Sarah J Maas Biography | Books, Age, Husband & Net Worth
Sarah J. Maas is an American fantasy author best known for Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City. Her character-driven adventures and romances have made her a major figure in modern fantasy publishing.
Readers also follow her for her connected fictional worlds, upcoming books, and the personal experiences behind her stories.
Who Is Sarah J Maas?
Sarah J. Maas is a New York-born novelist whose bestselling stories blend action, magic, friendship, and romantasy, a style that combines fantasy with a central love story. She first developed an audience as a teenage writer online and later built three internationally successful series.
| Full name | Sarah Janet Maas |
| Date of birth | March 5, 1986 |
| Age | 40 years old as of 2026 |
| Birthplace | New York City, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Hamilton College, Class of 2008, creative writing |
| Spouse | Josh Wasserman, married May 30, 2010 |
| Children | Two |
| Known for | Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Crescent City |
How Old Is Sarah J. Maas and Where Was She Born?
Sarah J. Maas was born on March 5, 1986, in New York City, making her 40 years old as of 2026. Her 40th birthday had already passed before this article was published on October 26, 2026. She grew up in Manhattan and became interested in imaginative storytelling long before her first book reached stores.
Where Did Sarah J. Maas Study and Learn to Write?
Maas graduated from Hamilton College in 2008 with a concentration in creative writing and a minor in religious studies. Hamilton identifies her as a member of its Class of 2008 and lists her among its notable author alumni. Her writing education followed years of reading fairy tales and creating her own fantasy stories.
In a 2024 interview with Time, she named fantasy writers Garth Nix and Robin McKinley among her early influences. Their work helped show her that fairy-tale ideas could grow into detailed stories for older readers.
How Did Sarah J. Maas Start Her Writing Career?
Maas began posting an early version of Throne of Glass online in 2002, when she was 16. Originally called Queen of Glass, the story appeared on FictionPress and reimagined Cinderella as an assassin rather than a helpless heroine. Early readers encouraged her to keep developing its characters and world.
She removed the online draft in 2008 to pursue a publishing deal. Bloomsbury acquired the project in 2010, and Throne of Glass was released in August 2012. That path from a free online story to a traditionally published fantasy novel remains one of the defining details of her career.
What Is Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass Series About?
Throne of Glass follows Celaena Sardothien, a young assassin caught in royal politics, dangerous contests, and conflicts involving lost magic. The series expands from court intrigue into a much larger struggle over kingdoms, identity, and power. It ended with Kingdom of Ash, published on October 23, 2018.
The completed collection contains seven main novels and The Assassin’s Blade, a volume of prequel stories. Readers often debate when to read the prequels because they take place earlier in the fictional timeline but were collected after the first two novels appeared.
Why Is A Court of Thorns and Roses So Popular?
A Court of Thorns and Roses is popular for mixing romantic tension, danger, recovery, and changing loyalties inside a magical fantasy world. The series, often shortened to ACOTAR, began in 2015 and follows Feyre Archeron into Prythian, a land ruled by faerie courts.
Later books spend more time with other characters, including Feyre’s sister Nesta in A Court of Silver Flames, published February 16, 2021. This expansion lets the series tell different kinds of emotional stories while staying within the same setting.
What Is the Crescent City Series About?
Crescent City is Maas’s urban fantasy series centered on Bryce Quinlan, a half-human, half-fae woman living in a modern world of magical beings and advanced technology. The series opened with House of Earth and Blood on March 3, 2020, followed by House of Sky and Breath on February 15, 2022.
The third novel, House of Flame and Shadow, arrived January 30, 2024. Unlike the medieval-style settings that many readers associate with Maas, Crescent City features a city-based mystery, complex politics, and contemporary details.
What Is the Best Order to Read Sarah J. Maas’s Books?
The simplest Sarah J. Maas reading order is to finish one series before beginning another. Her official guide says readers can start with any of her three main series and follow each series in its listed order. For newcomers, the published books are arranged as follows:
- Throne of Glass: Throne of Glass; Crown of Midnight; The Assassin’s Blade; Heir of Fire; Queen of Shadows; Empire of Storms; Tower of Dawn; Kingdom of Ash.
- A Court of Thorns and Roses: A Court of Thorns and Roses; A Court of Mist and Fury; A Court of Wings and Ruin; A Court of Frost and Starlight; A Court of Silver Flames.
- Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood; House of Sky and Breath; House of Flame and Shadow.
This is a practical series-by-series reading order, not one combined publication-date list. The Assassin’s Blade takes place before Throne of Glass, but Maas’s own preferred reading guide places it third, after Crown of Midnight. The two announced ACOTAR books are not included among the already published titles above.
Are Sarah J. Maas’s Books and Fictional Worlds Connected?
Yes. Maas’s series can each be enjoyed on their own, but A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City have direct story connections. The connection becomes especially important in the later Crescent City novels, including events involving characters and places from the ACOTAR world.
Throne of Glass also contains hints that have encouraged readers to look for links across her fictional universe. Anyone who wants to recognize more crossovers may prefer finishing the existing ACOTAR novels before the latest Crescent City books. New readers can still begin with the opening novel of whichever series interests them most.
Does Sarah J. Maas Write Standalone Books?
Maas has written outside her three signature fantasy series. Catwoman: Soulstealer, first published on August 7, 2018, is a young adult novel about the DC Comics character Selina Kyle. It belongs to the DC Icons project and is not a separate entry in the ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, or Crescent City worlds.
When Is Sarah J. Maas’s Next Book Coming Out?
Sarah J. Maas’s next scheduled novel is A Court of Splintered Harmony, the sixth ACOTAR book, set for release on October 27, 2026. As of this article’s October 26 publication date, the novel has not yet been officially released. Bloomsbury identifies it as The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I.
A seventh entry, A Court of Forgotten Melody, is scheduled for January 12, 2027. Maas revealed the two titles and their covers in August 2026. These are announced publication dates, not confirmation that either future book is already available.
What Did Sarah J. Maas Say on Call Her Daddy?
On the March 4, 2026, U.S. release of Call Her Daddy, Maas announced dates for two new ACOTAR books and discussed the time she needed to find the right story. The conversation with host Alex Cooper also gave listeners a rare extended interview with the author.
She also spoke about writing difficult female characters, her family, and the future of screen adaptations. In the interview, Maas said she had regained the rights to her works and wanted close creative involvement in any future adaptation. This did not amount to an announcement of a new television series.
Who Is Sarah J. Maas’s Husband?
Sarah J. Maas is married to Josh Wasserman, whom she met at Hamilton College while he was a resident assistant and she was an incoming student. They married on May 30, 2010, and have two children, a son named Taran and a daughter named Sloane.
In a May 2025 Read With Jenna interview, Maas credited Wasserman with helping her protect time for writing and family life. Some fans call him “Papa Maas.” Maas has spoken warmly about his support, but readers should not assume that any specific fictional love interest is a direct portrait of her husband.
What Is Sarah J. Maas’s Net Worth?
Sarah J. Maas’s exact net worth has not been publicly verified. Celebrity Net Worth published an estimate of $60 million in August 2026, but the figure is a third-party estimate rather than an audited statement of her assets, debts, or income. Book sales alone cannot establish a precise personal fortune.
Her financial success is easier to document through publishing results. Bloomsbury reports more than 75 million copies sold worldwide across her work, with editions available in 40 languages.
What Awards and Achievements Has Sarah J. Maas Earned?
Maas has earned multiple reader-voted Goodreads Choice Awards and has helped make fantasy romance highly visible across bookselling and BookTok communities. Verified career milestones include:
- 2016: A Court of Mist and Fury won the Goodreads Choice Award for young adult fantasy and science fiction.
- 2017: A Court of Wings and Ruin won the same Goodreads category.
- 2022: House of Sky and Breath won the Goodreads Choice Award for fantasy.
- 2024: House of Flame and Shadow won the Goodreads Choice Award for romantasy.
Her wide readership extends beyond award results. Readers organize release parties, book clubs, and online discussions around her characters. Her sales figures also reflect the growth of fantasy romance as a major commercial publishing category.
What Controversies Have Involved Sarah J. Maas?
Public discussion of Maas’s books has included criticism of character diversity, sexual content, and restrictions on library access. In a 2024 Time interview, she responded to concerns about representation by saying she was learning from feedback and using sensitivity readers to improve her work.
Separately, PEN America ranked Maas third among the most frequently banned authors in U.S. public schools during the 2024 to 2025 school year, recording 162 ban instances. That ranking concerns school access decisions and should not be confused with a finding of wrongdoing by the author.
If you enjoyed learning about Sarah J Maas, you may also like our biographies of Stephen King, Colleen Hoover, Rebecca Yarros, Brandon Sanderson, John Green, Anne Rice, Danielle Steel, and Steve Hamilton.
Conclusion
Sarah J. Maas built her career by turning a teenage fantasy manuscript into a global publishing success. At 40 years old as of 2026, she remains best known for Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City.
Her next ACOTAR release, scheduled for October 27, 2026, is a major new chapter in a career shaped by ambitious worlds and committed readers.
