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Throne of Glass Book Order

Sarah J. MaasComplete8 books

Full shelf in publication order below: all 8 Throne of Glass books, from Throne of Glass (2012) to Kingdom of Ash (2018). New readers usually pick a path rather than starting at book one. Assassin's Blade after Crown of Midnight is popular; Tower of Dawn is concurrent with Empire of Storms and required before Kingdom of Ash.

Updated August 2026

Ways to read Throne of Glass

Pick a path. The first one works for most people.

Publication Order

  1. Early novels
  2. Cover of Throne of Glass

    Throne of Glass

    2012

    Assassin Celaena competes to become the king's champion and win her freedom.

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  3. Cover of Crown of Midnight

    Crown of Midnight

    2013

    Celaena carries out the king's missions while uncovering a conspiracy in the castle.

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  4. Cover of Heir of Fire

    Heir of Fire

    2014

    Celaena travels to Wendlyn and confronts her heritage and magical legacy.

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  5. Prequel novellas
  6. Cover of The Assassin's Blade

    The Assassin's Blade

    2014

    Prequel novellas covering Celaena's early years as an assassin before the main series.

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  7. Later novels
  8. Cover of Queen of Shadows

    Queen of Shadows

    2015

    Celaena returns to Adarlan to dismantle the king's regime from within.

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  9. Cover of Empire of Storms

    Empire of Storms

    2016

    Allied forces gather as war with Erawan and the Valg reaches a breaking point.

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  10. Cover of Tower of Dawn

    Tower of Dawn

    2017

    Chaol and Nesryn seek allies in the southern continent while the war continues elsewhere.

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  11. Cover of Kingdom of Ash

    Kingdom of Ash

    2018

    The final confrontation with Erawan unfolds across multiple fronts.

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How Throne of Glass is structured

Before you start

Throne of Glass is Sarah J. Maas's first fantasy series: assassin Celaena Sardothien from a prison camp to king's champion to a continent-scale war of magic, fae, and old powers. Seven main novels (2012–2018), plus The Assassin's Blade novella collection. It starts tighter and ends enormous.

The novels in publication order work. Assassin's Blade is prequel material: read it first for chronological backstory, after Crown of Midnight for emotional weight, or in publication order after Heir of Fire. All three are valid. Tandem-reading Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn is optional; sequential publication order is fine.

Finish with Kingdom of Ash. Tower of Dawn runs alongside Empire of Storms and belongs before the finale. Do not save it for later. Same author as ACOTAR, different world, no plot crossover you need before you start. If you bounced on the early tournament vibe, know the series widens hard. Many fans say the later books are where it becomes itself.

Alternate Reading Paths

Assassin's Blade after Crown of Midnight8 stopsPopular fan order: Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight first, then the prequel novellas.Show this order in the list
With The Assassin's Blade first8 stopsPrequel novellas for Celaena's backstory. Nice, not required before Throne of Glass.Show this order in the list
EoS / ToD tandem (optional)8 stopsEmpire of Storms and Tower of Dawn happen at the same time. Sequential pub order is fine; tandem chapter guides exist if you hate the EoS cliffhanger then a full ToD reset. Do not skip ToD.Show this order in the list

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Throne of Glass books are there?

Seven main novels plus The Assassin's Blade novella collection.

When should I read The Assassin's Blade?

Not required before Throne of Glass. Best first-timer spots: after Crown of Midnight, or first if you want chronological backstory. Publication order puts it after Heir of Fire.

Should I tandem-read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn?

Optional. They are concurrent. Reading ToD after EoS is correct and complete; tandem only helps pacing.

Should I read Tower of Dawn before Kingdom of Ash?

Yes. Skipping it before the finale costs setup and characters the ending uses.

Is Throne of Glass connected to ACOTAR?

Same author, separate worlds. No plot crossover you need to track.

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