The short answer: read the ACOTAR series in publication order. ACOTAR stands for A Court of Thorns and Roses, the fantasy romance series by Sarah J. Maas. The order is A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames, A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody.
This guide covers every released book plus the upcoming seventh. It is updated for November 2026: Book 6 came out on October 27, and Book 7 is due January 12, 2027.
ACOTAR Books in Order: Quick Reading List
| # | Title | Year | Type | Status (Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Court of Thorns and Roses | 2015 | Main novel | Released |
| 2 | A Court of Mist and Fury | 2016 | Main novel | Released |
| 3 | A Court of Wings and Ruin | 2017 | Main novel | Released |
| 4 | A Court of Frost and Starlight | 2018 | Novella | Released |
| 5 | A Court of Silver Flames | 2021 | Main novel | Released |
| 6 | A Court of Splintered Harmony | 2026 | Main novel | Released October 27, 2026 |
| 7 | A Court of Forgotten Melody | 2027 | Main novel | Scheduled for January 12, 2027 |
Books 1 through 5 are the original run. Books 6 and 7 begin a new story arc that Maas calls the Valkyrie Cycle, so they are the “new books” most readers are searching for right now.
ACOTAR Books in Order: Complete Book-by-Book Guide
A note on page counts: page counts vary by hardcover, paperback, ebook and country. The numbers below are for the U.S. Bloomsbury hardcover unless I say otherwise, based on library catalog records and retailer listings of the publisher’s data. Check the edition you are buying.
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Published: May 5, 2015 (Bloomsbury)
- Pages: 432 (original hardcover); 419 in later paperback listings
- Perspective: Feyre Archeron
- Reading order: First book. Start here.
- Essential before the next book? Yes.
Feyre is a young huntress who keeps her family fed in a world where faerie lands lie beyond a wall. When she crosses the border, she is pulled into a Fae court and a life she never planned for. It is part fairy-tale retelling, part slow-burn romance, and it sets up the world, the courts and the rules the later books build on. Of all the books, it reads most like young adult fantasy. Maas fans often note that the series becomes more mature from the second book on (reader observation, not a publisher statement).
2. A Court of Mist and Fury
- Published: May 3, 2016
- Pages: 626
- Perspective: Feyre
- Reading order: Second book.
- Essential before the next book? Yes.
The second book follows Feyre as she deals with what the first book left behind and begins to find her footing in a larger political world. The tone shifts: higher stakes, more emotional range, and a much wider cast. Many readers call this the point where the series really takes off, though that is opinion. Read it right after book one; the two are tightly connected.
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin
- Published: May 2, 2017
- Pages: 705 (2017 hardcover catalog record); some paperback listings show 703
- Perspective: Primarily Feyre
- Reading order: Third book.
- Essential before the next book? Yes. It concludes the original trilogy storyline.
War is coming to Prythian, the Fae lands of the series. Feyre and the people around her have to decide who they can trust and what they are willing to risk. This book wraps up the major threads from books one and two, so it works as the end of the first trilogy.
4. A Court of Frost and Starlight
- Published: May 1, 2018 per some listings; widely cited as a late-2018 release. Confirm the exact date on the Bloomsbury listing before publishing.
- Pages: 229 (U.S. hardcover and paperback); some other editions list 233 to 272
- Perspective: Multiple, including Feyre and Rhysand
- Reading order: Fourth, between the original trilogy and A Court of Silver Flames.
- Essential before the next book? Not strictly, but recommended. See the dedicated section below.
This short novella follows the characters in the quiet weeks after the war, as they try to rebuild and celebrate a winter holiday. It is a low-stakes, character-focused story that sets up emotional threads for the next book. It also hints at what a couple of characters are going through.
5. A Court of Silver Flames
- Published: February 16, 2021
- Pages: 757 (hardcover catalog record); some paperback listings show 784
- Perspective: Nesta Archeron and Cassian
- Reading order: Fifth book.
- Essential before the next book? Strongly recommended. Book 6 follows after it, though I could not find a publisher statement on whether you need it.
This installment shifts the spotlight from Feyre to her sister Nesta, a character who has been changing since the first books. It explores recovery, anger and growth, and it is the most romance-forward book since the first. Readers who prefer Feyre’s story sometimes find the shift in focus jarring, but it is where the series goes next.
6. A Court of Splintered Harmony
- Published: October 27, 2026 (Bloomsbury)
- Pages: 352 (hardcover, per Bloomsbury)
- Subtitle: The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I
- Perspective: I could not find a confirmed point-of-view list from official sources. Don’t treat fan character lists as confirmed.
- Reading order: Sixth book. Read after A Court of Silver Flames.
- Essential before the next book? Yes. Book 7 continues the same story arc.
Bloomsbury’s tagline is “What was broken will be remade.” The official synopsis introduces a threat called Koschei the Deathless, stirring in the heart of the continent. The book opens the Valkyrie Cycle and is shorter than the usual main installment, which Maas explained as part of her decision to split a roughly 1,000-page story into parts.
7. A Court of Forgotten Melody
- Scheduled: January 12, 2027 (Bloomsbury)
- Pages: 896 per Bloomsbury and most retailers; at least one Australian retailer lists 928, so expect minor regional differences
- Subtitle: The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements II and III
- Perspective: Not officially confirmed
- Reading order: Seventh book. Read after Book 6.
- Essential? Not applicable yet. It has not been released.
The tagline is “What was lost will be reclaimed,” and Koschei the Deathless remains a threat, according to publisher copy. It continues the story begun in Book 6 and is the longest book in the series on paper. I am not summarizing the plot further because nothing beyond the official copy has been confirmed.
ACOTAR Book Release Dates in Order
| # | Title | Publication date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Court of Thorns and Roses | May 5, 2015 | Released |
| 2 | A Court of Mist and Fury | May 3, 2016 | Released |
| 3 | A Court of Wings and Ruin | May 2, 2017 | Released |
| 4 | A Court of Frost and Starlight | 2018 (verify exact day) | Released |
| 5 | A Court of Silver Flames | February 16, 2021 | Released |
| 6 | A Court of Splintered Harmony | October 27, 2026 | Released |
| 7 | A Court of Forgotten Melody | January 12, 2027 | Upcoming |
For this series, the publication order and the recommended reading order are the same. The one wrinkle is that the original run ended with Book 5 in 2021, and readers then waited more than five years for another full-length ACOTAR novel. Books 6 and 7 are separated by less than three months, which is unusual for the series.
Can You Skip A Court of Frost and Starlight?
Short answer: Yes, you can skip it without losing the main plot, but first-time readers who want the full emotional picture should read it. It is short, and it sits between books three and five.
The book is a novella, roughly 229 pages in the U.S. hardcover, compared with 600 to 750 pages for the main novels. Instead of a big quest or battle, it follows the characters through a winter celebration after the war, as they adjust to peace.
What you might miss by skipping it:
- A look at how several characters are coping after the war
- Context for where certain relationships stand before A Court of Silver Flames
- A quieter, cozier tone that contrasts with the main books
My recommendation (editorial opinion): read it. It takes an afternoon, and it makes the start of Book 5 land better. If you skip it, a quick summary is usually enough to catch up.
Related Post:
- From Blood and Ash Spicy Chapters: Book 1 & The Primal of Blood and Bone Guide
- Throne of Glass Tandem Read Guide: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn
Is ACOTAR Book 6 Out Yet?
Short answer: Yes. A Court of Splintered Harmony, ACOTAR Book 6, was released on October 27, 2026. Book 7, A Court of Forgotten Melody, is scheduled for January 12, 2027.
As of November 7, 2026:
- Book 6: Out for about 11 days. Bloomsbury lists the hardcover at 352 pages.
- Book 7: Not yet released, due January 12, 2027, with the hardcover listed at 896 pages.
- Book 8: Not confirmed. I found no official title, date or preorder information, and you should treat any such details with skepticism. Some outlets list a possible Book 8 as “unconfirmed,” and the Valkyrie Cycle is described as having four movements, with the first in Book 6 and the second and third in Book 7. Whether the fourth gets its own book has not been officially announced.
The unusually short gap between Books 6 and 7 comes from Maas’s decision to split what she said was around 1,000 pages of story into separate releases.
Should You Read ACOTAR Before Throne of Glass?
Short answer: Neither has to come first. They are separate series by Sarah J. Maas with no mandatory reading order between them.
Throne of Glass is the older series, starting in 2012, while ACOTAR began in 2015. Each tells its own complete story with its own characters and world.
How they differ (editorial summary):
- ACOTAR leans toward romance and character relationships, with a fairy-tale starting point. It is a good fit if romance is the main draw.
- Throne of Glass leans toward epic fantasy, with a larger cast, more political and military plotting, and a longer main series. It suits readers who want worldbuilding and an expansive war storyline.
If you cannot decide, pick based on what you want most: romance first, start with ACOTAR; sweeping fantasy first, start with Throne of Glass.
ACOTAR and Crescent City Reading Order
Crescent City is Maas’s adult urban fantasy series, set in a modern city rather than a medieval-style fantasy world. It runs House of Earth and Blood (2020), House of Sky and Breath (2022) and House of Flame and Shadow (2024).
You do not need Crescent City to understand ACOTAR Books 1 through 5. The two series have separate main casts and settings.
Confirmed vs. interpretation:
- Confirmed: Maas treats her series as connected, and some coverage of A Court of Splintered Harmony discusses possible links to House of Flame and Shadow.
- Interpretation or theory: What those links mean for Books 6 and 7. Treat fan theories as theories until the books or Maas say otherwise.
Spoiler warning: later Crescent City books contain big reveals that some ACOTAR readers want to know about. I’m not going to spoil them here.
My practical suggestion (editorial opinion): if you plan to read both series and want the full picture, finish House of Flame and Shadow before Book 7. If you just want the ACOTAR story, you can read Book 6 as it comes.
Sarah J. Maas Books in Order: Complete Maasverse Reading Guide
Maas has three main series. There is no official chronological universe order, so don’t treat publication order as a required path.
| Series | Started | Genre feel | Good starting point if you like… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throne of Glass | 2012 | Epic fantasy | Sweeping plots, large casts, war |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | 2015 | Fantasy romance | Slow-burn romance, fairy-tale roots |
| Crescent City | 2020 | Urban fantasy, adult | Modern settings, mystery, found family |
Practical starting advice:
- Want romance first: start with A Court of Thorns and Roses.
- Want epic fantasy: start with Throne of Glass.
- Want a modern setting: start with House of Earth and Blood. Crescent City is written for adults and is the most mature of the three.
- Want everything: order is your call; many fans go in publication order of the series.
FAQs About ACOTAR Book Order
In what order should I read ACOTAR?
Read 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, A Court of Silver Flames, A Court of Splintered Harmony, then A Court of Forgotten Melody once it is out.
How many books are in the ACOTAR series?
Seven are announced: five released before 2026 (including one novella), Book 6 released October 27, 2026, and Book 7 scheduled for January 12, 2027.
Is there a sixth ACOTAR book?
Yes. It is A Court of Splintered Harmony, subtitled The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I.
Is ACOTAR Book 6 released?
Yes, it was published by Bloomsbury on October 27, 2026.
What is the ACOTAR Book 6 release date?
October 27, 2026.
When does ACOTAR Book 7 come out?
January 12, 2027. The title is A Court of Forgotten Melody.
Is the ACOTAR series complete?
Not yet. Book 7 has not been released, and I found no official confirmation of a Book 8 or of the series ending.
Can I skip A Court of Frost and Starlight?
You can without losing the main plot, but it is short and adds context for Book 5. See the section above.
Should I read Throne of Glass before ACOTAR?
No. They are separate series, and you can start with either.
Should I read Crescent City before ACOTAR Book 6?
It is not required. Some readers prefer to finish Crescent City first because of possible connections, but that is a preference, not an official requirement.
How many pages are in the ACOTAR books?
Approximate U.S. hardcover counts: Book 1, 432; Book 2, 626; Book 3, 705; Book 4, 229; Book 5, 757; Book 6, 352; Book 7, 896 (listed). Paperback and international counts differ.
Who wrote the ACOTAR series?
Sarah J. Maas. The books are published by Bloomsbury.
Final Thoughts
For the simplest ACOTAR book order, read in publication order and decide whether the novella and the Maasverse extras are worth it for you. Book 6 is available now, and Book 7 follows on January 12, 2027.
Hi, I’m Nisbah – a blogger with over 2 years of experience creating content and a fantasy enthusiast who loves exploring magical worlds, fantasy books, captivating stories, and unforgettable characters. I share book recommendations, reviews, fantasy insights, and story discussions and creating guides to help readers discover their next great adventure.
