Welcome back to Pryrthian, the fictional faerie world Sarah J Maas has held us hostage in for years now (complimentary). A Court of Splintered Harmony, the sixth book in Sarah’s hugely successful A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series, hit shelves on October 27, 2026, after a five-year wait from its predecessor. That sound you’re hearing right now?
That’s the internet collectively falling into Maas Hysteria. There’s no denying the chokehold Sarah has over romantasy readers. Ever since she exploded onto BookTok during the pandemic, her career has taken on a pop-star-level of celebrity status.
She sells out bookstores for midnight book release parties like Harry Styles sold out his MSG residency. Professional celeb gossiper Deuxmoi covers blind items about her. To announce the next two books in her ACOTAR series, she went on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast.
You know, the same venue Chappell Roan used to reveal her new relationship status and Zayn Malik used to break his six-year interview hiatus. It’s fitting that her career has taken off like a pop star's because each new release feels like a Taylor Swift album drop. The noise on social media surrounding their new releases could literally shake the ground you walk on—and you just know they’re going to immediately sell out everywhere.
Both their audiences are hugely engaged with sky-high, emotionally-specific expectations, but it’s also what’s starting to get them into trouble. Both women have reached godlike levels of commercial success in their respective fields—and each have faced questions about whether the artistry of their recent work still matches that commercial success. Like Taylor, Sarah’s success and her brand might be the very things usurping her creative output.
Taylor and Sarah built their careers on being true Machiavellians. They have visions for their work that extend beyond one album or book. Sarah described her latest installments to the ACOTAR world as “a four-part volume-defying narrative.” Part one takes place in the newly released A Court of Splintered Harmony (ACOTAR #6).
Extract — continue reading at the source.
