Throne of Glass Reading Order: All 16 Books
Throne of Glass is a young adult high fantasy book series by Sarah J. Mass. She is an American author, also known for the best-selling young adult series A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City. Mass said she started working on the first book in Throne of Glass when she was sixteen and the inspiration behind it was Cinderella.
The premise for the series is “What if Cinderella was not a servant, but an assassin? And what if she didn’t attend the ball to meet the prince, but to kill him, instead?”. There are eight books in the series, the first book came out in 2012 and the last one was published in 2018.
The series follows Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a corrupted kingdom ruled by a tyrant, the King of Adarlan. As the story progresses, Celaena forms unexpected bonds and uncovers a conspiracy amidst her adventures. The book series was optioned by Hulu and Disney for a TV adaptation.
Throne Of Glass Reading Order At A Glance
There are two ways you can read this eight-part series. The purist order and the romantic order. Each has its own advantages, the purist order follows the publication date of each book and it is the intended order of reading. On the other hand, the romantic order is meant for those who want to experience the most impactful emotional connection to the characters and the story.
Throne Of Glass Purist reading order:
- The Assassin’s Blade (2014)
- Throne of Glass (2012)
- Crown of Midnight (2013)
- Heir of Fire (2014)
- Queen of Shadows (2015)
- Empire of Storms (2016)
- Tower of Dawn (2017)
- Kingdom of Ash
Throne Of Glass the Romantic reading order:
- Throne of Glass (2012)
- Crown of Midnight (2013)
- Heir of Fire (2014)
- The Assassin’s Blade (2014)
- Queen of Shadows (2015)
- Tower of Dawn (2017)
- Empire of Storms (2016)
- Kingdom of Ash (2018)
In this article, we are going to follow the purist order, so it will be easier to follow each novel’s synopsis. But, don’t be discouraged to give the romantic order a try, especially if you already read the books in the purist order- it will give you a whole new perspective on the book series.
Throne Of Glass Reading Order: Fully Explained
1. The Assassin’s Blade (2014)
The Assassin’s Blade is a collection of 5 stories set before the Throne of Glass series, including four novellas previously only published in e-book form: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire, as well as The Assassin and the Healer.
2. Throne of Glass (2012)
She is beautiful, deadly, and destined for greatness. Celaena Sardothien is an assassin, and she is summoned to the castle where a tyrant king rules. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her own freedom. If she is able to defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass. When her competition starts dying off one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for her own survival.
3. Crown of Midnight (2013)
Assassin Celaena Sardothien won the contest to become king’s Champion. But, Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret well, she knows the king is not a good man. She is trying to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, and her closest relationships have to suffer. It seems like no one is questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia. Then one terrible night, Celaena’s world shatters, and she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie, and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
4. Heir of Fire (2014)
Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak, but now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth. A truth about her heritage that could change her life forever. At the same time, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to fight her inner demons, and take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?
5. Queen of Shadows (2015)
Celaena Sardothien had everything taken from her. But still, she has the strength to return to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past. She has embraced her new identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But to reclaim her throne, she must fight. She wants to fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an terrifying prison. And she will fight for her people, who are enslaved by a brutal king.
6. Empire of Storms (2016)
The long path to her throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius aka Celaena Sardothien as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been shifted, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves colliding with those who don’t. With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince, and her fealty pledged to her people, Aelin has to push her power to the maximum to protect those she loves. But as dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.
7. Tower of Dawn (2017)
This is a parallel novel to the empire of Storms and it follows Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq as they come to Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea’s last hope. But, they have another motive to come- they seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold. After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child, Yrene Towers has no desire to help Chaol Westfall, let alone heal him. Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every bit of their resilience if they wish to save their friends.
8. Kingdom of Ash (2018)
This is the last installment in the series, and it has won The GoodReads choice award in 2018. Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people ― but at a what cost? She is locked in an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, and now she must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. With Aelin captured, her friends and allies are scattered to different fates. Some bonds will become even more solid, while others will be broken forever. As destinies weave together at last, all must fight if they want a chance for salvation.
Do You Need To Read The Throne Of Glass Series In Order
Yes, the Throne of Glass should be read in order. For the first-time reader, it is best to follow the order in which the books have been released- aka the purist order. But, if you want an unorthodox approach to the reading order, you can always start with the romantic order. The romantic order is organized in a way in which the story will mean so much more to you. It is hard to explain, but just trust us.
