If you were anywhere near BookTok or Reddit this week, then you probably heard rumours that the hotly anticipated ACOTAR book 6—A Court of Splintered Harmony, the newest instalment in Sarah J. Maas’s wildly popular A Court of Thorns and Roses series—had leaked. I don’t know if the chapters circulating online are real or not, though I did reach out to her publisher to inquire. But does it really matter?
This is a new Sarah J. Maas book we’re talking about. A Court of Thorns and Roses, and her other romantasy series Throne of Glass and Crescent City, wouldn’t be as popular as they are if it wasn’t for the author’s skill at delivering unexpected curveballs. Seeing a few chapters out of context is not going to deliver the same thrill as cracking open the new book and reading as the author intended. It’d be like skimming through parts of chapter five of A Court of Wings and Ruin and thinking that means Feyre and Lucien end up together. (And if that sentence means nothing to you, keep scrolling straight to the section titled “Do I need to read the previous ACOTAR books before A Court of Splintered Harmony?”)
So ahead of A Court of Splintered Harmony’s release on October 27, let’s separate what is fact, what is rumour, and what is coming next. Here’s everything you need to know.
When is ACOTAR book 6 coming out?
The sixth book in Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, titled A Court of Splintered Harmony: The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I, will be published globally by Bloomsbury on October 27, 2026. The audiobook will also be available that same day, and you can preorder both now.
Do I need to read the previous ACOTAR books before A Court of Splintered Harmony?
Honestly? Yes. Absolutely. Don’t even try to jump right into the sixth book of a romantasy series, no matter how much chatter you hear about it on BookTok. I haven’t read A Court of Splintered Harmony (ACOSH) yet, but I already know there is way too much lore for anything to make sense to someone new to the series.
And also, the fun really is in the journey. Start with the first book: A Court of Thorns and Roses, a romantasy riff on Beauty and the Beast that follows a young mortal woman named Feyre Archeron who agrees to live out the rest of her days in Prythian, the magical land of the High Fae, to save her family. You’ll be hooked enough to pick up the next in the series, A Court of Mist and Fury, which follows the love story between Feyre and her mate. The third book, A Court of Wings and Ruin, essentially wraps up Feyre’s story and establishes the storylines and characters that will propel the series forward.
After that comes A Court of Frost and Starlight, which I like to think of as a Christmas special. It’s a short bridge novella containing multiple characters’ POV that takes place over the winter solstice. Speed through that so you can get to book five, A Court of Silver Flames, which focuses entirely on Feyre’s sister, Nesta Archeron, and her (extremely spicy) story.
What is the plot of A Court of Splintered Harmony?
There are a lot of theories about this, depending on whether or not you believe the ACOTAR 6 leaks are real. But here’s what the publisher has told us:
What was broken will be remade.
Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he’s been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories, attracting powerful allies hell-bent on reclaiming what was once theirs: the human lands.
The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. But with Prythian still piecing itself together in the wake of the devastating Hybern War, the task of uniting is proving more difficult by the day.
To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. The rifts dividing them seem insurmountable.
But to defeat Koschei’s creeping shadow, they must find a way back to each other and resurrect their former alliances. To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.
What characters will be featured in ACOTAR 6? And who is the main character?
Isn’t that the million-dollar question! It’s widely believed that ACOTAR book 6 will centre on Feyre’s sister, Elain Archeron, and her complex feelings about having a mating bond with Lucien Vanserra, son of the Autumn Court’s High Lord, while feeling an attraction and connection to the Night Court’s shadowsinger, Azriel.
There’s little to suggest this won’t be the case. In fact, based on an official quote released by Bloomsbury Publishing, we do know for sure that we’ll be getting Lucien’s POV in the new book. My best guess? We’ll get the perspective of all three, with one of the guys ultimately ending up with Elain. Perhaps book seven will focus on whoever doesn’t, and who he ends up with instead.
Is there going to be a seventh ACOTAR book?
Definitely, and it’s coming soon. ACOTAR 7, officially titled A Court of Forgotten Melody: The Valkyrie Cycle, Movements II & III, will be released on January 12, 2027. Here’s what Bloomsbury has teased about the plot:
What was lost will be reclaimed.
Prythian might never be the same again. Traditional alliances are crumbling, and no amount of diplomacy seems sufficient to repair them. With the continued threat of Koschei the Deathless on the horizon, a united front is crucial—and farther out of reach than it has ever been before.
Bonds will be tested. Power will shift. And old enemies will emerge from nightmares of the past.
As the Night Court’s Inner Circle disperses far and wide, desperate for any advantage against Koschei and his mighty allies, peace hangs by a fragile thread. But hope can be spun from the darkest of shadows, and the Night Court has its own part to play in the looming crescendo.
ACOFM is also available for preorder.
This article first appeared on Glamour.com
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