We’ve been waiting for the next A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) book about as long as Vaughn has been missing at this point.
Despite the occasional hint dropped here and there, Sarah J. Maas hadn’t made any major moves on the next instalment of the ACOTAR series. Most recently, fans were given a brief glimpse of Feyre and the gang in the latest Crescent City novel — an appearance that left readers feeling only marginally more satisfied than reading the infamous line, “And Lorcan did…” — did what, exactly, Sarah?!
Then came the news that our beloved romantasy queen was preparing for a nearly two-hour live conversation with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast. Some fans braced themselves for the possibility of another Crescent City update or perhaps a short novella — no shade, but expectations were cautiously low.
Fortunately, pessimism was misplaced. During the broadcast, Maas revealed not only when the sixth ACOTAR novel will be released, but also confirmed that a seventh book is on the way.
Here’s everything we know about the upcoming ACOTAR instalments, including the expected release dates.
After all, Cathy and Heathcliff's relationship is all about one thing: power.
What do we know about ACOTAR 6 and 7?
The A Court of Thorns and Roses series, which debuted in 2015, exploded in popularity thanks in large part to #BookTok: the TikTok literary community that gained momentum during the early pandemic years and has since become a dominant cultural and commercial force in the publishing industry. These erotic novels are known as romantasy.
Readers have been captivated by the story of Feyre Archeron and her 500-year-old “mate,” the enigmatic faerie warrior at the centre of the saga, across five novels. Many fans have been eagerly awaiting a new instalment since the release of A Court of Silver Flames in 2021.
Speaking about the long gap between books, Sarah J. Maas explained that finding the right story and mindset took time. “What poured out of me was this, and it poured out of me very quickly,” she said of the upcoming instalment.
She did not reveal the titles or cover art for the next books, but acknowledged that the continuation of the series had been “a long time coming.” Details about the narrator were also kept under wraps, though Maas hinted that the choice of perspective surprised even her.
Until now, many fans have speculated that the next story would follow Azriel and Elain — with or without a romantic resolution — though Maas declined to confirm the protagonist. She did reveal that she began exploring Elain’s character more deeply while writing the fifth book, describing how everyday activities at home unexpectedly fed into her creative process.
Who else could it be? Mor?!
“I remember the entire time I was ripping out the ivy and trying to bring some order to the garden beds, I just slipped into Elain’s head,” she said. “Elain is a gardener, and everything I did during those weeks became research for her book.”
Maas also confirmed that the next instalment will unfold as one overarching story split into four parts. The first part will be ACOTAR 6, followed by parts two and three as ACOTAR 7, with a fourth part planned for later.
“They were really f*cking long,” she joked of the planned structure, adding that part four has yet to be written as she focuses on completing the first instalment.
When will ACOTAR 6 and 7 be released?
No more skirting around the details readers really want to know: the sixth book is set to be released on October 27, 2026, followed by the seventh on January 12, 2027.
The five-year gap between A Court of Silver Flames and the newly announced instalments marks the longest interval between releases in the series to date.
Will there be another ACOTAR and Crescent City crossover?
Additionally, she shared that the upcoming fourth novel in the Crescent City (book series) series — which includes House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, and House of Flame and Shadow — would feature a crossover story set within the world of A Court of Thorns and Roses.
“I’m very, very excited about that one,” she teased during a previous appearance on Today. “I know much more about what’s happening in this one. And then the next book in that series, I have the ideas and general, vague thoughts.”
Is there an update on the ACOTAR TV series?
No good news on the TV show, I'm afraid. The rights had previously been bought by Hulu and Disney.
“I have the rights back to everything now," Sarah explained. "And getting the rights back to all my things has been a big part of my journey in recent years. Right now, my focus is on books. It's been a little while since you guys have had something. I'm focusing on that, but I look at any TV or movie adaptation as another facet of the worlds I've created, and it's something I want to be in charge of. I want to be figuring out, I want to be learning everything I can.... I love TV, I want to be a part of that, and I want to see everything adapted the way I envision it and the way fans envision it.”
We'll keep you updated on all things ACOTAR.
