A Guide to the MAASVerse

Has the growing hype around the romantasy sub-fantasy genre resulted in you uncovering a new guilty pleasure? Don't worry, this is a safe space! If you've uncovered a love for romantasy, obviously, Sarah J Maas books are an essential spiral. Her books get a lot of love and a lot of hate, but most people take life too seriously. At the heart of the matter- they're an incredibly fun read. The world building is easy to follow, and immersive in the best way, and the romance is enchanting. It's escapism at it's finest. If you want to get into her stories but don't know where to start- keep reading for a spoiler free guide including a recommended reading order!

There are three series in this world; A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City. All amazing and all different. Here's what you need to know:

Read first: A Court of Thorns and Roses

This series is super light, very heavy on the romance, but still fantastic in terms of adventure and fantasy. It's the smuttiest of all three series if you're into that (no judgement here). The main character has a hell of a journey. You literally get to watch her step into herself and discover her strength. The first book takes a little while to pick up but when it does things really hit the fan and it's only up from there, so just keep reading.

Read these in the publication order. It’s helpful to know ahead of time that book four is a more lighthearted novella — a much-needed breather after the emotional gut-punches that are ACOMAF and ACOWAR to segway into a change in POV for the 5th book. Don't worry, it's the same world, the story just continues from the perspective of other characters that you already know and (maybe) love!

Read second: Throne of Glass

Okay, sh*t gets real in this series. The focus of this story is less about romance and more about fulfilling destiny, saving kingdoms, fighting demons- chosen one stuff. The world building in this one is heavier in the best way and the female lead is badass. In fact, there are multiple badass female leads in this story.

One of the things I liked most about this read was that the main character is loud, opinionated, strong, and dominant. She's not meek or unsure of herself in the slightest, and the trope of women being timid and unaware of their own attractive qualities is tired. The friendships she forms with other women in the series (who occupy space the same way) are deep and genuine, which is a gem in the fantasy genre.

There's lots of recommended reading orders out there and everyone has a preference but of course I'll share mine. Assassins Blade is a prequel, it was published fourth, but I recommend reading it FIRST. When you do it that way, it works as a great set-up story and also there is a higher emotional impact if you're reading it without knowing how it ends.

The rest can be read in regular publication order. Note, Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn take place at the same time in different parts of the world following different characters. The main characters split up and the two books tell each of their stories during that time. Empire of Storms is published first and ends on a MAJOR cliff hanger that will not be addressed in Tower of Dawn. To avoid this angst, some readers read both books at the same time (there are reading guides online that will allow you to swap back and forth and keep the timeline continuous). However, I did the tandem read and don't recommend it. The two books are entirely different in tone and swapping back and forth kind of kills the vibe and takes away from the experience of each one individually. I'd recommend just reading in publication order.

Be warned, Kingdom of Ash will rip your heart to pieces, and then swallow the shards. But it's worth it.

Read Third: Crescent City

Before you dive into this series, brace yourself for a bit of culture shock. This world is very different from the other two series, it has a more modern setting. Think urban cities, nightclubs, explosive weapons, cars, casual drug use, and yes… our characters have 9–5 jobs.

It’s not a bad thing — just different. And honestly, I think this series gets an unfair rep because readers aren’t always ready for that tonal shift.

The books are a bit longer on average, and you need to read them in publication order.

Now, let’s talk about our main character — she’s a total standout. She embraces her femininity, her sex appeal, her friendships, her freedom — and still finds time to slice up monsters. She’s not your classic “I wear a braid and hate dresses” tomboy heroine (which, no shade — we love a braid-wearing icon too) — but she brings a refreshing, fully-formed energy that feels layered, and unapologetic.

Bottom line: don’t sleep on this series just because it’s different or got mixed reviews. If you give it a fair shot, you might be surprised by how much you love it.