So, you’ve probably seen the fan art. Or maybe you saw a stray TikTok of someone sobbing over a character named Rhysand. Either way, you’re here because you want to know the order of A Court of Thorns and Roses without accidentally spoiling the massive twists Sarah J. Maas is famous for. It’s a valid concern. Trust me. If you read these out of sync, you’ll basically ruin one of the biggest "villain-to-hero" arcs in modern fantasy history.
Sarah J. Maas, or SJM as the fandom calls her, didn’t just write a trilogy. She wrote a sprawling epic that’s still growing. Honestly, the way the books are numbered on some retail sites is kinda confusing because there’s a novella tucked in the middle that people debate about skipping. Don't skip it. I’ll get into why in a second, but first, let's just lay out the roadmap so you don't get lost in the Prythian woods.
The Definitive Reading Order of A Court of Thorns and Roses
If you want the experience the author intended, you read them in release order. Some people try to get fancy and skip around, but that’s a mistake. The emotional beats rely on you being in the trenches with Feyre Archeron from page one.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) – This is where it all starts. It feels a bit like a Beauty and the Beast retelling at first. Feyre kills a wolf, gets kidnapped by a High Fae named Tamlin, and ends up in the Spring Court. It's slower than the others, but you have to push through the "Under the Mountain" section at the end. That's where the real story begins.
A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF) – Ask any fan; this is usually their favorite. It picks up a few months after the first book. Feyre is dealing with some pretty heavy trauma, and the world expands way beyond the Spring Court. This is where you meet the Inner Circle. If you aren't hooked by the end of chapter 55, I don't know what to tell you.
A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOWAR) – This is the "war" book. It’s thick. It’s intense. It wraps up the initial conflict with Hybern. Expect massive battles and a lot of political maneuvering between the different High Lords.
A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS) – This is the one people call a "glorified Christmas special." It’s a novella. It’s shorter. While not much "happens" in terms of world-ending threats, it’s a bridge. It shifts the perspective and sets up the massive emotional fallout that fuels the next big book.
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A Court of Silver Flames (ACOSF) – This moves away from Feyre’s direct POV and focuses on her sister, Nesta, and the warrior Cassian. It is significantly "spicier" than the first three. Like, way more. It also deals with some very raw themes of self-loathing and recovery.
Why the Order of A Court of Thorns and Roses Matters for the Multiverse
Here is the thing. Sarah J. Maas has multiple series: Throne of Glass and Crescent City. For a long time, people thought they were totally separate. They aren't.
Without giving away the farm, the order of A Court of Thorns and Roses becomes vital if you plan on reading her other works. By the time you get to the end of A Court of Silver Flames, you start seeing crumbs. Tiny, little breadcrumbs that lead directly into the Crescent City books. If you read Crescent City first, specifically the second and third books in that series, you will get massive, series-ruining spoilers for what happens to the characters in ACOTAR.
Basically? Finish the ACOTAR books before you touch House of Flame and Shadow. You'll thank me later when your jaw hits the floor during the crossovers.
Does the Novella Really Matter?
I get asked this all the time. "Can I just skip A Court of Frost and Starlight?"
Look, strictly speaking, you’ll understand the plot of the next book if you skip it. But you’ll miss the nuance. You’ll see characters acting in ways that seem confusing because you missed the quiet moments of them falling apart or coming together during the Solstice. It’s a palette cleanser. After the high stakes of ACOWAR, you need a minute to breathe with these characters before the intensity of Nesta’s journey begins.
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Plus, there are some very specific details about the layout of the Night Court and certain magical items that pop back up later. It’s a quick read. Just do it.
Common Misconceptions About the Series
A lot of people go into the order of A Court of Thorns and Roses thinking it's a standard YA (Young Adult) series. It started that way. The first book was marketed as YA. But as the characters grew up, so did the content.
By book five, we are firmly in "New Adult" or "Adult Fantasy" territory. The themes of war, PTSD, and the explicit nature of the romances mean this isn't exactly The Chronicles of Narnia. It’s gritty. It’s messy.
Another big misconception is that you can stop after book three. You could, because it finishes a specific story arc. But you’d be missing out on some of the best character development in the entire SJM universe. Nesta Archeron is a polarizing character. Most people start A Court of Silver Flames hating her and end it wanting to get a tattoo of her. That's the power of the full reading order.
Tracking the Timeline
The timeline of the series spans roughly two to three years of "present-day" action, but the history goes back millennia. The War that happened 500 years ago is constantly referenced. Understanding the order of A Court of Thorns and Roses helps you piece together that history. You learn about the High Kings, the fabrication of the wall, and the truth about the Cauldron in a specific, layered way.
If you jump straight to the later books because you heard they were "spicier," the magic system won't make a lick of sense. You need to understand the bargain Feyre made in book one to understand the stakes for everyone else in book five.
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What to Read After You Finish the Order
Once you've closed the back cover of A Court of Silver Flames, you're going to feel a void. It’s called a book hangover. It's real.
The next logical step isn't just to re-read (though you will). You need to head over to the Crescent City series. Specifically:
- House of Earth and Blood
- House of Sky and Breath
- House of Flame and Shadow
By the time you reach the end of that trilogy, the reason I stressed the order of A Court of Thorns and Roses so much will become crystal clear. There are connections between these worlds that require a solid grasp of the ACOTAR lore.
Some fans also recommend the Throne of Glass series, which is an eight-book commitment. It’s more "High Fantasy" and less "Romantasy," but the world-building is top-tier. If you want to be a true Maas-pert, that’s your long-term goal.
Preparing for Your Journey
Before you crack open that first copy of ACOTAR, grab some sticky notes. You're going to want to mark pages. Not just for the romance, but for the theories. The fandom is huge on theories. Who is the "Viper Queen"? What’s the deal with the "Dread Lord"? These are things you’ll start noticing on a second read-through, but the first time is for the vibes.
Actionable Next Steps for New Readers:
- Start with the 2020/2021 covers: These are the "adult" styled covers (minimalist designs). The older "stepback" covers with the people on them are harder to find and sometimes have different formatting.
- Check the Content Warnings: This series deals with heavy themes like sexual assault (in the past/off-screen), graphic violence, and intense grief. If you're sensitive to those, look up a detailed trigger list for A Court of Mist and Fury.
- Avoid the Wiki: I’m serious. Do not Google the characters. Even typing a name into a search bar will give you "Character Name death" or "Character Name husband" as an auto-fill suggestion. Stay off the fan-run wikis until you've finished book three at the very least.
- Listen to the GraphicAudio versions: If you find the first book a bit slow, the "Dramatized Adaptation" with a full cast and sound effects is a game-changer. It makes the "Under the Mountain" scenes feel like a movie.