A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas

What is A Court of Splintered Harmony about?

Koschei threatens both Fae and human territories, while the Night Court needs to repair alliances fractured in the aftermath of the war with Hybern. That's the outline Bloomsbury has shared: a return to Prythian with unresolved political relationships and a threat that reaches beyond one court.

Where does it fit in ACOTAR?

This is Book 6, after A Court of Silver Flames. The sequence begins with A Court of Thorns and Roses, then A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and Silver Flames. Frost and Starlight is the shorter bridge between the third novel and the fifth book; it still belongs in the sequence.

Our ACOTAR reading-order guide puts all seven titles in order and explains where the two upcoming releases fit.

What is The Valkyrie Cycle?

The Valkyrie Cycle is the grouping named on the official book listings. Splintered Harmony contains Movement I; A Court of Forgotten Melody contains Movements II and III. They're also numbered as ACOTAR Books 6 and 7, so the cycle doesn't replace the main series order.

Those labels describe how the books fit together. They don't, by themselves, confirm whose perspective the story follows or which relationship takes the lead.

Do you need the earlier ACOTAR books first?

I'd start with A Court of Thorns and Roses. This is being published as the sixth book, and its official premise returns to the consequences of an earlier war and to alliances whose history matters. Starting here would mean meeting that history after the relationships and conflicts have already taken shape.

Read through A Court of Silver Flames before moving into The Valkyrie Cycle. If you're returning after a long break, the order guide gives you the sequence without spoiling the new releases.

What comes after it?

A Court of Forgotten Melody is Book 7, scheduled for January 12, 2027. Bloomsbury lists it as Movements II and III of The Valkyrie Cycle, with 896 pages in the US hardcover. It's the next actual installment, rather than a similar book to read instead.

The ACOTAR guide keeps its date and place in the sequence together.

Do you need to read Crescent City first?

I'd keep Crescent City as optional extra context rather than turn it into an ACOTAR prerequisite. The clear preparation for Book 6 is the five earlier ACOTAR titles. Nothing in the official publication details cited here establishes Crescent City as required reading.

If you're interested in the wider connections, House of Flame and Shadow is the third Crescent City novel. It needs House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath first, so it isn't a shortcut into that series. Our Sarah J. Maas hub explains how the three series differ.

Publication, formats, and where to buy

Bloomsbury's US hardcover listing gives October 27, 2026 as the publication date and 352 pages as the length. That page count belongs to the listed US hardcover; other editions can differ.

Check the linked edition and choose the format you want before ordering; cover design and pagination can vary between editions.

What to read while waiting

For another romantic fantasy, our Books Like A Court of Splintered Harmony picks draw on the official premise and the established ACOTAR series. Each recommendation explains what overlaps and what changes, without pretending we've read an unreleased novel.