Everything We Know About 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' Book Six, From the Release Date to the Plot

Every so often, a fantasy series comes along that changes the course of literary history. In the ‘50s, it was The Lord of the Rings. The ‘90s, meanwhile, belonged to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire—a.k.a. the basis for the HBO smash Game of Thrones. And in recent years, a new collection of books based on all things mystical and magical was crowned king of the culture mountaintop: Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, or what fans have dubbed ACOTAR.

Despite the first book in the series originally releasing in 2015, the romantasy series centered on faeries, ghoulish creatures, and otherworldly realms experienced a major revival in the past few years after earning its stripes as a #BookTok favorite. Tens of millions of copies sold and more than 14 billion TikTok views later, Maas is still exploring the faerie-based world of Prythian, with a sixth book currently in the works.

Whether you’re brand new to the series and looking to find out more before this sure-to-be New York Times Best Seller drops or you're a longtime stan with theories on the next novel’s title, we’ve got everything you need to know about the latest installment. From the subject (confirmed) to the number of books Maas has planned (suspected), here’s everything we know about ACOTAR book six—and beyond.

What is the 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book series about?

At its core, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a series about love. Following a young woman named Feyre whose life is forever changed when she is whisked away to a magical world full of faeries, wonder, and danger, the books are largely centered around the romantic (and sometimes steamy!) relationships she forges with members of the faerie realm.

Like all great fantasy series, there’s also plenty of adventure as Feyre travels across the seven courts of the fictional faerie lands of Prythian to protect her loved ones.

Will 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' have a sixth book?

While A Court of Thorns and Roses was originally meant to be a trilogy, Maas has already published five books.

The author confirmed that a sixth book is coming during a January 2024 TODAY appearance. “The next [book] I’m supposed to be writing right now…I know much more about. That’s gonna be the next Court of Thorns and Roses book,” she revealed.

She also hinted that there will be a book seven. “The next book in that series, I have the ideas and general, vague thoughts.”

According to a Bloomsbury Publishing press release, Maas, who has also authored two other series, is under contract to pen four additional books beyond the three she was already under contract for in 2023. However, it's unclear which of her three book series she will explore with these new works.

Will 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book six be about Elain?

The sixth installment of A Court of Thorns and Roses will almost certainly be about Feyre's youngest sister, Elain.

Maas seemed to hint that Elain would be the book’s focus in a 2021 Instagram live. “I know who it’s about,” she teased, adding, “I thought it was pretty obvious!” (The fifth book, A Court of Silver Flames, is about Feyre's older sister, Nesta.)

In a September 2022 LiveTalksLA interview, the author also spoke about working on a book about the main heroine's younger sister. “As soon as [Feyre's older sister] Nesta and Elain came back onto the page in A Court of Mist and Fury, I knew that they would have journeys beyond, like, what the readers were seeing,” she explained. “They were in the middle of their own journeys.”

What’s more, Maas, who told the outlet that writing about her main characters is almost like a form of “method acting” (“I think so deeply into their psyche that I've, like, become them”), has seemingly spent some serious time in Elain’s shoes. In a Q&A at the back of her 2018 novella, A Court of Frost and Starlight, she reportedly confessed to slipping “into Elain’s head” while gardening. “Elain is a gardener, and everything I did during those weeks became research for her book,” she quipped.

All the details we know about the sixth 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book

With so much anticipation surrounding ACOTAR's newest release, rumors have begun to swirl online. Little is known about the upcoming title, but fans paying close attention may have picked up a few true hints the romantasy writer has dropped.

Firstly, we know Maas has been working on A Court of Thorns and Roses book six for several years, according to an interview she gave in September 2023. “I am working on the next ACOTAR novel. I’m drafting it,” she said at the time, noting that she was so fully immersed in the plot. “I’ve become so focused and obsessed with writing this book."

We also know that book six will be lengthy—no novellas here. “No surprise, it’s going to be a long book,” the writer shared in a December 2024 video for Spotify Wrapped.

As for the plot, Maas remains tight-lipped. “It’s too early for me to tell you…what’s going to happen,” she teased. Still, we have reason to believe that Elain is the focused.

How to read the 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' books in order

To read the ACOTAR books in order, you start with the titular novel, A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015). The second book in the series is A Court of Mist and Fury (2016) and should be followed by A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017). The fourth book is a novella called A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018), while the fifth book, centered on Nesta, is A Court of Silver Flames (2021).

The sixth and seventh books in the series, the titles of which are still unknown, are not yet available.

When was the fifth 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book released?

The fifth book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, A Court of Silver Flames, was released in February 2021, marking Maas’s first series contribution since 2018’s A Court of Frost and Starlight.

The gap between the two books was the longest ACOTAR fans have endured—something Maas later addressed while opening up to TODAY. “The writing pace has slowed down a little bit—you know, a book a year, a book every year and a half,” she said. “Before I had kids, I was writing two books a year, but I also had no social life.”

She jokingly added, “I was basically Gollum in my little writing cave, just writing all day…Now I get to see the sunlight, thanks to my children.”

What is the fifth 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book about?

Unlike books one through four, which focus on Feyre, the fifth installment of A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Silver Flames, is centered on Feyre’s older sister, Nesta, and her budding romance with the Illyrian warrior Cassian. Together, the two must face demons amid their internal traumas to confront the growing threats against Prythian and find their place within its borders.

When will the sixth 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book be released?

No official announcement has been made about when the sixth installment of A Court of Thorns and Roses will arrive.

Many fans were hopeful Maas would release the book in early May to coincide with the 10th anniversary of ACOTAR on May 5, but that didn't end up being the case. If we had to guess, book six likely won't hit shelves until 2026 based on the author's typical publication schedule, which can take up to two years. (Maas’s last novel, House of Flame and Shadow from the Crescent City series, was released in 2024.)

Will there be 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' TV show?

While Maas was previously in talks with Hulu and 20th Television to develop a TV series based on the best-selling books, Deadline reported in February 2025 that Hulu is no longer moving forward with the project. Screenwriter Ron Moore (known for his work on hit sci-fi and fantasy hits like Battlestar Galactica and Outlander) was attached to helm the show; however, he left his partnership with 20th Television to reteam with Sony Pictures Television, which is rumored to be the reason why the show is not going ahead at Hulu.

Fear not, though: Maas is still in talks with Hulu to develop other adaptations of her IP. And according to Variety, the ACOTAR series is being shopped to other networks(!). Channel all the faerie magic, and hope we see the world of Prythian on screen soon!