Every Book In The A Court Of Thornes And Roses Series Ranked, According To Readers

There's no question that Sarah J. Maas is one of the biggest authors in the fantasy space — and her second fantasy series, which kicked off in 2015, has clearly stood the test of time. Maas, who began her first novel "Throne of Glass" at just sixteen years old, started work on her "Beauty and the Beast"-inspired tale "A Court of Thorns and Roses" six years before it released, and it became an immediate sensation. Now, with four full-length books in the series and one shorter novel (which Maas officially refers to has a "half" installment), the series centered around young huntress Feyre Archeron is getting a Hulu adaptation spearheaded by Ronald D. Moore ("Outlander"), which was announced back in 2021 (via Deadline), and Maas will be heavily involved as well. Speaking to The New York Times in August of 2022, Maas said, "I decided I wanted to be heavily involved in the TV show adaptation process because it just seemed like a new creative mountain for me to climb. It's a whole different way of telling stories, bringing them to life, and a whole different way of seeing my characters." (As of February of this year, the project was reported to still be in development by Variety.)

Major fantasy adaptation aside, fans love "A Court of Thorns and Roses," and the books all boast pretty solid ratings on Goodreads ... but which ones reigned supreme? Do people love the series more as it continues, and which installment earned the highest ratings from readers? 

It's probably not surprising that when it comes to "A Court of Thorns and Roses," the shortest book — which is officially referred to as "Book 3.5" — earned the lowest rating (even though it's still just under a four-star rating). Written in 2018, "A Court of Frost and Starlight," according to its official description on Sarah J. Maas' website, "bridges the events in 'A Court of Wings and Ruin' [the fourth full book in the series] and the upcoming novels in the series." In the aftermath of the war that took place in Book 3, "A Court of Wings and Ruin," Feyre and her loved ones are left to pick up the pieces in the Night Court, especially as the Winter Solstice approaches and people want to try and celebrate and find joy. 

Frankly, most of the negative comments from Maas' fanbase on Goodreads go after the fact that this book is "too short," which makes sense; it's only 263 pages, whereas the other books in the series hover around 700 pages or so. Still, it's great that fans of "A Court of Thorns and Roses" have some context about how Feyre and the Night Court survive after the terrible war.

It's a little shocking that the book that started it all has the second lowest rating of the series on Goodreads, but it also means that the books just get better and better as they continue. The first book introduces Feyre at the age of nineteen, and while she's out hunting (so that she can provide for her family), she tracks and kills a wolf only to be kidnapped by a mysterious and initially terrifying creature. As it turns out, the "creature" is a faerie named Tamlin, and he takes her to a magical realm called Prythian, offering her the choice to go there with him or immediately be killed in front of her family. Feyre unexpectedly develops feelings for Tamlin as she learns to live in Prythian, but her surprising love for the realm and its people takes a dark turn when a High Fae named Rhysand declares that Feyre is unsafe there and that she should be sent back to the human realm. Amidst all of that, a threatening blight is endangering the people of Prythian, and Feyre may be one of the only people who can help.

The first book in "A Court of Thorns and Roses" might not have the highest rating in the series that bears its name, but once Feyre's story begins, it clearly takes off in a big way. Still its Goodreads ratings are pretty solid.

The fourth book in "A Court of Thorns and Roses" (but not final book, as Sarah J. Maas has revealed she's working on another installment) lands directly in the middle of the series' ranking, surpassing 4 stars on Goodreads and clearly going over well with fans. "A Court of Silver Flames" keeps it in the family by centering Feyre's sister Nesta — who wasn't enchanted by the faeries in the first books and has a difficult relationship with Feyre — and in "A Court of Frost and Starlight," she's turned into a High Fae against her will after getting involved in the Night Court's war. As "A Court of Silver Flames" begins, Nesta is drinking too much and going home with random men ... until she's summoned by Feyre, Rhysand, and Cassian, a member of the Night Court who makes Nesta both furious ... and intrigued. Not only that, but Cassian and Nesta have to work together to try and defeat a new threat to the realm.

Reviews on Goodreads definitely indicate that Nesta isn't the most popular character in "A Court of Silver Flames," but clearly the strength of Maas' world is enough to keep fans intrigued until the series continues.

The third book in Sarah J. Maas' "A Court of Thorns and Roses," titled "A Court of Wings and Ruin," checks in on Feyre after her split from Tamlin, whom she was once supposed to marry — and her new bond with Rhysand, the High Lord of the dark and sometimes dangerous Night Court. As a spy, she goes to Tamlin's Spring Court, where he's the corresponding High Lord, though things didn't end well between them; as their marriage approached, Feyre lost weight and began having panic attacks, which Tamlin seemed to purposefully overlook. Tamlin is also working as a double agent, which leads to a massive war between his faction and Feure and Rhysand's allies. Feyre and Rhysand have to work together to figure out who they can even trust as The War with Hybern approaches, a process which stirs up plenty of intrigue.

This explosive entry into "A Court of Thorns and Roses" divides the characters more than any previous installment, leaving Feyre to try and navigate her role as a High Fae despite constant, increasingly frightening battles. "A Court of Wings and Ruin" is pretty well loved amongst Maas' fans on Goodreads, but one book reigns supreme.

According to Goodreads rankings, "A Court of Mist and Fury," the second book in "A Court of Thorns and Roses," is the fan favorite; though it doesn't quite hit five stars, it earned a higher rating than any other book in the series. In the aftermath of the first book, Feyre is haunted by the fact that she had to perform truly reprehensible tasks, like killing faeries, in order to save Tamlin and his people. As the two prepare to get married, Feyre finds herself increasingly unsatisfied with her life, constantly suffering from nightmares as Tamlin becomes more controlling and won't let her leave his manor without protection or at all. For a huntress, this is incredibly stifling, and alongside her guilt, Feyre becomes truly unhappy ... until Rhysand, reminding her of the deal they made in a place called Under the Mountain, returns for what he's "owed," meaning Feyre herself, and he whisks her away to the Night Court.

"A Court of Mist and Fury" clearly builds upon "A Court of Thorns and Roses" in a way that kept Maas' readers fully captivated and intrigued, and as a result, it's the highest-ranked book in the series. Still, it's obvious that if you're looking to start "A Court of Thorns and Roses," you're in for a wild ride the whole way through.