Every Sarah J. Maas Book, Ranked by Vibes, Heartache, and Re-readability
and a reading guide and recs for your next fantasy read!
Midweek Musings is a cozy mix of book recs, library lists, and reading reflections. Thoughtful updates I’d share at a playdate or while browsing the shelves with a friend.
Sure, bonding over a shared book obsession is great. But you know what fans love even more?
A good, old-fashioned debate.
We’ve had Edward vs. Jacob, Peeta vs. Gale, Stefan vs. Damon. And now, in the fantasy world, we have Rhysand vs. Tamlin, Fourth Wing lovers vs. haters, and, of course, the Maasverse itself.
Sarah J. Maas is one of the most beloved and bestselling authors of the romantasy boom. She has three viral series, a tangled multiverse of crossover theories, and the kind of books that take over your life a little. Some readers are instant-buy loyalists. Others? Not so much.
I fall somewhere in the middle: a forever fan with opinions. So I reread blurbs, revisited my Goodreads ratings, and gathered my feelings into this cozy, spoiler-light, mildly unhinged guide to the world of Sarah J. Maas.
Someone whispers, Wait, what is romantasy?
Romantasy = romance + fantasy. Think sweeping world-building, magic systems, high stakes, and love stories with serious emotional payoff. It’s the genre that gives you both dragons and pining, battle scenes and bathtub confessions.
Sarah J. Maas lives at the heart of it. Her books sit at the intersection of heartbreak and healing, power and partnership. They’re not for everyone, but if they’re for you? They become the books.
A quick guide to ACOTAR
AKA A Court of Thorns and Roses
If your algorithm has been spiraling lately, it’s probably because Sarah J. Maas recently teased a notebook labeled ACOTAR 6–8. Yes. Three more books. The fandom has not known peace since.
So if you’ve been romantasy-curious, this is your moment.
What’s it about?
The series follows Feyre, a mortal huntress who kills the wrong wolf and is pulled into the magical world of the Fae. What begins as a Beauty and the Beast retelling turns into a dark, sweeping epic of political intrigue, trauma recovery, and (very hot) love stories.
It’s dramatic. It’s swoony. It’s spicy. It’s emotional. It’s the entry point for most readers and for good reason.
Reading Order:
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)
A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF)
A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOWAR)
A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS)
A Court of Silver Flames (ACOSF)
And maybe, possibly: 6–8. Soon. Maybe.
ACOTAR Spice Scene Guide (Skip or Savor)
Some people annotate with sticky tabs. Others flip straight to Chapter 55. No judgment here. If you're trying to avoid (or revisit) the steamy scenes, here’s your gentle, spoiler-free map:
ACOTAR
Ch. 21: The Night of Deep Desires
Ch. 27: Veiled Emotions
Ch. 42: Solace Under the Mountain
Ch. 46: Emotions Unleashed
ACOMAF
Ch. 2: Complicated Ties
Ch. 42: A Dance of Shadows
Ch. 48: A Distraction of Hearts
Ch. 55: A Transformative Union
ACOWAR
Ch. 14, Ch. 55
ACOFAS
Ch. 22
ACOSF
Ch. 19, 22, 26, 37, 41, 51, 58
Note: The emotional arcs hold up even if you skip the spice.
My Honest Ranking of Every Sarah J. Maas Book
Below, I ranked all of Sarah J. Maas’s books, based on plot strength, character development, reread value, and emotional impact. Even if I didn’t love every installment, I can say this: few authors have shaped my reading life the way Sarah J. Maas has.
Top Tier (My forever faves)
1. Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7 - Devastating, epic, unforgettable. I still don’t fully have the words for this one. Just the feeling of sitting there, book closed, heart wrecked, staring at nothing. Quiet. Shaky. Full.
Kingdom of Ash is the kind of ending that ruins you in the best way. It’s brutal and generous and relentless. It asks everything of its characters and, honestly, everything of its readers. There are real consequences here. Real loss. No easy outs. And because of that, the love and sacrifice and hope feel earned.
This book is the payoff. For all the build-up. All the quiet threads and character arcs that started so small and grew into something epic. And yet, for all its scale, it never loses sight of the emotional center. The intimate moments. The whispered goodbyes. The friendships that held the line when nothing else could.
I cried through the last hundred pages. Fully sobbed. I think about this book constantly, not just because of what happened, but because of how it made me feel. It shifted the way I read. The way I write. The way I measure the emotional weight of a story.
This will always be top-tier Sarah J. Maas for me. A masterclass in endings. And the reason Throne of Glass, with all its messy starts and hard-won magic, holds such a permanent place in my heart.
2. A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR #2) – Romance at its finest. If ACOTAR was the spark, A Court of Mist and Fury is the wildfire. This is the book that turned me (and, let’s be honest, most of the internet) into a full-blown Sarah J. Maas devotee. It’s sweeping, romantic, emotionally gutting, and, for me, the definition of a perfect fantasy romance.
This is Feyre’s unraveling and rebuilding. We watch her climb out of the wreckage of everything that happened Under the Mountain, and it’s raw. It's painful. It’s beautifully done. And as she reclaims her autonomy and voice, we also get the real love story. The one with tension, mutual respect, emotional honesty, and… wings. (Let’s not pretend that’s not part of the appeal.)
Yes, the plot is there, war is coming, alliances are shifting, but what makes this book unforgettable is the internal arc. Feyre choosing herself. Finding rest. Discovering love that doesn’t shrink her.
This book gave me the ache I look for in romantasy. The kind that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s the one I recommend again and again, and the one I still think about when people ask me why I love this genre so much.
3. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) – Peak character arcs. This is the book where everything finally clicks into place.
I remember texting a friend mid-read like, Okay. I get it now. Because Queen of Shadows isn’t just a turning point, it’s a reward. It’s what makes the slower setup of the earlier books feel worth it. This is where the story deepens, the stakes sharpen, and the characters start making moves that matter.
Aelin is fully in her queen era here, strategic, powerful, and just emotionally messy enough to still feel human. Relationships shift. Tension builds. People return (some more welcome than others). There’s a long-awaited revenge arc that is deeply satisfying. And the pacing? Flawless. Big plot moments are balanced with quiet, character-rich scenes that make you care even more about what's coming.
It’s also where you can feel Sarah J. Maas leveling up as a writer. The dialogue hits harder. The emotional complexity ramps up. The world-building stops feeling like scaffolding and starts feeling lived-in.
If you’re in the early stages of Throne of Glass and wondering when it’ll hook you, this is it. Queen of Shadows is the book that makes the series unforgettable.
4. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) – Action-packed and full of heart. This book is everything a lead-up to a finale should be.
Empire of Storms doesn’t waste a single chapter. Every scene, whether it’s a battle, a quiet moment, or a sharp piece of dialogue, feels like it’s moving us toward something bigger. You can feel the tension tightening. The threads pulling together. The weight of what’s coming next. And yet, even with all that momentum, this book still makes room for softness.
Sarah J. Maas does such a good job here balancing high-stakes action with deeply emotional character beats. The bonds between this found family are so layered at this point, and she gives them space to breathe. Even in the middle of magical chaos and looming war, there are glimpses of joy, of teasing, of hope. And somehow, that makes the heavier moments hit even harder.
I don’t have a single complaint. This one delivers across the board, on plot, on character, on payoff. It’s the kind of book that makes you nervous to turn the last page because you know what’s waiting on the other side: the end.
5. A Court of Silver Flames (ACOTAR #5) – Healing, rage, love. Here’s the truth: I did not expect to love this one. Nesta was never my favorite in the original trilogy, sharp, guarded, and honestly kind of exhausting. But A Court of Silver Flames made me see her differently. Slowly. And then all at once.
This book steps away from Feyre’s POV and hands the mic to her sister, and what unfolds is less a plot-driven fantasy and more a raw, unflinching character study. Yes, there’s still a magical villain to deal with, but the real fight here is internal, grief, shame, isolation, and the long, stubborn road to self-forgiveness.
Nesta’s healing doesn’t come easily, and that’s what makes it feel earned. It’s messy. It’s resistant. It’s layered in anger and fear and so many unspoken things. But watching her rebuild, through female friendship, through brutal training sessions, through someone finally loving her without asking her to be softer, was incredibly satisfying.
Some critics found the empowerment arc a little on the nose. I didn’t. Sometimes you need the obvious win. Sometimes you need to see the prickly girl get her peace.
This book felt like a reclamation. Of voice. Of worth. Of power. And by the final chapter, I found myself rooting for Nesta in a way I didn’t know I had in me.
6. A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOTAR #3.5) – Cozy holiday vibes. I know this one gets flack. I really do. But I loved it, and I’m not even a little bit sorry about it.
Yes, A Court of Frost and Starlight is basically a holiday novella. Yes, it’s low-stakes. Yes, it leans a little Hallmark-y at times. But that’s exactly what I wanted after the emotional chaos of Wings and Ruin. I needed a breather. I needed found family dynamics, gift exchanges, and quiet moments between characters who had been through hell and somehow made it home.
Does it move the plot forward in a major way? Not really. But it offers something else entirely: space. Reflection. And a softer lens on characters who’ve been fighting for their lives across three books. I liked seeing them live, not just survive.
This book feels like a pause. A deep breath. And for those of us who love the inner circle and secretly want to move to Velaris, it’s pure comfort. Call it filler if you want, but to me, it’s a cozy little love letter to the characters, and the readers, who needed a moment of peace.
Solid Reads
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1) – A good entry point, took time to warm up. This might be a controversial placement, but hear me out.
I know for many readers, ACOTAR is the gateway book. The one that unlocked the romantasy obsession. And I get it, I really do. It’s moody, romantic, high-stakes, and just the right amount of dangerous. But for me, it took a few tries to really connect with it.
Part of that is just the nature of a first book. You’re dropped into a new world, meeting characters you don’t know yet are going to break your heart (or steal it), and you’re trying to piece together fae politics while figuring out if the main guy is charming… or a red flag. (Spoiler: it’s the second one.)
There’s something a little uneven about the pacing here, and Feyre, as a narrator, didn’t immediately click for me. But still, there’s a lot to love. The bones of something big are all here. And once the story shifts gears (you know the moment if you’ve read it), it becomes clear just how much Sarah J. Maas is setting up behind the scenes.
It might not be my personal favorite in the series, but it’s the one that started it all. And for that alone, it earns its spot.
8. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) – The book that hooked me on TOG. This is the book that changed everything for me.
Up until this point, I liked Throne of Glass, but I wasn’t fully sold. The world felt small, the stakes felt... manageable. But then Heir of Fire came along and cracked everything wide open.
This is where the series grows up. The emotional depth hits harder, the world-building expands in real, meaningful ways, and we meet new characters who will become central to everything that follows. There’s grief and rage and transformation here. And while the pacing can drag in spots, especially if you’re used to the faster rhythm of the earlier books, I didn’t mind. It felt like watching a slow, necessary unfolding.
This is where Celaena stops being a clever girl with secrets and starts becoming something much more layered. And it’s the first time I remember finishing a TOG book and thinking, Oh, I’m in this now.
If you’re reading this series and still on the fence, Heir of Fire is your turning point. It’s not perfect, but it’s pivotal.
9. A Court of Wings and Ruin – Entertaining, but lacked lasting consequences. Okay, so here’s the thing: I devoured this book in a matter of days. I was fully in it, breezing through chapters, invested in the battles, riding the high of this being the finale of the original ACOTAR trilogy. But when I turned the last page, I felt... underwhelmed.
It’s not that A Court of Wings and Ruin was bad. It just didn’t land as hard as I wanted it to. So many of the big, emotional moments felt too clean. Characters died… and then came back within pages. Redemption arcs wrapped a little too neatly. And for a book that promised war and ruin, the consequences didn’t quite stick the way they should’ve.
That said, I was entertained the whole time. The pacing never lagged, and I still cared deeply about these characters. But I kept wishing for more grit. More weight. More “we can’t go back from this” kind of stakes.
10. House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) – Best of that series. This one surprised me, in a good way.
After struggling with the later Crescent City books, you’d think I’d rank this one lower. But honestly? House of Earth and Blood holds up. Especially if you’re going into it fresh, without the weight of what’s coming next.
Once you push past the (very dense) first 100 pages of world-building, the story starts to find its rhythm. It’s urban fantasy with emotional stakes, snarky banter, a genuinely compelling mystery, and a heroine I rooted for more than I expected to. I read this during a full-blown Sarah J. Maas spiral, devouring everything she’d ever written back to back, and this one scratched that itch in all the right ways. I finished it feeling hopeful, excited, and ready for the next installment.
And that’s the tricky part. I wanted this to be the start of something big. I thought we were building toward something layered and bold. But looking back now, knowing how the rest of the series unfolded? This might be where I stop and let the story end.
Still, if you’re curious about Crescent City, this is the strongest of the three. And if you love your fantasy with a modern setting, high-stakes grief, and a good redemption arc? It just might land for you too.
Middle-of-the-Road
11. The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1) – Good setup, not essential (But it kinda is). This is where things start to shift.
The Assassin’s Blade is a collection of prequel novellas that gives us a look at Celaena’s life before Throne of Glass, before the competitions and the palace and the unraveling of everything she thought she knew. And while it’s technically optional, I’d argue it’s absolutely worth reading if you plan to commit to the full series.
This book doesn’t just give background, it gives weight. Knowing where Celaena came from and what she lost adds a depth to her choices later on that you just don’t get without it. And for readers who felt a little disconnected from her in the early books, this might be the missing piece.
That said, in the larger scope of the Maasverse, this one lands more as supplemental than essential. It doesn’t stand out as a favorite for me, but I’m still glad I read it. It fills in emotional gaps, teases threads that get picked up beautifully later, and makes the heartbreak hit a little harder when it needs to. So no, it’s not a standout, but it does make the rest of the series richer.
12. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) – Forgettable but functional. This book is… fine. That’s the word I keep coming back to. Not bad. Not brilliant. Just fine.
Crown of Midnight picks up where Throne of Glass raises the stakes, starts to crack open the world a little more, and nudges the main character toward some hard truths. And if you loved Celaena from the beginning, there’s probably a lot here that hits. But for me, it still carried that same slightly-too-young tone that made book one feel like a warm-up.
This isn’t a dig at YA, it’s just a case of me reading it later in life and wishing the emotional depth arrived sooner. I found myself wanting more from the character arcs, more complexity in the relationships, and a little less whiplash in the pacing. It lays important groundwork, sure, but if I’m being honest, it’s one of the more forgettable installments in the series for me.
That said, this is the turning point. Once you get through this one, everything changes. The plot deepens. The world widens. The writing levels up. So while Crown of Midnight doesn’t rank high for me, it’s still a necessary step on the way to some of the best fantasy payoffs Sarah J. Maas has ever written.
13. House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) – A chaotic cliffhanger. This was the book that had me back in. After a rocky but intriguing start to Crescent City, I picked up House of Sky and Breath thinking, okay, maybe this is where it all clicks into place. And for a little while, it did.
The pacing felt sharper. The world started to expand in interesting ways. And then… it just kept expanding. And expanding. Until I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to care about anymore.
The biggest issue? Too many POVs and not enough grounding. Every time I got invested in one thread, we’d jump to another character with their own side plot that felt like filler. I kept waiting for the momentum to return, and when it did, it was always short-lived.
And yet. That ending.
When House of Sky and Breath dropped, that final chapter broke the internet (and my brain). It teased the kind of crossover moment fans had been dreaming about for years. I was all in on the theories. I wanted the Pinterest boards. I wanted to believe this universe was about to get deliciously tangled.
But now, having read House of Flame and Shadow, that twist feels more like a setup with no real payoff. A breadcrumb trail that led us in circles.
Still, Sky and Breath gave me just enough to keep going, and at the time, it made me believe the best of the Crescent City series was still ahead. I just wish it had delivered on that promise.
14. Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) – Too much Chaol, not enough plot - Ah, Tower of Dawn. Otherwise known (in my head) as The Book I Kept Putting Down and Guilt-Picking Back Up.
Look, I wanted to be open-minded. I tried. But the truth is… I’ve never really vibed with Chaol Westfall. And this book is, well, all Chaol, all the time.
Set parallel to Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn follows Chaol and Nesryn on a diplomatic mission to Antica in search of allies for the looming war. It’s supposed to be a redemption arc, a chance for healing and growth. And to be fair, there are glimmers of that. But I still found myself slogging through long stretches of internal grumpiness and moral angst that didn’t quite land.
The bright spot? Yrene. Her return (for those who remember her from The Assassin’s Blade) was one of the more satisfying full-circle moments in the series. And Nesryn? Quietly powerful. Her storyline was a breath of fresh air, I just wish we’d gotten more of that.
Unfortunately, every time I started to feel invested, we’d swing back to Chaol brooding in a hallway. It wasn’t enough to carry the weight of an entire book. Especially knowing that Empire of Storms, with its high stakes and full ensemble cast, was happening at the same time.
This isn’t a bad book. But it never quite shook the feeling that it was the homework I had to finish before I could get to the finale.
15. Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) – Juvenile tone, but the series improves = Okay. Here’s where I brace myself a little.
Because Throne of Glass is a beloved series, and I totally get why. I love it too. But this first book? It was a bit of a struggle for me.
I read it later in life, deep in my romantasy era, and I remember thinking, Wait, this is the same author as ACOTAR? It has all the DNA of Sarah J. Maas, but in an early-draft kind of way. You can tell she was still finding her rhythm. The tone leans young, which makes sense because Celaena is sixteen and the book was originally pitched on FictionPress, but still. The porridge. The chocolate. The multiple exclamation points per page. I had whiplash.
Celaena felt a little hard to pin down, at once a deadly assassin and a girl gushing about dresses and dessert. And while those dualities can be interesting, here they didn’t quite land for me. It read like a mash-up of tropes I’d seen before, without the weight or polish of her later work.
That said: if you’re wondering whether it’s worth continuing, my answer is an enthusiastic yes. This series grows in every possible way, stakes, writing, emotional complexity, and by the time you hit Heir of Fire, you're in it deep. The characters get richer. The world expands. And Sarah J. Maas starts doing the thing she does best: building to an emotionally devastating, gloriously satisfying finale.
So yes, this one wasn’t a favorite. But it’s still part of a series that carved itself into my brain, and my bookshelf, for good.
16. House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) – Over-hyped, under-delivered. Oh, this book. This was one of my most-anticipated reads of 2024, and somehow also my biggest letdown. I really wanted to love House of Flame and Shadow. I went in hopeful, preordered months in advance, ready for chaos and crossover magic. And while the setup had all the ingredients for something wild and fun, what I got instead felt like a tangle of too many perspectives, uneven pacing, and a finale that left me more confused than breathless.
Let’s talk about that so-called crossover. After the cliffhanger in House of Sky and Breath, I was fully on board for a clever, earned merging of storylines. Instead, it read like a rushed, borderline fan-service-y detour, a marketing hook that never really delivered on the emotional stakes it promised. It didn’t feel like a natural expansion of the world. It felt… like a grab.
There were moments I cared, there were characters I still love! But the POV-hopping made it hard to stay anchored. Just when I was settling into something interesting, we’d jump to another random thread. (Looking at you, Tharion and Ithan. No shade, but also… maybe a little shade.)
And then there’s the whole space thing. I wish I were joking. I know this is fantasy, but that was the moment I checked out for good.
This one just didn’t land for me. And that’s okay. Not every book has to, but when it's the finale of a series with this much build-up? You want it to stick the landing. I closed the book feeling mostly tired. And disappointed.
Sarah J. Maas’s books aren’t perfect. They’re messy, dramatic, often over-the-top, and that’s exactly why we love them.
They give us space to explore grief, rage, survival, intimacy, sisterhood, and power all wrapped in wings and fantasy tropes. They let us root for complicated women and unexpected love stories. And sometimes? They just give us an escape.
If you’re new to her work: start with ACOTAR or Throne of Glass. If you’re a longtime fan? I see you. I’m still crying over Kingdom of Ash, too.
Already Read All of Sarah J. Maas’s Books? What to Read Next
If you’ve officially entered your post-Maas era and don’t know what to pick up next, this list is for you.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros — Dragons. Trauma. Forced proximity at war college. If you like your fantasy with a side of emotional damage, this one’s for you.
The Serpent & the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent — Vampire trials, forbidden yearning, and a heroine with bite. Literally.
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout — Secrets, chosen one energy, steamy scenes that’ll have you clutching your Kindle like it’s a lifeline.
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen — Enemies to lovers with political intrigue, dagger-to-throat tension, and a setting you can practically feel under your feet.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry — A fresh blend of romantasy and emotional depth, with fierce protectiveness, secret histories, and a heroine you’ll want to root for. Think soft strength meets sharp stakes.
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller — A standalone (!!) with a morally gray heroine who wants to marry the king, then kill him. Come for the scheming, stay for the swoon.
A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker — A reluctant heroine pulled into a magical war she doesn’t understand, and a mysterious, broody stranger she can’t trust. Or resist.
House of Beating Wings by Olivia Wildenstein — Faeries, secrets, slow-burn angst. Reads like ACOTAR’s distant cousin who shows up at the party in combat boots and winged eyeliner.
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom by Sarah A. Parker — Dark Rapunzel vibes with poetic writing, mystery, and a mentor-turned-love-interest you’ll probably develop a very complicated crush on.
The Second Act is an entirely reader-supported publication written and created by Danielle Wraith. Click here to subscribe or gift a friend a subscription here (if a friend sent you this —tell them thanks!). Anything you want covered? Questions? Reply with a comment below! You can also find me on Instagram. Please come say hi!