If you love a badass female protagonist like Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, you need to read Throne of Glass. Throne of Glass is a series of novels written by Sarah J. Maas, winner of the Goodreads award for Best Young Adult Fantasy and Fiction twice in a row.
The story’s got everything — from a corrupt monarchy, powerful magic, criminals, warfare, fights, suspense to unexpected romance and friendships. Here’s the correct Throne of Glass series reading order to begin your journey.
What Is the Throne of Glass Series About?
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Throne of Glass is a fantasy series about an 18-year-old assassin named Celaena Sardothien who has been imprisoned by a tyrannical king in a slave camp for years. One day, the King gives her a choice — compete as an assassin to become his champion and help him with all his wrongdoings or die. If she becomes the King’s champion and serves him for four years, she will end up gaining freedom.
Naturally, she chooses to compete and it’s a rough start. But over time, she unexpectedly forms a strong emotional connection with Chaol, Captain of the Guard, Dorian the Prince of Ardlan, and a number of characters. She gets stronger and achieves victory in various battles but eventually gets pulled into a conspiracy and learns of all the mysteries surrounding the kingdom as well as herself.
How Many Books Are There in the Series?
There are a total of 8 books in the series. Here is a quick summary of each book in order of its release date.
#1. Throne of Glass
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This is where Celaena’s story begins. She’s already an infamous assassin in Ardland at this point, but she was caught and sent to a prison labor camp. However, Prince Dorian needed a skilled fighter to be his champion in royal court battles, so he decided to pull her out and offer her a shot at freedom by making her compete against assassins and thieves. To his surprise, he finds she’s both beautiful and deadly.
Key Facts
• Release Date: August 2, 2012
• Page Count: 406
• ISBN: 9781619630345
#2. Crown of Midnight
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Though eager for freedom, Celaena detests her role in the King’s murderous and tyrannical schemes but carries through with a heavy heart to win her freedom. From time to time, she fakes deaths, putting her close friends at risk. Eventually, she begins to question her loyalties and starts working against the royalty, but only in the shadows.
Key Facts
• Release Date: August 27, 2013
• Page Count: 420
• ISBN: 9781619630642
#3. Assassin’s Blade
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Assassin’s Blade is a prequel to the Throne of Glass series, set before book 1 in chronology. It’s a collection of 5 short stories that paint a picture of what Calaena’s life was like before she was captured. Back when she was a ruthless assassin who trusted no one save for Sam, her fellow hired killer.
Key Facts
• Release Date: March 13, 2014
• Page Count: 435
• ISBN: 9781619635173
#4. Heir of Fire
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Celaena arrives in Wendlyn, a land of free magic after winning countless contests and dealing with the heartbreak of losing her dearest friend. Hellbent on revenge, she decides to undergo Fae training but ends up learning the darkest truth about her heritage and her true destiny.
Key Facts
• Release Date: September 2, 2014
• Page Count: 569
• ISBN: 9781619630673
#5. Queen of Shadows
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After getting stronger, Celaena returns to Rifthold as a free woman, but she is more dangerous now than ever before. Everyone she loves has been taken from her and now she wants revenge against all her wrongdoers. But there have been many changes since she left. Her long-lost cousin Aedion has been captured whom she now must fight for.
Key Facts
• Release Date: September 1, 2015
• Page Count: 648
• ISBN: 9781619636064
#6. Empire of Storms
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Upon learning her true name and identity, Celaena now must regain the throne. But she still has a long way to go. She starts to call in every favor to raise an army and travels around Erilea to thwart Lord Erawan’s vicious schemes but learns that she has more enemies than she realizes and that her story is of greater importance than what she previously believed.
Key Facts
• Release Date: September 6, 2016
• Page Count: 689
• ISBN: 9781619636071
#7. Tower of Dawn
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Tower of Dawn covers the events that were also taking place alongside the events of Empire of Storms. Chaol Westfall, lord of Arlan, arrives in the seaside city of Antica in search of a gifted healer and to rally the Southern Continent to ally with them in the upcoming war against Erawan.
Key Facts
• Release Date: September 5, 2017
• Page Count: 660
• ISBN: 9781681195773
#8. Kingdom of Ash
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The final book in the series by Sarah J. Maas, Kingdom of Ash concludes the story of Celaena. She’s been captured by the Queen of Fae and has been subjected to severe torture, spending months locked in an iron coffin. Meanwhile, Aedion and Lysandra must protect Terrasen from destruction but find that the many allies they gathered may still not be enough to save them from Erawan’s hordes.
Key Facts
• Release Date: October 23, 2018
• Page Count: 984
• ISBN: 9781619636101
Throne Of Glass Series Reading Order
The most recommended order in which to read Throne of Glass is the order in which the books were released. This way you can follow the storyline the way Sarah J. Maas intended.
But if you want to follow it chronologically, you can start with Assassin’s Blade, which is the only prequel book, and then read the remaining in order of their release date. Apart from Assassin’s Blade, the release date order is in chronological order.
A Few Parting Words
Throne Of Glass is nothing short of an epic saga — one that can be enjoyed by young adults and grown-ups who have managed to retain their appetite for fantasy. The initial stories are quite succinct and easy to understand, but as you go down the Throne of Glass series reading order, the novels get much longer and more complex.
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