A Court of Thorns and Roses fans, the wait is finally over. Sarah J. Maas has announced the much-anticipated next book in her hit romantasy series — and two more on top of that. Readers have been waiting with bated breath for an update about ACOTAR book six since A Court of Silver Flames debuted five years ago. Now, they have answers, and they're way better than anyone expected.
During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maas revealed that there will be three new A Court of Thorns and Roses books headed our way. The first two already have release dates: October 27, 2026 and January 12, 2027. The third isn't written yet, but ideally, shouldn't be too far behind the others. Maas underscored the fact that the next story is a lengthy one, which came out in the form of four parts. She let that happen, choosing to split those into three books rather than condensing the narrative into a singular novel.
"I decided I wasn't going to approach this project from a traditional format of a book," Maas explained. "And what if this story, like, what if this book was really f***ing long? What if it took me more than a thousand pages to tell the story that needed to be told, the arc that I wanted to create from start to finish? What if that took a long time? What if that took beyond the constraints of a single volume, and what does that look like? How do I tell that story?"
She continued, "And then I realized it was gonna be four parts. A book told in four parts. So then I wrote part two, and part three. And those were really f***ing long. And then part four has yet to be written because right now I'm trying to just get part one, which is out in October. And then parts two and three, which will be out in January, is like one combined thing. So it's basically gonna be like three physical volumes, but it's like one thing altogether that no amount of glue in like any publisher's factory could ever hold this. So it's meant to be read, ideally, as one massive, massive story."
Watch Maas' interview in its entirety here:
Given the nontraditional approach of this story, it's worth noting Maas' confirmation that it won't be a trilogy despite being comprised of three novels. Even still, it gives ACOTAR fans plenty to look forward to in the coming months. That's especially exciting after years away from Prythian. And there are still more updates to watch out for. Although Maas finally shared release dates, there's much about ACOTAR books six, seven, and eight that we don't know.
What we know about the next three ACOTAR books so far
While A Court of Thorns and Roses' upcoming release dates have the internet in a frenzy, Maas didn't offer much in the way of plot details regarding the next three books. They'll follow one story, but whose remains a mystery. A Court of Silver Flames made the shift from following Feyre and Rhysand to chronicling Nesta and Cassian's journey. Book six is expected to jump to yet another couple, with many hoping it will follow Feyre's other sister, Elain.
That's not confirmed, however, and Maas kept tight-lipped during her spot on Call Her Daddy. When asked if she could share which character's POV the book would be from, the author said, "No. And that was one of the like surprising things for me, like writing this and like what came out. Like it's...you got a lot of like, insight to like various things." She did reiterate how long the story is, so it's possible readers will get multiple perspectives in this one.
Additionally, we still don't have a title for the next ACOTAR book, which would fuel some speculation about who it follows and what it's about. With the first volume dropping in October, it's only a matter of time until we get more juicy details. Until then, we can at least celebrate getting some news.
Sarah J. Maas also offered an update about the ACOTAR TV show
On top of unveiling the future of the ACOTAR books, Maas offered an update about a possible TV show. Hulu had the rights to A Court of Thorns and Roses for some time, with its TV adaptation stuck in development hell. Last year, fans finally got word that it was scrapped (via Variety), a disappointing but unsurprising development after years of silence.
Unfortunately, there's still no momentum on the series, despite it being a great choice for the small screen. Maas did, however, clarify where she stands, confirming she now has the rights back. Nothing is in the works on the TV front, but it's still on her mind. She admitted it's something she wants "to be in charge of" if it does ever happen.
Fortunately, we won't need an ACOTAR TV show any time soon with three new books to tide us over. It's a great time to be a fan, and it sounds like what's coming will be worth the long wait.