"Sure, bonding over your mutual love of something is great, but I’d argue fans love something else even more: good ‘ole healthy debate. We had Edward vs. Jacob, Peeta vs. Gale, Stefan vs. Damon, and the list goes on. In the book world, we’ve got people who love Fourth Wing and others who hate it. And then, of course, we’ve got the Maasverse. Sarah J. Maas is the widely beloved author of three different viral fantasy book series, but she’s also not without her haters.
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Sarah J. Maas is an instant-buy author for me, but that doesn’t mean I love all of her books equally. In fact, there are some I will likely never revisit. As the certified fantasy (and romantasy) expert at The Everygirl, I’m breaking down my ranking of every single Sarah J. Maas book.
I went back and reviewed all of my Goodreads ratings and everything I’ve written about the Sarah J. Maas catalog of books to determine the below ranking. Despite where these books fall, however, know that with a few exceptions, I recommend reading all of her books (and in this specific order). If you haven’t yet read Sarah J. Maas’s books yet, be warned, there are spoilers ahead.
16. House of Flame and Shadow
In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse—with its future resting on their shoulders.
Goodreads rating: 4.21 out of 5 (447,399 ratings)
Before I even sat down to figure out where I would put these books, I knew which would be last and which would be first. House of Flame and Shadow was simultaneously my most-anticipated book of 2024 and my most disappointing read. The third installment of the Crescent City series had so much potential to be great, but instead the major crossover event promised in the second book turned into the biggest letdown. To put it simply, I was expecting this book to be epic. Instead, the insane cliffhanger ending of book two turned out to be nothing but a cheap grab at A Court of Thorns and Roses fans.
House of Flame and Shadow took the already insane amount of different perspectives in the Crescent City series and added even more. I cared about maybe three or four of the perspectives in this book, and there was easily double that. Just as a plot I was interested in was getting good, we switched perspectives to a random C storyline that I could care less about. If you’ve read it, you can probably guess I’m talking about Tharion and Ithan. I hope I never read about those two again.
Obviously, I didn’t like this book and I can go on and on with reasons why, but I’ll leave it here. At one point, the main character goes to space—and that’s when this series lost me for good.
15. Throne of Glass
In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle—but she has come to win her freedom. Her name is Celaena Sardothien, and she serves the king who sits on a throne of glass.
Goodreads rating: 4.18 out of 5 (1,810,096 ratings)
I feel like this is going to be controversial, because people will throw down for this series. And I don’t blame them! I love Throne of Glass with my whole heart. However, the first book in the series threw me for a loop. This couldn’t have been the same Sarah J. Maas who wrote A Court of Thorns and Roses, could it? Alas, it is.
My issue with Throne of Glass might be personal, and I have nothing against anyone who loves this particular book, but it puts the “young” in Young Adult. I was 28 when I read this book for the first time, and I couldn’t get past how juvenile it felt. Caelaena makes insanely immature decisions (makes sense, since she’s sixteen), and the story felt like a mishmash of a bunch of other Young Adult fantasy books. To top it all off, this book is full of one of my biggest pet peeves: unnecessary exclamation points. Please, just use a period! (That exclamation point was necessary, thank you.)
However, once I did get through this book (which also includes copious explanations of just how much our heroine loves porridge, books, and chocolate), the rest of the series more than made up for it. If you’re starting your Throne of Glass journey and wondering if it gets any better, trust me, friend, it really does. This series is forever imprinted in my brain.
14. Tower of Dawn
The search for allies extends to a new land in the sixth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Goodreads rating: 4.27 out of 5 (715,836 ratings)
I truly don’t think this will be an unpopular opinion, because the character at the center of this book…sucks. The fifth and sixth installments of Throne of Glass happen at the same time, and follow two different groups of characters as we see our main cast split up as they get ready to take on the Big Bad. Unfortunately, the main character of Tower of Dawn is Chaol Westfall. I truly cannot stand this man and was so deeply unexcited to read an entire book about him. Truly, this book is only ranked above the bottom two because I really liked the side characters in this one.
Yrene is a great character in her own right, and, if you paid attention to The Assassin’s Blade, it was awesome to see her story come back full circle. Nesryn, Chaol’s one-time love, has an incredible arc in this story, and I really loved seeing her find her place in Antica. I wanted so much more of both Yrene and Nesryn, and so much less Chaol in this. And, if I’m being perfectly honest, even that wouldn’t have saved this book from such a low rating; the other group of characters in Empire of Storms is just way more exciting to read about.
13. House of Sky and Breath
In this action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode—and the people who will do anything to save it.
Goodreads rating: 4.46 out of 5 (589,076 ratings)
This book gave me so much hope for the entire Crescent City series, but ultimately, it struggles with the same problems as House of Flame and Shadow. This series is overly complicated and bounces around from POV to POV so much that it takes the reader out of the story. Side characters can be just that: side characters. Instead, because Maas bounced around so much, the plot became convoluted and hard to track, and I lost interest.
The one redeeming thing about this book is the same reason it’s rated so low. It ends on a cliffhanger that promises a huge Sarah J. Maas crossover event. When this book came out, that cliffhanger was all anyone could talk about. While we waited years for House of Flame and Shadow to finally come out, fans came up with theory after theory that would have connected so many dots between all of Maas’s books and made for an epic finale. But with the release of House of Flame and Shadow, the crossover felt gimmicky and convoluted.
12. Crown of Midnight
The second book in the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series returns readers to a land destroyed by liars, where one woman’s truth is the only thing that can save them all. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie.
Goodreads rating: 4.35 out of 5 (1,280,022 ratings)
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy Crown of Midnight, it’s just that, like Throne of Glass, it reads a little too young for me. And that’s perfectly fine. This series wasn’t written for adult audiences, but later books, in my opinion, are just stronger and more engaging overall.
Crown of Midnight raises the stakes set in Throne of Glass and sets the stage for the rest of the series and the expansion of the world. However, in the grand scheme of things, this book is largely forgettable. (So sorry to everyone who loves Sorscha and Nehemia.) These low ratings for Throne of Glass books might make it seem like I’m not a fan of this series, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This is probably my favorite Sarah J. Maas series, but I can’t deny that honor is earned largely from book three onward.
11. The Assassin’s Blade
A prequel to the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series, this collection of five novellas explores the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling and deadly world.
Goodreads rating: 4.22 out of 5 (792,024 ratings)
The Assassin’s Blade is where things in the Throne of Glass series begin to turn. This is a series of prequel novellas that explore the main character’s past prior to the events of the series, and it provides a ton of context for the character, her motives, and her relationships. I loved getting to explore new parts of the world in this book and how it set the stage for moments later on in the series. I’ve had people ask if they really need to read this book when reading Throne of Glass and the answer is a resounding YES. I can’t rank it much higher than this given that in scope, this book doesn’t add much to Sarah J. Maas’s body of work.
10. House of Earth and Blood
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft and alone.With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive fantasy series delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom, and the power of love.
Goodreads rating: 4.47 out of 5 (837,019 ratings)
You might be surprised to find this book so high given my feelings toward the other two books in this series. The thing is, House of Earth and Blood is good! Especially once you get past the first hundred or so pages of world-building. It’s a neatly done, entertaining storyline that sets up what could have been a great urban fantasy series. I first read House of Earth and Blood in a several-month-long Sarah J. Maas frenzy during which I read every book of hers I could get my hands on. At the time, this book really scratched that itch and left me wanting more. Unfortunately, the rest of the series disappointed.
9. A Court of Wings and Ruin
In this thrilling third book in the #1 bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre’s world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.
Goodreads rating: 4.47 out of 5 (2,017,240 ratings)
Don’t get me wrong, the final book in the original A Court of Thorns and Roses series was good, but it just wasn’t as good as the rest of the books in the series. I felt a lot of the grand finale moments—defeating the big bad, character deaths, and redemption arcs—were letdowns. Case in point: two main characters die, only for them to be brought back to life just pages later. It’s not that the conflict felt rushed, it’s that those moments lacked emotional weight because of how quickly they resolved. That said, I read this book in just a couple of days, so I was certainly entertained. I only wanted there to be more lasting consequences at the end of it all.
8. Heir of Fire
The third book in the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series continues Celaena’s epic journey from woman to warrior.
Goodreads rating: 4.46 out of 5 (1,122,008 ratings)
Everyone who picks up Throne of Glass: don’t judge this series until you get to this book. Heir of Fire, the third book in the series, is when I finally started to feel invested. Before this, the scope of the story was much smaller. In this installment, Maas sets the stage for the larger, world-changing plot. The stakes are raised, we meet characters who will become crucial to the storyline, and come face to face with the big bad. Heir of Fire does drag in some places, and if you fell in love with the characters in the first couple of books, you might be put off by who we meet here, but overall, this is a solid book that sets the tone for the rest of the series.
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.
Goodreads rating: 4.18 out of 5 (3,177,706 ratings)
We’re getting to the point in this ranking where it’s truly hard to decide what sets these books apart from one another. A Court of Thorns and Roses, to some Maas readers, might be criminally low at number seven, but I have my reasons. First, any first book in a series is going to be hard to get into. We’re thrown into an entirely new world whose rules we have to learn and meet characters for the first time, having no previous affinity toward them at all.
A Court of Thorns and Roses, for what it’s worth, sets up the series well. There’s a reason this is most reader’s entry point to Sarah J. Maas. This is an easy-to-digest fantasy romance that went viral for its swoonworthy characters. But it did take me a few tries to really get into the story, and I’ll truly never understand how Feyre falls for Tamlin when Lucien is who she had real chemistry with.
6. A Court of Frost and Starlight
Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.
Goodreads rating: 3.74 out of 5 (1,559,342 ratings)
OK, this is the one I know I’m going to get hate for, and I welcome it. I love this book and I’ll stand by that ten toes down. Is it a campy, Hallmark-esque holiday novella? Yes. Is it wholesome, endearing, and a breath of fresh air after reading about literal war in the previous installment? Also yes. Similar to The Assassin’s Blade, A Court of Frost and Starlight doesn’t add much to the overall story in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, but it does allow readers the opportunity to spend more time with characters in a more relaxed setting. It shows new sides of the characters we know and love, while demonstrating what their lives are like when they’re not trying to save the world. Maybe it’s the cozy fantasy lover in me, but I can’t get enough of this one.
5. A Court of Silver Flames
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance—and healing-in each other’s arms.
Goodreads rating: 4.47 out of 5 (1,490,431 ratings)
Some said the girl-power themes in this book were cheesy, but I really enjoyed A Court of Silver Flames, the fifth book in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series. This book breaks off from the original trilogy by following a new main character, Feyre’s sister, Nesta.
I was a big Nesta hater in the original series, so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself rooting for her and truly enjoying her story. Nesta is someone who deals with serious trauma, is an outsider, and can be prickly. However, A Court of Silver Flames peels back those layers and shows readers who Nesta is when she finally gets to relax and be herself. While there’s a big bad in this book that Nesta and her friends have to take down, I’d argue this book is more of a character story, wherein the real bad guy Nesta needs to defeat is the person she used to be. By the end of it, I was wholeheartedly rooting for her.
4. Empire of Storms
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves increasingly at odds with those who don’t.
Goodreads rating: 4.63 out of 5 (859,083 ratings)
Empire of Storms perfectly sets the stage for the final Throne of Glass book. In it, everything feels important; you can see how each moment will play into the final confrontation. The battles are epic and feel like they have real stakes. But on the other hand, Maas weaves smaller, emotional character moments into the story beautifully. In total, Empire of Storms is a novel with world-altering consequences that doesn’t sacrifice character and relationship development. There are even moments of levity that make the story feel grounded and offer a reprieve from some of the book’s heavier moments. I have nothing bad to say about this book.
3. Queen of Shadows
Aelin Galathynius takes her place as queen in the fourth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Goodreads rating: 4.61 out of 5 (999,868 ratings)
When friends of mine reached Queen of Shadows, they texted me and said they finally understood why I couldn’t stop going on and on about this series. Queen of Shadows really is that girl. In Queen of Shadows, everything becomes more serious for our main characters. Relationships are developed further, and we see tension and conflict develop between our main characters, setting the stage for fractures down the line. Characters are reunited, alliances are forged, and sweet revenge is finally enacted on one of the series’ most hated characters.
Storyline-wise, Queen of Shadows has everything fantasy readers need, and writing-wise, you can tell this is where Sarah J. Maas has stepped into her own. This story is paced super well, and has the right balance of action, world-building, and slower, character-focused scenes. If you find yourself reading the first few books and aren’t feeling it, I guarantee Queen of Shadows will have you fully onboard.
2. A Court of Mist and Fury
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.
Goodreads rating: 4.65 out of 5 (2,417,903 ratings)
SJM readers knew this was coming. A Court of Mist and Fury is widely regarded as one of Maas’s best and is a favorite among readers for one big reason: this is fantasy romance to perfection. In A Court of Mist and Fury, we see Feyre break away from a relationship that is all shades of wrong and find both herself and her true love with Rhys. On a larger scale, the stage is set for the final battle that will take place in A Court of Wings and Ruin, but unlike the Throne of Glass series, I’d argue that the overarching plot is less important. This series is romance first, and if you go into it with that mindset, you’ll be more than pleased with the payoff in A Court of Mist and Fury.
I enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses, but it wasn’t until I read this book, the second in the series, that I found myself ready to fully dive into all things Sarah J. Maas.
1. Kingdom of Ash
Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people—but at a tremendous cost. Locked in an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve unravels with each passing day.
Goodreads rating: 4.70 out of 5 (731,622 ratings)
It’s not often I’m left fully satisfied by the conclusion of a series. Instead, I typically still have unanswered questions or plots I felt were letdowns. Kingdom of Ash, in my opinion, is the perfect (if devastating) finale to the Throne of Glass series—with a few, very small caveats. Emotionally, this is one of the hardest books in the Sarah J. Maas world to read. Unlike in her other series, there are real, devastating consequences to the war. We lose beloved characters and the conflict has a real gravitas that demonstrates how worth the six books of build-up this story was.
When I finished Kingdom of Ash I had to sit quietly by myself for what felt like hours simply processing what I’d just read. My husband has a video of me crying as I read the final pages. I’m still feeling the impact of this book in everything I read today. I find myself asking if the book I’m reading is as good as Kingdom of Ash. With few exceptions, the answer is usually no. That’s why this book will always be my top-tier Sarah J. Maas read, and the reason why Throne of Glass is my favorite of her series.
Garri Chaverst, Senior Managing Editor
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.