ACOTAR reading order

ACOTAR is one courtly argument in publication order. The novella is a pause after book three, not a new book one. Further ACOTAR novels have been announced for 2026–2027; they are not on the shelf as you start, and they are not a reason to wait.

Short version of the door: Where to start ACOTAR. Maas desk choice: ACOTAR or Throne of Glass first?. After this run: What to read after ACOTAR.

For Throne of Glass and the crossover problem, see TOG and Crescent City. TOG and ACOTAR do not spoil each other. Crescent City book two onward does.

Publication order

House rule: 1–3, then the novella, then Silver Flames. You can skip Frost and Starlight if your library does not have it; you will miss a pause, not a secret war. Do not skip from book one to Silver Flames because a clip said Nesta is the point.

Announced later ACOTAR volumes are sequels, not prequels. When they exist, they go on the end of this table.

Maasverse, kept in its place

You do not need Throne of Glass before ACOTAR. You do not need ACOTAR before Throne of Glass. You do want both substantially finished before Crescent City’s second novel if you care about named crossovers. TOG’s own trap is the prequel collection: Should I read Assassin’s Blade first?.

This page will not list a 20-title “Maas chronological order.” Those charts go stale and turn book one into a syllabus.

Common mistakes

• Starting with A Court of Silver Flames.
• Starting with House of Earth and Blood because a friend said “the crossover is the real series.”
• Treating Frost and Starlight as optional filler you read first because it is short.
• Waiting for ACOTAR 6 before opening book one.

What to read next

1. Throne of Glass (Sarah J. Maas) — If you want the other finished Maas epic before Crescent City.
2. Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi) — If you want another YA voice-driven run with novellas that should not become book one. Start at Shatter Me.
3. Empyrean (Rebecca Yarros) — If you want another unfinished romantasy with a strict first book. Short door: where to start Fourth Wing.
4. The Bargainer (Laura Thalassa) — If you want another romance door whose “prequel” novella belongs after book two, not as book one.
5. Folk of the Air (Holly Black) — If you want faerie politics in a finished trilogy plus a later duology.

FAQ

Where to start ACOTAR?
A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015). Then publication order.

ACOTAR reading order — which book is first?
Book one is A Court of Thorns and Roses. Not Silver Flames. Not a Crescent City novel. Not The Assassin’s Blade.

Can I start with Silver Flames?
No. It is Nesta’s novel. It assumes the first three books and the novella pause.

Do I need Frost and Starlight?
No. It helps. It is not a secret novel. Read it after book three if you have it.

Do I need Throne of Glass first?
No. They do not spoil each other. Short version: ACOTAR or Throne of Glass first?.

Is the series finished?
The published run through Silver Flames is a pause. More novels are announced. Start anyway.

Sources

• Bloomsbury, Sarah J. Maas reading order — publisher series guidance. Opened 2026-09-13.
• Sarah J. Maas — author site. Opened 2026-09-13.