Around 30 devoted readers gathered at an independent bookshop in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, on Monday evening despite torrential rain and strong winds to celebrate the arrival of A Court of Splintered Harmony, the sixth instalment in Sarah J Maas's bestselling romantasy series. According to BBC News, the midnight release event at The Secret Bookshelf marked the end of a five-year gap since the previous book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) saga.
The release represents a significant moment for the fantasy romance community, which has grown substantially through social media platforms. Harper's Bazaar reports that Maas and her publisher Bloomsbury have positioned this book and its January 2027 successor as the beginning of a new narrative cycle called The Valkyrie Cycle, with the author describing the story as a single narrative divided into four parts.
Friends Katie Mccabrey and Amy Savage were among the attendees seeking early copies of the novel. Both described their passion for the series as rooted in escapism from daily pressures.
I just love reading these kinds of fantasy books because the real world is a little bit terrible and I love to escape into a fantasyland of fairies and anything other worldly,Amy explained. Katie added her own perspective on the communal aspect of the gathering:
We're all here tonight because we all share just needing to escape from everyday life in common and this is a great way to do it.
The anticipation had been building for weeks. Katie confessed she had been unable to sleep due to her excitement, having maintained high energy levels for two weeks leading up to the release. Amy joked that her enthusiasm had become so consuming that she had struggled to concentrate on another book she was reading, leaving her 300 pages into a novel she would now need to restart once she finished the new ACOTAR instalment.
What is A Court of Thorns and Roses?
For those unfamiliar with the series, ACOTAR is a fantasy romance narrative set in the fictional realm of Prythian, where the protagonist navigates complex relationships with fae characters. The franchise has become a cultural phenomenon, particularly through BookTok—the literary discussion community on TikTok—where Maas is credited with helping to popularise the romantasy genre, which blends romance and fantasy elements.
The series began in 2015 with the original A Court of Thorns and Roses, followed by A Court of Mist and Fury (2016), A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017), A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018), and A Court of Silver Flames (2021). Maas announced the sixth book in March, and according to The Straits Times, the author has explained that the October release contains the first part of a four-part narrative, with the January 2027 release combining parts two and three, while part four remains unwritten.
Why does this series inspire such devotion?
Among the attendees were David Jeroen and Sami Patrick, who had dressed in elaborate fantasy costumes complete with crowns and elf ears. The pair operate a book-focused Instagram account and were celebrating their two-year anniversary as content creators at an appropriately themed venue. Sami articulated the appeal of the genre:
I've always been a fantasy reader and it's just escapism really. I just want to live in a world where dragons and shadow daddies (a morally grey character often found in romantasy books) exist.
David expanded on this sentiment, emphasising the immersive quality of fantasy reading:
I think it's all about escaping reality and going into a different world and dimension where you get to live through another character and experience new things that you wouldn't be able to in real life. You can't ride a dragon in real life so you can read about it.The pair served as quiz hosts during the evening's countdown to midnight, engaging other attendees in themed activities.
The midnight release event featured multiple activities designed to occupy fans during the wait. The Secret Bookshelf organised friendship bracelet making, felting workshops, and a dedicated discussion area where readers could theorise about plot developments. Many attendees embraced the occasion by wearing pyjamas and slippers, treating the event as a comfortable, social celebration rather than a conventional shopping experience.
The role of independent bookshops in fostering reading culture
Jo Zebedee, who runs The Secret Bookshelf alongside her husband Chris, conceived the midnight launch event drawing inspiration from her earlier involvement in organising midnight releases for the Harry Potter series. As a fantasy and science fiction author herself, Zebedee felt a personal connection to celebrating genres that sometimes struggle to find mainstream visibility.
We are a big fantasy shop, I'm a fantasy, sci-fi writer so it's in my blood, so we very much celebrate the world's that sometime can be difficult to find a space in mainstream books,she explained.
Zebedee emphasised the broader purpose of such events:
There's something around the excitement of books and just that whole vibe of here's something to really celebrate.. we just wanted to bring that all together to make a fun night.She enlisted local crafters and businesses to contribute to the evening, with local enterprises providing treats for the late-night gathering. In her view, independent bookshops have a responsibility to nurture enthusiasm for reading among younger audiences.
I think events is when a bookshop comes to life. It's about a love of books and tonight is just such a love of books.
What happens next for the series?
Readers will not face another extended wait for the next instalment. A Court of Forgotten Melody is scheduled for release on 12 January 2027, continuing the narrative arc that began with A Court of Splintered Harmony. The two-book structure represents Maas's approach to delivering the middle sections of her four-part story, with the final chapter still in development.
