I have read A Court of Thorns and Roses more times than I am prepared to admit publicly, and apparently that still was not enough because I am currently doing the whole thing again on GraphicAudio before book 6 arrives.
So this is the ACOTAR page I wish I had the first time around.
Every book in order. Where the novella actually goes. What is coming next. Whether you need to read Crescent City. What is happening with the TV show. My spice ratings. My GraphicAudio reread reviews. Full summaries and character guides. And, because this is EmberSas, what we are eating and drinking while emotionally relocating to Prythian.
Basically, if you are about to start ACOTAR, rereading before the new books, or have simply forgotten who half these people are because your TBR has destroyed your memory, start here.
Everything on this page is spoiler-free.
If you want spoilers, full recaps and the “wait, who was that again?” level of detail, I have separate summary and character guides linked below.
Last updated: 29 September 2026. I update this page whenever actual ACOTAR news drops, so save it somewhere between your Kindle app and your increasingly questionable collection of fictional men.
The ACOTAR series in order
Let’s get the important bit out of the way first.
Read the ACOTAR books in publication order.
Conveniently, that is also the story order, so Sarah J. Maas has spared us the kind of reading-order flowchart that requires string, pins and an investigation board.
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
- A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
- A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
- A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018, novella)
- A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
- A Court of Splintered Harmony (27 October 2026)
- A Court of Forgotten Melody (12 January 2027)
- Book 8, the final part of the new story, title and release date still to be announced
That’s it.
No secret prequel you were supposed to read first. No alternate chronological order. No “technically book 3.5 goes between chapters 46 and 47 if Mercury is in retrograde”.
Start with A Court of Thorns and Roses and keep going.
Your emotional stability is between you and your Kindle from there.
How many ACOTAR books are there?
Right now, there are five ACOTAR books published: four full novels and one novella.
That becomes six on 27 October 2026 when A Court of Splintered Harmony arrives, then seven on 12 January 2027 with A Court of Forgotten Melody.
And we are not done after that.
Sarah J. Maas has also confirmed an eighth book.
On the Call Her Daddy podcast in March 2026, she explained that this next storyline is one large story told in four parts across three physical books.
Book 6 contains part one.
Book 7 contains parts two and three.
Book 8 finishes everything with part four.
So despite there being three new books, Maas was very clear that this is not really a trilogy. Think of it more like one enormous story being handed to us in instalments, presumably so we can all lose our minds together over an extended period.
Once all three are published, the ACOTAR series will contain eight books.
Do you have to read ACOTAR in order?
Yes.
Please.
This is not a series to freestyle.
Every book carries the emotional fallout, relationships, politics and character development of the one before it.
And yes, I know what you have heard.
“Book two is where it gets good.”
I am not going to argue with you.
Book two is where it gets good.
A Court of Mist and Fury is my favourite book in the series and I will not be taking questions at this time.
But the reason so much of book two hits as hard as it does is because you experienced book one first.
You need the setup.
You need the context.
You need to make certain assumptions.
You need to become attached to certain things.
Then you can proceed directly to having those assumptions rearranged.
Trust the process.
Can you read A Court of Silver Flames first?
Technically?
Yes.
You can also technically start a television series at season five.
That does not mean I am going to recommend it.
A Court of Silver Flames changes the main point of view to Nesta, so I completely understand why it can look like a fresh entry point.
It isn’t.
The book leans heavily on everything that happened during the first four books. You would spoil most of the original storyline for yourself and lose a huge amount of the emotional context behind Nesta’s story.
Start with book one.
Future you will be less confused and considerably more emotionally compromised.
Where does A Court of Frost and Starlight fit?
A Court of Frost and Starlight is book 4.
Read it after A Court of Wings and Ruin and before A Court of Silver Flames.
It is shorter, quieter and set around the Winter Solstice. After everything that happens in book three, it feels a little like everyone has collectively been told to put on something cosy, have a drink and attempt to process their trauma.
Which is honestly fair.
It is also the ACOTAR book people are most tempted to skip.
I get it.
The stakes are lower. It is short. Nobody is spending hundreds of pages trying to prevent the end of the world.
But it is a bridge.
It shows where several characters are emotionally before A Court of Silver Flames begins, and without it you arrive at book five slightly behind the conversation.
It is quick.
Read it.
Make a drink.
Consider it your Prythian Christmas special.
ACOTAR books 6, 7 and 8: what’s coming next
ACOTAR is officially back.
And apparently Sarah J. Maas has looked at all of us waiting patiently and decided patience is no longer required.
- A Court of Splintered Harmony, book 6, arrives on 27 October 2026.
- A Court of Forgotten Melody, book 7, follows on 12 January 2027.
- Then book 8 finishes the story, although we do not have its title or release date yet.
Together, the new books are being billed as The Valkyrie Cycle, with the story split into movements.
Extremely normal naming choice for a series guaranteed to have half the internet building theory boards.
What do we actually know about ACOTAR book 6?
The official information confirms that Koschei the Deathless is the threat hanging over the new story.
The Night Court is divided.
Alliances across Prythian have fractured.
Those alliances need repairing at approximately the worst possible time.
What we do not have confirmed is whose book this actually is.
There are theories.
So many theories.
There are theories with evidence, theories built on tiny details from previous books, theories based on interviews and theories that appear to have been created at 2 am after somebody opened seventeen browser tabs.
Until Sarah J. Maas or Bloomsbury confirms the narrator, they are theories.
I have pulled the confirmed information, the interesting possibilities and the things currently floating around online that are definitely not confirmed into my full guide: ACOTAR Book 6: Everything We Know About A Court of Splintered Harmony.
If you are currently in your ACOTAR detective era, that is where you want to go next.
Latest ACOTAR news
I keep the newest updates here so you do not have to go digging through six months of TikToks trying to work out what actually happened.
- 29 September 2026: This hub goes live. Book 6 is four weeks away and I am currently mid-reread on GraphicAudio because apparently reading these books once in each format is a perfectly reasonable use of my time.
- August 2026: Sarah J. Maas revealed the titles and covers for books 6 and 7, A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody, under The Valkyrie Cycle name.
- May 2026: Reports said Maas was actively looking for a new home for the ACOTAR television adaptation.
- 5 March 2026: On Call Her Daddy, Maas confirmed three new books, explained that they form one story in four parts, revealed the release dates for books 6 and 7, and confirmed that she now holds the adaptation rights.
If something major happens, this section gets updated.
Because I refuse to make you work out whether a blurry screenshot with six exclamation marks is real news.
Is ACOTAR spicy? My ratings, book by book
Short answer?
Yes.
Longer answer?
Eventually.
ACOTAR does not kick the bedroom door down in book one.
It builds.
Book one is much more fantasy romance with a simmer happening in the background. Book two turns the temperature up, and the series gradually becomes more open-door from there.
If you are new here, I rate spice using chillies because stars should tell me whether the book was good, not whether I needed to check that my headphones were still connected.
My ratings so far:
A Court of Thorns and Roses
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ story
🌶️ spice
A slower start, but it earns its place once you know where the series is going.
Read my GraphicAudio reread review
A Court of Mist and Fury
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ story
🌶️🌶️½ spice
My favourite in the entire series. No further questions.
Read my GraphicAudio reread review
A Court of Wings and Ruin
My rating lands with my reread review.
A Court of Frost and Starlight
My rating lands with my reread review.
A Court of Silver Flames
My rating lands with my reread review.
And yes, we will absolutely be discussing whether GraphicAudio changes the experience.
Because some scenes are different when there are voices, sound effects and absolutely nowhere for you to hide.
A quick content note
ACOTAR is not dark romance, but it does deal with some heavy material.
Across the series you will find war and violence, torture, emotional abuse and controlling relationships, references to sexual assault, trauma, grief and PTSD.
A Court of Silver Flames also deals heavily with grief, self-destructive behaviour and alcohol misuse.
If any of those are a hard no for you, check the individual content warnings before diving in.
Fantasy escapism is considerably less relaxing when you accidentally stumble into something you really did not want to read.
Where does Crescent City fit?
Ah yes.
The question currently haunting everyone who just wanted to reread ACOTAR before book 6.
Do I also have to read Crescent City?
The honest answer right now is:
Optional, but more relevant than it used to be.
Crescent City is Sarah J. Maas’s urban fantasy series, and it crosses over with the ACOTAR world.
The crossover begins at the very end of House of Sky and Breath, which is Crescent City book 2, then becomes much more significant in House of Flame and Shadow, book 3.
Night Court characters are involved.
So if your goal is to walk into ACOTAR book 6 knowing every possible piece of Maasverse context, then yes, reading Crescent City books 1 to 3 first is the completionist option.
Am I personally panic-reading three extra books before 27 October?
No.
I know myself.
That is how recreational reading becomes homework.
I am reading Crescent City alongside book 6 instead, and once I have actually lived through both sides of the crossover I will update this section and tell you how necessary it really felt.
Consider me the test subject.
Is the ACOTAR TV show still happening?
Not at Hulu.
The ACOTAR television adaptation spent years in development there before being dropped in February 2025.
Sarah J. Maas confirmed in March 2026 that she now holds the adaptation rights herself, and she has made it clear that if an adaptation happens, she wants to be heavily involved and wants it done properly.
As of September 2026 there is:
- No network.
- No official cast.
- No release date.
So every extremely convincing Rhysand casting graphic currently appearing on your feed is still fan casting.
Please do not emotionally attach yourself to an actor yet.
We have enough fictional problems.
Reports in May 2026 said Maas was looking for a new home for the adaptation, but until something is officially announced, there is nothing to put in your calendar.
When there is, I will update the news section above.
Every ACOTAR guide on EmberSas
This is the part of the page that is going to keep growing.
I am working through the entire series again on GraphicAudio before and during the release of the new books.
Which means every reread creates two things.
First, the useful responsible resource where I tell you what happened and who everyone is.
Second, the part where I discuss my feelings, my spice rating and whether listening to it with a full cast was a sensible choice in public.
Summaries and character guides
These contain spoilers only up to the book they cover, so you can refresh your memory without accidentally spoiling the next one.
- A Court of Thorns and Roses: Full Summary and Character Guide
- A Court of Mist and Fury: Full Summary and Character Guide
- A Court of Wings and Ruin: coming soon
- A Court of Frost and Starlight: coming soon
- A Court of Silver Flames: coming soon
My GraphicAudio reread reviews
- ACOTAR Spicy Chapters: My GraphicAudio Reread Review
- A Court of Mist and Fury Spicy Chapters: My GraphicAudio Reread Review
More are coming as I work through the series.
For science.
Obviously.
ACOTAR book news
I am keeping the confirmed information separate from the theories because ACOTAR fandom can move from “interesting possibility” to “apparently this is canon now” at remarkable speed.
Completely new to romantasy?
Start with my Romantasy Starter Pack.
It covers where to begin with both ACOTAR and Fourth Wing, because nobody should have to stand in front of a fantasy-romance shelf pretending they understand what everyone on BookTok has been yelling about.
Host an ACOTAR reading night
Now we get to the important part.
If I am going back to Prythian, I am not doing it with a sad cup of tea and nothing to eat.
An ACOTAR reread deserves snacks.
It deserves drinks.
It deserves candles, low lighting and at least one moment where you realise you have spent significantly more effort setting the mood for your fictional evening than you did for your actual dinner.
So I have been building ACOTAR-inspired recipes alongside the reread.
Spring Court reading night
For book one energy:
A white sangria filled with fruit and edible flowers, inspired by the faerie wine that absolutely nobody in this story should have been drinking without asking several follow-up questions.
There is an alcohol-free version too.
Pretty, buttery and very Spring Court.
This is the table for flowers, soft light, deceptively peaceful vibes and absolutely no indication of the emotional decisions waiting several hundred pages ahead.
Night Court reading night
For book two onwards, the lighting gets darker and so does the colour palette.
Midnight indigo when poured, violet when the citrus hits.
It is dramatic.
It changes colour.
There is shimmer involved.
Obviously it belongs here.
A dessert built for the same reading-night table, with night-sky energy and considerably less emotional damage than the book.
Dark, sharp, fizzy and made for the point in the series where everyone has abandoned the peaceful Spring Court picnic aesthetic.
Smoked chicken wings with hot honey, lime and ginger.
Sticky, spicy and exactly the kind of thing I want next to me when “I’ll just read one more chapter” turns into midnight.
All drink recipes include alcohol-free options because book club should not require alcohol to participate.
And every Saturday I pair a book with something to sip and something to eat for Sip, Snack and Smut.
Read the book.
Make the drink.
Rate the spice.
This is basically why EmberSas exists.
ACOTAR series FAQ
What is the correct order to read the ACOTAR books?
Read them 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, then A Court of Silver Flames.
A Court of Splintered Harmony follows on 27 October 2026, then A Court of Forgotten Melody on 12 January 2027.
Book 8 will complete the new storyline.
How many ACOTAR books are there?
Five are published right now: four novels and one novella.
Book 6 arrives on 27 October 2026 and book 7 follows on 12 January 2027.
Sarah J. Maas has also confirmed an eighth book, which will complete the new story and bring the full series to eight books.
Can I skip A Court of Frost and Starlight?
You can.
I wouldn’t.
It is short, it gives you breathing room after A Court of Wings and Ruin, and it sets up where several characters are emotionally before A Court of Silver Flames starts.
Think of it as the bridge book.
Put on something cosy and read it.
Is the ACOTAR series finished?
No.
The original story arc wraps up in A Court of Wings and Ruin, but the world continues through A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames and the three upcoming books in The Valkyrie Cycle.
So if you thought you were finally getting your life back after book five, I have unfortunate news.
When does A Court of Forgotten Melody come out?
A Court of Forgotten Melody, ACOTAR book 7, is scheduled for 12 January 2027, eleven weeks after book 6.
Which is close enough together that I am already preparing emotionally irresponsible January reading plans.
Do I need to read Crescent City before ACOTAR 6?
You do not need Crescent City to understand the original ACOTAR books.
However, Crescent City books 2 and 3 cross over with the ACOTAR world, so reading the full trilogy before book 6 will give you extra Maasverse context.
I am reading Crescent City alongside the new ACOTAR books rather than racing through it beforehand, and I will update this answer once I know how necessary that crossover context actually feels.
Is there an ACOTAR TV show?
Not yet.
Hulu dropped its adaptation in February 2025 and Sarah J. Maas now holds the rights.
As of September 2026 there is no confirmed network, cast or release date.
Any casting graphic currently causing arguments in your group chat is fan casting until proven otherwise.
Is ACOTAR on GraphicAudio?
Yes.
GraphicAudio has full-cast dramatised versions of the ACOTAR books, and that is how I am doing this entire reread.
Multiple actors.
Sound effects.
Music.
And scenes you may suddenly become very aware you are listening to while sitting at traffic lights.
My reread reviews cover the books one by one, including the story, spice, performance and what the GraphicAudio version actually adds to the experience.
Headphones remain a sensible life choice.
Keep this page handy
Book 6 is four weeks away.
I am midway through the GraphicAudio reread.
There are summaries being written, theories multiplying, drinks changing colour on my kitchen bench and an increasingly ambitious ACOTAR reading-night menu taking shape.
So yes.
I am handling this very calmly.
I will keep this page updated as the new books arrive, with every confirmed release update, new guide, reread review, recipe and whatever emotional state The Valkyrie Cycle eventually leaves me in.
If you only save one ACOTAR link from EmberSas, make it this one.
Then come back whenever you need the reading order, a recap, the latest book 6 news, a spice check or something appropriately dramatic to drink while you read.
Now tell me: where are you up to in the series? Are you rereading before 27 October, or walking straight into book 6 with nothing but confidence and a dangerously vague memory of what happened five books ago?
