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ACOTAR Book Order

Sarah J. MaasOngoing5 books

ACOTAR is best read in publication order: all 5 ACOTAR books so far, from A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) to A Court of Silver Flames (2021). Open A Court of Thorns and Roses and keep going. Frost and Starlight bridges into Silver Flames; finish ACOTAR before Crescent City crossovers.

Updated August 2026

Best read in publication order

  1. Feyre's arc
  2. Cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses

    A Court of Thorns and Roses

    2015

    Human huntress Feyre is taken to the faerie realm after killing a wolf in the woods.

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  3. Cover of A Court of Mist and Fury

    A Court of Mist and Fury

    2016

    Feyre navigates new powers and political threats under the Night Court.

    Bookshop.org

  4. Cover of A Court of Wings and Ruin

    A Court of Wings and Ruin

    2017

    Feyre infiltrates the Spring Court as war between Prythian and Hybern looms.

    Bookshop.org

  5. Bridge novella
  6. Cover of A Court of Frost and Starlight

    A Court of Frost and Starlight

    2018

    A novella bridging the war's aftermath and the next phase of the story.

    Bookshop.org

  7. Nesta's arc
  8. Cover of A Court of Silver Flames

    A Court of Silver Flames

    2021

    Nesta Archeron trains with Cassian and faces trauma while new threats emerge.

    Bookshop.org

How ACOTAR is structured

Before you start

A Court of Thorns and Roses starts as a Beauty and the Beast retelling and turns into full-on romantasy war across the faerie courts of Prythian. Sarah J. Maas has published five main volumes since 2015: Feyre's arc across three novels, the bridging novella A Court of Frost and Starlight, then A Court of Silver Flames, which shifts to Nesta and Cassian while the larger story keeps moving.

Read them in publication order. Frost and Starlight sits between Wings and Ruin and Silver Flames for a reason: skip it and you lose the bridge between arcs. Silver Flames is not optional side content; it continues the main narrative even though Feyre and Rhysand step back. Later Crescent City volumes spoil and assume ACOTAR; Throne of Glass is not required to start here.

Start with A Court of Thorns and Roses. Book one is milder; spice and violence ramp hard after that, which is exactly what most readers signing up for this series want. Maas has said more books in this world are coming, so treat Silver Flames as the latest chapter, not a finale.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Court of Thorns and Roses books are there?

Five main releases: three novels in Feyre's arc, a bridging novella, and A Court of Silver Flames.

Is ACOTAR connected to Crescent City?

Same Maasverse. Crescent City book 1 is mostly its own story; later volumes cross into ACOTAR in ways that spoil and assume this series. Finish these five before CC book 2+ if you care.

Do I need Throne of Glass first?

No. Separate world for reading this series. Serious multiverse payoff runs through Crescent City, not through ACOTAR itself.

Where are the bonus chapters?

Not in standard editions. Wings and Embers shipped with a Target ACOMAF; Silver Flames had retailer exclusives. Optional character extras, not substitutes for Frost and Starlight.

Is A Court of Frost and Starlight required?

Short, yes, and worth it. Read it after Wings and Ruin; it bridges into Silver Flames.

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