Throne of Glass Series Review: I Read All 7 Books in a Month

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I read the entire Throne of Glass series — all seven books, roughly 4,500 pages — in one month. I would like that entered into the record before I say anything critical, because you don’t binge 4,500 pages of a series you don’t like. You binge it because Sarah J. Maas writes pageturners the way other people breathe.

The spoiler-free setup: Celaena Sardothien, the most notorious assassin in her kingdom, is pulled out of a death-camp prison for one chance at freedom — win a competition to become the king’s champion. That’s book one. Where it goes from there is genuinely epic in scope: wars, courts, fae, and a heroine whose arc across seven books is the best thing in the series.

So, is the Throne of Glass series worth reading in 2026? Yes for assassins-and-epic-war fantasy lovers — with the honest caveat that the series is uneven, and ACOTAR is the stronger Maas series overall. Here’s the book-by-book breakdown.

Every Throne of Glass Book, Rated

Throne of Glass (Book 1) — 3/5

Propulsive and fun, with a great balance of worldbuilding, character, and action — but the ending wobbled for me, the character motivations run muddy, and the love story never quite adds up. A promising, imperfect opener.

Crown of Midnight (Book 2) — 4/5

A really solid sequel: awesome twists, real character development, and full Maas pageturner mode. The romance threads get a little lost in the plot, but I had a blast.

Heir of Fire (Book 3) — 2/5

The middle of this one is a slog. The cast scatters across the map, the POV-hopping slows the pace to a crawl, and it reads like an interim story rather than the main one. The ending redeems just enough to keep you going.

Queen of Shadows (Book 4) — 3/5

A partial redemption arc for the series: the shifting POVs feel more purposeful and the fight scenes are solid, though I’d still trade most of the side plotlines for more time with Aelin.

Empire of Storms (Book 5) — 4/5

Finally, the series kicks into gear. The plot and character arcs start cooking, the last 100 pages are riveting, and you can see the exact skills Maas carried into ACOTAR being forged here. If you’re struggling mid-series: this book is why you keep going.

Tower of Dawn (Book 6) — 2/5

There’s a reason the phrase is “main character energy” and not “side character energy.” An entire novel with the secondary cast, and it suffers for it. Completionists only.

Kingdom of Ash (Book 7) — 3/5

A nearly-1,000-page finale I’m still torn about. Aelin’s arc lands and I’m glad I finished — but the plotting runs messy and anticlimactic in stretches, and the ensemble sprawl that crept in mid-series never lets go. I didn’t sign up for an ensemble, yet somehow it became one.

So Should You Read the Throne of Glass Series?

Here’s my honest take as someone who reads ~80 books a year: this series could have been four amazing books instead of seven books of varying quality. The highs (Crown of Midnight, Empire of Storms, Aelin’s whole arc) are genuinely high. The lows are long. If you love assassins, epic wars, and high fantasy with romance woven through, it’s worth the ride — and if you have to choose one Maas series, read ACOTAR first and come back for this one when the book hangover hits.

If assassin romantasy is specifically your thing, The Bridge Kingdom scratches that exact itch in one tight book.

Final Thoughts on the Throne of Glass Series

My final score: 3 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Do I recommend this book? 👍 Yes — for epic-fantasy patience-havers. Read ACOTAR first.

All my Maas reviews and everything else I’ve rated live on the book reviews shelf — including Crescent City, the third Maas universe I apparently cannot stay away from.

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