Throne of Glass Books in Order (and Where The Assassin's Blade Fits)

Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series follows Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin pulled out of a death camp to compete for a place as the king's champion. Over eight books it grows from a competition story into a war across continents, with a cast big enough that the reading order genuinely matters. Here is the order we recommend, plus the two popular alternatives and what to know before you start.

Titles with a link are currently on our shelves as new or condition-graded pre-loved copies. You can also see everything we have in stock on our Throne of Glass series page.

Throne of Glass books in publication order

This is the order the books came out, and the order most first-time readers should use.

1. Throne of Glass (2012). Celaena competes against thieves and soldiers to become the king's champion while contestants start turning up dead.
2. Crown of Midnight (2013). Now the king's assassin, Celaena has to decide how far she'll go to carry out his orders.
3. The Assassin's Blade (2014). Five prequel novellas about Celaena's life before the first book.
4. Heir of Fire (2014). The story widens to new lands, new characters and the truth about Celaena's past.
5. Queen of Shadows (2015). A return to Rifthold, and a lot of payoffs for readers who read the novellas.
6. Empire of Storms (2016). The war begins in earnest.
7. Tower of Dawn (2017). Chaol travels to the southern continent in search of healing. It runs at the same time as Empire of Storms.
8. Kingdom of Ash (2018). The finale.

Where to read The Assassin's Blade

The Assassin's Blade is a prequel, but we don't recommend reading it first. The first two novels are written for readers who don't yet know Celaena's history, and the prequel spoils some of that. The most common advice from fans is to read it after Crown of Midnight and before Queen of Shadows, because several characters and events from the novellas matter a lot in Queen of Shadows. Publication order puts it right there anyway.

The tandem read: Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn

Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn take place at the same time in different parts of the world. Reading them one after the other works fine, and that's publication order. Many readers prefer a "tandem read," alternating chapters between the two books so both storylines reach the finale together. If you do it, there are several chapter-by-chapter guides online. Either way, finish both before you start Kingdom of Ash, because the finale depends on both.

Is Throne of Glass young adult?

The early books were published as young adult, and Throne of Glass reads that way. The series gets longer, darker and more adult as it goes, with more mature romance in the later books. If you came to Maas through A Court of Thorns and Roses, expect a slower start that builds to a much bigger payoff.

Which edition should you buy?

The series has been published in several cover designs over the years, including the original covers, the updated illustrated covers and newer hardcover editions. The story is the same in all of them. Many readers like to collect a matching set, so if you're buying the whole series, check the cover on each listing. Every listing shows the cover and ISBN of the edition you'll receive.

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