So you've heard about ACOTAR. Maybe from BookTok, maybe from the Call Her Daddy episode that broke the internet, maybe from a friend who hasn't stopped talking about Rhysand for two years. Either way, you're here, and you want to know where to start. Good news: the reading order is straightforward. The emotional damage is less so.
Below is everything you need to read the A Court of Thorns and Roses series in order, plus guidance on where the rest of the Maasverse fits, and honest answers to the questions new readers always ask.
The ACOTAR Series Reading Order
You will want to read these in publication order. It's also the chronological order, so there's no debate here. Just go straight through.
Book 1: A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
Feyre Archeron is a mortal huntress scraping by in a world divided between humans and Fae. When she kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying Fae lord named Tamlin arrives to collect her as punishment and takes her to live in the faerie realm of Prythian. What begins as a Beauty-and-the-Beast retelling becomes something much darker and stranger. This is your entry point into the entire Maasverse.
Start here, no exceptions. Just don't get a tattoo until book two.
Vibe: Lush, slow-burn, fairy tale with thorns. Light on spice compared to what's coming.
Book 2: A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
Widely considered the best book in the series — and one of the best romantasy novels ever written, if you ask BookTok. Feyre is back, traumatized, and nothing is what it seemed. The Night Court opens up, and Rhysand steps fully into the story. If ACOTAR is the hook, ACOMAS is why readers never leave.
Vibe: Dark, consuming, emotionally devastating. The spice arrives. So does the Inner Circle.
Book 3: A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
The trilogy reaches its climax. Feyre is operating undercover, war is coming, and every High Court in Prythian has to pick a side. This book wraps up the main arc of Feyre and Rhysand's story — if you wanted to read just the core trilogy, you could technically stop here. But you won't.
Vibe: High-stakes, sprawling, deeply satisfying if you've been along for the ride.
Book 4: A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)
A novella-length bridge book set during the Winter Solstice, with chapters rotating through multiple POVs across the Inner Circle. Technically skippable if you're in a rush — but it contains real setup for Nesta's arc, one of the series' steamiest scenes, and the first meaningful hints at what's coming for Elain and Azriel. Read it before ACOSF.
Vibe: Cozy, festive, low-stakes. The ACOTAR equivalent of a holiday special.
Book 5: A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
Nesta Archeron takes center stage in what is, by most accounts, the spiciest book in the series. Her antagonistic dynamic with Cassian is enemies-to-lovers at its most combustible. It's also the book that quietly sets up everything the fandom has been theorizing about Elain and Azriel — including a bonus chapter from Azriel's POV that was included in some early editions and has since become essential Elriel reading.
Vibe: Intense, spicy, cathartic. Nesta's redemption arc is not universally loved but it is undeniably felt.
The Azriel Bonus Chapter
Technically part of ACOSF, this chapter was included in some physical editions and later circulated widely. It shows Azriel and Elain in a moment that Rhysand subsequently shuts down and it is the foundation of every Elriel theory in existence. If your copy doesn't have it, it's worth tracking down before ACOTAR 6 arrives.
Book 6: ACOTAR 6 (Coming 2026/2027)
The one we've all been waiting for. Sarah J. Maas confirmed the first draft was done in July 2025, and the fandom has been vibrating ever since. The leading theory is that this book follows Elain, the last Archeron sister without her own full story, sitting at the center of the series' most contested love triangle. Everything we know about ACOTAR 6 is here.
Do You Need to Read the Rest of the Maasverse?
Short answer: not to enjoy ACOTAR. But if you get to the end of A Court of Silver Flames and you're not ready to leave this world, here's where to go next.
Crescent City (Read after ACOTAR Books 1–5)
Maas's most recent completed series urban fantasy set in a world with cell phones, cars, and deeply complicated lore. House of Flame and Shadow, the third book, connects directly to the ACOTAR world in ways that will make your jaw drop if you've read the full ACOTAR series first. Bloomsbury explicitly recommends reading ACOTAR before Crescent City, especially before book two.
Reading order: House of Earth and Blood → House of Sky and Breath → House of Flame and Shadow
Throne of Glass (Read anytime after ACOTAR)
Maas's first published series and the only one that's fully complete. Eight books, beginning with a YA-leaning assassin story that grows into one of the most epic fantasy series of its generation. Less romance-forward than ACOTAR; more world-building heavy. If you come from fantasy first and romance second, you might actually prefer it. Start with Throne of Glass (2012) and go in publication order.
ACOTAR Reading Order FAQ
Can I skip A Court of Frost and Starlight?
Technically yes, it's a novella with no major plot momentum. But it does establish the post-war emotional landscape of the Inner Circle, contains a genuinely steamy scene between Feyre and Rhysand, and drops the earliest hints at the Elain and Azriel dynamic that ACOTAR 6 will presumably pay off. If you have any interest in Elriel, don't skip it.
Do I need to read Throne of Glass before ACOTAR?
No. The series are set in separate worlds and function independently. If you want to start with ACOTAR, start with ACOTAR.
Is ACOTAR appropriate for teens?
The first book is accessible for older teens, it reads closer to YA in tone and heat level. Books 2 and 3 step up in both darkness and sexual content, and A Court of Silver Flames is explicitly adult. Most readers and booksellers recommend it for 18+.
Is ACOTAR spicy?
Book 1: mild. Book 2: it escalates. Book 5: significantly spicy. Plan accordingly.
What is the Maasverse?
The collective term for all three of Sarah J. Maas's series: ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City which are set in separate worlds but share thematic DNA and, in Crescent City especially, direct crossover connections.
What order does SJM recommend reading her books?
Publication order within each series. Maas has confirmed this on her website, and Bloomsbury echoes it. The only real question is which series to start with and for most readers coming from romantasy, ACOTAR is the answer.
How long is the ACOTAR series?
Currently five books, with ACOTAR 6 on the way. Based on Barnes & Noble listings that surfaced in March 2026, the series may ultimately extend to eight books total two more full novels and a novella beyond book 6 though nothing beyond book 6 has been officially confirmed.
Where does ACOTAR 6 fit in the reading order?
Directly after A Court of Silver Flames. Read the Azriel bonus chapter from ACOSF first if you haven't, it's likely the most important piece of context for wherever ACOTAR 6 is going.
Ready to start? Book 1 is waiting. And when you come up for air after ACOMAS, we'll be here.
