Sarah J. Maas's sixth book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series, A Court of Splintered Harmony, is released today, 27 October. The release follows months of anticipation, with fans organising midnight launch parties in London and elsewhere, while bookshops held lock-in events to mark the day.
To prevent plot leaks, publishers declined proof copies, meaning book reviewers and bloggers only received the book on release day. The novel is subtitled The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I, and its story will continue in book seven, A Court of Forgotten Melody, which is scheduled for release on 12 January 2027.
The Series and Its Popularity
The ACOTAR series currently includes five titles: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames. It follows the stories of sisters Feyre, Nesta and Elain Archeron in the faerie realm of Prythian.
The series dominates BookTok, TikTok's book community, and has achieved international mainstream success, with a TV adaptation now in development. The first ACOTAR book was originally released in 2015, positioned as a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Plot and New Trilogy
A Court of Splintered Harmony is the first of two instalments designated by Maas as “The Valkyrie Cycle”. The blurb reads: “What was broken will be remade,” and continues, “Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he’s been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories, attracting powerful allies hell-bent on reclaiming what was once theirs: the human lands.”
Set in the wake of the Hybern War, the Night Court is rebuilding Prythian under High Lord Rhysand and High Lady Feyre. The book hints at betrayals and revealed truths within the Night Court's inner circle while Koschei draws closer. “To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.”
The sixth title, which is less than 400 pages long, forms part of a new trilogy. The second novel, subtitled The Valkyrie Cycle, Movements II & III, is nearly 900 pages long. Fans are speculating whether the new books could crossover with Maas's other series, Throne of Glass (TOG), with the spider on the cover of book seven cited as a clue.
The seventh book, A Court of Forgotten Melody, continues Prythian's attempt to unite allies against Koschei the Deathless. Its blurb begins: “What was lost will be reclaimed,” and adds, “Prythian might never be the same again. Traditional alliances are crumbling, and no amount of diplomacy seems sufficient to repair them. With the continued threat of Koschei the Deathless on the horizon, a united front is crucial—and farther out of reach than it has ever been before.”
