When Sarah J. Maas first announced the new A Court of Thorns and Roses books on the Call Her Daddy podcast, I panicked. Yes, I was excited, but it’s also been several years since I’ve read the series. How could I possibly make time to read them all again before the new books come out? And if I don’t re-read them, am I screwed? My typical M.O. when a new fantasy book comes out is to dive right in and context clue my way through the story regardless of when I read the previous book. There are so many books I want to read, and unfortunately, re-reading takes a back seat to new stories for me.
But the world of A Court of Thorns and Roses is extremely vast, and that’s not even getting into the expanded universe Sarah J. Maas created with her other series. While some readers might look at all five books, or all 16 if we’re trying to read everything in the Maasverse, and think, “challenge accepted.” That’s just not me—but neither is going in blind. Instead, I’ve listened to podcasts, watched YouTube and TikTok breakdowns, and read as much of the ACOTAR wiki as I could to prepare. Whether you’re on a re-reading journey, looking to start a marathon before A Court of Splintered Harmony comes out, or simply do not have time for all of that, here’s what you should remember before you dive into the next installment of our favorite fae romantasy books.
What is A Court of Splintered Harmony about?
The official summary for A Court of Splintered Harmony was… brief. It hinted at a fractured Inner Circle and revealed that the threat of Koschei looms large over Prythian. With very little to go on, fans have run wild with speculation. But if we look to what loose ends A Court of Silver Flames left behind, we can make an educated guess as to what’s coming in Splintered Harmony.
Up until now, regardless of whatever other plot is driving the story, the ACOTAR books center on the romantic relationships between two main characters. To start, Feyre and Rhysand, and then Nesta and Cassian. Feyre’s other sister, Elain, remains unlinked, despite having a mate of her own. It’s time for Elain’s mating bond to take center stage.
Bloomsbury released a few teaser quotes suggesting Lucien plays a big role in this story. As Elain’s mate, this further drives the idea that their will they-won’t they relationship will finally be explored. One of the released quotes even points to someone breaking a mating bond. If Elain breaks her mating bond and pursues Azriel against Rhysand’s orders, things can get bad for the Inner Circle, leading to even more fractures within the group.
Whatever ultimately ends up dividing the Inner Circle, they’ll need to figure it out if they stand a chance against Koschei.
Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.
Is there still time to read (or re-read) A Court of Thorns and Roses?
I mean, technically, yes? A Court of Splintered Harmony comes out on October 27, 2026. There are about 2900 pages in the series (depending on which editions you have), and reading roughly 100 pages per day will get you to the finish line in time.
Finding time to read 100 pages each day can be tricky between all of life’s other responsibilities. But re-reading becomes a lot easier if you go the audiobook route. Elizabeth Pucci, audiobook expert at Hoopla, broke down the listening math for us. Depending on whether you want to listen to the standard audiobook or the graphic audio, here’s what that looks like.
- Elizabeth Evans, normal speed: 2 hr 59 min/day
- Elizabeth Evans, 1.25x speed: 2 hr 23 min/day
- Full Cast/GraphicAudio, normal speed: 2 hr 38 min/day
- Full Cast/GraphicAudio, 1.25x speed: 2 hr 6 min/day
Two to three hours of audiobook time per day sounds like a lot. But if you listen in the car, while you’re doing chores around the house, or on walks or at the gym, that time adds up quickly. And if you’re a true heathen, you can up that speed to 1.5x or 1.75x (or even faster, we don’t judge), and cut that time down even more.
What should I remember about ACOTAR if I don’t have time to re-read?
It would be great to sit down and re-read all of the A Court of Thorns and Roses books before A Court of Splintered Harmony comes out, but between life and every other book on my endless TBR, I won’t be getting to it. If you’re in a similar boat, I’ve been taking notes. Here’s everything you should remember from the previous books before reading A Court of Splintered Harmony.
- The new books will center on Koschei—brother of the Bone Carver and the Weaver (who both died in the war against Hybern)—as the major threat.
- Koschei is responsible for the human queen Vassa’s curse. She is bound to him and takes the form of a firebird by day and a human by night. The other human queens sold Vassa to Koschei in exchange for information that would help set him free.
- The human queen Briallyn allied with Koschei in A Court of Silver Flames to find the remains of the Cauldron and the Dread Trove. She was defeated by Nesta during the blood rite, while Koschei remains at large.
- Nesta gave up most of her powers to save Feyre, Rhysand, and their son, Nyx.
- Feyre’s anatomy is unequipped to deliver an Illyrian child’s wings. Labor would kill her, and because she and Rhysand are bound, he would die too.
- Nesta gives up her powers to save them all, but also alters her and Feyre’s anatomy so they could bear future children. Notably, Elain’s body was not altered.
- Nesta still retains power over the dread trove-made weapons (the Mask, Harp, and Crown) that she has a unique relationship with because of how she became Fae.
- Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie revived the Valkyries, an ancient clan of female warriors across all species on the continent.
- The Illyrians betrayed them, and they were wiped out during the Human-Fae war.
- Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie learned about them during ACOSF and revived their traditions.
- When Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie completed the Blood Rite (a brutal ceremony that Illyrians undertake to become true warriors), it legitimized the return of the Valkyries.
- Elain, Azriel, and Lucien are caught in a love triangle.
- Elain and Lucien are mates, but Elain has shown no interest in pursuing a relationship, and Lucien has kept his distance.
- Elain and Azriel have feelings for each other, and almost kiss in A Court of Silver Flames.
- Rhysand has forbidden Azriel from acting on his feelings, citing the potential for a blood duel with Lucien that would shatter the fragile alliances they’ve built.
- Azriel and Gwyn also have a connection brewing, with Azriel’s shadows often calming around her. Azriel also re-gifted the necklace he had given to Elain to Gwyn.
- Unrest stirs in the Autumn Court.
- Eris, Lucien’s brother and heir to Beron, high lord of the Autumn Court, plans to kill his father and take over.
- Eris and Mor were once betrothed, but the union was called off after Mor escaped, lost her virginity to Cassian, and was subsequently tortured by her family.
- Eris allies himself with the Night Court in A Court of Silver Flames and reveals there’s more to his and Mor’s story than Mor has revealed.
- The Inner Circle is fractured.
- Rhysand kept the dangers of Feyre’s pregnancy a secret from her.
- Azriel wants to pursue Elain despite Rhysand’s command.
- Mor has been keeping secrets from the Night Court.
- Nesta burned a lot of bridges in A Court of Silver Flames.
What should I know about Crescent City?
If you’re an A Court of Thorns and Roses reader who hasn’t dipped their feet into Sarah J. Maas’s other series, you may be wondering why every BookToker is telling you Crescent City is required reading pre-A Court of Splintered Harmony. In House of Sky and Breath (book two in the Crescent City series), Bryce, our half-fae FMC, travels between worlds and lands in Prythian, where she meets Azriel and Nesta. That crossover led Nesta to lend Bryce the Mask to help her defeat the Asteri, and Bryce later gave Nesta Gwydion, also known as the Starsword. During their time together, Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel explored the Prison (the former place of the Dusk Court), and discovered Nesta had a special connection to the location. After giving Nesta the Starsword, Bryce urged her to explore that connection further.
The crossover also revealed some crucial lore. Namely, that the Asteri Bryce fights in Crescent City are an ancient race that has been taking over worlds for millennia. Prythian successfully fought them off, but this new knowledge of the existence of other universes is sure to come into play in A Court of Splintered Harmony.
What should I know about Throne of Glass?
Crescent City proved Sarah J. Maas’s worlds are connected, but there has never been a true crossover with Throne of Glass, aside from a very brief mention. In the final Throne of Glass book, Kingdom of Ash, the FMC, Aelin, falls through worlds. One of which is Prythian, as she sees Rhysand and Feyre while she’s pregnant. Fans have speculated that a more meaningful crossover with Throne of Glass could come later, with several theories that sprouted from the Crescent City books connected to Throne of Glass as well. Fans are hopeful these next few A Court of Thorns and Roses books will officially bring Throne of Glass into the multiverse. Only time will tell.
Garri James, Senior Managing Editor and Book Club Co-Host
As Senior Managing Editor of The Everygirl, Garri oversees the pitching, planning, and creation of all content. You might also find her name pop up as a contributor throughout the site, though she mostly works behind the scenes, leading the team in their creative efforts and ensuring they have everything they need to create top-quality content for our audience.
