Introduction
If you’ve ever paused mid-chapter to ask “wait, how is she related to him?”, you’re not alone. The Throne of Glass family tree is tangled on purpose. Three royal houses share ancestors, a few characters go by more than one name, and some of the biggest relationships are hidden until later books.
This guide sorts it out. You’ll find a spoiler-free section first, then full family trees for the Galathynius, Ashryver and Havilliard bloodlines, plus straight answers to the questions readers search most: how Aelin and Dorian are related, whether Rowan is family, and who Mab, Mala and Maeve really are.
One rule runs through every diagram: blood relatives, marriages and mating bonds are labelled separately, so you never have to guess whether a line means “child of” or “partner of.”
Throne of Glass Family Tree at a Glance
Spoiler level: This overview names houses only. It’s safe if you’ve finished Throne of Glass (book 1). Later sections flag their own spoiler levels.
| House | Seat | Key characters | How they connect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galathynius | Terrasen | Brannon, Elena, Rhoe, Evalin, Aelin | The royal line of Terrasen, founded by King Brannon |
| Ashryver | Wendlyn | Glaston, Galan, Evalin (by birth), Aedion | Descended from the Fae queen Mab; Aelin’s mother was born an Ashryver |
| Havilliard | Adarlan | Gavin, the King of Adarlan, Georgina, Dorian, Hollin | Founded when Elena, Brannon’s daughter, married Gavin |
| Whitethorn | Doranelle (Fae court) | Rowan | Descended from the Fae queen Mora, Mab’s sister |
Ancient Fae ancestry: Three legendary Fae queens, Mab, Mora and Maeve, sit behind these houses, along with Mala Fire-Bringer, wife of King Brannon. Each gets her own section below.
Throne of Glass Family Tree Without Spoilers
Safe for: readers who have finished Throne of Glass (book 1) only. Everything after this section contains spoilers for later books.
Here is what the first book makes clear.
- Brannon was an ancient king of Terrasen, and his daughter Elena became the first queen of Adarlan.
- Elena married Gavin, the first king of Adarlan. Their house is Havilliard.
- The current royal family of Adarlan is the King, Queen Georgina, and their sons Dorian (the crown prince) and Hollin (the younger prince).
- Dorian’s family ties run through marriage and descent from Gavin and Elena. They are not a hidden-identity twist.
Key: └─ = parent to child, ══ = marriage, ... = generations not itemised.
What this section deliberately leaves out: the main heroine’s real name and parentage, any connection between the families, and everything about the older Fae queens. Those are later-book reveals.
Galathynius Family Tree Explained
The Galathynius line is the royal house of Terrasen. It begins with Brannon Galathynius, a Fae king, and Mala Fire-Bringer, the fire goddess who gave up immortality to be with him. Their daughter Elena married Gavin Havilliard, which is how the Galathynius and Havilliard bloodlines first intertwine.
| Person | Role | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Brannon Galathynius | First king of Terrasen | Husband of Mala; father of Elena |
| Mala Fire-Bringer | Fire goddess turned mortal | Wife of Brannon; mother of Elena; source of the fire gift |
| Elena Galathynius | First princess of Terrasen; queen of Adarlan | Daughter of Brannon and Mala; wife and mate of Gavin; ancestor of the Havilliards and of Aelin |
| Gavin Havilliard | First king of Adarlan | Elena’s husband; founder of House Havilliard |
| Orlon Galathynius | Earlier king of Terrasen | Listed in fan references as Aelin’s grandfather; verify against the text before publishing |
| Rhoe Galathynius | King of Terrasen | Aelin’s father |
| Evalin Ashryver Galathynius | Queen of Terrasen | Aelin’s mother; born into House Ashryver |
| Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Queen of Terrasen | Daughter of Rhoe and Evalin; the Aelin Galathynius family tree centres on her |
- Brannon and Elena: father and daughter. Elena is half-Fae.
- Elena and Gavin: a marriage and mating bond. Their union founded House Havilliard.
- Aelin’s parents: King Rhoe Galathynius and Queen Evalin Ashryver Galathynius.
- Aelin and Mala: Aelin carries Mala’s blood, which is why her fire is so strong. The novels say Dorian and Aedion carry it too.
The exact generation steps between Elena and Aelin aren’t itemised in the books, so this guide doesn’t number them.
Related Post:
- Throne of Glass Tandem Read Guide: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn
- ACOTAR Books in Order: Complete Reading Guide\
- From Blood and Ash Spicy Chapters: Book 1 & The Primal of Blood and Bone Guide
Ashryver Family Tree Explained
House Ashryver rules Wendlyn and descends from the Fae queen Mab. This is Aelin’s maternal side, and the source of her turquoise-and-gold eyes.
| Person | Connection |
|---|---|
| Queen Mab | Founding ancestor of House Ashryver; youngest of the three legendary Fae queens |
| Glaston Ashryver | King of Wendlyn; Evalin’s brother |
| Galan Ashryver | Crown prince of Wendlyn; Glaston’s son; Aelin’s cousin |
| Evalin Ashryver Galathynius | Glaston’s sister; Aelin’s mother |
| Aedion’s mother | Unnamed in the novels. First cousin of Evalin |
| Gavriel | Aedion’s father; Fae warrior |
| Aedion Ashryver | Aelin’s cousin; Gavriel’s son |
The novels name Evalin as Glaston’s sister and Galan as Glaston’s son. They do not name Aedion’s mother, and this guide won’t either.
Havilliard Family Tree Explained
House Havilliard begins when Gavin Havilliard and Elena Galathynius marry. Brannon gave them Adarlan, so Gavin became its first king and Elena its first queen. That makes the Havilliard line part Fae from the start.
| Person | Connection |
|---|---|
| Gavin & Elena | First king and queen of Adarlan; founders of the house |
| The King of Adarlan | Dorian’s father; fan references call him Dorian Havilliard I, but the books rarely use his name |
| Georgina Havilliard | The King’s wife; mother of Dorian and Hollin |
| Dorian Havilliard II | Crown prince, later king of Adarlan |
| Hollin Havilliard | Dorian’s younger brother |
| Roland Havilliard | The King’s cousin’s son, so Dorian’s second cousin; appears in Crown of Midnight |
Dorian’s real father? Despite the question appearing in searches, there’s no hidden-parent twist. Dorian is the son of the King of Adarlan and Queen Georgina. The twist in his father’s story is possession by the Valg, not parentage.
How Are Aelin and Dorian Related?
They are very distant relatives. Both descend from Brannon and Mala. Dorian’s line runs through Elena and Gavin, while Aelin’s line runs back through Terrasen’s royal house to the same ancestors. The novels confirm Elena as an ancestor of both, and say Aelin, Dorian and Aedion all carry Mala’s blood.
The gap is hundreds of years. Think of them as very distant cousins, not close family.
Is Rowan Related to Aelin?
Only very distantly. Rowan Whitethorn belongs to a household descended from Mora, Mab’s sister. In the novels he is called an extremely distant relation of Aelin’s, linked by ancient ancestry.
| Type | Aelin & Rowan |
|---|---|
| Immediate family | No |
| Distant ancestral link | Yes (through the Fae queens Mab and Mora) |
| Marriage | Yes |
| Mating bond | Yes |
The books note that Aelin is more closely related to Elide, and probably to Chaol, than to Rowan, despite that distant link.
How Are Aelin and Aedion Related?
They are cousins on Aelin’s mother’s side.
- Aelin’s mother, Evalin, and Aedion’s mother were first cousins.
- Aedion’s mother is never named in the novels.
- Aedion’s father is Gavriel, a Fae warrior from Maeve’s court.
The books call Aelin and Aedion cousins. Strictly speaking, because their mothers were first cousins, they are second cousins. Aedion was raised by Evalin and Rhoe after his mother died.
Mab, Mala and Maeve: What Are Their Connections?
These three names are easy to mix up. They are three different characters with different roles.
| Character | Who she is | Connection to the families |
|---|---|---|
| Mab | Youngest of three legendary Fae queens | Founder of House Ashryver; Aelin’s maternal ancestor |
| Mala Fire-Bringer | Fire goddess who became mortal for Brannon | Wife of Brannon; mother of Elena; source of the Galathynius fire gift |
| Maeve | Fae queen of Doranelle | Presented as the third “sister” of Mab and Mora; the books later reveal she is a Valg queen, not their real sister |
Mora, the middle sister, is the ancestor behind House Whitethorn, which is where Rowan comes in.
So Aelin’s fire comes from Mala, her Ashryver heritage comes from Mab, and Maeve is not family in any genuine sense.
Throne of Glass Couples and Relationships
These are partnerships, not bloodlines.
| Couple | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aelin & Rowan | Marriage + mating bond | Distantly related through Fae ancestry only |
| Aedion & Lysandra | Marriage + mating bond | Not related |
| Elena & Gavin | Marriage + mating bond | Founders of House Havilliard |
| Rhoe & Evalin | Marriage | Aelin’s parents |
| Elide & Lorcan | Romantic partners | Not blood relatives; confirm bond wording against the text |
| Dorian & Manon | Romantic partners | Not blood relatives; confirm ending wording against the text |
Not every couple has children. A mating bond is a magical and emotional tie, not a parent-child link.
Complete Throne of Glass Family Tree
Legend
│ / └─= parent to child (blood)═══= marriage or mating bond┈┈┈= distant ancestry, generations not itemised(unnamed)= not named in the novels
Mobile-friendly list version
- Brannon & Mala → daughter Elena
- Elena & Gavin → House Havilliard (the King & Georgina → Dorian, Hollin)
- Elena’s descendants → Terrasen’s royal line → Rhoe
- Rhoe & Evalin Ashryver → Aelin
- Mab → House Ashryver → Glaston (→ Galan), Evalin (→ Aelin), Aedion’s mother (unnamed → Aedion, with Gavriel)
- Mora → House Whitethorn → Rowan
- Marriage / mating pairs: Aelin & Rowan; Aedion & Lysandra; Elena & Gavin
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How are Aelin and Dorian related?
(Spoilers: book 2 onward) Distant cousins through Brannon, Mala and Elena.
2. Are Manon and Aelin related?
No blood relation is shown in the novels. Manon is a Blackbeak witch; Aelin is Terrasen’s Fae-descended queen.
3. What is Aelin’s family tree?
Her father is Rhoe Galathynius, her mother is Evalin Ashryver, and she descends from Brannon, Mala and Mab.
4. Who are Aelin’s parents?
King Rhoe Galathynius and Queen Evalin Ashryver Galathynius.
5. Who was Aelin’s father?
Rhoe Galathynius, King of Terrasen.
6. Who is Dorian Havilliard’s real father?
The King of Adarlan. There is no hidden-parent twist.
7. Who is Brannon Galathynius?
An ancient Fae king of Terrasen, husband of Mala and father of Elena.
8. Who is Mala Fire-Bringer?
A fire goddess who gave up immortality for Brannon, mother of Elena and the source of the royal fire gift.
9. Who is Queen Mab in Throne of Glass?
The youngest of three legendary Fae queens and the founder of House Ashryver, Aelin’s maternal ancestor.
10. Is Rowan related to Aelin?
Only extremely distantly, through the Fae queens Mab and Mora.
11. How are Aelin and Aedion related?
Cousins through their mothers, who were first cousins.
12. Who is Aedion’s father?
(Spoiler: Queen of Shadows) Gavriel, a Fae warrior in Maeve’s court.
13. Does Throne of Glass have a family tree without spoilers?
Yes. The spoiler-free section above is safe after book 1.
14. Where can I find a Throne of Glass family tree with pictures?
The image specs below are written so the diagrams can be produced as original illustrations. Other reader blogs also offer visual trees, but check their spoiler level first.
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.
