Hey All! I know there is a lot of debate about the Sarah J Maas universe reading order, and I’m here to weigh in! I’ve been reading A Court of Silver Flames, and so far, I’m enjoying it. I know that book gets a lot of mixed reviews, so I’m trying to power through it. I read the other books in the ACOTAR series a while ago, but I finally sat down and read A Court of Frost and Starlight, so I can finally move on to Nesta and Cassian’s story! Without further ado, onto the opinions!
So far, I have read all of the Throne of Glass books, and I am almost finished with the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, so I have some room to weigh in. Let’s start with the series you should read first. For this, there are two options, either TOG or ACOTAR. Crescent City is much more complex and is usually saved for last.
Pros for ACOTAR
I personally read the first three ACOTAR books first and then went to TOG. I was really putting off A Court of Frost and Starlight, hence the change. I personally liked it this way because ACOTAR is much easier to get into. ACOTAR also only follows one POV in the first three books, whereas TOG has multiple POVs.TOG is also a lot more involved because of all of the POVs, and there are more characters to worry about. ACOTAR is also one of Sarah J Maas’s newer books, so the writing in these is easier to understand. It’s also a shorter series with five books as of right now, whereas TOG has eight and some novellas. If you are more interested in romance and spice, ACOTAR is more your speed. The love interests are a much bigger part of the plot, and the spice in these is definitely around two to three chilly peppers for me.
(Nothing against TOG at all!!)
Pros for TOG
You are still able to read TOG without reading ACOTAR first, and here’s why. TOG, I was so invested in it that I didn’t take breaks while reading it, whereas I was able to do that with ACOTAR. TOG will always have a special place in my heart. This series is beautiful, and it makes you want to know what is going to happen next. You also have more POVs, so in my opinion, it makes the books go by faster. TOG is also a finished series, meaning Maas has stated there will be no more additions to this series. This can be beneficial if you are worried you will forget what happened by the time a new book comes out. TOG is predominantly a YA series, meaning if you don’t need spice and romance in your books, this may be the right fit for you. TOG does have romantic elements, but the plot is mainly about the story and the action. It does get a bit spicier in the last three books, but it’s very minimal.
Overall thoughts
I think it is important to decide what is most important to you when choosing which books to start with. If you don’t want to commit to eight-plus books, then definitely go for ACOTAR. However, if you want a series that’s finished, TOG is for you. When weighing your options, just remember Crescent City should be last since it has the more complicated world-building. I haven’t read the Crescent City books yet, but the other Sarah J Maas books are beautiful, emotional, and all-around amazing stories and are definitely worth your time. Just starting is the hardest part, but trust me, it’s worth it!
