You just closed Crown of Midnight with your heart hammering, you look at your shelf, and there it is — The Assassin’s Blade. Do you pause for five prequel novellas or power straight into Heir of Fire? If you Google throne of glass reading order, you’ll find ten different charts, and half of them spoil the exact reveal you’re trying to protect. I’ve been there with readers debating in our studio while packing embroidered sweatshirts, and the kindest answer is also the simplest: follow what Sarah J. Maas herself prefers.
- Sarah J. Maas's official preferred order is: Throne of Glass → Crown of Midnight → The Assassin's Blade → Heir of Fire → Queen of Shadows → Empire of Storms → Tower of Dawn → Kingdom of Ash.
- Read The Assassin's Blade third on your first read — it was written as a prequel after the first two novels and hits harder with context.
- Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn happen at the same time, but the official sequence is still Empire, then Tower, then Kingdom of Ash.
- The completed series is eight books and ends with Kingdom of Ash (October 2018).
The Official Order, Straight From Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas’s current official preferred Throne of Glass reading order is Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, The Assassin’s Blade, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, and Kingdom of Ash.
This is the sequence listed on her official site Sarah J. Maas and mirrored in her dedicated reading guide, which also describes the series as a classic fantasy story following assassin Celaena Sardothien in a world where magic has been banished Sarah J. Maas Reading Guide. It’s clean, spoiler-safe, and it matches how the books were experienced by early fans who waited for each release.
- 1. Throne of Glass (2012) — meet Celaena in Endovier
- 2. Crown of Midnight (2013) — the stakes and secrets deepen
- 3. The Assassin’s Blade (2014) — five prequel novellas that reframe everything you just learned
- 4. Heir of Fire — new continent, new power, new allies
- 5. Queen of Shadows — returns and reckonings
- 6. Empire of Storms — war gathers on all fronts
- 7. Tower of Dawn — a parallel thread you need before the end
- 8. Kingdom of Ash (October 2018) — the final convergence
The completed Throne of Glass series contains eight books and concluded with Kingdom of Ash, published in October 2018 Wikipedia. If you want the author-intended emotional arc, this official order is the one to trust. Bloomsbury’s Sarah J. Maas pages also identify Throne of Glass as one of her major bestselling series and direct readers to a dedicated series reading-order resource Bloomsbury.
Screenshot the eight-book list above before you start. Having it on your phone saves you from accidental spoilers when you search mid-series.
The Assassin's Blade: Why Third Feels Right the First Time
Read The Assassin’s Blade third, right after Crown of Midnight. On a first read, that placement protects reveals and lets the novellas land with their full emotional weight.
The confusion makes sense. The Assassin’s Blade is a prequel collection set before the main series, but it was published in 2014 after Throne of Glass in 2012 and Crown of Midnight in 2013, which is why readers debate whether to read it first or third Wikipedia. Chronologically it comes first, but emotionally it works best when you already know who Celaena is and what she’s lost.
For first-time readers, the safest spoiler-light recommendation is to follow Maas’s preferred/publication-style order and read The Assassin’s Blade after Crown of Midnight rather than before Throne of Glass Sarah J. Maas. You get the foreshadowing in books one and two, then the prequel deepens those moments instead of explaining them before you’ve felt them. On a reread, you can absolutely start with The Assassin’s Blade for a chronological run — you’ll catch layers you missed.
| Placement | Experience | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Third (after Crown of Midnight) | Adds heartbreak and context after you care | First-time readers, spoiler-sensitive readers |
| First (before Throne of Glass) | Pure chronological timeline | Rereaders who want timeline order |
Where to place The Assassin's Blade
If you're pausing for The Assassin's Blade, this Fireheart stitch is the perfect companion — a quiet nod to where Celaena's fire truly begins.
If you want a quick character refresher before diving into the prequel, our Throne of Glass character guide maps who matters and why, without ruining the surprises in Heir of Fire.
Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn Happening at Once
Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn overlap in the story timeline, but you should still read Empire of Storms first, then Tower of Dawn, then Kingdom of Ash on your first read.
These two are the other great debate. Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn overlap in the story timeline; some fans use tandem-reading guides, but the official order still places Empire of Storms before Tower of Dawn and both before Kingdom of Ash Wikipedia. That official sequence preserves the cliffhangers exactly as Maas released them.
| Method | How it works | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Official sequential | Read Empire of Storms fully, then Tower of Dawn | Clean arcs, author-intended reveals, easier to track |
| Fan tandem | Alternate chapters between the two books | Real-time timeline thrill, but requires a detailed chapter guide and more bookmark juggling |
Sequential vs. tandem
My honest take after watching dozens of readers in our community finish: go sequential the first time. You get a full, uninterrupted arc with each group of characters, and Kingdom of Ash pays off more cleanly. Save tandem for a reread when you already know where every thread lands and want to feel the war unfold day by day.
The completed Throne of Glass series is eight books and ends with Kingdom of Ash — October 2018 was the final release.— Wikipedia
Before You Choose Your Path: Reread or First Time?
First-time readers should follow Sarah J. Maas’s preferred order. Rereaders can play with chronological or tandem orders once spoilers no longer matter.
The beauty of this series is how it rewards a second journey. Maas began the earliest version of Throne of Glass as Queen of Glass on FictionPress as a teenager, removed it in 2008 to pursue traditional publication, and Bloomsbury acquired Throne of Glass in 2010 before the first book released in 2012 Time (2024). That’s years of worldbuilding that later clicks into place when you loop back — an assassin’s throwaway line in book one becomes a gut punch in book five.
- First time, spoiler-averse: Stick to the official preferred order above with The Assassin’s Blade third and Empire before Tower.
- First time, love chronology: Still choose third for Blade — you’ll appreciate the novellas more after Crown of Midnight.
- Second time, want freshness: Try The Assassin’s Blade first, or a curated tandem for Empire and Tower. You already know the twists, so timeline play feels rewarding.
A forest-green favorite with a stag emblem — wear Terrasen while you cross into Heir of Fire and beyond.
If you’re comparing builds, our Terrasen embroidered sweatshirt is the more minimal kingdom crest, while the forest-green stag design leans bolder for rereads and tandem marathons.
After the Last Page: Wearing the Story You Lived
Finishing Kingdom of Ash is an ache and a celebration. Turning the book’s emblems into something you can wear makes the world stay close after the final chapter.
I still remember customers telling us they read the last 100 pages in one sitting, then didn’t know what to do with their hands. That’s where a small ritual helps: mark the moment, then carry it forward. If you’re building a keepsake capsule, browse our curated sjm merch — embroidered, not printed, so the texture holds up wash after wash. For gifting, our guide to gifts for Throne of Glass fans pairs perfectly with a finished reread.
- Mark the arc: Gift yourself a piece after Queen of Shadows or Kingdom of Ash — you’ll associate the stitch with the scene that changed you
- Match the mood: Fireheart for hopeful, defiant days; Terrasen stag for grounded, to-whatever-end loyalty
- Layer for marathons: Sweatshirts are ideal for long tandem-read nights when Tower of Dawn runs late
For the Thirteen — wyvern-wing detail with The Darkness Claims Us lettering for the chapter that never leaves you.
Whatever order you choose, let it be yours. Start with the official path if you’re new, then return chronologically when you crave every breadcrumb. The joy of Throne of Glass is that it feels different the second time — and the emblems you wear will too.
Quick questions
What is Sarah J. Maas's official Throne of Glass reading order?
Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, The Assassin's Blade, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash. This is Maas's current preferred order.
Should I read The Assassin's Blade first?
Not on a first read. Even though it's a prequel, it was published after the first two books and lands better after Crown of Midnight. Save a chronological start for a reread.
Do I need to tandem-read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn?
No. They overlap in time but the official order is Empire of Storms, then Tower of Dawn, then Kingdom of Ash. Tandem is a fun reread experiment, not required.
How many books are in Throne of Glass?
Eight books total, concluding with Kingdom of Ash in October 2018.
