For a first read, follow this order:
This is the default first-read route on Shelf of Worlds. Read The Assassin’s Blade third. The route follows current Sarah J. Maas and Bloomsbury guidance.
Prefer a chronological start? Read The Assassin’s Blade before Throne of Glass. The Empire of Storms + Tower of Dawn tandem is optional and community-created. See the community tandem →
Sources: Sarah J. Maas — official reading guide, Bloomsbury — Sarah J. Maas reading order · Verified Sep 19, 2026
For a first read. The Assassin’s Blade comes after Crown of Midnight.
A reader-created 50-block sequence for interleaving Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn. It is optional and not an official Sarah J. Maas or Bloomsbury reading order.
Official context: Bloomsbury confirms that Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn overlap in time and that some readers tandem them; the 50-block switching sequence itself is community-created.
Sequence verification: the 50 blocks were cross-checked against three independent reader guides on September 14, 2026. Minor community variants may exist.
Community sources: RomantasyOrder, T.L. Branson, Mae Polzine
Official context: Bloomsbury, Sarah J. Maas
Short answers, with sources.
For a first read, we recommend it after Crown of Midnight and before Heir of Fire. This matches Sarah J. Maas’s current reading guide and Bloomsbury’s recommendation.
Sources: Sarah J. Maas — official reading guide, Bloomsbury — Sarah J. Maas reading order
Yes. It is a prequel collection, and Bloomsbury explicitly says reading it first is also valid and will not spoil the series. We still keep the author and publisher’s current sequence as the primary path.
For a straightforward first read, read Empire of Storms before Tower of Dawn. Bloomsbury confirms that the two books overlap in time and notes that reading Tower of Dawn first can spoil parts of Empire of Storms.
Kingdom of Ash comes after Tower of Dawn in the recommended Throne of Glass reading order. It is the eighth and final volume in the current official sequence.
Sources: Sarah J. Maas — official reading guide, Bloomsbury — Sarah J. Maas reading order
No. The tandem read is optional. Bloomsbury acknowledges that some readers interleave the two books, but its own recommendation remains publication order. Shelf of Worlds separately provides a 50-block community tandem sequence below, cross-checked across independent reader guides and clearly labeled non-official.
Yes. The current reading sequence is complete at eight volumes, ending with Kingdom of Ash.
Sources: Sarah J. Maas — official reading guide, Bloomsbury — Sarah J. Maas reading order
These sources support the reading order and important details about the books and their editions.