A Court of Thorns and Roses: audiobook or book, book by book
A read or listen verdict for each book, and the recordings side by side, with book 6 out on 27 October 2026.
Short answer: The books split three listen, one read and one either. Listen to A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Wings and Ruin. In these three books Feyre tells one story in order, and one narrator reads it. Read the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight. A Court of Silver Flames is either, a close call at 50%. Every call is close or leaning (50% to 77%), and every verdict scores Elizabeth Evans’s 10th Anniversary Recordings. Her books 1 to 5 run 83h 28m; the original recordings run 97h 0m.
The series at a glance
| # | Book | Verdict | Evans (scored) | Original | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thorns and Roses | Listen, 77% | 14h 4m | Ikeda, 16h 7m | 432 |
| 2 | Mist and Fury | Listen, 77% | 19h 35m | Ikeda, 23h 16m | 656 |
| 3 | Wings and Ruin | Listen, 77% | 20h 49m | Cobb, 25h 9m | 720 |
| Novella | Frost and Starlight | Read, 65% | 6h 5m | Cobb, 6h 23m | 272 |
| 5 | Silver Flames | Either, 50% | 22h 55m | Nielsen, 26h 5m | 768 |
| 6 | Splintered Harmony | Verdict coming | Length on release day | None | 352 |
| 7 | Forgotten Melody | Out 12 January 2027 | Not yet announced | None | Not yet announced |
Verdicts score Elizabeth Evans’s recordings. Original narrators: Jennifer Ikeda (books 1 and 2), Amanda Leigh Cobb (book 3 and the novella), Stina Nielsen (book 5). Pages are Bloomsbury print editions (book 6 is the hardback). Lengths from the Audible listings, checked 17 October 2026. Book 6 is out on 27 October 2026.
Which recording?
Books 1 to 5 each have two solo unabridged recordings, and both are still on sale. Elizabeth Evans re-recorded them for the series’ 10th anniversary, released by Recorded Books on 30 May 2025, and she reads book 6. The originals were read by three different narrators. As of October 2026 the originals lead Audible UK search for every book we checked, so look at the narrator’s name before you buy. Every verdict on this site scores the Evans recordings, because both solo editions are unabridged and we score the newer one.
| Recording | Elizabeth Evans, our verdicts | Original recordings | GraphicAudio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Elizabeth Evans, solo, books 1 to 5 (and book 6) | Jennifer Ikeda (books 1 and 2), Amanda Leigh Cobb (book 3 and the novella), Stina Nielsen (book 5), each solo | A full cast; Audible calls it a dramatised adaptation |
| Where | Audible UK and US, Recorded Books, released 30 May 2025 | Audible UK and US, Recorded Books, 2015 to 2021, still on sale | GraphicAudio, 2022 to 2023 |
| Books 1 to 5 | 83h 28m | 97h 0m | Not totalled (adaptation) |
| At 2x (calculated) | 41h 44m | 48h 30m | Not calculated |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged | Unabridged | Dramatised adaptation (Audible’s listings say unabridged) |
| What is different | One reader across the series; Maas’s chosen narrator for the anniversary recordings | The narrator changes at book 3 and again at book 5 | A cast performance rather than one reader; never the edition we score |
How long is the series?
| Book | Elizabeth Evans (UK and US, our verdicts) | Original recording |
|---|---|---|
| 1 A Court of Thorns and Roses | 14h 4m | Jennifer Ikeda, 16h 7m |
| 2 A Court of Mist and Fury | 19h 35m | Jennifer Ikeda, 23h 16m |
| 3 A Court of Wings and Ruin | 20h 49m | Amanda Leigh Cobb, 25h 9m |
| A Court of Frost and Starlight (novella) | 6h 5m | Amanda Leigh Cobb, 6h 23m |
| 5 A Court of Silver Flames | 22h 55m | Stina Nielsen, 26h 5m |
| Total, books 1 to 5 | 83h 28m | 97h 0m |
| Total at 1.5x / 2x | 55h 39m / 41h 44m | 64h 40m / 48h 30m |
Lengths from the Audible listings, snapshot 17 October 2026. Totals and speed times are calculated.
Evans’s recordings run 13h 32m shorter than the originals across books 1 to 5. The longest single audiobook is A Court of Silver Flames: 22 hours 55 minutes with Evans and 26 hours 5 minutes with Stina Nielsen.
Reading order
Publication order is the reading order. Audible describes the novella as the bridge between A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Silver Flames, so some listings number Silver Flames as book 4.
- 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 (novella, 2018)
- A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
- A Court of Splintered Harmony (27 October 2026)
- A Court of Forgotten Melody (12 January 2027)
What is coming next
A Court of Splintered Harmony is out on 27 October 2026 from Bloomsbury, read by Elizabeth Evans for Recorded Books. It is “The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I”: books 6 and 7 tell one story in four movements, and book 7, A Court of Forgotten Melody, follows on 12 January 2027. We score book 6 once the book and audiobook are out, between 28 and 31 October 2026, and you can ask for an email when it is published. GraphicAudio’s dramatised adaptation is due on 23 December 2026.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the ACOTAR audiobooks?
Elizabeth Evans re-recorded books 1 to 5 for the series’ 10th anniversary, released on 30 May 2025, and she reads book 6. In the original recordings Jennifer Ikeda read books 1 and 2, Amanda Leigh Cobb read book 3 and the novella, and Stina Nielsen read book 5. GraphicAudio also has a full-cast dramatised adaptation.
How long are the ACOTAR audiobooks in total?
Elizabeth Evans’s books 1 to 5 run 83h 28m, and the original recordings run 97h 0m. Both are unabridged.
Which ACOTAR audiobook is the longest?
A Court of Silver Flames: 26 hours 5 minutes with Stina Nielsen and 22 hours 55 minutes with Elizabeth Evans.
Why does the narrator change in A Court of Wings and Ruin?
In the original recordings, Jennifer Ikeda read books 1 and 2 and Amanda Leigh Cobb reads book 3; no source we found gives a reason. Elizabeth Evans’s 2025 recordings cover books 1 to 5, and she reads book 6, so you hear one reader throughout.
Which ACOTAR recording do the verdicts score?
Elizabeth Evans’s 10th Anniversary Recordings. Both solo recordings are unabridged, so we score the newer one. The originals still lead Audible UK search as of October 2026, so check the narrator before you buy.
Should I read or listen to ACOTAR?
It depends on the book. Listen to A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Wings and Ruin. Read the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight. A Court of Silver Flames is either, a close call at 50%. All five are close or leaning calls, and the table above gives every verdict.
In what order should I read ACOTAR?
Publication order: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight, then A Court of Silver Flames. A Court of Splintered Harmony follows on 27 October 2026.
When is A Court of Splintered Harmony out?
27 October 2026, in hardback, ebook and audiobook, from Bloomsbury, with the audiobook read by Elizabeth Evans. Book 7, A Court of Forgotten Melody, follows on 12 January 2027.
Is the ACOTAR TV show happening?
A Hulu adaptation was cancelled in February 2025. The author, Sarah J. Maas, has had the rights back since March 2026 and is reportedly offering the series to other studios, but no new adaptation had been confirmed as of October 2026.
Related verdicts
Fourth Wing
Praised narration and a long book point to audio, but the map at the front of the book is only in print.
Listen, 100%The Sweetest Fiend
Original music with the duet narration and a long book (480 pages) pull towards listening; nothing confirmed points towards reading.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
A full cast with a score and a praised recording, and one viewpoint told in order, with nothing confirmed that points to print.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
How these verdicts were reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked: the Audible UK and US listings for each recording, and the publisher listings for print length and release dates.
- Last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.