This post is a bit different. I’ll review the books—but more than that, I want to unpack the phenomenon.
This week and next, I’m reviewing two of Sarah J. Maas’s series: Throne of Glass (TOG) and A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). I’ve already reviewed Crescent City.
So, why two posts about Maas?
Because I honestly believe she’s earned the title: the undisputed queen of romantasy (with respect to Rebecca Yarros). Her impact on the genre—both in shaping it and in expanding it—is unmatched.
Sarah J. Maas’s commercial success speaks for itself:
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70 million copies in English alone
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Translated into 38 languages
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TikTok content related to her work racked up over 14 billion views in 2024.
That puts her among the bestselling fiction authors of the past decade. Maas has managed to sustain and grow her readership over three distinct series, reflecting strong loyalty and word-of-mouth buzz. Despite significant interest, screen adaptations remain in progress.
Maas’s Writing Journey
Back in 2002 (when she was just 16), Maas began uploading chapters of Queen of Glass to the fiction-sharing site FictionPress. It quickly became the most-reviewed story on the platform. In 2008, she took it down to revise and prepare it for traditional publishing—editing intensively and weathering a string of rejections before finally landing a literary agent.
In 2010, Bloomsbury made an offer. And on August 7, 2012, Throne of Glass hit the shelves.
Maas lit that fuse – Impact on the Romantasy Genre
At a time when YA fantasy was flourishing, she carved out her own space: one where high fantasy elements—magic, battles, ancient bloodlines—coexisted with deep emotional arcs and slow-burn romantic tension.
It worked. Her blend of romantic and fantastical storytelling hit a nerve, drawing in readers who craved both the adventure and the intimacy.
While Maas built upon the foundation set by earlier fantasy and paranormal romance authors, her unprecedented success created a template others now emulate and helped mainstream the genre.
Maas was also one of the early pioneers in writing female protagonists in fantasy who were not only central to the story but also exceptionally strong, complex, and fully realized. At a time when many fantasy heroines were sidelined or defined primarily by their relationships to male characters, Maas introduced women who were powerful in their own right—physically, emotionally, and strategically. Maas helped redefine what a female lead in fantasy could be—not a sidekick, not a love interest, but the driving force of the entire narrative.
Next week, I’ll go deeper into what I think works in her writing—what I admire, what I’ve learned from her as a writer—and also where it falls short for me.
Now to this week’s review:
The Plot
The series begins with Throne of Glass, where Celaena Sardothien—a teen assassin imprisoned in the brutal salt mines of Endovier—is given a chance to win her freedom by competing in a deadly tournament to become the king’s champion.
Across eight books, Celaena’s journey unfolds into a full-blown epic. What starts as a courtly competition morphs into a continent-wide rebellion.
My Breakdown
Throne of Glass is a slow burn in every sense. The world grows. The romance builds. The stakes rise. It’s YA in the beginning, but by the end? It’s high fantasy—bloody and bold and deeply emotional.
Aelin is a great FMC. She is arrogant and theatrical and brilliant. She’s also shattered, stubborn, and endlessly strategic. Watching her evolve from a selfish, traumatized survivor to a fierce, selfless queen was impressive. And Rowan makes a wonderful cinnamon roll.
You make me want to live, Rowan. Not survive, not exist. Live.
Maas builds an entire cast of characters, and among those are some of my favorite characters ever – Manon, the iron-teethed witch general.
And Manon understood in that moment that there were forces greater than obedience, and discipline, and brutality. Understood that she had not been born soulless; she had not been born without a heart.
Elide and Lorcan are also written exquisitely.
It’s the sub-plot romances that stayed with me. They were so good, it made the series into one of those rare books I wish I could read again for the first time.
Further Reading
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Maas, Sarah J. Official Website
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Vox (Constance Grady) – “Why Half the People You Know Are Obsessed With This Book Series” (Feb 27, 2024)
