You can read Sarah J. Maas in a few different ways, but the most popular and least confusing order is:

  1. By series, starting with Throne of Glass
  2. Then A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)
  3. Then Crescent City

This also lines up well with how the fandom and many guides now recommend reading her work.

Big picture order

Here’s a clean, spoiler‑light roadmap if you want to read all her main fantasy books:

  1. Throne of Glass series
    • The Assassin’s Blade (prequel novellas – many guides suggest reading this first)
 * Throne of Glass

 * Crown of Midnight

 * Heir of Fire

 * Queen of Shadows

 * Empire of Storms

 * Tower of Dawn (takes place parallel to Empire of Storms; most fans say “do not skip this”)

 * Kingdom of Ash
  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series
    (Release order = chronological 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 (novella/bridge)
 * A Court of Silver Flames
  1. Crescent City series
    • House of Earth and Blood
    • House of Sky and Breath
    • House of Flame and Shadow
  1. Standalone tie‑in
    • Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons novel; optional, usually read last if you’re a completionist).

Recommended reading paths

Because readers argue about “the best” order constantly on forums, here are the two main approaches you’ll see discussed.

1. “Classic” path (very popular)

This is the order many fans on forums suggest to get the full arc and end on something complete.

  1. Throne of Glass series (including Assassin’s Blade and Tower of Dawn)
  2. ACOTAR series
  3. Crescent City series

Why people like it:

  • You start with her earlier, more YA‑flavored work and watch her style grow darker and more adult over time.
  • Throne of Glass is finished, so you get one complete epic before diving into ongoing series.

2. “Hype first” / TikTok path

Some newer guides and BookTok‑leaning articles suggest starting with ACOTAR because it is the most hyped and romance‑forward.

Suggested:

  1. ACOTAR (at least the first trilogy: ACOTAR, ACOMAF, ACOWAR)
  2. Then either:
    • Finish ACOTAR (Frost and Starlight + Silver Flames), then Crescent City, then Throne of Glass
    • Or jump to Throne of Glass after ACOTAR 1–3 and circle back to the rest later

Why people like it:

  • You jump straight into the series that dominates BookTok and online discussion right now.
  • If you’re not sure you’ll commit to 16+ books, ACOTAR is an easy test run of her style.

How ACOTAR and Crescent City connect

Many updated reading guides now strongly suggest reading ACOTAR before Crescent City.

  • There is world/character overlap between ACOTAR and the later Crescent City books, especially from the second Crescent City novel onward.
  • If you read Crescent City first, some cameos and reveals will have much less impact or will feel confusing.

So, even if you don’t read Throne of Glass first, it is still smart to read:

ACOTAR → Crescent City

in that order.

Simple “no‑stress” recommendation

If you just want a straightforward, low‑confusion answer to “in what order should I read Sarah J. Maas books?” that fits current guides and forum consensus:

  1. The Assassin’s Blade
  2. Throne of Glass
  3. Crown of Midnight
  4. Heir of Fire
  5. Queen of Shadows
  6. Empire of Storms
  7. Tower of Dawn
  8. Kingdom of Ash
  9. A Court of Thorns and Roses
  10. A Court of Mist and Fury
  11. A Court of Wings and Ruin
  12. A Court of Frost and Starlight
  13. A Court of Silver Flames
  14. House of Earth and Blood
  15. House of Sky and Breath
  16. House of Flame and Shadow
  17. Catwoman: Soulstealer (optional, last)

This gives you one complete saga, then the massively popular ACOTAR, then the crossover‑heavy Crescent City era that everyone is talking about now.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.