For fans of romantasy, the dates of October 27, 2026, and January 12, 2027, are extremely important. The mega best-selling series, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, will expand by two books! In an unusual act by an author, Maas will release books 6 and 7 within months of each other. I am taking days off for each book release!
If you have never heard of romantasy, this genre is a mash-up of romance and fantasy. This series is part of three fantasy series by Maas – A Court of Thorns and Roses (affectionally nicknamed ACOTAR by fans), Throne of Glass, and Crescent City. All three series are interconnected and contain Easter eggs for each other. The first book was published back in August of 2012. So many of us fans have loved and protected these stories over 13 years!
I posted about Throne of Glass last year (I reprinted that article down at the bottom), so I will give a brief review/summary of ACOTAR, or at least book one. Currently there are five books in this series. The first three focus primarily on our main couple.
In the dead of winter, human Feyre is desperately hunting food for her starving family. While hunting she kills a faerie. The next evening, a huge golden beast bursts into her home, seeking retribution. Killing a Fae is a punishable crime. Under the terms of a treaty between humans and Fae, Sarah is given a choice – die, or live out the remainder of her life in the realm of Prythian, a Fae land. She chooses life and leaves her family. While in Prythian, Feyre encounters magical creatures who would kill her without a second thought, finds love and all its tribulations, and learns how far she is willing to go to for her own mental health.
I will insert a warning here. These stories do contain abuse – physical, emotional, and psychological), torture, imprisonment, and violence. But they also contain resilience, personal growth, establishing one’s boundaries, and self-love. Some of these will take all 5 books, but it does happen! I will also say the ACOTAR series contains more ‘spice’ than the Throne of Glass books. Each book gets a little more detailed, so be prepared.
This really is a slim overview of this story. Maas’s world building and character development will draw you in, capturing your mind and heart as you root for your favorites. As in Throne of Glass, the main character of Feyre is not my favorite. She is headstrong and reckless. You root for her just as often as you shake your head and think, What is she doing? The supporting characters steal the show for me. Many will appear in all five books, and I am sure several will be in the next two.
I know lots of readers scoff at any hint of romance in their stories. I personally do not understand this, but to each his own. I do, however, ask you to try these books by Sarah J. Maas. Especially the Throne of Glass series. In my opinion, it is more fantasy based with romance as a secondary focus. Crescent City should be read last. (I have not read the Crescent City books yet. I was waiting for the series to be finished but that could be years now.)
Maas herself said it is important to read the Crescent City series before ACOTAR 6 and 7 come out. It has been a while since I read the Throne of Glass series and I would like to re-read the ACOTAR series to really get in the mood. With novellas, that means I have 17 books to read between now and October 7. That totals 10,431 pages! It is 222 days till October 7 and 10,431 divided by 222 is 46.98. Forty seven pages a day? Easy peasy!
I better get started. I wonder how much vacation time I have left.
*One of the best things about the Maasverse (the name of Maas’s fantasy worlds) is the community of fans. There are Face Book pages, Tik Tok pages, YouTube channels, and conventions dedicated to Maas’s works. You can find crazy theories (and some really compelling ones!), chat about your favorite characters and story plots, and just enjoy being around people who love the same thing you do!
**This is a reprint of my article posted last year on May 16. I still highly recommend Throne of Glass!
“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.” — Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass
I am way past the age that Young Adult novels are marketed for, but I absolutely adore them! The book that hooked me on this genre is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. A female assassin with a mysterious past? A contest of brute and cunning to determine who will be the King’s Champion? Bodies of the contestants found brutally mutilated in dark corners of the castle? Shadowy dark creatures slipping through the book piles of a cavernous library? Yes, please!
This book focuses on Celaena Sardothien, a 17-year old girl freed from the brutal salt mines where she has been imprisoned for the last year. Her rescuer? None other than the Crown Prince of Adarlan, Dorian Havilliard – son of the man who had Celaena’s family killed and destroyed her country. This starts a 7-book series that follows Celaena and her companions over the next several years. We get to experience every victory, heartbreak, and soul-crushing betrayal as we journey along with the characters through the richly textured world Maas has created.
The author started this book when she was a teenager, and the book is about a teenage girl, so there is boy drama and high emotions. The trials the Champions have to undergo are glossed over to focus more on relationships, but this is not a silly teen romance. Celaena is moody, volatile, and at times rude. But you still root for her. The story is told in third person, so we slowly get to know Celaena and some of her reasons for her actions. The quote that started this article is a great summary of this young girl and the start of her redeeming arc.
I can honestly say, Throne of Glass was my least favorite book in the series. And I still loved it. I cried, laughed, and cheered! (Yes, that was me sitting at Guthrie’s, trying not to shed tears onto my chicken fingers!) Celaena is not even my favorite character! As the story expands, we meet new characters, including a cruel witch, a brooding Fae warrior, an ‘underdog’ wyvern, and a shape-shifting courtesan.
I know this book is not for everyone. It is touted as Young Adult and I have seen it recommended for ages 12 and up. In my opinion, it really is for an ‘older-young’ adult. There is scattered swearing, acts of intimacy (especially in the later books), and graphic depictions of gore. So be aware if you are looking for a book for a young teen. But don’t let the “Young Adult” label stop you if you are ‘of a certain age’! This is a rousing adventure that delivers on impact!
***From Amazon – The sexy, action-packed first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series from Sarah J. Maas.
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.
