Sarah J Maas is sending fans of "A Court of Thorns and Roses" (ACOTAR) back to Prythian, with two new books in the fantasy series set to arrive within months of each other.
The author behind the best-selling romance-fantasy series has revealed the titles of the next two instalments: "A Court of Splintered Harmony" and "A Court of Forgotten Melody", giving readers their first major look at what comes next in the hugely popular ACOTAR franchise.
And if you have ever found yourself emotionally invested in a fictional fae court, fiercely protective of your favourite character or still thinking about the events of "A Court of Silver Flames", this is the announcement ACOTAR fans have been waiting for.
The series has built its devoted following around fantasy, romance, dangerous fae courts, found family and characters whose personal battles can be just as gripping as the larger threats facing Prythian.
Maas is the prolific #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the "Throne of Glass", "A Court of Thorns and Roses" and "Crescent City" series, which have sold more than 70 million copies in English worldwide and are published in thirty-eight languages.
She is one of the most successful authors of the modern era, generating a far-reaching and ever-growing fanbase of readers, as well as a TikTok phenomenon, with the hashtag for her ACOTAR series having several billion views.
The new books will launch a new arc called the Valkyrie Cycle, a name that will immediately mean something to readers of "A Court of Silver Flames".
That book brought Nesta Archeron together with Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie, as the three women trained as Valkyries and formed one of the series’ most beloved friendships.
While Maas has not revealed the full plots of the new books, the announcement confirms that this storyline will continue as part of a much larger story set in Prythian.
Maas has also taken an unusual approach to the structure of the new story. "A Court of Splintered Harmony" is described as Movement I, while "A Court of Forgotten Melody" will contain Movements II and III.
A fourth movement is also planned, meaning the newly announced books are part of a larger story rather than simply two standalone additions to the series.
The titles themselves are already giving fans plenty to discuss.
“Splintered harmony” and “forgotten melody” continue a musical theme running through the new arc, with Maas using the language of movements, harmony and melody to frame the story.
The accompanying taglines also hint at themes of loss, destruction and rebuilding.
The Valkyrie name will be particularly familiar to readers of "A Court of Silver Flames", which introduced Nesta Archeron’s close friendship with Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie and their transformation into the Valkyries.
The announcement also opens the door to several unresolved threads from the previous books, including the threat posed by Koschei the Deathless.
For ACOTAR fans, then, these are not simply two more fantasy novels. They mark the return of one of Maas’s most closely followed worlds, continue storylines that have been left hanging and launch a new multi-book arc.
And with the first book arriving in October, fans will not have to wait much longer to find out what Maas has planned for Prythian next.
"A Court of Splintered Harmony", the sixth book in the series, is scheduled for release on October 27, followed by "A Court of Forgotten Melody" on January 12, 2027.
bernelee.vollmer@nationalmg.co.za