# Sarah J. Maas

> A New Yorker who began posting her first novel online at sixteen and became the best-selling author of "romantasy," with three linked fantasy series published by Bloomsbury.

- Fantasy novelist · A Court of Thorns and Roses · Throne of Glass · Crescent City
- Known for: Three fantasy series, Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City, which Bloomsbury says have sold more than 75 million copies.[1][9]
- Born: March 5, 1986
- Last updated: 2026-11-14
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-14
- Web page: https://authorbackstories.com/authors/sarah-j-maas/
- Reading list (PDF): https://authorbackstories.com/authors/sarah-j-maas/reading-list.pdf

## Featured book: Newest book

*A Court of Splintered Harmony* (2026). The sixth book in A Court of Thorns and Roses and the first "movement" of a new arc, the Valkyrie Cycle, published by Bloomsbury on October 27, 2026.[9][8]

## At a glance

- Born: Sarah Janet Maas, March 5, 1986, in New York City[1]
- Raised: On Manhattan's Upper West Side[1]
- Education: Hamilton College, 2008; creative writing, with a minor in religious studies[1]
- First book: *Throne of Glass* (2012), begun at sixteen and first posted online as *Queen of Glass*[1][2]
- Publisher: Bloomsbury, since 2010[1]

## Sarah J. Maas's Backstory

### Early life

Sarah Janet Maas was born in New York City on March 5, 1986, and grew up on Manhattan's Upper West Side.[1] At sixteen she began writing the novel that became *Throne of Glass*, a young-adult fantasy retelling of Cinderella, and posted chapters of it, as *Queen of Glass*, on FictionPress.com, where it became one of the site's most popular stories.[1][3] She studied creative writing and religious studies at Hamilton College, graduating in 2008.[1]

### Throne of Glass

After college she took the novel down from FictionPress and sent it to literary agents; she signed with one in 2009, and Bloomsbury bought the book in March 2010.[1] *Throne of Glass*, which follows an assassin in a world where magic has been banished, came out in 2012 and grew into an eight-book series that ended with *Kingdom of Ash* in 2018.[1][12]

### A Court of Thorns and Roses

*A Court of Thorns and Roses* (2015) began a second series, set in the fae realm of Prythian; *A Court of Silver Flames* (2021) was the fifth book.[1][9] A television series announced by Hulu was dropped in February 2025.[10][11]

### Crescent City and after

In 2020 she began a third series, Crescent City, with *House of Earth and Blood*; the third book, *House of Flame and Shadow*, appeared in 2024.[1] In March 2026 she announced two more ACOTAR novels, for October 2026 and January 2027; the first, *A Court of Splintered Harmony*, came out on October 27, 2026.[5][9] She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.[1]

## Fun facts

- *Throne of Glass* began as a young-adult fantasy retelling of Cinderella.[3]
- The draft, then called *Queen of Glass*, became one of the most popular stories on FictionPress; she took it down when she decided to publish it.[1]
- By sixteen she was writing Harry Potter fan fiction, according to Vulture.[4]
- She has also written a Catwoman novel, *Catwoman: Soulstealer* (2018).[1]
- Her books have been translated into 40 languages.[1]

## Books

In order of first publication; each series is kept together in reading order.

Titles, series and years from the bibliography in Maas's Wikipedia entry, with the 2026 book from Bloomsbury's announcements; coloring books are left out.[1][5]

- **Throne of Glass** (series, 8 books, 2012–2018). *The Assassin's Blade*, a collection of prequel novellas, was published third; Maas's own guide suggests reading it after *Crown of Midnight*.[1][12]
  - 2012: *Throne of Glass* (Novel). ISBN 9781639730957. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639730957) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639730957)
  - 2013: *Crown of Midnight* (Novel). ISBN 9781639730971. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639730971) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639730971)
  - 2014: *Heir of Fire* (Novel). ISBN 9781639730995. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639730995) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639730995)
  - 2014: *The Assassin's Blade* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Assassin's%20Blade%20Sarah%20J.%20Maas)
  - 2015: *Queen of Shadows* (Novel). ISBN 9781639731015. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639731015) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639731015)
  - 2016: *Empire of Storms* (Novel). ISBN 9781639731039. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639731039) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639731039)
  - 2017: *Tower of Dawn* (Novel). ISBN 9781639731053. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639731053) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639731053)
  - 2018: *Kingdom of Ash* (Novel). ISBN 9781639731077. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639731077) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639731077)
- **A Court of Thorns and Roses** (series, 6 books, 2015–2026)
  - 2015: *A Court of Thorns and Roses* (Novel). ISBN 9781635575569. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781635575569) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781635575569)
  - 2016: *A Court of Mist and Fury* (Novel). ISBN 9781635575583. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781635575583) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781635575583)
  - 2017: *A Court of Wings and Ruin* (Novel). ISBN 9781635575590. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781635575590) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781635575590)
  - 2018: *A Court of Frost and Starlight* (Novella). ISBN 9781635575620. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781635575620) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781635575620)
  - 2021: *A Court of Silver Flames* (Novel). ISBN 9798260203040. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9798260203040) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9798260203040)
  - 2026: *A Court of Splintered Harmony* (Novel). ISBN 9781639739134. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639739134) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639739134)
- 2018: *Catwoman: Soulstealer* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Catwoman%3A%20Soulstealer%20Sarah%20J.%20Maas)
- **Crescent City** (series, 3 books, 2020–2024)
  - 2020: *House of Earth and Blood* (Novel). ISBN 9781639733286. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639733286) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639733286)
  - 2022: *House of Sky and Breath* (Novel). ISBN 9781639732876. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781639732876) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781639732876)
  - 2024: *House of Flame and Shadow* (Novel). ISBN 9781635574104. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781635574104) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781635574104)

## Latest news

- Oct. 27, 2026: Bloomsbury published *A Court of Splintered Harmony*, the first A Court of Thorns and Roses novel since 2021.[9][6]
- Aug. 17, 2026: She revealed the titles and covers of the sixth and seventh ACOTAR books, *A Court of Splintered Harmony* and *A Court of Forgotten Melody*.[8]
- Mar. 5, 2026: On Alex Cooper's *Call Her Daddy* podcast she announced two new ACOTAR books, due October 27, 2026, and January 12, 2027; Bloomsbury's shares jumped about 20 percent on the news.[5][7]

## Timeline

- Mar. 5, 1986: Born in New York City.[1]
- April 2002: Begins posting chapters of her first novel on FictionPress.com.[2]
- 2008: Graduates from Hamilton College and begins querying literary agents.[1]
- March 2010: Bloomsbury buys *Throne of Glass*.[1]
- 2012: *Throne of Glass* is published.[1]
- 2015: *A Court of Thorns and Roses* is published.[1]
- 2018: *Kingdom of Ash* concludes the Throne of Glass series.[1]
- 2020: *House of Earth and Blood* begins the Crescent City series.[1]
- February 2025: Hulu drops its planned television series of *A Court of Thorns and Roses*.[10][11]
- Mar. 5, 2026: Announces two new ACOTAR books.[5]
- Oct. 27, 2026: *A Court of Splintered Harmony* is published.[9]

## What's next

*A Court of Forgotten Melody*, the seventh ACOTAR book, is scheduled for January 12, 2027.[8][5]

## Sources

1. [Sarah J. Maas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_J._Maas). Wikipedia. (reference)
2. [Sarah J. Maas](https://www.betterworldbooks.com/author/sarah-j-maas/16705). Better World Books. (website)
3. [In Search of the Write Space: Sarah J. Maas](https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3018890-in-search-of-the-write-space-sarah-j-maas?tab=author). Goodreads (author blog). (primary record)
4. [Meet Sarah J. Maas, author of A Court of Thorns and Roses](https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346107/meet-sarah-j-maas-author-court-thorns-and-roses-romantasy-novels). South China Morning Post. (news)
5. [Sarah J. Maas Announces Next Two ACOTAR Books](https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2026/03/forthcoming-sarah-j-maas-announces-next-two-acotar-books/). Publishers Lunch. (news)
6. [After 5 years, Sarah J. Maas returns to 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' with 2 untitled books](https://wtop.com/entertainment/2026/03/after-5-years-sarah-j-maas-returns-to-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-with-2-untitled-books). AP (via WTOP). (news)
7. [Sarah J. Maas Announces Two New Novels in Her Bestselling ACOTAR Series](https://en.liputan6.com/amp/6292350/sarah-j-maas-announces-two-new-novels-in-her-bestselling-acotar-series). Liputan6. (news)
8. ['A Court of Thorns and Roses' books 6 and 7 titles and covers revealed](https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-books-6-and-7-titles-covers/3766014/). NBC. (news)
9. [A Court of Splintered Harmony: release date and plot](https://booksofbrilliance.com/2026/08/18/a-court-of-splintered-harmony-release-date-plot-acotar-6/). Books of Brilliance. (news)
10. [Everything We Know About the 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' TV Show Adaptation](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-acotar-tv-show/). Marie Claire. (news)
11. [Hulu's Series Adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses Is Dead](https://bookriot.com/hulus-series-adaptation-of-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-is-dead/). Book Riot. (news)
12. [Sarah J. Maas books in order](https://goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/sarah-j-maas-books-in-order-136688505). Good Morning America. (news)