If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you might have heard a lot about Sarah J. Maas and her acclaimed book series. And now, you’ve finally decided to check out her work and find out why she’s so popular in the world of books. So, in this article, you’ll find a list of all the Sarah J. Maas books in order to help you navigate the fantastical worlds the author has created!
Some writers tend to find a niche and stick to it. Writer Sarah Janet Maas, or Sarah J. Maas as she is referred to in the media, is such a writer.
She has written several books in the young adult/fantasy genre that are also considered retellings of fairy tales. In total, she has written three book series in this genre – Throne of Glass series, A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and the Crescent City series, whose third book released this year.
When Sarah J. Maas started writing, she posted on an online site called FictionPress.com, which is a sister site to Fanfiction.net. The only difference is that on FictionPress, all the stories are original rather than fan fiction. A few chapters of her debut novel, Throne of Glass, became very popular on that site. However, those chapters were later removed when Maas decided to publish this book, which was bought by Bloomsbury in 2010.
Throne of Glass is considered to be based on Cinderella’s fairy tale, while A Court of Thorns and Roses is said to be loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, another famous fairy tale.
In addition, Maas’ books have become so popular that there are talks of a “A Court of Thorns and Roses” television series to be streamed on Hulu. Sarah J. Maas and Ron More, who is known for his work on Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Outlander, are said to be involved with this. However, as of yet, no release date has been announced.
Sarah J. Maas Books in Order – A Quick Glance:
Before we discuss her book series in more detail, let’s examine all of them here. Below, you will find a list of all the books written by Sarah J. Maas, arranged according to their publication order.
If you don’t want to read the entire article, use the below list as a reference point to start reading the books.
Throne of Glass Series Order:
- The Assassin’s Blade – Prequel (2014)
- Throne of Glass (2012)
- Crown of Midnight (2013)
- Heir of Fire (2014)
- Queen of Shadows (2015)
- Empire of Storms (2016)
- Tower of Dawn (2017)
- Kingdom of Ash (2018)
A Court of Thorns and Roses Series Order:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
- A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
- A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
- A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)
- A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
Crescent City Series Order:
Who is Sarah J. Maas?
Sarah J. Maas was born in New York City, New York, on March 5th, 1986. She was raised in a Jewish household in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Even as a child, she enjoyed writing, creating stories, and producing fan fiction of various fairy tales. Eventually, Sarah graduated from Hamilton College with a major in creative writing, which shouldn’t be surprising given her career path.
Even if her debut novel was not published until 2012, Sarah J. Maas started writing it as a teenager. As mentioned previously, she had previously published it on a website called “FictionPress” but eventually took it down because the book was set to be published.
From there, Sarah went on to write several best-selling novels, which comprised two complete book series and a third series that is still being written. Her books have won several awards over the years, which include:
- The 2015 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction Award for Queen of Shadows.
- The 2016 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction Award for A Court of Mist and Fury.
- The 2017 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction Award for A Court of Wings and Ruin.
- The 2018 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction Award for Kingdom of Ash.
- The 2020 Goodreads Best Fantasy Award for House of Earth and Blood.
- The 2021 Goodreads Best Fantasy Award for A Court of Silver Flames.
- The 2022 Goodreads Best Fantasy Award for House of Sky and Breath.
List of Sarah J. Maas Series in Order:
Throne of Glass Series:
The Throne of Glass series is Sarah J. Maas’s first series. This series is loosely inspired by the Cinderella fairy tale and has seven books in the main series, with one book called The Assassin’s Blade, which is a collection of five novellas set before the events of the first book.
The main character in the Throne of Glass series is Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a kingdom ruled by the King of Adarlan. He is a cruel king who rules with an iron fist.
Through a series of events, Celaena ends up serving as the King’s Champion. She’ll gain freedom if she stays in this position for four years. Later in the book, Celaena discovers she is the lost Princess of Terrasen and has latent magical powers. This gives her just what she needs to save Adarlan from a tyrannical ruler.
A huge cast of characters also assists Celaena throughout the book series in different ways. Rowan Whitethorn is one of them, who first acts as Celaena’s trainer, and eventually, their relationship develops into something more. Other than that, we have Dorian Havilliard II (crown prince of Adarlan), Manon Blackbeak Crochan (a witch), and Chaoi Westfall, the captain of the guard and former lover of Celaena.
Naturally, we have an entire cast of recurring characters; some are allies of Celaena, while others are mortal enemies.
Here’s how you can read the Throne of Glass series in chronological order:
- The Assassin’s Blade – Prequel (2014)
- Throne of Glass (2012)
- Crown of Midnight (2013)
- Heir of Fire (2014)
- Queen of Shadows (2015)
- Empire of Storms (2016)
- Tower of Dawn (2017)
- Kingdom of Ash (2018)
There’s also another order to read the Throne of Glass series, known as the “Romantics order,” where you read the first three books, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire, then read the prequel books, The Assassin’s Blade, and then read the next titles.
A Court of Thorns and Roses Series:
A Court of Thorns and Roses series can be described as a series that is loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. When you learn of the main plot, you’ll understand why the author herself has said this is the case.
In the beginning, we meet Feyre Archeron, who is forced into the lands of the Fae after she murders a faerie. As a mortal, this is terrifying, but she finds that there is no choice.
At first, Feyre is held captive by Tamlin, the High Lord of Prythrian, but soon, through a series of trials, she becomes Fae herself. While she is tied up with Tamlin and his court at first, she eventually ends up tied to Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, because of a deal she previously made.
The love triangle between Feyre, Tamlin, and Rhysand is only the least of Feyre’s problems after she ends up in the land of the Fae. However, in the end, her heart ultimately chooses one of the two, who goes on to become her future husband and father of her child.
Feyre ends up involved in a war that sends shockwaves throughout the world of the Fae. She must adjust to the fae world and eventually accept her new status and power.
Here’s how to read A Court of Thorns and Roses series in the order of publication:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
- A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
- A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
- A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)
- A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
Crescent City Series:
The Crescent City series is Sarah J. Maas’s third book series, and it is pretty popular, too. So far, she has published three books in the series: House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, and House of Flame and Shadow. The third book was released in January 2024.
This series was originally supposed to be a trilogy, but it no longer looks that way. The author has more or less confirmed that she’ll be working on a fourth book, too, but it will come out a bit later. Currently, her focus is on the next ACOTAR book, which will be her next release!
The setting for the Crescent City series is harsh. Humans live in a world where demons, angels, and shifters exist. They have to live among all types of creatures, which usually puts them at the bottom of the totem pole. It’s not an easy world for humans to survive in, and they struggle every single day.
Our main character is Bryce Quinlan, who is half human and half Fae. She is determined to get revenge for the murder of her best friend. To do this, Bryce has to team up with Hunt Athalar, a warrior angel who can help her in her quest.
By the second book, the world has been saved. Bryce and Hunt are trying to catch their breath, but a rebellion is afoot. They are dragged into a fight because sometimes, you have to fight.
As for the third book in the series, readers will have to wait until next year to see the exciting conclusion to the Crescent City series, where both main characters are going through many troubles.
To read the Crescent City series in order, you need to follow the below list:
Conclusion
Sarah J. Maas’s career as an author is truly a fantastic, inspiring tale for up-and-coming writers. She always wanted to be a writer, so she started publishing her work online, even if there was no profit then. Eventually, her hard work paid off, and her first story was published in 2012, following which there was no looking back.
The three series Sarah J. Mass has written are great additions to the YA fantasy genre, with some fairy tale elements thrown in for good measure. There is a reason why every book she has written has become a best-seller.
So, if you, too, are a YA fantasy fan and love reading a good book with fantasy elements, you should start reading Sarah J. Maas’s books in order without wasting another moment!
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