Throne of Glass — Reading Order

Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series follows Celaena Sardothien, an eighteen-year-old assassin who is pulled from a brutal prison mine to compete in a contest to become the King of Adarlan's personal champion. What begins as a relatively contained fantasy competition evolves into a sprawling epic about war, magical heritage, and the fight against an ancient evil that threatens the entire world.

Read the series in publication order: Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, and Kingdom of Ash. The Assassin's Blade, a prequel collection of novellas, was published between Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire — our list places it there, just before its characters start to matter, though it also works as a starting point. Tower of Dawn runs concurrently with Empire of Storms from a different character's perspective, and both should be read before the finale.

Throne of Glass is notable for how dramatically it evolves. The first book reads like a YA fantasy competition story, but by Heir of Fire the series has transformed into something much larger and more complex. Maas is skilled at character development — watching Celaena grow, struggle, and reveal her true identity over thousands of pages is one of the series' great pleasures. The later books feature large-scale battles, political intrigue, and a romance that has launched a thousand fan discussions.