Reading Order
A Court of Thorns and Roses
by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses Reading Order
A dark fairy tale retelling that becomes a full epic fantasy by book two. Feyre is pulled into a world of immortal fae, political power, and war — with romance woven through every layer. ACMAF is the breakout book that defines the series. The reading order matters here — each book builds directly on the last, and the world expands significantly between books one and two. If you're new to Sarah J. Maas, this is the series most readers recommend starting with.
Looking for the complete A Court of Thorns and Roses reading order? This guide covers all 5 Sarah J. Maas books in A Court of Thorns and Roses in order — including which are essential, which are optional, and the best place to start. Whether you're reading A Court of Thorns and Roses for the first time or catching up before the next release, this is the order we recommend.
Reading Order
Read the trilogy first. The companion books are best read after — they assume you've finished ACWAR.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Core★ 4.22
2015
A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Core★ 4.65
2016
A Court of Wings and Ruin
A Court of Thorns and Roses #3
Core★ 4.32
2017
A Court of Frost and Starlight
A Court of Thorns and Roses #4
Extra★ 3.76
2018
A Court of Silver Flames
A Court of Thorns and Roses #5
Core★ 4.49
2021
⚡All five books — read in order. ACFAS is a short bridge novella (~230 pages); read it before A Court of Silver Flames. ACMAF is frequently cited as one of the best romance-fantasy novels of the decade.
⚡ Essential (4 books)
ACOTAR → ACMAF → ACWAR → ACSF. The first book is the slowest — ACMAF is where the series truly begins.
🔀 Bridge Novella (1 book)
A Court of Frost and Starlight — short (~230 pages), covers the aftermath of ACWAR. Read before A Court of Silver Flames.
What to expect from each book
- → ACOTAR: Beauty and the Beast retelling. Slower pacing, establishing tone. The romance is understated.
- → ACMAF: The series expands completely. New court, new POV, the world triples in scale. Most consider this the best in the series.
- → ACWAR: War arc. Wraps all main threads. More political than the previous two.
- → ACFAS: Short recovery story. Skip if you only want the main plot — read if you want emotional closure after ACWAR.
- → ACSF: Nesta's book. Darker and more intense than the trilogy. Works best if you appreciated her character arc.
Spoiler-free notes
- → The first ~100 pages of ACOTAR are the slowest in the series. Don't judge it until you've finished the book.
- → ACMAF is where most readers fall for the series — the tone, setting, and characters shift significantly.
- → The fae world has internal politics that reward paying attention — courts, powers, and allegiances matter.
- → The series has explicit content from ACMAF onward.
Darkness progression
Scale: 🕯️ Lighthearted → 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ Brutal
Finished the series?
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