Sarah J. Maas. The Queen of Fantasy, Leader of the Maassassins (fandom name), and Creator of the Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. I’m sure you’ve heard of her, and if you haven’t heard of her, then what rock have you been living under?
Today I'm here to provide you with The Sarah J. Maas reading guide that I didn't have; I’m that girl who dove into the Maasverse while living under a rock. So go grab your hot shifter partner and let us ride into the Maasverse.
Here's Your Guide To The Sarah J. Maas Universe
Throne of Glass (#1)
“We all bear scars,... Mine just happen to be more visible than most.”
Gasp FleetFoot BABY
A deadly competition
Elentiya dear
- Throne of Glass haiku
by Raigan Mao
Throne of Glass (ToG) is Sarah J. Maas’ debut novel. Originally uploaded by FictionPress under the title “Queen of Glass,” Sarah, who at the time had her pen name as "S. J. Maas," wrote “Queen of Glass” when she was 16. Later, when she was looking to get published, she took down “Queen of Glass” and republished the book as “Throne of Glass."
Throne of Glass is perfect for readers looking for an Epic Fantasy adventure with a dash of Romance and a large cast of characters who are slowly introduced as the series goes on. While the Throne of Glass series starts off as Young Adult (YA 14+), the age level quickly rises to being more appropriate for New Adult (NA 16-18+) readers.
Ardarlan’s most notorious assassin—Celaena Sardothien—is a slave. Until she isn’t. Invited to the glass castle by the Crown Prince to compete in a competition to become the king’s assassin and win her freedom, Celaena is forced to compete against 23 other unsavory characters. With a flirtatious Crown Prince, a brooding Captain of the Guard, and a kindhearted Princess, Celaena Sardothien may just win her freedom.
Owlcrate’s Bookish Goodies Inspired by this book:
A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1)
“Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.”
Masked men are hot… right?
Say no to toxic men please
Oh look, I can’t read
- A Court of Thorns and Roses haiku
by Raigan Mao
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACoTaR) is the first book in the second series written by Sarah J. Maas. This book is more of a Romantasy (Romance and/or Fantasy) read and is perfect if you like the Found Family trope . The ACoTaR series was originally marketed toward Young Adult readers, but in reality, it’s better suited towards New Adult readers, seeing as there is a decent amount of sexual content.
Feyre hunts so her family can survive. So what happens when she kills a wolf in the woods and ends up getting abducted by one of the High Fae Lords? She's forced to live in luxury, and she accidentally falls in love with a certain High Fae Lord. She ends up finding her family (though not bound by blood) and even love.
Let’s just say Sarah J. Maas has set the bar achingly high when it comes to my expectations for men; I mean males.
Owlcrate’s Bookish Goodies Inspired by this book:
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)
“That's the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious.”
Demonic kitties?
Through love, all is possible.
Wingspan applies here.
- House of Earth and Blood haiku
by Raigan Mao
House of Earth and Blood (HoEaB) is the first book in Maas’ third series. This book is an Urban Fantasy Romance Murder Mystery . The overall series, The Crescent City, is an Epic Fantasy Romance with political intrigue and is targeted towards an adult audience. There is much more explicit content in this one, i.e. ...
TW (may contain spoiler):
more swearing, sexual content, and darker themes such as slavery, drugs, and mentions of suicide ideation/depression.
Danika and Bryce are best friends. The kind of friendship that is unbreakable. The kind that when it does break, Bryce is devastated. Why? Because Bryce feels responsible for the murder of Danika and their friends. Years later, after the accused have been thrown in jail, the murders begin again, and Bryce wants everything to do with it, especially when it comes to Hunt Athalar, who is in this for his freedom from the Archangels (the very ones that he used to work and fight against).
Owlcrate’s Bookish Goodies Inspired by this book:
Sarah J. Maas Maasverse Reading Order
I would recommend starting with Throne of Glass, seeing as it is the first book Sarah wrote. After reading Throne of Glass (book #1), you’ll want to move on to book #2, which is Crown of Midnight, then book #3, Heir of Fire. Then circle back to the beginning of book #0.5, The Assassin's Blade, which is a collection of short stories about how Celaena winds up in Endovier. Next, you’ll continue on with the series with book #4, Queen of Shadows.Book #5 Empire of Storms and #6 Tower of Dawn can be read at the same time . Here’s a link to the reader's recommended Tandem Guide for Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn . Then the grand finale, Kingdom of Ash book #7, last but certainly not least.
I would then recommend reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, although you can start with this series if you like as most of the crossovers between series include characters from these books. For instance, towards the end of book #2 (House of Sky and Breath) in the Crescent City series, you end up seeing some of the characters from A Court of Thorns and Roses. In book #3, House of Flame and Shadow, you even get to go on an adventure with them, and that would give you some spoilers for ACoTaR if you don’t read it first.
Bônus: Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons #3)
“Talks like a lady, acts like a thug.”
Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas is in no way related to her other works mentioned above. This book is part of a series about the heroes and villains of Gotham City and those who roam the night. Each book in this series is written by a different author, which is super cool, and Sarah was the author of book #3!
Synopsis taken from Goodreads:
When the Bat's away, the Cat will play. It's time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .
Two years after escaping Gotham City's slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.
Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing's undoing.
And there you have it: A Beginners Guide to the World of Sarah J. Maas. Have fun and happy reading Book Owls!
The Nest App
⚪️ The app is 100% free and all are welcome!
⚪️ Created for the bookish community and powered by OwlCrate!
⚪️ We have exclusive live events always happening in The Nest, so download the app and join the community today!
