How to Read the Maasverse (From Someone Who’s Done it Wrong)
There are a great many opinions on how to read the Maasverse (the 16-book collection of Sarah J. Maas’s written works). Her 16 books are split among three series: A Court of Thorns and Roses (more affectionately known as ACOTAR), Throne of Glass, and Crescent City. When I began my Maasverse journey, I was young, naive, and extremely wary of running into spoilers. I discovered the recommendation to read Throne of Glass from a five-second video on Pinterest, and then simply followed the series order as denoted on Goodreads. I had no idea that any of the series were connected in any way, shape, or form. So, allow me to hold your hand and walk you through what I wish I’d known, dear reader. However, I would like to point out that these are simply my opinions based on my personal experience — I have several friends who love the Maasverse wholeheartedly and have a different preferred reading order. The experience is great either way!
My Recommended Reading Order
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)
2. A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF)
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOWAR)
4. A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS)
5. A Court of Silver Flames (ACOSF)
6. Throne of Glass
7. Crown of Midnight
8. Heir of Fire
9. The Assassin’s Blade
10. Queen of Shadows
11. Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn TANDEM READ
12. Kingdom of Ash
13. House of Earth and Blood
14. House of Sky and Breath
15. House of Flame and Shadow
Let’s break it down series by series…
Don’t let anyone shame you for what you read or what you love in general. Many people are gonna tell you not to do xyz things.” – Sarah J. Maas
ACOTAR
I will always recommend reading the ACOTAR series first. I think that ACOTAR is a much better entrance into Sarah J. Maas’s writing, and as someone who read Throne of Glass first, ACOTAR seemed pale by comparison. When you start with ACOTAR, you can allow yourself to fall into the world-building and meet a beautiful cast of characters that you will treasure in your heart. AND THEN, you can go to Throne of Glass and get your mind blown. ACOTAR holds a lot of sentimental value for folks, but I had a harder time getting into it because I kept comparing it to the structure of Throne of Glass (the pacing of both series is way different).
If you’re not sure whether you’d like ACOTAR, I’d recommend checking out my ACOTAR R&R post, where I break down the book’s vibe a bit more and note who I think would enjoy it.
Another relevant note to ACOTAR is that the first three books read like a complete trilogy. You may be asking yourself: well then, Kristina, why are there two more books? A Court of Frost and Starlight is a very tiny book that can be considered a novella, and A Court of Silver Flames is essentially a spin-off following a different main character than the first three in the series. Both of these books were very, very good and have their place within the ACOTAR world, but I still think it’s important to note that the core of the plot plot is contained within the trilogy of the first three books.
Throne of Glass
If you know anything about me, you will probably know that I love Throne of Glass like it’s the sun that brings light and life to each and every day. Once again, I have a Throne of Glass R&R post that dives a bit deeper into who would enjoy the book, and I’d recommend it if you’re on the fence about which series to start with (there’s a reason this was my first R&R post *wink wink nudge nudge*). But, if you don’t read any other book or series by Sarah J. Maas, please read this one. You won’t regret it.
Throne of Glass is definitely the series where people have the most opinions when it comes to reading order. The Assassin’s Blade is a prequel book with events that take place prior to the main storyline of the series. For this reason, some people prefer to read it first. However, I feel it makes the most sense to read after Heir of Fire (book 3). I think reading it at this point provides the best emotional impact (trust, trust) and sets up for Queen of Shadows (book 4) beautifully because that is where a lot of details from Assassin’s Blade start to pop up again.
The other special note about the reading order of the Throne of Glass series is the notorious tandem read. The plotlines of Empire of Storms (book 5) and Tower of Dawn (book 6) take place at the same time. The books follow different sets of characters and can therefore be read separately or together (in tandem, haha). The first time I read the series, I did not do the tandem read and became severely frustrated when I had to leave some of my favorite characters behind for a book before the grand finale. When I recently reread the series alongside a friend who was reading it for the first time, we did the tandem read, and I found it to be a much more enjoyable experience. The tandem read allows you to coincide the timelines of both books and experience one gigantic masterpiece. However, I’m not going to lie to you, the tandem read means you essentially combine two (already long books) into one huge 1,300+ page reading extravaganza. To this I say, just think of how big a flex it is when you finish it (you can do it, I believe in you!).
If you are planning to do the tandem read, click here to access free printable bookmarks that break down the chapter distribution!
Crescent City
Lastly, you will reach the Crescent City series. There are no real notes on the order of this series; it is extremely straightforward forward. You read:
1. House of Earth and Blood
2. House of Sky and Breath
3. House of Flame and Shadow
Just make sure you read Crescent City last among the three series. This series breaches into Maasverse theory territory and contains references and some spoilers for the other two series, so just be warned.
I’d like to reiterate that there are numerous ways to read the Maasverse and enjoy it, regardless of the order. The most important thing is that you read it in a way and at a pace that feels comfortable and correct to you. For me, that’s going ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, then Crescent City. Nonetheless, I hope your Maasverse journey is magical. Until next time…
