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Sarah J. Maas' 'A Court of Splintered Harmony' Breaks Record With 1.7 Million Copies Sold
Confirmed
In Short: With the release of 'A Court of Splintered Harmony,' Maas has once again demonstrated her ability to captivate readers and break records, solidifying her position as a leading author in the fantasy genre.
Sarah J. Maas' latest installment in her 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' series, 'A Court of Splintered Harmony,' has broken her own record with 1.7 million copies sold on its release day, according to Variety. The book, which is the sixth in the series, was published on October 27, 2024, and has already made a significant impact on the market.
The massive sales figure includes preorders and Day 1 sales worldwide for English-language print and ebook editions at major retailers and indie bookstores in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia. This represents a 600% increase from the release day of Book 5, 'A Court of Silver Flames,' in 2021.
Maas' 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' series, known as ACOTAR by its fans, has been a global phenomenon, selling more than 70 million copies in English since the publication of her first 'Throne of Glass' novel in 2012. The series has captivated readers with its blend of fairy tales, mythology, and romance, earning a dedicated fanbase that eagerly awaits each new release.
The fandom surrounding Maas and her ACOTAR series has reached unprecedented levels, with a furious, emotionally charged shipping war breaking out within the community as fans speculate about the romantic developments in the latest book. Fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of 'A Court of Splintered Harmony' and 'A Court of Forgotten Melody,' the next two titles in the series, which Maas recently announced.
According to Maas, the new books will be part of 'The Valkyrie Cycle,' with 'A Court of Splintered Harmony' being the first 'Movement' in a story that will continue in January with 'A Court of Forgotten Melody.' Maas expressed her excitement about having creative control over her storytelling, stating, 'That's what I want to do, and getting to be in the driver's seat and decide this is how I wanna tell stories. And if I want to adapt it for every new book or arc, I can do that. I can do that, and why not. Why do we have to stick to these boxes, of this is how you tell a story from A to B. I'm like, 'What if we do something different?''.
Maas' novels have consistently dominated conversations among the 'BookTok' TikTok community, with women-centered and romance-heavy high fantasy books becoming increasingly popular within the publishing industry and subsequently Hollywood. However, a TV series adaptation of the ACOTAR series, which was put into development at Disney’s 20th Television and Hulu in 2021, was scrapped in February 2025 due to creative differences, with the rights reverting back to Maas.
Maas' extensive library includes three series: 'Throne of Glass,' 'A Court of Thorns and Roses,' and 'Crescent City.' Fans are advised to read the series in publication order, which is also the chronological order of the story. Maas' preferred reading order is listed on her website, and she has provided guidance for those who might be overwhelmed by the 18-book series.
With the release of 'A Court of Splintered Harmony,' Maas has once again demonstrated her ability to captivate readers and break records, solidifying her position as a leading author in the fantasy genre.
Background
A Court of Thorns and Roses is a romantic fantasy series of novels by American author Sarah J. Maas, which follows the journey of 19-year-old Feyre Archeron after she is brought into the faerie lands of Prythian.
What's confirmed
- Sarah J. Maas' latest installment in her 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' series, 'A Court of Splintered Harmony,' has broken her own record with 1.7 million copies sold on its release day, according to Variety. The book, which is the sixth in the series, was published on October 27, 2024, and has already made a significant impact on the market.
- The massive sales figure includes preorders and Day 1 sales worldwide for English-language print and ebook editions at major retailers and indie bookstores in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia. This represents a 600% increase from the release day of Book 5, 'A Court of Silver Flames,' in 2021.
- Maas' 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' series, known as ACOTAR by its fans, has been a global phenomenon, selling more than 70 million copies in English since the publication of her first 'Throne of Glass' novel in 2012. The series has captivated readers with its blend of fairy tales, mythology, and romance, earning a dedicated fanbase that eagerly awaits each new release.
- The fandom surrounding Maas and her ACOTAR series has reached unprecedented levels, with a furious, emotionally charged shipping war breaking out within the community as fans speculate about the romantic developments in the latest book. Fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of 'A Court of Splintered Harmony' and 'A Court of Forgotten Melody,' the next two titles in the series, which Maas recently announced.
- According to Maas, the new books will be part of 'The Valkyrie Cycle,' with 'A Court of Splintered Harmony' being the first 'Movement' in a story that will continue in January with 'A Court of Forgotten Melody.' Maas expressed her excitement about having creative control over her storytelling, stating, 'That's what I want to do, and getting to be in the driver's seat and decide this is how I wanna tell stories. And if I want to adapt it for every new book or arc, I can do that. I can do that, and why not. Why do we have to stick to these boxes, of this is how you tell a story from A to B. I'm like, 'What if we do something different?''.
- Maas' novels have consistently dominated conversations among the 'BookTok' TikTok community, with women-centered and romance-heavy high fantasy books becoming increasingly popular within the publishing industry and subsequently Hollywood. However, a TV series adaptation of the ACOTAR series, which was put into development at Disney’s 20th Television and Hulu in 2021, was scrapped in February 2025 due to creative differences, with the rights reverting back to Maas.
- Maas' extensive library includes three series: 'Throne of Glass,' 'A Court of Thorns and Roses,' and 'Crescent City.' Fans are advised to read the series in publication order, which is also the chronological order of the story. Maas' preferred reading order is listed on her website, and she has provided guidance for those who might be overwhelmed by the 18-book series.
- With the release of 'A Court of Splintered Harmony,' Maas has once again demonstrated her ability to captivate readers and break records, solidifying her position as a leading author in the fantasy genre.
What's still developing
- Maas' epic romantasies have taken the world by storm, weaving fairy tales and mythology together into whole new patterns (with rather more spice).
- And it seems readers were definitely ready to return to the Night Court.
- “Throne of Glass” is big on the epic fantasy elements — you lean toward that, start there.
- 63 Winners for Every Routine Steals & Deals, Boxes & Last Chance Market So you’re considering jumping down the rabbit hole that is author Sarah J.
- It looks as such: “The Assassin’s Blade” is a prequel (technically a collection of novellas) that Maas published after the first two books were released and features characters that crop up later the book series.
- There’s a community of fans who created a way for people to read “Empire of Storms” and “Tower of Dawn” at the same time, by switching back and forth between chunks of chapters.
- There are two key things to note when getting started: If you’re debating whether to start with “Throne of Glass” or “ACOTAR,” it depends on your preference: “ACOTAR” is romance forward — if you lean toward that genre, start there.
- Moore set as showrunner working in collaboration with Maas.
- If you choose to do that, Maas and her publishers at Bloomsbury have said that’s fine too — it doesn’t spoil anything.
- As Maas previously announced, these two new “ACOTAR” books make up “The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I” and “The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements II and III” and will be followed by a currently untitled third novel that will conclude this four-part “Valkyrie Cycle” narrative.