How To Read Sarah J Maas Books In Order: Throne Of Glass, Court Of Thorns And Roses, And Crescent City

Sarah J Mass is an American fantasy author from New York City.

She began writing her debut novel, Throne Of Glass, at just 16 years old, but it wasn’t published until many years later along with two sequels to create a series.

This series has now been translated into 35 different languages and is a bestselling fantasy series.

Sarah began working on a second fantasy series before the final Throne Of Glass installment was released.

A Court Of Thorns And Roses was very popular with her fans.

It has been announced that it will be turned into a television series.

Sarah is part way through her third fantasy series – Crescent City – and it has already been very successful.

Sarah J Mass splits opinion – some readers find her work controversial and too gruesome.

Others love her style of writing and gritty stories. She has a strong following of fans and is showing no signs of slowing down.

About Sarah J Maas Books

Sarah J Mass has three book series in the fantasy genre – Throne Of Glass, Court Of Thorns And Roses, And Crescent City. Crescent City also falls into the Sci-Fi category.

Throne Of Glass was the first series Sarah wrote. It was inspired by the classic fairytale story of Cinderella. However, it has a darker twist.

The ‘Cinderella’ character, Celaena, is an assassin rather than a princess. Instead of attending the ball to meet the prince, she is sent to kill him.

There are 8 books in the series, which follows Celaena’s journey as she fights for her freedom, and to defeat the powers of evil.

The second series Sarah J Mass wrote was the Court Of Thorns And Roses which was inspired by Beauty And The Beast.

It is about Feyre, a huntress who gets dragged to a magical land by a ‘beast’ – an immortal faerie – after she kills one of his wolves.

Her anger towards him gradually turns into passion.

When his kingdom comes under threat, they must work together to save it. There are five books in this series in total.

The most recent project Sarah J Mass is working on is the Crescent City series. Two of the books have been released so far.

The main character is Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae half-human who is seeking revenge for the death of her best friend.

She must work with Hunt Athalar, a fallen angel, to stop the demon who is wreaking havoc on Crescent City.

Sarah J Maas Books In Order

This is the order that you should read the Sarah J Mass books in.

Throne Of Glass Series

You should start with the Throne Of Glass series, as it was the first one that was released.

Throne Of Glass

Celaena is an assassin who must win her release from prison by killing 23 targets. Once she is released, she is a champion of the King.

When she is sent to kill the prince, things become more complicated. Celaena gets drawn into a battle of good and evil.

Pros

• This book takes a well known idea gives it a few interesting twists

Cons

• The romance element of the book is quite slow

Crown Of Midnight

Celaena is working for the King, but he is corrupt and evil.

She must secretly work against him to protect the kingdom, but this is difficult when she can trust no-one.

When her life is torn apart by a tragedy, she might decide who she will fight for.

Pros

• The story is told from different perspectives which helps you to get to know the characters

Cons

• Some readers found the story a bit light and not intense enough

Heir Of Fire

Celaena has made it through all of the challenges that life has thrown her way.

Now she is on a journey to uncover the truth about her heritage, a dark truth that will bring her face to face with her own demons, and an evil force that she must stop.

Pros

• The main character seems to really develop and grow in this book

Cons

• Some of the plot points felt a little slow

Queen Of Shadows

Celaena returns to the empire for vengeance after losing her love.

The Kingdom is not what it once was, and before she can claim her throne she must fight to defend her people.

Tensions build as Celaena fights for her cousin, fights for the freedom of her friend, and fights to overpower the king.

Pros

• The storyline is well thought-out and layered

Cons

• This book is very long and could have easily been trimmed down

Empire Of Storms

Celaena has taken on her identity as Aelin and is ready to ascend to the throne.

First, she must join forces with those who were once her enemies to defeat the dark forces that could tear her world apart.

War is looming, and she must do everything she can to protect her people.

Pros

• This book features a strong female character stepping into her power

Cons

• Some of the writing style feels a bit repetitive

Tower Of Dawn

The penultimate book in the Throne Of Glass series focuses on a different character – Chaol Westfall.

Before the glass castle shattered, he was Captain of the Guard.

Now his men have been slaughtered and his body has been left broken. Chaol must travel to Antica to see the legendary healers.

They live in an empire in the Southern part of the continent.

With war looming back home, Chaol will need to persuade the great empire to assist him once he is back to full strength.

Pros

• This book takes place alongside the last one and fills in some of the gaps

Cons

• The romance was predictable and a little tedious

Kingdom Of Ash

In the final installment of the Throne Of Glass series, Aelin must endure her toughest challenge yet to save them from Maeve, Queen of the Fae.

She has been captured and tortured, and her allies have scattered.

Hope seems lost, but will Aelin be able to overcome her enemies one more time to finally secure a happy ending for her people.

Pros

• This is a great end to the series and rounds off the plot

Cons

• The book starts off well but loses pace begins to drag- it could have been a lot shorter

A Court Of Thorns And Roses

After you have finished the Throne Of Glass series, you should move on to read the Court Of Thorns And Roses series.

A Court Of Thorns And Roses

When huntress Feyre kills what she thinks is a normal wolf, she takes it home to feed her family.

But this simple action sets in motion a chain of events she could never have predicted.

She is taken captive by a mysterious creature, but as she learns more about him, she realizes that he needs her help.

Pros

• The premise of this story is exciting and interesting

Cons

• There are some inconsistencies in the writing which can be frustrating

A Court Of Mist And Fury

Feyre returns home with Fae powers, but she still feels human. Her time with Tamlin changed her and has had a lasting impact on her life.

The High Lord of the Night Court expects her to hold up her side of the bargain they struck, and she is pulled into a complicated web of politics.

Will she be able to keep the forces of evil at bay?

Pros

• The romantic tension in this book was very gripping

Cons

• The characters are not particularly well developed or likable

A Court Of Wings And Ruin

Feyre is caught in a game of deceit. One wrong move could cause trouble for her, and for the world she knows and loves. Her courage and her loyalty will be tested.

Pros

• The book has a clever and intriguing plot

Cons

• This book was too long and needed to be trimmed down

A Court Of Frost And Starlight

Feyre is re-building the Night court ready, along with the help of her friends, in preparation for her first Winter Solstice as High Lady.

But the shadows of the past are still haunting her.

Pros

• This book gives you an update on the characters you know and love

Cons

• The plot feels a little thin with a lot of filler

A Court Of Silver Flames

The final book in the series focuses on Feyre’s sister, Nesta, and her romance with Cassian.

They train for battle together, but as the real danger looms, their passion for each other intensifies.

Pros

• The focus on different characters gives this book a fresh perspective

Cons

• The book doesn’t fit in very well with the rest of the series

Crescent City

Finally, you should start the Crescent City series. Two books have been released so far, and there is at least one more yet to be published.

House Of Earth And Blood

Bryce Quinlan teams up with fallen angel Hunter to track down a murderous demon who is terrorizing the citizens of Crescent City.

Pros

• There is a strong theme of friendship in this book which is brilliant

Cons

• The plot was quite confusing and left a lot unexplained

House Of Sky And Breath

Bryce and Hunter struggle to keep their relationship platonic as they process all that they went through together.

They find themselves pulled into a rebel movement against a terrifying enemy, and must work together again to defeat evil.

Pros

• There are lots of twists and turns that will shock readers

Cons

• This book is very long and could have been edited to be made shorter

Summary

Each series is separate and self-contained, so you can read them in any order.

However, you have to read the books within each series in the correct order, as the books follow on from each other.

If you haven’t read any Sarah J Mass books before then it makes sense to read them in the order they were published.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Sarah J Mass books.