Mass was a creative writing student at the private liberal arts university in Clinton, New York, Hamilton College. She graduated Magna cum laude from the college in 2008, the same year she began sending out her works to literary agents. Records have it that the American writer has sold over twelve million copies of her books all over the world; and that her books have been translated into as many as thirty-seven languages. Disregarding Throne of Glass which remains her most popular work, Sarah has two other series: A Court of Thorns and Roses and the Crescent City series.
What Are Sarah J Mass Books About?
The first of Sarah J Mass’ series, Throne of Glass revolves around Celaena Sardothien, a young woman and assassin who regained her freedom from slavery and in the process realized that she is destined to lead her kingdom against several plots to conquer it. According to the author, the Celaena character was inspired by the Cinderella story but instead of being a servant who went to the ball to meet the prince, she is an assassin after the prince’s life. Sarah J Mass’ books mostly belong to the fantasy genre and her second novel series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, didn’t deviate from that. The series is a new adult high fantasy that tells an adventurous tale of Feyre Archeron, a mortal young woman who found herself in Prythian, a faerie world for murdering a faerie. It is said that the author, through the novel series, intended to retell popular stories like Tam Lin, Beauty and the Beast, and East of the Sun and West of the Moon. The series has appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list and as of this writing, Hulu is working to make a TV show out of it. Crescent City is the latest novel series of the American author. While the story is still unfolding as she has only published the first book of this series, one can tell that it follows Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae and half-human on a quest to revenge the death of her closest friends murdered by a demon. The story, in Sarah’s words, is set in a “contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance”.
How to Read The Throne of Glass Series
The Assassin’s Blade (Book 0.5)
Publication Date: March 4, 2014 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 464 Pages
This book is made up of five short stories originally published in 2012. It is ideal to read them first as the events they relate happened before the events of the first and subsequent books of the Throne of Glass series. The five novellas were put together and published as The Assassin’s Blade in 2014. The short stories you would find in it are titled The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Healer, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire.
Throne of Glass (Book 1)
Publication Date: August 7, 2012 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 416 Pages
The first book of the series, Throne of Glass immediately introduced the main character, Celaena Sardothien as an enslaved teenage assassin required to fight for Prince Dorian in a deadly competition. She’s to face infamous thieves and assassins in the kingdom to earn her freedom from slavery. Celaena embraced the offer and it marked the beginning of a series of events that hint at the scary destiny that awaits her. This book won the North Carolina Young Adult Book Award for High School in 2015 and was also nominated for the Lincoln Award that same year.
Crown of Midnight (Book 2)
Publication Date: August 27, 2013 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 432 Pages
The second book of the series, Crown of Midnight received a Goodreads Choice Award nomination in 2013 for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. This installment saw Celaena become the King’s Champion after she won the deadly competition. Prince Dorian is evil and it is only a matter of time before Celaena’s fake loyalty to the throne gets exposed. She must choose between fighting for the people she loves and doing what the crown wants. While at that, she must as well make sense of the dark secrets she would uncover about the dark castle.
Heir of Fire (Book 3)
Publication Date: September 2, 2014 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 576 Pages
Like the previous book, Heir of Fire was also nominated for Goodreads Choice Award in 2014 under the Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction category. It follows Prince Dorian who is having a hard time dealing with his growing powers and the increasing number of rebels the throne has to contend with. Meanwhile, Celaena journeys to Wendlyn where she would ultimately come to terms with her existence as the Queen of Terrasen. All the while, there is a grand scheme by evil forces to enslave everything she cares about.
Queen of Shadows (Book 4)
Publication Date: September 1, 2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 656 Pages
The fourth of Sarah J Mass books in the Throne of Glass series, Queen of Shadows received the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction in 2015. In 2018, it was nominated for the Best of the Best Award. It continues to follow Celaena Sardothien who is now determined to fight for the people she loves and to save her kingdom. The assassin is now Aelin Galathynius and vengeful, ready to face whatever stands in her way head-on.
Empire of Storms (Book 5)
Publication Date: September 6, 2016 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 694 Pages
With the resolution to never turn her back on her kingdom and the people she cares about, Empires of Storms follows Aelin Galathynius as she goes against all odds to build an army to foil Lord Erawan’s plot to destroy the world. While at that, Celaena would discover more truths about who she is; that she is onto something way bigger than her, a fate designated before her birth. Like some of the previous books of this novel series, Empires of Storm earned a Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, this was in 2016.
Tower of Dawn (Book 6)
Publication Date: September 5, 2017 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 672 Pages
Tower of Dawn is the sixth book of the novel series and it was also nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award under Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction in 2017. The events of this book take place at the same time as the events of the fifth book, Empires of Storms. Towers of Dawn follows the friend of Prince Dorian and royal guard, Chaol Westfall as he emancipates himself from the evil king, leaving his friend behind. Westfall would then work with Nesryn Faliq to lobby the Southern Continent to fight with them in the brewing war against Erawan.
Kingdom of Ash (Book 7)
Publication Date: October 23, 2018 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Print Length: 992 Pages
Kingdom of Ash is the last and seventh book of the series. Its tale revolves around the capture and torture of Aelin Galathynius. She resists the torture as the future of her people depends on it. While rescue is on the way and everyone must now fight to free Erilea, time is against Aelin Galathynius and she might not witness the end of it all. This book received the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction in 2018.
How to Read Sarah J Mass Books From Her Second Novel Series
A Court of Thorns and Roses was first published in 2015 and it tells the story of Feyre Archeron, The series has a total of five books and like any other novel series, it is best to read them how the author intended; which is often based on the order they were published.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (Book 1)
Publication Date: May 5, 2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Print Length: 432 Pages
The first book of the series introduces nineteen-year-old Feyre Archeron as a fierce huntress. Her survival depends on it but she would have more to worry about when she killed a wolf going after a deer. Alas, she just murdered a faerie and would have to pay for that. A beast-like creature would ensure this, Feyre was thus dragged to the magical land of the faerie called Prythian by Tamlin, A High Fae who happens to be one of the seven High Lords of Prythian. Everything she knew about faerie is false and she would have to adjust to her new realities. One of the Sarah J Mass books that have received the Goodreads Choice Award nomination for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015), A Court of Thorns and Roses was also nominated for the Lincoln Award in 2017.
A Court of Mist and Fury (Book 2)
Publication Date: May 3, 2016 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Print Length: 641 Pages
The second book of the series, A Court of Mist and Fury was nominated for the Best of the Best Award in 2018 and won the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult & Science in 2016. It continues to follow Feyre but closely with Rhysand. The two have to deal with what came along with striping Amarantha of power and the mental breakdown they suffer in the process draws them to each other for passion.
A Court of Wings and Ruin (Book 3)
Publication Date: May 2, 2017 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Print Length: 720 Pages
Like the second book, the third book of this series was also nominated for the Best of the Best Award in 2018. The previous year, it bagged the Goodreads Choice Award for Best YoungAdult Fantasy and Science Fiction. This installment revolves around the battle against Hybern. It follows Feyre and Rhysand as they work with other High Lords and lobby strange creatures to join them fight Hybern.
A Court of Frost and Starlight (Book 4)
Publication Date: May 1, 2018 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Print Length: 272 Pages
As one would expect of any war, the destructions are far-reaching. After the battle against Hybern, Feyre and Rhysand began rebuilding what was destroyed and A Court of Frost and Starlight did justice to that story. Because of this, it also received a Goodreads Choice Award nomination for Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction; this was in 2018.
A Court of Silver Flames (Book 5)
Publication Date: February 16, 2021 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Print Length: 768 Pages
The fifth and latest book in the series, A Court of Silver Flames marks a new era as it shifts focus from the original protagonists, the High Lord and Lady of Prythian’s Night Court, Feyre and Rhysand. This book follows Feyre’s sister Nesta Archeron who became a High Fae in the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury. It also resumes the tale about her relationship with the Illyrian warrior, Cassian. No one seems to annoy Nesta more than Cassian, yet they are consumed by their passion for each other.
Third Novel Series and Other Sarah J Mass Books
House of Earth and Blood (Book 1)
Publication Date: March 3, 2020 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Print Length: 816 Pages
Most of Sarah J Mass Books thus far have been published under her first two novel series, Throne of Glass and A Court of Thrones and Roses. Her third novel series as stated earlier is Crescent City and it has only one book published thus far, its first titled House of Earth and Blood. The book follows Bryce Quinlan who was having a good life until a demon murdered her friends and set her on a mission to avenge their deaths.
Catwoman: Soulstealer
Publication Date: August 7, 2018 Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Print Length: 384 Pages
Apart from the novel series discussed above, the American author has a stand-alone novel titled Catwoman: Soulstealer. The young adult coming of age novel is the third in the DC Icons series. The book tells the story of Selina Kyle, a teenager who lives with her sister in Gotham City and fights for Carmine Falcone to make a living and take care of her sister who suffers from a genetic disorder. The novel follows Batman: Nightwalker (book 2) by Marie Lu and Wonder Woman: Warbringer, the first book of the DC Icons series written by Leigh Bardugo.
