After years of waiting, fantasy author Sarah J. Maas has finally come out to give the answers many of her fans have been waiting for. Maas was recently a guest on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, which explores modern dating, sexuality, and women’s empowerment. Maas’s most recent A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series release—the series that made me a fan of hers—was A Court of Silver Flames, on Feb. 16, 2021. Since then, fans have known there was more to come, but not when or what.
In July 2025, however, Maas posted an Instagram photo of herself closing a notebook with the words “ACOTAR 6 ->” on the cover. The news of an upcoming release sent ACOTAR fans, including myself, into a frenzy. It also sparked online debate over whether the number after six was an arrow or the number seven. After this post, however, Maas went silent again, leaving fans guessing. Finally, with this podcast episode, the need to constantly refresh Maas’s Instagram account for updates is over.
Toward the end of the episode, Maas confirmed that what came after “ACOTAR 6″ on the cover of her notebook was, in fact, an arrow to represent “things going ahead of that.” With this, she revealed that ACOTAR 6 will release on Oct. 27 this year, and ACOTAR 7 will release on Jan. 12, 2027. This has prompted many fans to reread the series to prepare for the releases, as many have forgotten parts since they came out so long ago. This news prompted me to prioritize finishing A Court of Silver Flames, which I have not yet finished, to avoid delaying my assigned readings for class.
Many bookstores have also taken action after the news and have begun scheduling midnight release parties for both books. For those in the UCF area, the Barnes & Noble at Waterford Lakes has a sign at the front of the store explaining how to pre-order, sign up for the midnight release party, and the release dates.
Maas seems to love keeping her audience on the edge of their seats in her stories and with her news. In a true fantasy author fashion, Maas did not reveal the titles, lengths, or POVs of the upcoming books. However, the new information has revived the online ACOTAR fan base, with many posting memes and theories about what the upcoming books will cover. Many speculate that the next books will be from Elaine’s or Azriel’s points of view, as the love triangle among the three has been left unresolved.
Aside from new book release details, Maas also shared updates on the ACOTAR TV series, which was in the works before the sudden production silence. In the podcast episode, her primary focus has been on the books, since fans had not received any new content in a long time. Since Hulu cancelled the series, she revealed that she had regained all rights. While I was initially disappointed by this, I believe this cancellation has only paved the way for a stronger adaptation. In the episode, Maas said, “I want to see everything adapted the way I envision it and the way I know fans want it.” This was comforting news, since it seems that if we are gifted with a TV series, it will likely be as amazing as the books with Maas as a crucial creative mind behind it.
Along with all of this exciting news of upcoming releases and plans, the interview also uncovered questions readers had about previous books. In my opinion, the most widespread and shocking of these answers is that Bryaxis, an ancient creature of fear and nightmares, is a girl. Many, including the GraphicAudio book, had assumed the character was male. As someone who listened to parts of the audiobook, this information threw me for a loop. Reflecting on the books and how the character is portrayed, though, I love the idea of a creature of fear being a woman. This unintentional reveal was quite shocking and has led to yet another outburst of memes and posts.
The full podcast also features deep dives into ACOTAR, the Throne of Glass series, the Crescent City series, Maas’s writing process, her mental health, and her journey of becoming a successful writer. As a writer, I found it interesting to see how my creative writing process compared with hers, so I especially recommend that any writers or readers curious about writing watch the full episode. This podcast episode with Maas did not disappoint, and I am beyond excited to find out what the new releases will have in store for us readers.