Sarah J. Maas has finally revealed the title of the next A Court of Thorns and Roses novel, and the wait for ACOTAR 6 is almost over. A Court of Splintered Harmony is officially the sixth book in the bestselling fantasy romance series, and it will arrive on October 27, 2026.

Even more importantly, we finally know what the next chapter of the ACOTAR universe will be about.

Koschei the Deathless is preparing to make his move, Prythian remains fractured following the war with Hybern, and divisions inside the Night Court may make stopping him even more difficult. Maas is also launching an entirely new ACOTAR story arc called The Valkyrie Cycle, with A Court of Splintered Harmony serving as its first installment.

And fans won’t have to wait years for the story to continue. The follow-up novel, A Court of Forgotten Melody, will be released just a few months later on January 12, 2027.

Here is everything fans need to know about A Court of Splintered Harmony, including its release date, plot, page count, place in the ACOTAR series, possible characters and POVs, connection to Crescent City, and what comes next.

Warning: This article discusses events from previous ACOTAR books and House of Flame and Shadow.

A Court of Splintered Harmony Quick Facts

• Title: A Court of Splintered Harmony
• Author: Sarah J. Maas
• Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses
• ACOTAR book: Book 6
• New story arc: The Valkyrie Cycle
• Release date: October 27, 2026
• Length: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Hardcover ISBN: 9781639739134
• Next book: A Court of Forgotten Melody
• ACOTAR 7 release date: January 12, 2027
• Main villain: Koschei the Deathless
• POV: Not officially confirmed

Bloomsbury currently lists the U.S. hardcover at 352 pages and confirms A Court of Splintered Harmony as the next title in the ACOTAR series.

When Does A Court of Splintered Harmony Come Out?

A Court of Splintered Harmony will be released on October 27, 2026.

That date has now been confirmed both by Sarah J. Maas’s official website and publisher Bloomsbury.

The October release ends one of the longest waits ACOTAR readers have experienced. A Court of Silver Flames was published in 2021, meaning fans will have waited more than five years for another full-length novel set primarily in Prythian.

Fortunately, the next wait will be dramatically shorter.

A Court of Forgotten Melody, officially considered ACOTAR 7, will follow on January 12, 2027. Bloomsbury is promoting the two novels together as the beginning of The Valkyrie Cycle.

That back-to-back publishing schedule is intentional. Maas has explained that the story became so large that it could not reasonably fit inside one physical book. Instead, what she envisioned as one enormous narrative has been divided across multiple volumes.

What Is A Court of Splintered Harmony About?

For the first time, we have an official synopsis that gives us a surprisingly clear idea of the central conflict.

The biggest threat is Koschei the Deathless.

Koschei remains imprisoned at the mysterious lake where he has been bound for thousands of years, but his influence is spreading throughout the Fae territories. Powerful forces are beginning to rally around him, including those who apparently hope to reclaim the human lands.

That creates a dangerous situation for the Night Court.

Prythian still hasn’t completely recovered from the devastating war against Hybern, and the various courts and factions are struggling to maintain their alliances. Meanwhile, the people who rule and defend the Night Court are dealing with their own divisions.

Bloomsbury specifically teases betrayals and newly revealed truths that have created rifts between members of the Night Court. To defeat Koschei, those characters will have to repair those relationships and rebuild alliances that have begun to fall apart.

The official tagline summarizes the book perfectly:

“What was broken will be remade.”

That wording makes it sound like A Court of Splintered Harmony may be as much about repairing relationships and political alliances as defeating a new enemy.

Koschei the Deathless Will Finally Become a Major Villain

Koschei has been lurking in the background of ACOTAR for years, making him one of the most obvious unresolved threats in the series.

Now it appears Maas is finally bringing him to the center of the story.

The official description says that Koschei’s threat is spreading across Fae territory even though he remains bound to the lake. He is also attracting powerful allies who want control of the human lands.

That suggests Koschei may be much more than another villain the Inner Circle can simply confront in battle.

His influence could destabilize Prythian politically while also threatening the humans living south of the wall.

And because Vassa’s story has already been directly connected to Koschei, his return should immediately make readers wonder whether Vassa, Lucien and Jurian will play important roles in the new books.

Nothing about their exact roles has been officially confirmed, but Koschei becoming the central threat makes those characters particularly relevant.

What Is The Valkyrie Cycle?

One of the biggest surprises surrounding the announcement was the reveal that the next stage of ACOTAR has its own name.

A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody begin The Valkyrie Cycle, a new interconnected story within the larger A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Bloomsbury officially introduced the new arc alongside the two titles.

A Court of Splintered Harmony is associated with Movement I, while the story continues through the following movements in A Court of Forgotten Melody.

Maas has made an important distinction about how fans should think about these books.

This isn’t simply a conventional trilogy in which every novel contains its own neatly resolved plot. Instead, she conceived the project as one enormous continuous story divided into multiple physical books. A Court of Splintered Harmony contains the first portion of that story, while A Court of Forgotten Melody continues it. Another volume will eventually complete the larger arc.

That means readers should probably expect a strong cliffhanger or unresolved storylines at the end of A Court of Splintered Harmony.

Thankfully, the next book arrives less than three months later.

Is A Court of Splintered Harmony About Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie?

This is one of the biggest questions fans are asking.

Calling the new storyline The Valkyrie Cycle naturally points toward Nesta Archeron, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie.

The Valkyries became an important part of A Court of Silver Flames, with Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie rebuilding the legendary female warrior tradition.

However, there is an important distinction between what seems likely and what has actually been confirmed.

Sarah J. Maas has not officially announced who the primary POV character of A Court of Splintered Harmony will be.

The official synopsis doesn’t name Nesta, Gwyn, Emerie, Elain, Azriel, Lucien, Cassian, Feyre or Rhysand individually. Instead, it refers broadly to those ruling and protecting the Night Court.

Still, the Valkyrie branding makes Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie impossible to ignore.

It would be surprising if the Valkyries weren’t important to the story, but fans should avoid treating any specific character as the confirmed protagonist until Maas or Bloomsbury says so.

Will Nesta Be a Major Character?

Of all the characters who could have a major role, Nesta arguably has the most unfinished business going into the new books.

A Court of Silver Flames transformed Nesta from one of the series’ most divisive characters into a central protagonist. But her story didn’t end there.

She later appeared in Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series, particularly House of Flame and Shadow, where major revelations connected Nesta more deeply to Prythian’s ancient history.

During those events, Bryce Quinlan’s arrival revealed more about the forgotten history surrounding the Prison, the Dusk Court and powerful magical objects tied to Prythian.

Nesta also made choices that created tension with Rhysand and other members of the Night Court.

Because the official synopsis for A Court of Splintered Harmony specifically refers to recent betrayals and revealed truths, fans have naturally wondered whether the description is referring in part to those events. That interpretation remains speculation, but House of Flame and Shadow certainly leaves Nesta with several unresolved storylines.

Readers who want every piece of possible context before ACOTAR 6 may therefore want to read House of Flame and Shadow before October.

Does A Court of Splintered Harmony Connect to Crescent City?

Potentially—and this could become one of the most important questions surrounding the book.

Sarah J. Maas has now established that the worlds of her different fantasy series can intersect. House of Flame and Shadow dramatically expanded the relationship between Crescent City and ACOTAR, particularly through Bryce, Nesta and Azriel.

That doesn’t necessarily mean A Court of Splintered Harmony will become a full crossover novel.

But some of the knowledge and consequences introduced in House of Flame and Shadow could matter.

For readers who only follow ACOTAR, Maas will presumably provide enough context to understand the story. Still, readers interested in every connection and Easter egg may benefit from being caught up on Crescent City before starting The Valkyrie Cycle.

Will Elain, Azriel or Lucien Be the Main Characters?

The Elain-Azriel-Lucien question remains one of the biggest sources of speculation in the ACOTAR fandom.

But for now, there is no confirmed answer.

Maas has discussed Elain’s complicated feelings about becoming Fae and receiving a mating bond she never asked for. She has also shown interest in exploring questions surrounding free will and whether a mating bond automatically determines someone’s romantic future.

That certainly leaves the door open for a larger Elain storyline.

And Koschei’s return could potentially pull Lucien into the conflict because of his connections to Vassa and the human territories.

Azriel also has several unresolved plot threads.

But none of that confirms that A Court of Splintered Harmony is specifically an Elain, Azriel or Lucien book.

Until an official POV announcement arrives, theories about the central romance should remain theories.

How Long Is A Court of Splintered Harmony?

Bloomsbury currently lists A Court of Splintered Harmony at 352 pages in hardcover.

That may surprise Sarah J. Maas fans.

A Court of Silver Flames was considerably longer, and Maas is famous for writing enormous fantasy novels.

But the shorter length makes much more sense once you understand how The Valkyrie Cycle is structured.

The story originally grew into one massive narrative before being separated into physical volumes. A Court of Splintered Harmony essentially functions as the opening movement of that larger story rather than an enormous standalone installment.

So don’t mistake the smaller page count for a smaller ACOTAR story.

The opposite appears to be true.

What Book Number Is A Court of Splintered Harmony?

Bloomsbury and Sarah J. Maas are officially treating A Court of Splintered Harmony as ACOTAR Book 6.

The reading order is:

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
6. A Court of Splintered Harmony
7. A Court of Forgotten Melody

You may occasionally see fans describe the new book as the fifth full-length ACOTAR novel because A Court of Frost and Starlight is a novella.

For search purposes and official numbering, however, ACOTAR 6 is the clearest way to refer to A Court of Splintered Harmony. Bloomsbury itself lists it as the sixth book.

What Comes After A Court of Splintered Harmony?

Fans won’t have long to recover from whatever happens in ACOTAR 6.

A Court of Forgotten Melody will be released on January 12, 2027 and will directly continue The Valkyrie Cycle.

Maas has explained that A Court of Splintered Harmony contains the first major movement of the larger story, while A Court of Forgotten Melody continues with the next movements.

There will then be another volume containing the final portion of this particular storyline, although its title and publication date have not yet been announced.

In other words, The Valkyrie Cycle is bigger than these first two books.

Can You Preorder A Court of Splintered Harmony?

Yes.

Preorders for A Court of Splintered Harmony are already open through Bloomsbury and major retailers. Sarah J. Maas’s official website currently directs readers to retailers including Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Target, Indigo and Waterstones.

Bloomsbury lists the first-edition U.S. hardcover with ISBN 9781639739134.

Barnes & Noble also currently lists hardcover, ebook, audiobook and large-print formats, although format details and retailer offerings can change before publication.

What Should You Read Before A Court of Splintered Harmony?

At minimum, readers should finish the five previously published ACOTAR books before starting A Court of Splintered Harmony.

That means reading through A Court of Silver Flames.

For the fullest possible experience, however, readers may also want to catch up on the Crescent City books—especially House of Flame and Shadow.

The crossover events in that novel reveal information about Prythian, Nesta, Azriel, the Dusk Court and the history of Maas’s larger universe that could become relevant to the new ACOTAR storyline.

Whether reading Crescent City will actually be required remains unclear.

Why A Court of Splintered Harmony Could Change ACOTAR

Everything revealed so far suggests that A Court of Splintered Harmony won’t simply be another romance set inside Prythian.

It looks like the beginning of a major restructuring of the ACOTAR world.

Koschei is finally emerging as a central threat. The Night Court is fractured. Old alliances are becoming unstable. The human lands are once again in danger. The Valkyries are being elevated enough that the entire new story arc carries their name.

And beneath all of that are the unanswered questions left behind by A Court of Silver Flames and House of Flame and Shadow.

Who will lead the new story?

What happened to the trust between Nesta and Rhysand?

What role will Gwyn and Emerie play?

Will Elain finally become a primary character?

What happens with Lucien and Vassa now that Koschei is moving?

What exactly is waiting inside the forgotten history of Prythian?

Those are the questions that should keep ACOTAR fans theorizing until October.

What we do know is that A Court of Splintered Harmony arrives October 27, 2026, and it is only the beginning. With A Court of Forgotten Melody following on January 12, 2027, Sarah J. Maas is preparing to deliver more ACOTAR in a few months than readers have received in years.

And after more than five years away from Prythian, the timing couldn’t be better.

FAQ: A Court of Splintered Harmony

When is A Court of Splintered Harmony coming out?

A Court of Splintered Harmony will be published on October 27, 2026.

Is A Court of Splintered Harmony ACOTAR 6?

Yes. Bloomsbury officially identifies A Court of Splintered Harmony as the sixth book in the A Court of Thorns and Rosesseries.

What is A Court of Splintered Harmony about?

The novel follows the growing threat of Koschei the Deathless as Prythian struggles with fractured alliances. Members of the Night Court must overcome internal divisions and rebuild alliances if they hope to stop him.

Who is the main character in A Court of Splintered Harmony?

Sarah J. Maas has not yet officially confirmed the primary POV or main character.

Is A Court of Splintered Harmony about Elain?

That has not been confirmed. Elain has several unresolved storylines, but Maas has not announced that she is the protagonist of ACOTAR 6.

Will Nesta be in A Court of Splintered Harmony?

The official synopsis does not confirm individual characters, but the new arc is called The Valkyrie Cycle, making Nesta and the Valkyries obvious characters for fans to watch.

Who is the villain in ACOTAR 6?

Koschei the Deathless is the major confirmed threat in A Court of Splintered Harmony.

How many pages is A Court of Splintered Harmony?

Bloomsbury currently lists the hardcover edition at 352 pages.

What is The Valkyrie Cycle?

The Valkyrie Cycle is the new interconnected ACOTAR storyline beginning with A Court of Splintered Harmony and continuing with A Court of Forgotten Melody.

When does A Court of Forgotten Melody come out?

A Court of Forgotten Melody, ACOTAR 7, is scheduled for January 12, 2027.

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