan to the Southern Continent to the desert where the world’s most impressive fighters train.
In my opinion, this is Sarah J Maas’ strongest work in the fantasy genre (as I personally count ACOTAR as more of a “romantasy”).
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses is a spellbinding romantasy series that weaves together romance, magic, and danger in a world ruled by powerful faeries. The story follows Feyre, a strong-willed huntress who is thrust into the enchanting realm of the fae after “accidentally” killing a member of the Fae nobility. What starts as a tense, forbidden situation soon evolves into something more when she discovers that all Fae are not as bad as she imagined and is told by a terrifying mystical creature that her place in the world is next to the High Lord.
As she navigates the intoxicating world of fae courts and dark secrets, Feyre's heart is caught between duty to her family and desire, making this series a must-read for anyone who loves a steamy, high-stakes romance set against a backdrop of breathtaking fantasy.
The settings include beautiful places like the “Spring Court,” “Night Court,” and beautiful celebrations like Winter Solstice parties.
A lot of people pick this as their first book by SJM because it’s romantasy (a bit easier to get into if you’re: 1) an adult - I don’t recommend this series for kiddos, and 2) not a big fantasy reader).
Crescent City
Crescent City is an urban fantasy series that dives deep into a world where people from all different magical - and human - backgrounds live in a modern-day world with a very complex social hierarchy. The story centers on Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae, half-human girl whose life is shattered by a terrifying murder mystery.
As she seeks to learn more, Bryce is drawn into a steamy relationship with a brooding fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, who has his own dark past. Together, they must navigate a city teeming with secrets, deadly power struggles, the Asteri’s power, and a sizzling chemistry that neither can stay away from.
I, personally, had a rough time getting into this world. After so much time in the medieval vibes of Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, Crescent City is a strange new world. It’s very modern, and I enjoy that more medieval vibe when it comes to fantasy. Additionally, I feel like the plot became very large for me to keep track of (as someone who hasn’t read loads of fantasy, I’m used to slightly more clear plotlines). What saved Crescent City for me was the characters.
I didn’t necessarily connect with Bryce the way I did with Celeana or Feyre, but I liked her a lot - she’s got this “cool girl” vibe that I really enjoy, and she reminded me a lot of Clary Fray if she were older (both of them being redheads does help in this comparison).
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, no matter what order you choose, all of these series are worth reading. I'd love to hear from you—if you've read all of Sarah's books, let me know what order you read them in and if you think it was the right choice. If you haven't read her books yet, did I convince you? Let me know in the comments which one you plan to read first.