A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass Original Covers: What’s the Deal and Where to Get Them?

Updated by Esther Fung, Sep 10, 2024

Written by Kaitlin Stevens


If you’ve perused Pango lately, or #bookstagram or #booktok for that matter, you’ve probably noticed that a certain 2015 fantasy bestselling series is currently in high demand. That series, of course, is author Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series, specifically first edition copies.


While Maas’ ACOTAR series has always been popular, it wasn’t always the collector’s item that it is now. Since the series’ new covers debuted in 2020, editions with the older covers have been harder to come by, and those who own them have noticed. Read on to find out what the original covers look like, how you can get your own copies, get the details on the original covers for the Throne of Glass series, and how to read both series in order.

A Court of Thorns and Roses book series order and characters

First, if you’re new to this best-selling adult romantasy series, here’s some background information for you. Book One is a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling, with a plot twist that you won’t see coming. Didn’t love the first book? Fans online largely agree that the second book is miles better. See the author-approved series order and important characters below.


A Court of Thorns and Roses series order:

  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
  2. A Court of Mist and Fury
  3. A Court of Wings and Ruin
  4. A Court of Frost and Starlight
  5. A Court of Silver Flames


A Court of Thorns and Roses characters:

  • Feyre Archeron 
  • Tamlin 
  • Lucien Vanserra
  • Rhysand 
  • Cassian 
  • Azriel 
  • Nesta Archeron 
  • Elain Archeron
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ACOTAR original covers

If you’ve ever seen any of the ACOTAR books in the wild, you most likely saw the new covers: understated, with bright yellow text in an updated font over an ominous silhouette and monotone backdrop. Each silhouette hints at a crucial part of the novel. For example, a menacing beast snarls on the front of A Court of Thorns and Roses, while a dagger shrouded in smoke decorates the cover of A Court of Wings and Ruin


These designs contrast with the original covers of the first four novels, all of which depict the protagonist Feyre in elegant, body-hugging gowns, the images cut off at the nose. (Book Five, A Court of Silver Flames, was released in 2021 and its cover has always been in the style of the new versions.) The original covers show the books for what they are: sexy high fantasy novels that fall in the new adult genre, initially marketed as young adult. In contrast, the simpler new covers reveal less about the context, presumably to attract a broader audience. 

Unfortunately, if you prefer the older designs, you won’t be able to find them at your local bookstore or retailer, as they are now out of print. However, your dreams of owning the ACOTAR books with their original covers aren’t over. On Pango, you’ll be able to find the A Court of Thorns and Roses series with the original covers for sale. If you’re looking for a specific book, you can find it on Pango as well. Shop the out-of-print covers of A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, and A Court of Frost and Starlight from sellers around the country. But hurry! Once a listing is sold on Pango, we don’t know when it’ll pop up again. 

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Throne of Glass original covers

ACOTAR isn’t the only SJM series with coveted, out-of-print covers. The original covers of Throne of Glass, a young adult fantasy series Maas wrote when she was a teenager herself, are also hot collector items. In 2023, Bloomsbury announced new looks for the series that are more similar to those of post-makeover ACOTAR: bold in color palette but not giving anything away. Book One shows a dark blue wall with some cracks, a menacing red hallway, and a small silhouette of a figure holding a sword. Book Two, Crown of Midnight, depicts a dark river winding through a city at night. Once again, we see a figure with a sword. Her back is to us, so we see her long hair and cape instead of her face. 


In comparison, the pre-2023 covers more obviously convey what kinds of books this series is: young adult, fantasy, and full of adventure. A young woman with long, almost-white hair, looms on the cover of Throne of Glass. She is dressed like an assassin and confidently handles a sword in each hand. The explosion of blue behind her invokes thunderstorms but also magic. Similarly, we see the same woman on Crown of Midnight’s original cover. This time, she is in motion: her right hand raises a sword menacingly while her left grips another sword. She is also wearing a red cape, and the red flames behind her heighten the drama of this cover design. 

If you're yearning for the original, out-of-print editions of Throne of Glass, then save yourself a trip to the bookstore, because you won’t find any there. Instead, get them from other collectors on Pango. You can buy the whole series with the original covers as a bundle or get the Throne of Glass box set. You can also shop for individual books as well. Browse the original covers of Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, The Assassin’s Blade, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, and Kingdom of Ash. As with the ACOTAR series, because all the books on our marketplace are sold by individual sellers and not housed in a giant warehouse, we cannot guarantee inventory. So if you want a book, act fast before someone else purchases it!

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Finally, we’ve been referring to these designs as the original covers in accordance with the conventions of the fandom. However, hardcore fans know that the cover design we described above for Book One is actually not the original cover! Now known as the Barbie edition, the true original cover design for Throne of Glass features a photograph of a young woman with shoulder-length hair and a dagger strapped to her arm. The castle of glass depicted in the novel shines in blue behind her. As of this article’s last update, we currently have one copy available for sale. Look for the Barbie Throne of Glass edition here on Pango!

Throne of Glass reading order

You may not think that the correct reading order for a series would be up for debate, but the question of how to read the Throne of Glass books is one that has garnered a lot of conversation among the fandom. Here, we’ve listed the books in the order that Maas herself has recommended: 


  1. Throne of Glass 
  2. Crown of Midnight 
  3. The Assassin’s Blade (a Throne of Glass prequel)
  4. Heir of Fire 
  5. Queen of Shadows
  6. Empire of Storms 
  7. Tower of Dawn 
  8. Kingdom of Ash 


But what about the Throne of Glass tandem read? 

If you’re a Sarah J. Maas fan, you’ve probably heard of the Throne of Glass tandem read. For those who want to take this challenge on, you can read the books in Maas’ recommended order until Empire of Storms. From there, you’re going to alternate between Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn in a very specific way. See how to do the Throne of Glass tandem read here!