SPOILER ALERT I repeat SPOILER ALERT. Whether you have just started getting into reading or have always been a book nerd, you have probably heard of New York Times Best Selling Author, Sarah J. Maas. Her books have blown up on TikTok, more specifically “BookTok”, and if you are into fantasy, these books are for you. A Court of Thorns and Roses is her most popular series and is currently unfinished: so far it has four main books and one novella. Throne of Glass is her only series officially finished, which consists of seven main books and one novella. Finally, her latest series, Crescent City, has three books, with House of Flame and Shadow being the most recently released. Because all of these books are seemingly connected, despite taking place in different worlds, here’s my take on the “Sarah J. Maas-Verse.”
Starting with Throne of Glass, I think this is the core of the Maas-Verse. This series, in my opinion, is the best out of her three, although I love all of her books. Except for Tower of Dawn. I hate Chaol, I am a Chaol hater, and I am not sorry. Kingdom of Ash is by far my favorite book by Maas, and it broke me as much as it healed me. This book is also the basis for the connections with the other two series. Because of what we learn about Aelin’s ancestors, and when she falls between worlds, we can see how this connects to the other books. Even though some A Court of Thorns and Roses books came before the Kingdom of Ash, I strongly believe Sarah had all of these worlds mapped out in her head before they even were written.
Moving on to A Court of Thorns and Roses, there are so many loose ends Sarah has yet to tie up with this series which makes me very excited for the next books. It will be interesting to see how the cross-over in a House of Flame and Shadow will impact these next books. I would like to see more characters pop up from other realms, perhaps from the world of Throne of Glass. However, even if there are no cross-overs in the next books, I think Sarah will still plant clues for her next Crescent City novel as well as the new series she is working on.
Out of Sarah’s three books series, Crescent City was my least favorite. I struggled getting through House of Sky and Breath, but in the end, it was worth it to get to House of Flame and Shadow. This is where all the pieces start to fall into place in the Maas-Verse. The fact that the shifters used to be Fae who each had an animal form and elemental magic? Hello? Throne of Glass much? Lidia who named her son Brannon, who in Throne of Glass is an ancestor of Aelin, and the fact that Lidia has fire magic and can shift into a deer, which is connected to the importance of The Stag of the North in Throne of Glass. I hope that in the next Crescent City Book, we find out more about Lidia’s heritage and possibly travel to the world of Throne of Glass.
There are so many theories on what might come next in the Maas-Verse, and I enjoy trying to piece them all together. I look forward to reading her future books, although the wait is torture. If you are struggling with a post-Maas-verse reading slump like I was, here are some book recommendations to keep you occupied. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson. And of course Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Happy reading!
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