There are 19 Sarah J. Maas books across three series, and they're connected in ways that aren't obvious until you're halfway through Crescent City and go "WAIT." So here's every book in order, with trope profiles, spice levels, and our honest take on where to start and what connects to what.
If you're new to SJM, skip to "Where Should I Start?" at the bottom. If you're here to figure out where Crescent City fits into the Maasverse, we've got you.
All of Maas's books are in our database with full trope breakdowns, spice levels, and content warnings.
Start HuntingThrone of Glass (8 books, completed)
Celaena Sardothien is an assassin, the best in the kingdom, pulled from a death camp to compete for the chance to serve the king she despises. Over eight books, this series evolves from a YA competition arc into an epic fantasy with fae reveals, world-ending stakes, and multiple romance pairings. The scope is MASSIVE. If you want the biggest Maas commitment with the biggest payoff, this is it.
Trope DNA: Assassin, Strong Heroine, Slow Burn, Found Family, Court Politics, Chosen One
Spice arc: Closed Door → Closed Door → Closed Door → Closed Door → Warm → Steamy → Steamy → Steamy. The series starts clean and gradually escalates.
1. The Assassin's Blade (prequel novellas)
Five prequel novellas showing Celaena before the main series. Optional but recommended. The Sam Cortland storyline makes everything in the main series hit harder. Some people read this first, some read it between books 2 and 3. Both work.
2. Throne of Glass
The competition to become the King's Champion. The weakest book in the series (we're being honest), and the one that turns the most people off. The love triangle is fine, the tournament arc is fine, but the writing is early-career Maas. It improves dramatically from book 2 onward. Push through if it doesn't grab you immediately.
3. Crown of Midnight
Things get darker. Celaena is the King's Champion now, and the political intrigue deepens. The ending of this book changes the entire series. If Throne of Glass didn't hook you, Crown of Midnight is where you'll know whether to continue.
4. Heir of Fire
The series levels up. New characters (Rowan, Manon), new locations, fae lore, and Celaena's identity crisis comes to a head. Rowan's introduction is the enemies-to-lovers that changed BookTok. They hate each other for half the book. Legitimately. The partnership they build from the wreckage is one of Maas's best achievements.
5. Queen of Shadows
She comes back. The found family assembles. The romance resolves. This is where many readers say the series peaks in terms of satisfaction.
6. Empire of Storms
The spice arrives. The stakes go continental. Multiple POVs, multiple romance threads, and an ending that left people screaming. Read this and Tower of Dawn back-to-back or as a tandem read (alternating chapters). They happen simultaneously.
7. Tower of Dawn
Chaol's book. The most divisive book in the series, and also (in our opinion) the most emotionally mature. If you love Chaol, you'll love it. If you don't, you still need to read it because plot-critical things happen here. The romance with Yrene is quietly devastating.
8. Kingdom of Ash
The finale. 984 pages. Every thread converges. We cried at least three times. If you made it this far, the payoff is enormous.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (5 books + upcoming trilogy)
Feyre, a mortal huntress, is dragged into the fae realm. What starts as a Beauty and the Beast retelling evolves into court politics, fae wars, and the romance that made BookTok explode. This is SJM's most popular series and the easiest entry point for new readers.
Trope DNA: Enemies to Lovers, Fae, Fated Mates, Slow Burn, Found Family, Morally Grey Hero
Spice arc: Warm → Spicy → Steamy → Steamy → Scorching. The jump from book 1 to book 2 is dramatic.
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Feyre kills a wolf and gets taken to the fae realm as punishment. Beauty and the Beast retelling with Tamlin. Be aware: book 1's romance is NOT the endgame romance. This matters. If you don't love Tamlin, that's by design. Book 2 reframes everything.
2. A Court of Mist and Fury
THE book. The one that ruined people for all other fantasy romance. Rhysand. The Night Court. The found family. The slow burn that turned an entire fandom inside out. If you only read one SJM book, most people will tell you it's this one. (They're right.)
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin
The war. The original trilogy's conclusion. All the courts, all the stakes, and emotional beats that land because of the setup in ACOMAF. Satisfying as a series ender if you stop here.
4. A Court of Frost and Starlight
A novella-length bridge book. Winter Solstice in the Night Court. Cozy, low-stakes, and heavily focused on character dynamics. It seeds the setup for ACOSF. Not essential, but nice.
5. A Court of Silver Flames
Nesta's book. The most divisive ACOTAR book because Nesta is not easy to root for at the start. She's angry, self-destructive, and pushing everyone away. But the training arc, the friendship with Gwyn and Emerie, and the slow-burn with Cassian that finally ignites are peak Maas. The spice is significantly higher than previous books. Significantly.
6-8. The upcoming trilogy (ACOTAR 6 drops October 27, 2026)
Three new books. Widely expected to focus on Elain and Azriel. See our full breakdown: ACOTAR 6: Everything We Know.
Crescent City (3 books, completed)
Urban fantasy. Midgard is a world of shifters, fae, angels, demons, and technology. Bryce Quinlan is funnier and messier than Feyre or Celaena, and the mystery-thriller pacing is unlike anything else Maas has written. This series is also where the Maasverse connections get wild.
Trope DNA: Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Found Family, Strong Heroine, FMC with Powers
Spice arc: Steamy → Spicy → Spicy.
IMPORTANT: Crescent City connects to both ACOTAR and Throne of Glass. House of Flame and Shadow (book 3) contains massive crossover spoilers. We strongly recommend reading at least ACOTAR 1-3 before starting Crescent City. For the full Maasverse experience, read all of Throne of Glass and all of ACOTAR first.
1. House of Earth and Blood
A murder mystery kicks off the plot, and the slow burn with Hunt Athalar is a 700-page exercise in patience. The first 150-200 pages are a lot of worldbuilding. Push through. It's worth it. Bryce is the most fun SJM protagonist by a wide margin.
2. House of Sky and Breath
Rebellion, political maneuvering, and an ending that made people throw their Kindles. The scope expands dramatically, and the connections to other Maas series start to crystallize.
3. House of Flame and Shadow
The Maasverse book. This is where characters from different series show up and the connections become explicit. Do NOT read this without reading at minimum ACOTAR 1-3. You will spoil major revelations. The ending wraps Crescent City while leaving doors open.
The Maasverse Reading Order (If You Want Everything)
For the full connected experience, read in this order:
- Throne of Glass (all 8 books)
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR through ACOSF, 5 books)
- Crescent City (all 3 books)
- ACOTAR 6-8 (starting October 2026)
Total: 16 books before ACOTAR 6 drops. That's roughly one per week if you start in July. Doable? Barely. Worth it? Completely.
Where Should I Start?
Depends on what you want:
- Best entry point: A Court of Thorns and Roses. Shortest commitment to fall in love with Maas's writing. The strongest individual romance arc.
- Most epic scope: Throne of Glass. Longer investment, bigger payoff. Multiple romances, massive world.
- Most fun: House of Earth and Blood. But only if you don't mind spoiling some ACOTAR/TOG connections. (Or if you don't plan to read the others.)
- Want the Maasverse experience: Start with Throne of Glass, then ACOTAR, then Crescent City. Yes, it's 16 books. Yes, it's worth it.
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