After five years without a new full-length A Court of Thorns and Roses novel, Sarah J. Maas has brought readers back to Prythian with A Court of Splintered Harmony. But the sixth book is only the opening movement of a much larger story. At 352 pages and a $32 USD hardcover list price, it is substantially shorter than its follow-up, due just 11 weeks later.
Bloomsbury will publish A Court of Forgotten Melody on January 12, 2027. The seventh novel is listed at 896 pages for $38 USD, making the paired release notable not only for its fast schedule, but also for how unevenly the story is divided. Bloomsbury CEO Nigel Newton called publishing two novels so close together “almost unprecedented” for a bestselling author.
A Court of Splintered Harmony is available to purchase now through this link
ACOTAR 6 Is Only The Beginning Of A Much Bigger Story
Publisher listings identify Splintered Harmony as The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I, while Forgotten Melody is billed as Movements II and III. As Maas told Business Insider, the four-part arc is intended as one continuous story; no date has been announced for Movement IV. At 896 pages, January’s book is more than a standard sequel, as it contains two stages of the same saga, following a 352-page opening.
The publisher’s synopsis frames the conflict around Koschei the Deathless, whose threat is spreading beyond the lake where he has been imprisoned. As Prythian struggles to recover from the Hybern War, the Night Court faces new dangers while betrayals and revelations deepen divisions in its Inner Circle. These details are preview context, not a complete account of the plot or its eventual resolution.
Book six also broadens the story through seven points of view: Feyre, Nesta, Cassian, Lucien, Gwyn, Mor, and Azriel. Bloomsbury says every copy includes three previously published bonus chapters: Nesta and Cassian’s story, Feyre and Rhysand’s chapter, and Azriel’s Winter Solstice installment. Readers may want to revisit A Court of Frost and Starlight and A Court of Silver Flames before beginning.
The Short Wait Changes How Fans Read And Buy ACOTAR
That structure changes the usual release-day conversation. A reader can finish the 352-page opener and wait until January for an 896-page continuation containing the next two movements. Instead of experiencing the gap as a pause between self-contained novels, fans are able to read the books as a two-stage delivery of one arc, with book six functioning more like an opening act than a fully resolved installment.
For a spoiler-light reread, the most useful plot points to refresh on are the Night Court’s alliances, Nesta’s Valkyrie circle, and the unresolved threat tied to Koschei. It may be tempting to chase theories about endgame romances, but the seven viewpoints make shifting perspective a major part of the new book’s design. Teasers point to tensions, though they do not confirm every fan theory or central pairing.
Release week is also a fandom event. Barnes & Noble announced midnight parties at more than 500 stores, while Target planned celebrations at roughly 250 locations and an exclusive gift with book-six purchases, while supplies last. With Maas’s books selling more than 75 million copies, this staggered rollout is also a major event for the romantasy market. The coordinated schedule makes both dates a fandom milestone.
- Publisher(s)
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Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publication Date
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2015-05-05
- ISBN#
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9781619634442
- Genre(s)
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Fantasy, Romance
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