A while back, we published an author biography about Sarah J. Maas. The biography covered her writing origins, creating Throne of Glass, Acotar, and Crescent City, and Maas’ writing schedule. This biography aims to show what it takes to become a successful author. These author stories tend to serve as inspiration for other writers.

Now the Sarah J. Maas biography is available in video format too. In 2024, Redital aims to produce more video content. And with the upcoming release of Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow, it’s a good time to release our Sarah J. Maas video.

Check out the video, and be on the look out for more author documentaries soon!

The cover is certainly a feast for the eyes. I for one, love the dark purple background that compliments the elegant gold illustrative work. This series has already been recognized for its stunning book covers, and they didn’t disappoint with the third book.

Along with the cover reveal, is the announcement of some US exclusive editions, which will show up at specific retailers. Let’s hope those of us living outside the US will have our own exclusive options too.

See below for the list of currently announced US exclusive editions for House of Flame and Shadow!

In case the image isn’t showing up for you, here is this information compiled.

Update: I have added links to where you can order some of the exclusive editions. There is now a Waterstones link for UK customers.

HOUSE OF FLAME AND SHADOW EXCLUSIVE EDITIONS
Barnes & Noble = Bryce and Hunt
Books-A-Million = Ember and Randall
Indie Bookstores = Bryce and Danika
Target = Ruhn and Lidia
Walmart = Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel
Waterstones!
Books Are Magic
Indigo
*Digitally printed author signature editions available in limited quantities.

Have these announcements re-fueled your hype level for Crescent City 3? Let us know your thoughts below!

Links

Sarah J. Maas Biography
House of Flame and Shadow initial announcement
Bloomsbury
Sarah J. Maas website

Thank you to Charlotte Bonner for the Exclusive Edition updates.

The origins of Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas was born in New York City on March 5, 1986. She grew up in the Upper West Side, where she had access to some interesting historical exhibitions at the local museums. One of her favourite natural history exhibitions was the one about the Temple of Dendur.

This temple is an Ancient Egyptian temple built by the Roman governor of Egypt around 15 BC, as one of many Egyptian temples commissioned by the emperor Augustus. This structure could have been one of the many devices to fuel young Sarah’s imagination.

Maas’ parents had a love for opera, and by extension, she grew a love for both opera and ballet. They were healthy interests for her young, developing mind.

And it was at Dalton High School where she showed signs of who she would become. She began to show her storytelling talents at school by coming up with alternate versions of popular stories in her draft notebooks.

This was around the time she began to develop the first increments of what would later become Throne of Glass. At sixteen years of age, she thought about an alternate reality for a character like Cinderella, where she was an assassin instead of a servant. By continuing down this rabbit-hole of creative thinking, Maas molded the idea into her own unique story.

Before Maas could think about publishing her stories, she had an academic career to get through. She enrolled in Hamilton College, where she studied creative writing as her major and religious studies as a minor. Some would say this is a risky path to take in college, as the creative writing degree is very rarely used for what it’s romanticized for. But Maaas’ extensive passion for writing and her determination to work towards her dream allowed her to graduate magna cum laude.

During her freshman year of college, Maas met (her now husband) Josh. When they graduated, they decided to move across the country to California to start their lives together. At this time they were already engaged. Josh was always supportive of Sarah’s writing, something a writer could only hope for in a partner.

Maas faced judgement over writing fantasy

While attending Dalton, Sarah took part in a creative writing workshop. The class was headed by a traditionalist teacher who preached about selling copies of books out the trunk of their car. Maas submitted the first draft of some other fantasy book she had been working on to be discussed during the class.

Unfortunately, the teacher decided to spend an entire forty-five minutes ranting about how fantasy fiction isn’t real fiction and is completely meaningless. The teacher went on to call other fantasy authors “hacks”. She completely ripped into the genre of writing that Maas was so passionate about, and this made her want to avoid taking writing classes for years until she took up her major. Maas did not let this negative experience stop her. It only intensified the burning passion within. She was determined to prove that fantasy could touch readers the same way traditionalist fiction did.

Throne of Glass

Queen of Glass was the original name of Maas’ debut novel. The mid-to-late 2000’s was the beginning of the Web 2.0 boom, when the internet was finding its way into more users’ hands. All thanks to technology like Blackberry and the iPhone.

Sarah J. Maas began publishing rough drafts of her story on Fictionpress.com. And over the course of time, it became one of the most popular stories on the site with close to seven thousand reviews.

Many times, writers are stuck in a cloud of self-doubt, wondering if their writing is even good enough to share with the world. But the buzz that Maas generated online was enough validation of her hard work.

Maas started sending the story to agents before signing with Tamar Rydzinski of The Laura Dial Literary Agency in 2009. And then, in March 2010, Queen of Glass officially became Throne of Glass. The book was published and well-received, resulting in Bloomsbury purchasing two additional books in the series. Eventually, the entire series would span eight books including a prequel collection.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

To this day, the A Court of Thorns and Roses series occupies the top shelf on my bookshelf. That’s the shelf I reserve for my favourite reads. ACOTAR is the series that reeled me in to the world of Maas.

Maas had already written the first book in this series back in 2009, but the book would not be published until 2015. Just like how Throne of Glass takes inspiration from Cinderella, A Court of Thorns and Roses is inspired by Beauty and the Beast. The story follows Feyre Archeron after she is brought into the faerie lands of Prythian for murdering a faerie disguised as a wolf in the woods. Feyre learns that her captor is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Their animosity for one another soon turns to passion, as Feyre learns the truth about Tamlin’s struggles.

The ACOTAR series is known for its steamy love scenes that sometimes cause confusion for those under the assumption that the books are YA. This series probably best suits the New Adult category for the simple fact that it’s saucier than the Throne of Glass series.

Currently, the series spans five books (A Court of Mist and Fury being my favourite) and there is a series based on the books in the works for Hulu. It’s an incredible feat that Maas is able to work on two lengthy series at the same time. She was also working on scripts for the TV show and a collaboration with DC Comics for a Catwoman novel.

Crescent City

When I learned that Sarah J. Maas was working on an adult fantasy series, I was thrilled. House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City is Maas’ third fantasy series.

After spending half her life working on Throne of Glass, creating a brand-new world presented many new creative challenges for Maas. But no challenge is too grand for wild imagination. Maas had dedicated her entire life to writing at this point, and she would bring alive the story that was floating around in her mind for years.

When asked by Christina Orlando at Tor Books about how different it was starting Crescent City, Sarah J. Maas said the following.

“With Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, I had the luxury of years of letting those books sit and figuring out what I wanted to do with them, so I could really plan the twists and turns and revelations. But with this one I don’t have all those years, I need to be smart and figure out what I really want to happen.“

Although writing Crescent City took some planning, Sarah J. Maas was able to lean into her experiences growing up in New York City while writing the book, as protagonist Bryce Quinlan lives in a modern metropolitan city. Crescent City is an urban fantasy, and that means many of the technological systems in place didn’t need to be explained. Instead, Maas focused heavily on the magic, lore, and relationships between the characters.

House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City was released on March 3rd, 2020, and for me, it was the perfect escapism during the early weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown. It was well-received and it was ranked one of the top twenty Science Fiction & Fantasy books of 2020 on Kobo. The sequel, House of Sky and Breath, is set for release on February 15th, 2022.

Sarah J. Maas’ writing routine

Even before becoming a full-time writer, Maas was locking herself away to pound out words. But now that she has publishers and TV studios buying her works, it’s even more important to have a solid writing schedule in place.

The typical writing day in Sarah J. Maas’ life consists of waking up and preparing breakfast. Her favourite breakfast is English tea, a glass of ice water, a glass of freshly-squeezed juice, and a few slices of turkey bacon. After breakfast, she then focuses on her administrative tasks, which, to a full-time writer is considered the actual work part of the day.

With all of the important admin tasks out the way, Maas is free to lock herself away in her nest for hours—sometimes twelve—and write her heart out. On an episode of 88 Cups of Tea, Maas revealed that she managed to pump out over 18,000 words in one session. This is completely insane considering that my mind turns to mush after writing just 2000 words in one sitting.

Maas likes to keep some form of composition notebook on her desk. She uses this notebook to brainstorm ideas or work out the kinks if she gets stuck.

Sarah J. Maas’ inspirations

Author stories are inspiring. Especially when learning about the sacrifices made in order to produce such great work. But what’s also intriguing is to learn about who or what inspires the author.

In numerous interviews, Maas has expressed how inspired she is by pieces of music. She has even created Spotify playlists to share the music that helped create her books.

In an interview with Steph Bowe, Maas said the following:

Music. All kinds of music, but especially classical and movie scores. Every scene I’ve written was inspired by some piece or another, and listening to music often helps me sort out plot problems, build character arcs, and connect to the soul of my book.

But although music has such a big influence on her writing, like all writers, Maas also takes some inspiration from fellow authors. Some of these names include Suzanne Collins, Garth Nix, Robin McKinley, J.K Rowling and Patricia A. McKillip.

Sarah J. Maas is proof that hard work and dedication pays off

To many onlookers, it can feel like highly successful authors are people of privilege. Some might think these people are chosen, or that their connections allow them to reach the heights of success. But after following Maas’ career for some time, I can see she is humble in her success. This is something she has worked towards since her teenage years.

It’s one thing to dream of being a writer. It’s another thing to park your butt in that seat and show up time and time again to finish your stories. Sarah J. Maas had the passion to do this early on. Sometimes going to the extent of sacrificing her social life to work on her ideas.

She was brave enough to share her work in the creative writing workshop that day. And when her teacher ranted about how fantasy isn’t real storytelling, this only fired up Maas even more. She believed so much in what she was doing that she didn’t let what someone said stop her. This is the drive needed to keep improving. And it’s those improvements that separated Maas from other inspiring writers.

Sharing her work online to thousands of unknown readers was another bold move. The internet has no shortage of people willing to dish out harsh critiques. Publishing your work on Fictionpress for free was a big risk that paid off. And it’s taking risks that pushes people further along in life. Maas’ work was so well received that she was filled with the reassurance that Throne of Glass was a story that needed to be professionally published.

Sarah J. Maas has earned her success. And her style is distinct to the point that she provides experiences that you can only get from her. When Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses blew up on the market, I saw countless other books with the words “Thornes”, “Court” or “Throne” in the title. Maas set trends that changed the entire YA fantasy market for a period of time, just as Hunger Games did before her in the YA dystopian market.

And what’s even more alluring about her brand, is her affinity and openness with her fans. Watching Maas and her husband Josh hop on live streams and interact with the fans is a warm experience.

Maas’ author brand has been an inspiration for many years. And these are the reasons why I decided to make her my first author biography.

Sarah J. Mass Bibliography

Novels

• Throne of Glass – 2012 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• Crown of Midnight – 2013 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• Heir of Fire – 2014 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• A Court of Throns and Roses – 2015 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• Queen of Shadows – 2015 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• A Court of Mist & Fury – 2016 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• Empire of Storms – 2016 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• A Court of Wings and Ruin – 2017 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• Tower of Dawn – 2017 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• A Court of Frost and Starlight – 2018 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• Soulstealer (Catwoman) – 2018 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• Kingdom of Ash – 2018 / Amzon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• House of Earth and Blood – 2020 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• A Court of Silver Flames – 2021 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop
• House of Sky and Breath -2022 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Collections

Assassin’s Blade: The Throne of Glass Novellas – 2014 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Links

Sarah J. Maas Official Website

Sarah J. Maas Bloomsbury Profile

References

Wikipedia

Famous People Today

Abackwardsstory: Interview with Sarah J. Maas (2012)

Stephbowe.com: Interview with Sarah J. Maas (2009)

88 Cups of Tea Interview with Sarah J. Maas (2016)

Christina Orlando interviews Sarah J. Maas for Tor Books

I Tried Writing Like Sarah J Maas by Sarah Lubratt

For a long time I’ve had a liking for Sarah J. Maas‘s writing style. But with the Throne of Glass series not being 100% my style of book, it was difficult for me to be fully addicted to many of Maas’s books. I still read the Throne of Glass books just out of love for fantasy and Maas’s prose, but they don’t always scratch my itch.

Until last week, A Court of Mist and Fury was my overall favourite of Maas’s offerings. It had everything I needed as a fantasy lover: deep world-building, action, poetic prose, a compelling story and a well-developed romance.

But although I have Mist and Fury as a five-star book, I still felt like Maas was either holding back or hadn’t reached the potential that I knew she could. And now we have House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City, and after the first 100 pages, I’m already convinced this is Sarah J. Maas at her finest.

Buy From Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon US

Because this is adult fantasy and there’s not a younger audience to consider—although, let’s not kid ourselves, they’ll still be reading—I feel like Maas took her gloves off and dug into the deepest and darkest crevices of her writer brain, extracting a brilliant unhinged masterpiece. It’s because Maas was writing for adults first this time around; and with Crescent City she was able to get gritty enough to give us the full scope of how real shit can get in a city where humans live among magical species who only give a shit about themselves.

Crescent City carries over Maas’s signature prose and combines it with an edgy urban fantasy aesthetic. The book is the perfect blend of everything that I love in both fantasy and noir. And I now realise that what attracted me the most about Maas’s writing all these years was that I knew she had the perfect diction to pull off the epic novel that I’d longed to read.

As a writer myself, who’s taking a stab at writing fantasy, I can say that Sarah J. Maas makes this look easy. But it really isn’t. Her descriptions are well constructed and plant vivid images in the mind. This skill enhances the story significantly, even in it’s slower moments. Each time I finish a chapter of Crescent City, I feel motivated to pick up the pen and paper for myself. And that’s the exact kind of motivation a writer needs to pen their best work.

I’m not writing off the Throne of Glass or ACOTAR series by any means. Both series’s have their target audience and they’ve accumulated maas fan bases. But the writer that has graced us with House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City has transcended to new levels. And although she’ll still bless her YA and New Adult fan-bases, I’m happy that she’s now serving a new base of readers who were eager to see her unleash her pen with no limitations. Congratulations to Sarah J. Maas for another New York Times #1 Best Seller, this one certainly deserves it.

Talking about how I relate to my heroines’ struggles is something I’m just starting to be able to do publicly, but I will say that a lot of pieces of my own journey have made their way into my work over the years—not specific events, exactly, but the feelings and emotional journeys my heroines have gone through. – Sarah J. Maas

Mass went on to say that Bryce Quinlan—the protagonist in her new book House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City—shares one of her personal journeys that are close to her heart.

Each book I write allows me to face and explore more parts of myself. – Sarah J. Maas

Considering that Sarah J. Maas interviews are scarce these days, it’s insightful to know just how much of herself she puts into her books. Crescent City releases tomorrow on March 3rd 2020, and I can’t wait to finally get stuck into her first adult fantasy novel.

Sarah J. Maas is also due to appear in the UK next week as part of her UK tour to connect with fans.

Look out for more coverage on House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City in the coming weeks.

Despite her popularity, author Sarah J. Maas isn’t the most public of authors. But in celebration of her upcoming adult fantasy book House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City, Maas will be visiting the UK for a short media tour.

House of Earth and Blood will follow the half-fae half-human main character Bryce Quinlan as a brutal murder shakes the foundation of her city (Lunathion – the Crescent City). Two years later, the same murderer strikes again; and when Fallen Angel, Hunt Athalar, is assigned to watch Bryce, the two pair up to unravel the mystery together.

House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City is said to be full of unforgettable characters and page-turning suspense. On top of this, you can expect to see Maas’ signature illustrious prose and superb worldbuilding. And what I’m most excited about is that with this being an adult novel, she can push her boundaries like never before.

House of Earth and Blood will release on March 3rd, and the UK tour kicks off the following week.

To purchase your tickets, see below:

London 11 March, 19:30 | Alexander Palace Theatre
Birmingham 13 March, 19:30 | Birmingham Town Hall

House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City is available to pre-order now.

As of writing this, I’ve just wrapped up Heir of Fire, and when thinking about the book compared to my experience reading Crown of Midnight I have some mixed thoughts. The general consensus seems to be that Heir of Fire is the stronger book, and that it’s when the series really begins to take off. But I figured I would put my thoughts into a blog post and really analyze the reading experience of both books to determine which was stronger.

The Case for Crown of Midnight

When reading Crown of Midnight, I remember thinking how much stronger of a character Celaena was compared to the first book Throne of Glass. Celaena was more active in her decision-making and more realized as a so-called assassin. Even if she wasn’t actually killing her marks from the King.

Crown of Midnight may have taken several steps back in world-building, but it leaped forward in character development. Not only did Celaena become a character I actually wanted to read about, but so did Chaol and Dorian.

With that being said, the world-building definitely kicked in within the final few chapters of the book, and it really sold the next book.

The Case for Heir of Fire

What Crown of Midnight lacked in world-building, Heir of Fire 100% made up for. Heir of Fire feels like the foundation for the future of this series, and I believe that’s the reason that many say that this is the book when this series actually gets good.

Heir of Fire also introduced a number of new characters that will have major significance moving forward. And despite the fact that Celaena is apart from her former supporting characters (Chaol and Dorian), they are still able to carry their own chapters as they are given added layers of depth.

And then there’s the fact that Celaena begins to develop her magical talents in this book, with much thanks to Rowan. Magic has been scarce in the previous books, so the moment when Celaena learns to conjure a fire shield is a moment that’s unforgettable.

My verdict

While Heir of Fire was an important book for setting up the future of the series, I personally lean more towards Crown of Midnight being the stronger book. I finished that book feeling as though I got a complete experience; while also feeling like it was a tremendous leap above the first book in this series.

Heir of Fire was a good book, and I understand that the introduction of Manon and other characters are important for the future. But the fact is that Manon’s story-arc didn’t tie into the main plot in a significant way at the end, which left much of those chapters feeling like a complete waste. Manon’s chapters already felt like a drag, so the fact that we didn’t get a payoff docked some points for me. I also don’t like ending a book and feeling like the whole thing was designed to sell me the next few books in the series.

Crown of Midnight gave me the necessary elements for satisfaction. I got character development, action, a protagonist making active choices, a good supporting cast and enough world-building to keep me locked in for the ride.

This is not to knock Heir of Fire, because it’s still a great book full of Sarah J. Mass’s brilliant prose, world-building and character building. I simply have Crown of Midnight winning this comparison.

Which of these books did you prefer, Crown of Midnight or Heir of Fire? Leave a comment and let us know!

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas – Short Review

Considering that I didn’t much enjoy Throne of Glass, I was quite surprised by Crown of Midnight. When I’d finished Throne of Glass, I was sure I wouldn’t continue with the series, but there’s just something about Sarah J. Maas’ writing that I tend to crave. And as someone who writes fiction, I find Mrs. Maas to be a big inspiration. I like how she presents her world-building elements with simplified, flowery prose, and A Court of Mist and Fury is still one of the most memorable books I’ve ever read.

Crown of Midnight didn’t disappoint at all. Celaena Sardothien finally started to live up to the background painted for her previously. She was more bold in this book, as opposed to being soft and sentimental in the first book, to the point that it contradicted her past as a cold, deadly assassin. Crown of Midnight follows her trials as the King’s personal assassin. But Celaena has secretly been keeping those she’s supposed to kill…alive, defying the King’s wishes. Calaena has her own agenda, and by the end of the book we’re presented with a huge twist that sets up the remainder of this series in an interesting way.

I’ve heard from many that the story starts to become epic in book 3, Heir of Fire and I will be reading it before 2019 is over.

Home: Binti 2 by Nnedi Okorafor – Short Review

Home: Binti 2 picks up after Binti has spent a year at Oomza University in space. She is now returning home to her people in the Himba tribe so that she can take part in the pilgrimage that women in her culture take across the desert.

When returning home, Binti is conscious of the changes that have taken place within herself. After her Meduse transformation, her body has changed and she has to come to terms with this. On top of this, her family and her tribe are cold towards her because they’re still unhappy about her leaving the tribe to attend the Oomza University.

Home: Binti 2 takes a deeper look inside Binti as a character, and it educates readers about tribal practices. Like the previous book, this one is a quick read that seems to end abruptly. Hopefully the third book expands on Binti’s unique character traits and allows her to accomplish something unthinkable.

I love how Nnedi Okorafor is able to blend scifi elements with tribal practices. It’s an original mix of themes that educates readers on the nature of African tribes.

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier – Short Review

As someone who has given over 10 years to the video games media industry, I can do nothing but respect the level of journalism presented by Kotaku’s Jason Schreier. He’s one of the only remaining “journalists” in the video game industry that does true investigative work.

Blood, Sweat and Pixels takes a look at the development behind several high-profile mainstream video games. It highlights the highs and lows of the development cycle behind games like Dragon Age: Inquisition, Destiny, Uncharted 4, Stardew Valley, The Witcher 3 and the cancelled Star Wars 1313.

These are some of the best video games to emerge over the past half-a-decade, so I thoroughly enjoyed reading about what it took to put these games together. And as a result, I now appreciate the games I play that much more. If you have any level of appreciation for the video games industry, this is a book you should definitely read.

Now it has been announced that Maas is working on a new series specifically for adults. This news has me excited, because I can tell she has a solid skillset for creating enjoyable fantasy experiences.

I found myself compromising as a reader with her previous works, because I knew they were primarily aimed at a demographic that doesn’t include me. But a book from Maas that’s for adults could be the five-star book I’ve been waiting to read from her.

The book is currently named Crescent City and it will release in 2019 under the publisher Bloomsbury.

Crescent City will be set in a world where humans struggle to survive amid hierarchies of demons, shape-shifters, angels, and other magical creatures.

“The series will feature an array of captivating new characters, including a spitfire heroine who will stop at nothing to avenge her friend and protect her vibrant city, an epic world on the brink of war, and Maas’ signature heart-pounding romance,”

– Said Bloomsbury

Maas herself had this to say about the project…

“Crescent City has been a passion project from the start, and I’ve been working on it for several years now whenever I get the chance”, she said. “I can’t wait to introduce readers to Bryce, its heroine, who I think would be very good friends with Aelin and Feyre. The world of Crescent City is more modern than those in my previous series (basically, if the Court of Thrones and Roses and Throne of Glass worlds had modern-day technology), but it’s still chock full of magic, brooding warrior-types, and mysterious and deadly creatures.”

Sarah J. Maas has already found much success with her current works. Throne of Glass has an TV show adaptation in production that should be airing sometime in the future. I have no doubt that this new mature series will elevate her to new levels of success.

Disclaimer: This article has many spoilers and some naughty words. But rest assured, all naughty words in this article also appear in ACOFAS; so my guess is that you won’t be offended if you choose to read on.

A Court of Frost and Starlight is designed to bridge the gap between the main trilogy and the next official novel in the series. If I read correctly, the next novel will be told from the perspective of new characters. ACOFAS however, is still mostly told from the perspective of Feyre Archeron. But it must be said that there are a number of chapters told from the perspective of her mate Rhysand, and some supporting characters.

If the series is to move onto new characters, then it’s indeed a great idea to give us somewhat of a send off to the characters we’ve come to built a rapport with. But my main criticism comes from the fact that not much really happens. And the little things that do happen are cringe-worthy.

It can be argued that Maas didn’t intend for this novella to be another grand story with high stakes. So perhaps expectations were too high. But my argument is that the story given to us shows no growth of these characters. In fact, It feels as if they’re less mature than they were at the end of ACOWAR.

The premise is that Winter Solstice (their version of Christmas) is coming. Feyre begins fussing over what she will give her mate for Solstice, despite the fact that there’s still tons of rebuilding to be done in Velaris. Throughout most of this book, Feyre and Rhysand —who are already living together— are fantasizing about having sex with one another.

There’s even a scene early in the story where Rhysand is speaking with his friend Cassian while making mental notes of every part of the house that he’s fucked his mate. Not only is this cringy, but considering how long these characters have already been together, it makes no sense for them to be this obsessive.

This type of nymphomaniac narration eventually grows tired. I soon came to the conclusion that this novella would fit better in the Erotica category than the “New Adult” one. I should also note that many New Adult books end up in the Young Adult category by default.

I suppose the biggest letdown for me is that this book didn’t give us a satisfying sendoff for these characters like ACOWAR did. A Court of Frost and Starlight did nothing to advance its main characters. The only character arc I really enjoyed reading is Feyre’s sister, Nesta’s. Her progression was by far the most interesting in the book, and she perhaps makes up a good 5% of this story.

Basically, A Court of Frost and Starlight was the least fulfilling piece of fan service I’ve ever experienced. But I can’t deny that there’s likely some out there who’ll be satisfied with it. If you are one of those people then I would love to hear about what you enjoyed from the Novella in the comment section. Because all I thought upon finishing is that it was the longest 200 pages I’ve ever read.

To end this on a positive note. I can say with every ounce of honesty that I will be reading more from Sarah J. Maas. Something about her writing makes me eager to keep reading her work, and I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. ACOFAS may have been a letdown for me, but I still see the true potential that lies in the fingertips of Mrs. Maas.