Every Sarah J. Maas Book: Titles, Release Years and Cover Editions

If you have ever tried to buy a Sarah J. Maas book online and ended up staring at four different covers for the same title, you are not alone. Between the original releases, the UK editions and the big hardback redesigns, her shelves look completely different depending on which year you started collecting.

Here is every Sarah J. Maas book by name and release year, plus what has happened to the covers along the way.

Throne of Glass

The series that started it all, set in the kingdom of Adarlan and following assassin Celaena Sardothien.

#	Title	First published
0.1-0.5	The Assassin's Blade (novella bind-up)	2014
1	Throne of Glass	2012
2	Crown of Midnight	2013
3	Heir of Fire	2014
4	Queen of Shadows	2015
5	Empire of Storms	2016
6	Tower of Dawn	2017
7	Kingdom of Ash	2018

The covers. The original Bloomsbury run put Celaena front and centre - a figure in a gown or leathers, weapon in hand, on moody dark backgrounds. Those are the covers most long-time readers own, and the ones that shift as the character does: gown in book one, full battle gear by Kingdom of Ash.

Later editions moved away from the character covers towards symbol-led designs - keys, crowns and crests with foil detailing, closer to the look of a classic fantasy set. If you are buying second-hand and want a matching shelf, check whether you are looking at a character cover or a symbol cover before you order, because the two do not sit together well.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Feyre's story, and the series that pulled most people into romantasy in the first place.

#	Title	First published
1	A Court of Thorns and Roses	2015
2	A Court of Mist and Fury	2016
3	A Court of Wings and Ruin	2017
3.1	A Court of Frost and Starlight (novella)	2018
4	A Court of Silver Flames	2021

The covers. The originals are the ones everyone pictures: a figure against a coloured sky, blue for Thorns and Roses, deep night for Mist and Fury, red for Wings and Ruin. Then came the redesign - cleaner, illustrated, with masks, florals and gold detailing on pale backgrounds. Both editions are still widely in print, which is exactly why online listings get confusing.

A tip if you are collecting: A Court of Silver Flames was released after the redesign began, so it exists in a version that matches the older covers and one that matches the newer look. Check the listing photo, not just the title.

Crescent City

Her adult series, set in the modern-feeling city of Lunathion.

#	Title	First published
1	House of Earth and Blood	2020
2	House of Sky and Breath	2022
3	House of Flame and Shadow	2024

The covers. These are the most consistent of the three series - dark, atmospheric city imagery with the titles set large and bold. They are also the chunkiest books on the shelf, so if you like a tidy row, put them at the end.

Which covers should you actually buy?

• Starting fresh and want a matching set? Pick one design language, either the original character covers or the redesigns, and stick with it across the whole series.
• Buying pre-loved? Original editions are easier to find and usually cheaper, and honestly they have the most character.
• Buying a gift? The redesigned hardbacks photograph beautifully and make the better gift-wrap moment.

If you want help matching a set, I can pull a book from my reviewed shelf in either pre-loved or brand new and pack it up with a few goodies - just tell me which edition you are chasing.

Reading order

If you are still deciding where to start, the short version is: ACOTAR if you want romance first, Throne of Glass if you want a long fantasy arc, Crescent City if you want adult and modern. My full reading order guide walks through each one, including the Assassin's Blade question.