Sarah J. Maas Drops Major News: Two New ACOTAR Books Coming Soon

The Big Announcement That Has Romantasy Fans Losing Their Minds

If you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas’s beloved “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series, you might want to sit down for this one. The bestselling author just made an announcement that has sent shockwaves through the book community, and honestly, it’s the kind of news that makes you want to call in sick to work just to process it all. In a candid conversation on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast with host Alex Cooper, Maas revealed that not one, but two new ACOTAR books are officially on their way. Mark your calendars, clear your schedules, and prepare your emotions because book six drops on October 27, 2025, and book seven will follow on January 12, 2027. For a series that has captivated millions of readers worldwide and sparked countless theories, fan art, and passionate debates about which character deserves happiness, this announcement feels like Christmas came early. The interview, which aired Wednesday night, gave fans their first real glimpse into what’s been happening behind the scenes and why it’s taken so long for the next installment to arrive.

The Personal Journey Behind the Long Wait

During the interview, Maas opened up about why fans have been waiting so long for the continuation of the story. “It’s been a long time coming,” she admitted to Cooper, acknowledging what every ACOTAR fan has been thinking for the past few years. But there was more to the delay than just the usual challenges of crafting an epic fantasy romance. The author revealed that she had some personal things going on in her life that she needed to work through before she could return to the world of Prythian and its complex characters. While Maas chose not to dive into the specific details of what those personal matters were—respecting her own privacy while still being honest with fans—she did promise that she would talk about it someday when the time feels right. This level of transparency is refreshing in an industry where authors often face immense pressure to constantly produce content, regardless of their personal circumstances. It’s a reminder that behind every beloved book is a real human being with their own struggles, challenges, and life experiences that inevitably shape the stories they tell. The writing process for these books clearly required Maas to be in a specific headspace, and she wasn’t willing to compromise the integrity of the story or her own wellbeing to meet arbitrary deadlines.

An Unconventional Approach to Storytelling

Here’s where things get really interesting and honestly a bit unprecedented in the publishing world. Maas revealed that the story she had to tell was so massive that it couldn’t be contained in a traditional single-volume format. She described writing in what she called a “Montana energy vortex,” where the story poured out of her in unexpected ways. By the time she reached the end of what she considered “part one,” she had already written 400 pages, and that was just the beginning. The complete “part one” eventually reached a staggering 1,000 pages. Rather than trying to cut down the story to fit conventional publishing standards, Maas made a bold decision: she would release the next portion of the ACOTAR series in three parts. The October 2025 release will be part one, while the January 2027 book will actually contain parts two and three together. There’s also a part four that hasn’t been written yet, suggesting that the ACOTAR universe has even more expansion ahead. “I’ve never told a story this way,” Maas explained, addressing what she acknowledged as a unique approach. “This is how it wants to come out. Why do I have to be held back by the realities of the glue that we need to hold the pages or just like placement on a shelf?” It’s a fascinating question that challenges the traditional constraints of physical book publishing and puts the story’s needs first.

What This Means for the ACOTAR Universe

While Maas kept specific plot details close to the vest—as any smart author would to avoid spoiling the magic—her comments about the scope and scale of these upcoming books suggest that readers are in for something truly epic. The fact that she described the story as “really, really big” and felt that releasing it in this unconventional format was necessary speaks volumes about the ambition of what’s coming. For a series that has already taken readers through complex political intrigue, devastating wars, passionate romances, and profound character development, the bar is already set incredibly high. Maas emphasized that “the story that was finally ready to come out of me” felt right, and that authenticity is what has made the ACOTAR series so compelling from the beginning. She’s not just churning out content to satisfy market demands; she’s waiting until the story is ready to be told in the way it deserves. This approach might test fans’ patience, but it also promises that what they eventually receive will be worth the wait. The author’s commitment to honoring both the story and the fans who have made the series such a phenomenon shows a level of artistic integrity that readers can respect, even as they count down the days until they can finally get their hands on the next installment.

The ACOTAR Phenomenon: A Quick Refresher

For those who might need a reminder or are new to the ACOTAR world, the series began in May 2015 with the introduction of Feyre, a 19-year-old huntress whose life changes forever when she’s taken to a magical land by Tamlin, a creature who appears beast-like but is actually a powerful, immortal faerie. What starts as hostility transforms into a passionate connection that challenges everything Feyre has been taught about the dangerous world of the Fae. The series has grown from that initial book to include “A Court of Mist and Fury” (2016), “A Court of Wings and Ruin” (2017), “A Court of Frost and Starlight” (2018), and most recently “A Court of Silver Flames” (February 2021). Each book has expanded the world, deepened the character relationships, and raised the stakes in ways that have kept readers completely obsessed. According to Circana, Maas has sold an astounding 3.1 million print books, and that doesn’t even account for digital and audio versions. The series has essentially defined the “romantasy” genre—that perfect blend of romance and fantasy that has taken the book world by storm—and has inspired countless other authors to explore similar themes and storytelling approaches.

The Bigger Picture: Author Autonomy and Fan Expectations

Maas’s decision to release these books in an unconventional format raises important questions about creativity, commerce, and the relationship between authors and their audiences. In her conversation with Cooper, she touched on something that many creators struggle with: balancing artistic vision with practical constraints and fan expectations. “The most important thing for me is to write these stories the way they need to be told but to also honor my fans who make all this possible,” Maas explained, perfectly capturing the tension that exists in popular fiction. On one hand, she has a story that demands to be told in a specific way, with a scope that defies traditional publishing formats. On the other hand, she’s deeply aware that millions of fans have been waiting years for the next chapter and deserve to have their loyalty and enthusiasm respected. Her solution—releasing the content in multiple parts over a relatively short timeframe—seems to thread this needle quite well. Fans won’t have to wait decades for the complete story, but the story also won’t be compromised to fit into arbitrary page counts or conventional release schedules. This approach might signal a shift in how epic fantasy series are published going forward, especially as authors gain more negotiating power and publishers become more flexible about formats. Whether you’re Team Rhysand, Team Tamlin, or just along for the wild ride, one thing is certain: the ACOTAR fandom is about to enter a new era, and the excitement is absolutely palpable.