1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
  2. A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
  3. A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
  4. A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)
  5. A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
  6. A Court of Splintered Harmony: announced for October 27, 2026
  7. A Court of Forgotten Melody: announced for January 12, 2027

Where to start: yes, A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first book. Start there and read straight down the list, which is publication order.

Sarah J. Maas’s official site lists the series in this order, with the release dates for books 6 and 7. The publisher’s record for A Court of Splintered Harmony calls it “The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I”, so books 6 and 7 continue the same series rather than starting a separate one. Dates for unpublished books can move; check the author’s site before you preorder.

How the series is built

  • Books 1 to 3 are the original arc. A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Wings and Ruin pick up directly from the book before, so do not skip ahead.
  • Book 4, A Court of Frost and Starlight, is a shorter bridge set after the trilogy. It is easy to skip by accident, but it sets up book 5, so read it fourth.
  • Book 5, A Court of Silver Flames, assumes you know the first four books.
  • Books 6 and 7 were announced as the next installments. Read them after A Court of Silver Flames.

Is there an ACOTAR show?

No. Hulu and 20th Television had a series in development with Ronald D. Moore, but Deadline reported in February 2025 that it was no longer moving forward. With nothing to watch, the books are the only order you need.

Audiobooks and formats

The order is the same in print, ebook, and audio. Before you spend an audiobook credit, check the listing’s series number, because box sets and individual books use similar cover art.

Buy book one or the box set?

For a first-time reader, buy book one by itself. Bloomsbury’s 2020 U.S. paperback of A Court of Thorns and Roses is ISBN 978-1-63557-556-9 (Amazon product identifier 1635575567). Bloomsbury identifies it as the first book in the series .

The box set only makes sense if you already know you want the full run. Book one is the cheaper test of whether the series is for you.

See ACOTAR book one on Amazon

Affiliate note: we may earn from qualifying purchases. Verify ISBN 9781635575569 if you want this specific U.S. paperback.

FAQ

Is A Court of Thorns and Roses the first book? Yes. A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) is book 1. Start there and read in publication order.

Where does A Court of Frost and Starlight go? Fourth: after A Court of Wings and Ruin and before A Court of Silver Flames.

Is there an ACOTAR TV show? No. The Hulu series was dropped in February 2025, so there is no screen version to fit into the order.

Sources

This guide is desk research from publisher and author listings, not a review. Checked October 3, 2026.

If you like this series, you may also want The Selection series in order , The All Souls trilogy in order and the Empyrean books in order .