A Guide to the Maasiverse

If you're like me and you picked up your first copy of "A Court of Thorns of Roses" not knowing that it was part of a series, let alone this giant universe that has warmly been coined "The Maasiverse" after the author Sarah J. Maas herself, then you are not alone. When I picked it up to originally read it with my girlfriends, I thought it was a trilogy; but, by that time I was already hooked, lined and sinkered. Maas' universe is easy to fall in love with and feel like you are there, walking among the trees with her characters. If you have ever been slightly interested in her books, I highly recommend them, but there are a few things you should know about reading order first. I'll let you know right here so you don't have to do all the research like I and my girlfriends did.

It can be debated on whether or not you read "Throne of Glass" or "A Court of Thorns of Roses" first. I really think that reading the latter first is beneficial because it starts out lighter on the lore and the magic and eases you into the universe slower than Throne of Glass. At least that is how I felt. It is a really good book for a novice digging into the fantasy world. There are others that feel the opposite way, so whichever way you choose is safe. Whatever you do, save Crescent City for last.

Crescent City really starts out hard and heavy, and if you haven't already dipped your toes into the "Maasiverse" you will not only be giving yourself spoilers, but you will be completely and utterly lost. For your own sanity and the flow of the story, please read it last.

Once you get through ACOTAR, there are a few different ways you can read Throne of Glass. #1 is the Chronological or "Purist" order. This way has you reading the "Assassin's Blade" first and then "Throne of Glass", it also has readers do the tandem read for "Tower of Dawn" and "Empire of Storms". Now, there are also two ways that you can do the tandem read. There is the original that has 52 switches, if I counted correctly. Or there is the simplified version that has only seven switches. This is the version that I followed with my book club and the switches were perfectly timed for the story. We wouldn't have wanted to read it any other way, I highly recommend this simplified version for anyone wanting to do the Tandem read.

#2 Is the "Romantic" order. If you want to read for romantic impact secondary to the plot, this is for you. This one has you read "Assassin's Blade" after "Heir of Fire". This is the read that I followed and I loved it. It does leave you feeling like you're missing things and playing detective, but when it all comes together the feeling is amazing. All the "I's being dotted and the T's being crossed" is a beautiful thing to witness once you get through those books and then start "Queen of Shadows". Chills. It is just so good, you'll have to read it to understand what level it is truly on. Then you proceed to the Tandem read and lastly, "Kingdom of Ash", which on its own is on an entirely different level. Be prepared to have your soul destroyed.

Conclusion:
Once you have finished "Kingdom of Ash" and your soul has recovered enough that you can move on, you can start "House of Earth and Blood". This is the first book in the Crescent City series. Now, be prepared because this book is vastly different from the last books from Maas that you have just read. I believe this is why Crescent City has received so much blow back. But it is a fantastic book in its own right, you cannot compare it to ACOTAR because the worlds are so different. However different, they can be interconnected. I am very excited to see where all of this ends up. It has been hinted at by the author herself that all of the worlds are connected, and that our characters may meet up. So I am very excited to see where this goes. Do you have any Maasiverse theories?