Throne of Glass vs ACOTAR: Which to Read First?

Sarah J. Maas dominates romantasy with two blockbuster series, and new readers almost always ask the same question: should I start with Throne of Glass or A Court of Thorns and Roses? Both deliver the immersive worlds, slow-burn romances, and fierce heroines that made Maas a phenomenon — but they hook you in different ways. Here is how the two measure up.

The Basics, Side by Side

What Happens in Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass introduces Celaena Sardothien, a notorious teenage assassin pulled from a labour camp to compete in a deadly contest to become the King’s Champion. What begins as a relatively contained competition novel expands, across eight books, into a sprawling high-fantasy epic of warring kingdoms, ancient magic, and one of the most celebrated character arcs in modern fantasy. The series is famous for a slower start — many readers find the first book the weakest — that pays off enormously as the scope and stakes explode.

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Briefly

A Court of Thorns and Roses follows Feyre, a mortal huntress who kills the wrong wolf and is dragged into the faerie lands as punishment, where a Beauty-and-the-Beast romance becomes something far larger and darker. ACOTAR is more romance-forward from the start, steamier, and faster to grip — its world of fae courts and its central love story consume readers within the first book. It is the series most often credited with launching the romantasy boom.

Where They Part Ways

First, there is romance versus epic. ACOTAR foregrounds the central romance from page one; Throne of Glass is a fuller epic fantasy where the romance is one thread among war, politics, and magic. If you read Maas mainly for the swoon, ACOTAR wins; if you want a vast world and a long character journey, Throne of Glass does.

Second, there is the on-ramp. ACOTAR hooks fast, with a strong first book. Throne of Glass asks for patience — the opening novel is lighter and more YA before the series deepens dramatically around books two and three. Readers who bounce off slow starts should begin with ACOTAR.

Third, there is heat and maturity. ACOTAR escalates its spice quickly and reads as new-adult from early on. Throne of Glass begins more YA and matures as it goes, so the steam and the darkness arrive later. Match that to your comfort level.

Where to Start

For most readers, start with A Court of Thorns and Roses. It is the more accessible, more romance-driven, and more immediately addictive of the two, which makes it the ideal introduction to Maas. Read Throne of Glass second, once you trust her and are ready to commit to a longer, slower-building epic with a bigger ultimate payoff.

The exception: if you came to Maas specifically for epic fantasy — war, politics, a huge cast, a years-long character arc — rather than romance, begin with Throne of Glass and push through the lighter first book to reach the series’ extraordinary middle and end.

A Note on Spice and Age Rating

One factor worth weighing, especially for younger or more sensitive readers, is that the two series sit at different points on the heat and content scale. A Court of Thorns and Roses reads as new-adult almost from the start, with explicit scenes and mature themes that intensify across the series — the later books are among the steamiest in mainstream romantasy. Throne of Glass begins as young-adult, with romance and violence both relatively restrained in the first book, then matures steadily until the final volumes are as dark and adult as anything Maas has written. So if you want the spice up front, ACOTAR delivers it sooner; if you would rather ease in, Throne of Glass gives you a gentler on-ramp before the intensity builds. Parents choosing for teen readers often start them on the early Throne of Glass books for exactly this reason, saving ACOTAR for a little later.

What Comes Next

Once you have started one, our authors like Sarah J. Maas guide points to Rebecca Yarros, Carissa Broadbent, and more in the same vein. If you have not yet compared Maas to the other titan of romantasy, our ACOTAR vs Fourth Wing breakdown is the next stop, along with our best romantasy books roundup.

The short version: read ACOTAR first for the faster, steamier romance, then Throne of Glass for the bigger epic — and you will understand exactly why Sarah J. Maas owns this genre.