Sarah J. Maas has unveiled the covers, titles and plot details for books six and seven in her globally bestselling series, A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), via Instagram and billboards across North America. The first of the two new instalments is released on 27 October.
The Valkyrie Cycle begins
Titled A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody, the books are designated by Maas as “The Valkyrie Cycle”. The 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. Following the stories of sisters Feyre, Nesta and Elain Archeron in the faerie realm of Prythian, ACOTAR dominates BookTok – TikTok’s book community – and has reached international mainstream success, with a TV adaptation now in the works.
Release dates and preorders
A Court of Splintered Harmony is released on 27 October 2026. The blurb reads: “What was broken will be remade. 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.” Taking place in the wake of the Hybern War, The Night Court is rebuilding Prythian under the rule of High Lord Rhysand and High Lady Feyre. The book hints towards betrayals and revealed truths in the Night Court’s inner circle, all while Koschei creeps closer. “To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.” It is priced at £25 at Waterstones.
The seventh book, A Court of Forgotten Melody, will be released on 12 January 2027. Subtitled “The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements II & III”, the book continues Prythian's attempt to unite allies and defend against Koschei the Deathless. The blurb begins: “What was lost will be reclaimed. 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.” Grappling with old enemies, shifting powers and tested bonds, the Night Court’s inner circle spreads across the land to find Koschei’s weakness. It is priced at £30 at Waterstones.
Fan frenzy and legacy
In the hours since the new books were announced, thousands of BookTokers have taken to social platforms to discuss theories based on the titles, covers, and elusive blurbs, while many more have preordered the books to land on their doorstep on launch day. Despite its recent popularity, the first ACOTAR book was actually released in 2015, when it was positioned as a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast. With fairies, dark magic and shape-shifting creatures, the series is a nostalgic trip back to the books of our childhood – just with added smut, romance and enemies-to-lovers storylines. Sarah J. Maas has sold more than 75 million books.
