Books like ACOTAR
"What do I read after ACOTAR?" is the question I get most. The honest answer depends on what you loved — the fae politics, the slow-burn romance, or the found family. Here's a pick for each.
At a glance
Last updated:
- 10 books on this list, every one read and reviewed on this site.
- Built for readers who've finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and want the same hit.
- Matched on the actual ACOTAR pillars: fae courts, slow-burn romance, morally grey love interest.
- Closest single match: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros — fast, high-stakes, romance-forward.
- Most picks are adult, spice 3–5 out of 5; a couple are YA-safe and flagged as such.
- Series commitments range from standalones to 5-book sagas.
- Each pick carries my own star rating out of 5 and a full review.
Empire of Storms
Sarah J. Maas
5.0“Enormous, romantic, devastating. The high point of the whole series.”
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Kingdom of Ash
Sarah J. Maas
5.0“Nine hundred pages of grief, war and payoff. It sticks the landing.”
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Queen of Shadows
Sarah J. Maas
5.0“Aelin walks back into Rifthold and takes the city apart. Perfect.”
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Heir of Fire
Sarah J. Maas
4.0“Grief, training montages, and the best new characters in the series.”
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Throne of Glass
Sarah J. Maas
4.0“A competition, a castle full of secrets, and a heroine who knows exactly how good she is.”
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Crown of Midnight
Sarah J. Maas
4.0“The one where the series stops being a competition and starts being a war.”
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The Assassin's Blade
Sarah J. Maas
4.0“Five novellas that turn Celaena from a name into a wound you feel.”
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Tower of Dawn
Sarah J. Maas
4.0“The healing book. Slower, gentler, and far more necessary than people expect.”
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Want it wrapped? Tell me your tropes and I'll build a personalised book parcel from this same shelf — €19.99 pre-loved, €29.99 new, hand-packed in Wexford with a handwritten note and Bella's paw print. Check Irish postage times and costs before you order.
Reading these in order
If a series here has you lost, these author pages lay out every book and novella in the right order: Sarah J. Maas books in order, Cassandra Clare reading order. You can also browse all my reading guides or start from every review on the site.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I read straight after ACOTAR?
- If you loved the fae courts, stay in fantasy romance. If you loved the romance more than the world, a dragon-rider or academy romantasy will hit faster.
- Is Fourth Wing like ACOTAR?
- Similar energy, different world. It's faster, has a school setting and dragons instead of courts, but the romance sits in the same place tonally.
- Should I read Throne of Glass next?
- Only if you're happy with a slower start. Book one is much more YA than ACOTAR — the series levels up from book two.