Romans & histoires Sarah J Maas Throne Of Glass Series Reading Order

I just finished binge-reading the 'Throne of Glass' series, and figuring out the order was a bit tricky at first. The best way to dive in is to start with the original 'Throne of Glass' novel. It introduces Celaena Sardothien, the assassin with a heart of gold, and sets the stage for everything that follows. After that, move on to 'Crown of Midnight' and 'Heir of Fire' to see her journey unfold.

Next, read 'Queen of Shadows' and 'Empire of Storms' back-to-back because the stakes get higher, and the lore deepens. 'Tower of Dawn' is a parallel story to 'Empire of Storms,' focusing on Chaol and Nesryn, so you can read it after or alongside. Finally, cap it off with 'Kingdom of Ash,' the epic conclusion that ties everything together. If you want extra backstory, 'The Assassin’s Blade,' a prequel collection of novellas, can be read either before the series or after 'Heir of Fire' for maximum emotional impact.

This series order thing always trips people up. The core order is 'Throne of Glass', 'Crown of Midnight', 'Heir of Fire', 'Queen of Shadows', 'Empire of Storms', 'Tower of Dawn', and finally 'Kingdom of Ash'. The big debate is about the prequel collection, 'The Assassin's Blade'. Some say read it first for chronological backstory, but I was glad I didn't.

I started with 'Throne of Glass' and got hooked on Celaena’s attitude and the immediate plot. Going back to the prequel after book three, 'Heir of Fire', made those stories hit way harder emotionally. You understand the weight of the names and faces she remembers. Reading it first would have softened some of the mystery and impact, I think. The tandem read of 'Empire of Storms' and 'Tower of Dawn' is a whole other level of commitment I personally skipped, but I’ve heard it smooths out the parallel timelines. I just read them in published order and was fine.

Ugh, the reading order debate. This one's got more opinions than the royal court has assassins. For anyone just picking up 'Throne of Glass' now, it's not as simple as publication order, mostly because of 'The Assassin's Blade'. I read the prequel after 'Crown of Midnight' and honestly, that's the sweet spot. You get to know Celaena in the main story first, so when you jump back to the novellas, her past hits harder. It makes her actions and attitude in the early books way more understandable.

Trying to start with the prequel can feel like a slog because you don't have the context to care yet. Plus, you'd spoil some reveals in the first couple novels. Some people swear by reading it after 'Heir of Fire', but that feels too late to me—you're already deep in the epic fantasy shift by then. The tandem read of 'Tower of Dawn' and 'Empire of Storms' is the other big thing. I didn't do it, and I regretted it. The pacing is so much better if you weave them together, even if it's a bit of a logistical nightmare with two books.