The Throne of Glass series order also has the most debate among the fandom. There are eight books total, but one is a collection of five prequel novellas. Some people like to start there so they read in order of the timeline of events, but I am not one of them. There’s also an option to tandem-read Empire of Storms and Kingdom of Ash—you can find guides online on how to do it—but I found that to be too chaotic and jarring. Just pick one! Here’s the Throne of Glass series order as I would do it…
Throne of Glass
Don’t listen to anyone on BookTok who tells you to start with The Assassin’s Blade. Meet Celaena Sardothien, the main character of the Throne of Glass series, as SJM intended: a young assassin with a mysterious backstory who is given the chance to compete in a deadly tournament.
“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight
Spoiler: Celaena won the tournament and is now working for the king as his main assassin. But as she grows closer to Prince Dorian and Chaol, the handsome captain of the guard, secrets are uncovered.
“Crown of Midnight” by Sarah J. Maas
The Assassin’s Blade
These five prequel novellas take place before the events of Throne of Glass, but they’ll carry greater emotional weight if you read them after knowing more of Celaena’s story.
“The Assassin’s Blade” by Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire
This picks up right where Crown of Midnight left off and sees Celaena traveling to a distant land, where she learns to embrace her true heritage and the magic within her. This is when the mythology of the series really starts to expand.
“Heir of Fire” by Sarah J. Maas
Queen of Shadows
Sorry for the spoiler, but there’s no way around it: Aelin, the artist previously known as Celaena, is back and ready to reclaim her throne.
“Queen of Shadows” by Sarah J. Maas
Empire of Storms
If you want to read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn in tandem, more power to you. Personally, I think it takes away from the experience to constantly be shuffling between books and double-checking the chapter order. Empire of Storms came first, so start there. Notably, this is the first book in the TOG series to drop the YA approach for more adult themes. So yes, that means there is ~spice~.
“Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas
Tower of Dawn
Take a break from Aelin to check in with Chaol Westfall in the Southern Continent. Depending on your opinion of him (the fandom is divided), this one might not be your favorite. Still, there’s important lore you’ll need to know for Kingdom of Ash.
“Tower of Dawn” by Sarah J. Maas
Kingdom of Ash
An epic finale, full of high-stakes drama and emotional scenes. This is the last novel in the Throne of Glass line, as SJM has said she doesn’t have plans to write more. For now.
“Kingdom of Ash” by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses Series Order, Part 2
I know this sounds confusing and chaotic, but it’s worth quickly checking back in with Feyre and co. before starting the Crescent City series. It’ll make sense why once you read.
