“The Empire of the Seven Courts”: Order of the Books

A fantastic world full of Fae, dreamlike landscapes and ancient power struggles – and unique and interesting characters. This is what the series “The Empire of the Seven Courts” by the successful author Sarah J. Maas offers. The focus is on Feyre, a young woman who comes to the Fae Empire, has to assert herself there and suddenly finds herself at the center of a centuries-old conflict.

The “Romantasy” series, i.e. romantic fantasy, currently consists of five books. However, only four of these are official volumes, supplemented by a novella that Maas published between the third and fourth volumes. There is also a “The Kingdom of the Seven Courts” companion book.

In the original English language, the series is called “A Court of Thorns and Roses”, or “ACOTAR” for short. The term “ACOTAR” series is therefore common in the fan community – both for the original and for the German translation. The series has many fans on social media, especially on Bookstagram and BookTok, and owes its great success not least to these platforms.

The content of the “The Empire of the Seven Courts” series

The story of the first volume, “The Kingdom of the Seven Courts – Thorns and Roses”, is loosely based on the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”. From the second volume onwards, however, the story deviates significantly from the original. The focus is on Feyre Archeron, a young hunter who has to support her father and two sisters without support. She comes from the land of men to Prythian, the realm of the Fae. There she lives with Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court. Feyre also meets Rhysand, the sinister High Lord of the Night Court. She quickly becomes embroiled in the political power games and real threats facing the Empire of the Seven Courts and must decide which side she wants to fight on.

The books in the fantasy series by Sarah J. Maas

1st volume: “The kingdom of the seven courts – thorns and roses”

In the English original: “A Court of Thorns and Roses”

In the first volume, Feyre kills a wolf who turns out to be a Fae. As punishment for murdering the magical creature, the young woman is supposed to live with Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, in the Fae Empire.

2nd volume: “The kingdom of the seven courts – flames and darkness”

In the English original: “A Court of Mist and Fury”

The second volume begins after Feyre defeats the cruel Fae Queen Amarantha and returns to the Spring Court with Tamlin. But the apparent idyll is deceptive.

3rd volume: “The kingdom of the seven courts – stars and swords”

In the English original: “A Court of War and Ruin”

Feyre, Tamlin, Rhysand, the High Lord of the Court of Night, and the other High Fae must go to war against the King of Hybern.

4th volume: “The Kingdom of the Seven Courts – Frost and Moonlight” (actually volume 3.5)

In the English original: “A Court of Frost and Starlight”

The novella is significantly shorter than the other books in the series and tells of Feyre’s first winter solstice at the Court of Night.

5th volume: “The Empire of the Seven Courts – Silver Fire” (actually volume 4)

In the English original: “A Court of Silver Flames”

The 4th and 5th volumes of the series are all about Feyre’s sister Nesta and her personal journey.

6. Accompanying book: “The big ‘The Empire of the Seven Courts’ fan book”

In the English original: “A Court of Thorns and Roses Coloring Book”

In this accompanying book Fans of the fantasy saga have the opportunity to delve further into the magical world of Prythian. In addition to the characters’ favorite quotes, there are many illustrations to color in.

The correct order: This is how you read the books in the “The Empire of the Seven Courts” saga

The first part of the story, focusing on Feyre’s love story and the greatest development of her character, takes place in volumes one to three. These first three parts are largely written from Feyre’s perspective. Volume four or 3.5, i.e. “The Empire of the Seven Courts – Frost and Moonlight” can be seen as a kind of intermediate volume between Feyre’s story and Nesta’s story from the fifth and fourth volumes.

It is recommended that you read the books in the chronological order in which they were published. Some fantasy fans aren’t sure whether they really need to read the intermediate volume “Frost and Moonlight” – compared to the other books, there’s actually relatively little of the classic plot going on in it. Nevertheless, it is worth reading the novella because it prepares the reader perfectly for the next volume from Nesta’s perspective.

When will the next part of “The Empire of the Seven Courts” come?

Sarah J. Maas had announced a long time ago that there would be at least one more volume from the “The Empire of the Seven Courts” series. In a recent interview, the star author revealed that she is currently working on the next part.

The third volume of Maas’ “Crescent City” series will be published at the beginning of 2024 – her next book will probably be the fifth or sixth volume of the popular “ACOTAR” series. However, it is still unclear when exactly the publication can be expected. There are also rumors that the next novel in the series will be about Elain, the middle of the Archeron sisters.

If you don’t want to wait any longer and simply can’t get enough of the magical Fae worlds written by Sarah J. Maas, you can read one of her other series: The “Throne of Glass” series about Aelin Galathynius has already been completed, the seven volumes The series is available to buy as a set. In the “Crescent City” series we follow Bryce Quinlan, the first two novels, “When the Dark Awakens” and “When a star shines” have already appeared. Volume 3, “When the Shadows Rise”will be published in the German translation on March 14, 2024 and can already be pre-ordered now.

Should “The Empire of the Seven Courts” be made into a film?

Yes, there should be a TV series about “The Kingdom of the Seven Courts” or “A Court of Thorns and Roses”. Producer Ronald D. Moore, who was already responsible for shows like “Outlander”, is to film the material for the streaming service Hulu. However, it is not yet known when exactly the “ACOTAR” series will be shown.

Sources used:

Bridget