TL;DR: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) is a "Romantasy" juggernaut that has moved from a niche subculture to a mainstream rite of passage for teens. While it's marketed as "New Adult," it’s frequently found in the hands of 13-to-15-year-olds thanks to TikTok. It features heavy themes of trauma and recovery, but also very explicit, descriptive "spice" (sex scenes) that increase in intensity as the series progresses. With the massive new sequels announced for late 2026, the hype is about to hit a fever pitch.
Check out our guide on navigating BookTok trends
If you haven’t seen the fan art of winged men and ethereal faerie courts on your teen's phone, consider yourself lucky—or just wait five minutes. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a series by Sarah J. Maas that started as a loose "Beauty and the Beast" retelling and evolved into a sprawling epic about faerie politics, war, and very intense romantic entanglements.
The story follows Feyre Archeron, a human huntress who kills a wolf that turns out to be a faerie. She’s whisked away to the magical land of Prythian as punishment, where she discovers that the "monsters" she was taught to fear are actually incredibly attractive, immortal High Fae with complicated backstories and even more complicated love lives.
The series currently consists of five books, with a massive new installment just announced for a holiday 2026 release. What started as a trilogy has ballooned into a multi-series "Maasverse" that connects to her other works like Throne of Glass and Crescent City.
It’s easy to dismiss this as "just another vampire-style craze," but ACOTAR is different. It’s the flagship of the "Romantasy" genre—a mix of high-stakes fantasy world-building and heavy romance.
- The "Shadow Daddy" Trope: You might hear your teen or their friends mention "Rhysand" or "Bat Boys." They are referring to the powerful, misunderstood, and protective male leads. It’s the classic "he’s a monster to everyone but me" fantasy that has worked since the dawn of time.
- The Community: TikTok (specifically BookTok) and Instagram are flooded with ACOTAR content. Reading these books is a social currency. If you haven't read "Mist and Fury," you're missing out on 40% of the inside jokes in the school hallway.
- Emotional Intensity: Maas is great at writing about "big feelings." She tackles PTSD, depression, and female empowerment in a way that resonates deeply with teenage girls navigating their own emotional upheavals.
Here is the no-BS part: These are not the "Young Adult" (YA) books we grew up with. ACOTAR is technically "New Adult" (NA), a category meant for 18–25 year olds. However, because the main characters start young and the covers look like fantasy novels, they are often shelved right next to Percy Jackson.
The "spice" (the community's term for sexual content) starts at a "suggestive" level in book one, but by book five, A Court of Silver Flames, it is full-blown, multi-chapter, explicit erotica. There is no "fading to black" here. The descriptions are graphic, and the language is mature.
If your 14-year-old is reading book five, they are reading things you might not want to discuss over Sunday brunch. It’s not "harmful" in the sense of being "brain rot," but it is definitely adult content.
We are currently in a "Maas-ive" waiting period. The author recently confirmed that the next major installment in the ACOTAR world will drop in late 2026. This means the fandom is currently in a "re-read and theory" phase.
Expect your teen to start asking for "special edition" hardbacks or "sprayed edge" versions of the old books to prep for the new release. The marketing machine for these books is world-class, and by the time 2026 rolls around, it will be impossible to avoid.
If your teen is begging for ACOTAR but you aren't sure they're ready for the "spice," or if they've finished the series and want more, here are some alternatives with varying levels of maturity.
For the Younger Teen (Ages 13-15)
These offer the "faerie" vibe and romance without the explicit graphic content.
- This is the gold standard for YA faerie drama. It’s political, sharp, and romantic, but the "spice" is very low. It’s much more about power moves than bedroom moves.
- A beautiful, lyrical story about rival journalists during a war between gods. It has the emotional depth of ACOTAR but is much more age-appropriate for younger teens.
- Whimsical, colorful, and deeply romantic, but stays firmly in the "YA" lane.
For the Older Teen (Ages 16+)
If they’ve already read ACOTAR and you’re looking for what’s next on the "BookTok" shelf.
- If ACOTAR is the queen of Romantasy, Fourth Wing is the crown princess. It involves dragons and a military academy. Warning: This is just as "spicy" as ACOTAR, if not more so.
- Maas’s other big series. It actually starts as very clean YA and matures as the series goes on. Many fans argue the plot is actually better than ACOTAR.
- A "witch and witch-hunter" marriage of convenience story. High stakes, great banter, and moderate "spice."
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If your kid is already deep in the ACOTAR hole, don't panic. Reading a "spicy" book doesn't mean they are going to go off the rails. In fact, many teens use these books to process complex ideas about consent, healthy vs. toxic relationships (the series famously switches love interests when the first one becomes controlling), and personal agency.
How to Talk About It
Instead of "Is that book porn?", try these conversation starters:
- "I heard the main character in that series goes through some pretty heavy stuff in the second book. How is she handling it?"
- "BookTok is obsessed with Rhysand. Do you think he’s actually a 'good guy,' or is he just written to be charming?"
- "I know these books are labeled 'New Adult.' Are there parts that feel a bit too 'adult,' or do you just skip over the romance stuff?" (Hint: They probably don't skip it, but asking the question opens the door for them to admit if they feel uncomfortable with certain themes).
A Court of Thorns and Roses is the "Twilight" of the 2020s, but with more swearing and way more sex. It’s a compelling, addictive world that has gotten millions of teens back into reading physical books, which is a win in our digital-heavy age.
However, it is not a series for children. If your child is under 15, you might want to steer them toward The Cruel Prince first. If they are 16 or 17 and already reading it, use it as a bridge to talk about what a healthy relationship looks like and how authors use "spice" to sell books.
With the 2026 sequels on the horizon, this conversation isn't going away. You don't have to read all 3,000+ pages of the series, but knowing who the "Bat Boys" are will definitely give you some street cred at the next pickup.
- Check the shelf: See which book in the series they are on. The "spice" level jumps significantly at book four (A Court of Frost and Starlight) and book five.
- Browse BookTok: Spend five minutes on TikTok searching "ACOTAR" to see the kind of fan content your teen is seeing. It will give you a quick vibe check on the fandom.
- Offer an "in-between": If they want the next "big thing" but aren't ready for the explicit stuff, suggest Powerless by Lauren Roberts—it’s the current "cleaner" obsession for the ACOTAR crowd.