Sarah J. Maas books in order: which to read and which to listen to

Short answer: Sarah J. Maas has three main series, Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City, plus one standalone novel, Catwoman: Soulstealer. Read each series in publication order. One narrator, Elizabeth Evans, reads every main-series book in the recordings our verdicts score. On format, the first three A Court of Thorns and Roses books are the clearest listens, while the books where the story passes between several characters, all in one voice, lean towards the page.

Reading order, series by series

Throne of Glass: seven novels and a prequel collection

Read them in publication order. The publishers suggest reading The Assassin’s Blade after Crown of Midnight, even though its five stories are set earlier (Wikipedia). Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn overlap in time, so some readers read the two side by side, which guides call a tandem read. The series is complete, ending with Kingdom of Ash in 2018.

1. Throne of Glass (2012)
2. Crown of Midnight (2013)
3. The Assassin’s Blade (2014, five prequel novellas)
4. Heir of Fire (2014)
5. Queen of Shadows (2015)
6. Empire of Storms (2016)
7. Tower of Dawn (2017)
8. Kingdom of Ash (2018)

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Read books 1 to 7 in publication order, with the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight between books 3 and 5 (some listings number A Court of Silver Flames as book 4). Book 7, A Court of Forgotten Melody, is due on 12 January 2027. Full ACOTAR comparison, including the original narrators: see the ACOTAR series page.

Crescent City

Three books so far, read in publication order. Sarah J. Maas has confirmed a fourth book, but it has no title or date (as of November 2026).

1. House of Earth and Blood (2020)
2. House of Sky and Breath (2022)
3. House of Flame and Shadow (2024)

Across the series

The Crescent City and A Court of Thorns and Roses books are connected in a shared world, which later books reveal. Audible files the two series together under a “Maasverse” label; the Throne of Glass listings do not carry it (Audible, 2 November 2026). T. L. Branson recommends finishing A Court of Thorns and Roses books 1 to 5 before House of Sky and Breath, and says House of Earth and Blood can be started without them. The Catalyst (Greta Patterson) suggests A Court of Thorns and Roses, then Throne of Glass, then Crescent City.

Which series to start with

• Start with A Court of Thorns and Roses if you plan to read Crescent City later: guides suggest reading it first (T. L. Branson).
• Start with Throne of Glass if you want a finished series: seven novels and the prequel collection, complete since Kingdom of Ash (2018). It stands on its own in every source checked.
• Leave Crescent City until after A Court of Thorns and Roses books 1 to 5, unless spoilers for that series do not matter to you. It is not essential: Lair of Reviews followed House of Flame and Shadow without having read them.
• Catwoman: Soulstealer is a standalone DC Comics novel, so you can read it at any point.

Read or listen: series by series

A Court of Thorns and Roses. Listen to the first three books (Listen, 77%): Feyre tells one story in order, and one narrator reads it. Read the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight and book 6, A Court of Splintered Harmony (Read, 65%), where the story passes between several characters in one voice. A Court of Silver Flames is a close call (Either, 50%).

Throne of Glass. Read book 1 (Read, 73%): the story switches between four characters, and one narrator reads them all. The rest of the series has no verdict yet.

Crescent City. House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath are close calls (Either, 50%): each is a very long book, which suits audio, with a map in print, which suits the page. Read House of Flame and Shadow (Read, 79%): as many as six characters share the story, sometimes switching within one chapter, and one narrator reads them all.

For more on audio in this genre, see the best fantasy audiobooks or browse the fantasy and romantasy shelf.

Questions people ask

Related verdicts

Listen, 75%

Fourth Wing

Kirkus praises how Rebecca Soler tells the voices apart and captures the dragons' personalities, so the characters stay distinct, and a 528-page book goes further on audio. The map of the continent is only in print, with no PDF for listeners.

Listen, 100%

The Sweetest Fiend

Isabelle Turner and Sean Masters read it as a duet, and on the US edition original music by Lindsay Dills runs alongside, so it's a full production rather than a reading. At 480 pages it's a long read, which goes further on audio.

Series guide

A Court of Thorns and Roses: every book in order

Every book in the series, with its verdict, narrator and length on one page.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.