ACOTAR Reading Order: Where the Novella Fits and What Comes Next
Start with A Court of Thorns and Roses and follow publication order. Read the short companion book, A Court of Frost and Starlight, after A Court of Wings and Ruin and before A Court of Silver Flames. It belongs in the reading sequence even when a retailer labels it “3.5.”
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This spoiler-light guide separates the books available to read now from announced releases, explains the novella’s place, and helps you choose what to read afterward. Book order and release information were checked on September 20, 2026.
ACOTAR reading order at a glance
| Read next | Book | Role in the sequence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Court of Thorns and Roses | Begin Feyre’s story |
| 2 | A Court of Mist and Fury | Continue the same story |
| 3 | A Court of Wings and Ruin | Read before the companion novella |
| 4 | A Court of Frost and Starlight | Short bridge between the larger novels |
| 5 | A Court of Silver Flames | Continue with Nesta’s story |
The links above open Amazon paperback listings; select your preferred edition there. Audiobook and ebook editions follow the same story order. Sarah J. Maas’s official reading guide lists these five titles in this sequence.
Why Frost and Starlight belongs between books three and five
A shorter book can look optional when you are shopping for a long series. Here, the useful distinction is between a break in pace and a break in continuity. Frost and Starlight gives the characters room to exist after the larger conflict and before the next full-length story. The author’s description explicitly identifies it as a bridge to the later novels.
For a first read, keep it in place. You get the change in atmosphere at the point where it makes sense, without having to double back after characters refer to their altered circumstances. Expect a companion story rather than another novel with the same scale of conflict as Wings and Ruin.
Can you start with A Court of Silver Flames?
We recommend beginning at book one. Silver Flames changes the central focus to Nesta and Cassian, but that does not make it a clean introduction to the world. Earlier events shape the people around them and the emotional starting point of their story. The official synopsis itself refers back to those events.
If you are deciding whether the series suits your taste, try the first book’s sample before committing to a box set. If your main question is about adult content, read our ACOTAR heat-level guide first. Reading order and preferred heat level are separate decisions; skipping to a later relationship can reveal major earlier developments.
What comes after Silver Flames?
As of September 20, 2026, Sarah J. Maas’s official website announces A Court of Splintered Harmony for October 27, 2026, followed by A Court of Forgotten Melody for January 12, 2027. These are forthcoming titles, not books included in the five currently available entries above. Check the author’s announcement before placing a preorder, since publication plans can change.
A retailer’s numbered list may include a preorder beside available books. Look at the release date as well as the number, especially if you are buying a gift or hoping to begin reading immediately. We are not assigning heat ratings or reviewing stories that have not yet been released.
Do you need to read Throne of Glass or Crescent City first?
You can begin with ACOTAR. The author’s reading guide says readers may start with the first book in any of her three series. For a first visit to this world, keep the ACOTAR sequence together rather than interrupting it with a complicated combined schedule.
Choosing your next romance after ACOTAR
Before choosing a readalike, name the part you want to keep. Was it the magical setting, people learning to trust one another, a guarded character becoming vulnerable, or a relationship that takes time to develop? A book can match one of those pleasures without reproducing the whole story.
For another fantasy setting, explore our books-like-ACOTAR guide. For the emotional pattern across different settings, try found-family romance, slow-burn romance or hurt/comfort romance. Those collections also let you branch into sapphic and MM stories instead of following the same kind of couple every time.
Buying the series: three quick checks
- Count titles, not volumes. Check which books a bundle actually contains; do not assume every box includes the novella or later releases.
- Check the format. Paperback, ebook, standard audio and dramatized audio are different purchases. An audio part is not necessarily an entire novel.
- Check subscription status on the book. Owning a Kindle does not automatically include the ebook, and a subscription badge for one edition does not promise another format.
ACOTAR reading-order FAQ
Is Frost and Starlight book four or book 3.5?
Both labels refer to its position as the companion story after Wings and Ruin. Read it fourth in this sequence; the book’s title is the safest way to identify it when shopping.
Does publication order work for a reread?
Yes. It is also the simplest default for a first read because it avoids introducing later circumstances before the books that establish them.
Where can I compare the heat levels?
Use our separate content guide. It discusses the tone without turning this reading-order checklist into a plot-spoiler list.
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