After years of theories, fake titles, cryptic Instagram posts and increasingly desperate rereads of A Court of Silver Flames, we finally have real ACOTAR news. And Sarah J. Maas has delivered far more than anyone expected.
The next two books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series now have official titles: ACOTAR 6 is A Court of Splintered Harmony and ACOTAR 7 is A Court of Forgotten Melody.
Even better, we know exactly when they are coming.
A Court of Splintered Harmony will be released on 27 October 2026, while A Court of Forgotten Melody follows just eleven weeks later on 12 January 2027. Both dates are confirmed by Sarah J. Maas and publisher Bloomsbury, including on Bloomsbury’s Australian listings.
But the titles and release dates are only the beginning. The two books launch an entirely new ACOTAR arc called The Valkyrie Cycle, Koschei the Deathless is finally moving from background threat to major villain, the Night Court appears to be fracturing from within and Maas has structured the enormous new story in four interconnected “movements.”
And yes, there will be more after Book 7.
Here is everything we know so far about A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody, what has actually been confirmed, and what remains firmly in fan-theory territory.
Warning: major spoilers for the existing ACOTAR books and some discussion of Crescent City follow.
Bloomsbury currently lists A Court of Splintered Harmony at 352 pages and A Court of Forgotten Melody at a mammoth 928 pages. Those numbers immediately make more sense once you understand the unusual way Maas has structured the new story.
ACOTAR
When Is ACOTAR 6 Coming Out?
A Court of Splintered Harmony will be released on 27 October 2026.
Bloomsbury Australia currently lists paperback, hardback and ebook editions for pre-order, with the publication date confirmed as 27 October. The publisher lists the hardback edition at 352 pages. That means the wait is almost over.
It has been more than five years since A Court of Silver Flames was published in 2021, making this by far one of the longest gaps ACOTAR readers have experienced between major instalments.
Maas originally announced the October release date in March 2026 during an appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. Her own website now lists ACOTAR 6 for 27 October 2026.
When Is ACOTAR 7 Coming Out?
The wait between Books 6 and 7 will be dramatically shorter.
A Court of Forgotten Melody will be released on 12 January 2027, just eleven weeks after A Court of Splintered Harmony. Bloomsbury’s Australian listing currently puts the book at a hefty 928 pages.
The near back-to-back publication schedule is deliberate because Maas does not see these releases as conventional standalone sequels. They are pieces of one enormous story.
What Is The Valkyrie Cycle?
This may be the most important part of the announcement.
A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody begin a new storyline officially called The Valkyrie Cycle.
The cover treatment identifies:
A Court of Splintered Harmony The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I
A Court of Forgotten Melody The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements II & III
The musical language is clearly intentional. We have Harmony. We have Melody. We have “movements.” And the story itself is being presented as a cycle rather than simply ACOTAR Books 6 and 7.
Maas has explained that when she finally found the story she wanted to tell, it became far larger than a conventional novel. What began as one story eventually developed into four parts, requiring multiple books. Book 6 contains the first part, Book 7 contains parts two and three, and a fourth part is still to come.
That also explains the dramatic difference between the two books’ current lengths. At 352 pages, Splintered Harmony is relatively short by modern Sarah J. Maas standards. Forgotten Melody, at 928 pages, is enormous.
The good news is that the first three movements arrive within a matter of months rather than leaving readers on a multi-year cliffhanger.
Will There Be an ACOTAR 8?
Almost certainly some form of another ACOTAR volume is coming. Maas has said the overall story comprises four parts. A Court of Splintered Harmony contains the first, while A Court of Forgotten Melody contains the second and third. Movement IV has not yet been released and was still to be completed when Maas discussed the project.
That points strongly toward another book after A Court of Forgotten Melody, although an official title and publication date have not been announced.
For now, it is safer to think of it as the final movement of The Valkyrie Cycle rather than assume exactly how Bloomsbury will eventually number or package it.
What Is A Court of Splintered Harmony About?
We finally have a meaningful plot direction, and one name towers over everything else:
Koschei the Deathless.
The official description reveals that Koschei, who has remained bound to his lake for thousands of years, is beginning to stir. His influence is spreading through the Fae territories, and powerful forces appear willing to align with him in an attempt to reclaim the human lands.
The Night Court cannot ignore the threat.
But there is a problem.
Prythian has never properly recovered from the war with Hybern. Alliances remain damaged, political relationships are fragile and, perhaps most intriguingly, the Night Court itself is struggling with what the publisher describes as recent betrayals and revealed truths.
That wording is potentially enormous.
The Inner Circle has traditionally been one of the most unified groups in the ACOTAR world. Even when its members disagree, Rhysand, Feyre, Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren have generally operated as a fiercely loyal unit.
Splintered Harmony appears ready to test that.
The book’s short official tagline says it all:
Exactly what is broken remains deliberately unclear.
It could refer to Prythian’s political alliances.
It could refer to the Inner Circle.
It could refer to the Valkyries.
It could refer to the human territories.
Or, knowing Maas, it could mean all of them.
If you need a refresher on the politics and personalities of Prythian before the new books arrive, our complete guide to the ACOTAR Courts breaks down the Night, Spring, Autumn, Summer, Winter, Dawn and Day Courts.
What Is A Court of Forgotten Melody About?
If Splintered Harmony sounds politically unstable, A Court of Forgotten Melody appears to push Prythian even closer to collapse.
Koschei remains a looming threat, but old alliances continue to crumble and diplomacy appears increasingly incapable of holding the courts together.
The official description also contains one particularly ominous warning: old enemies will emerge from the nightmares of the past.
Who or what those enemies are has not been revealed.
Meanwhile, the members of the Night Court’s Inner Circle will apparently disperse across the world searching for any advantage they can find against Koschei and his allies. Again, the language feels highly significant.
What was lost?
A territory?
A Court?
An ancient power?
A person?
An alliance?
A forgotten piece of Prythian’s history?
The title Forgotten Melody combined with the book’s description strongly suggests that history, memory and something long buried will become important to the story.
And after the revelations of House of Flame and Shadow, readers know better than to assume Prythian’s accepted version of history is necessarily the complete one.
Does “The Valkyrie Cycle” Mean Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie Are the Main Characters?
This is the obvious conclusion, but it has not been officially confirmed.
The name The Valkyrie Cycle immediately points toward Nesta Archeron, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie, whose friendship and training became one of the emotional centres of A Court of Silver Flames
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie resurrected the Valkyrie tradition and ultimately became the first females in centuries to complete the brutal Blood Rite together.
Calling the new storyline The Valkyrie Cycle therefore feels like a giant neon sign pointing directly at them.
But there is an important distinction between what the title suggests and what Sarah J. Maas has actually announced.
As of now, the central POV characters for Books 6 and 7 have not been confirmed.
It is entirely possible that Nesta and the Valkyries will be central to the wider plot without the novels following only their perspectives.
Is ACOTAR 6 Still Elain’s Book?
This may now be the biggest question in the fandom.
For years, many readers assumed the next full ACOTAR novel would focus on Elain Archeron. That theory wasn’t invented out of nowhere.
After Feyre’s original trilogy and Nesta’s central role in A Court of Silver Flames, Elain remains the Archeron sister whose powers, desires and future have been explored the least.
Her unresolved mating bond with Lucien, her connection with Azriel, her Seer abilities and her complicated relationship with her new Fae existence have all been waiting in the wings.
Maas has also spoken specifically about Elain’s situation and the concept of free will within mating bonds. In her recent interview, she questioned what happens when nature chooses a mate and whether that choice must necessarily be accepted, contrasting Elain’s situation with the comparatively clear mating relationships experienced by Feyre and Nesta.
That makes Elain’s story very much alive.
But the announcement of The Valkyrie Cycle complicates the assumption that Book 6 will simply be “Elain’s book.”
At present, Maas has not announced who the primary protagonist or romantic pairing will be.
So while Elain remains one of the most likely characters to receive major development, any claim that A Court of Splintered Harmony is definitively an Elain and Azriel book, an Elain and Lucien book or even an Elain-centred novel is still speculation.
What About Azriel, Gwyn and Lucien?
This is where ACOTAR fandom discourse could become particularly intense.
Azriel remains connected to several unresolved storylines.
There is his attraction to Elain.
There is the controversial A Court of Silver Flames bonus chapter.
There is his increasingly interesting connection with Gwyn.
There are his mysterious shadows.
There is the fact that we still know comparatively little about his deepest powers, history and future.
Then there is Lucien.
Lucien’s unresolved plot threads are enormous. He remains Elain’s Cauldron-chosen mate, maintains relationships with the human territories through Jurian and Vassa, has important political ties across Prythian and carries family revelations that could significantly alter the balance of power.
Koschei’s renewed focus on the human lands makes Lucien particularly difficult to imagine sitting on the sidelines.
Vassa’s story is similarly connected to Koschei, whose power has hung over her fate for several books.
In other words, The Valkyrie Cycle may have “Valkyrie” in the title, but the developing conflict gives Maas reasons to pull almost every major unresolved ACOTAR character back into the story.
Koschei the Deathless Is Finally Becoming the Main Threat
Koschei has been lingering around the edges of the series for years. Inspired by the figure of Koschei the Deathless from Slavic folklore, ACOTAR’s Koschei is an ancient and immensely powerful being confined to a lake on the continent.
His involvement with Vassa, the human queens and the broader political landscape has made it obvious that his story was never finished.
Now we know why.
A Court of Splintered Harmony explicitly brings Koschei forward as the major emerging threat. His influence is extending outward, he appears to be gaining allies and the human lands may once again become a major battleground.
This is important because it pushes ACOTAR back toward the large-scale political and military stakes of A Court of Wings and Ruin, rather than keeping the series centred solely on individual romances.
The new books appear poised to combine both.
The Inner Circle May Be in Serious Trouble
One of the most interesting parts of the new synopsis isn’t Koschei at all.
It’s the suggestion that the Night Court itself is fractured.
The official description refers to betrayals, revealed truths and rifts that appear extraordinarily difficult to repair. Book 7 then describes the Inner Circle spreading out in search of answers and advantages.
That sounds very different from the cosy Velaris dynamic readers have become accustomed to.
It also raises major questions.
Is someone inside the Night Court keeping secrets?
Are the fractures connected to Nesta?
Mor?
Rhysand?
The events involving Bryce Quinlan?
The history of Prythian?
Or something readers have not yet seen?
Whatever the answer, the word “harmony” suddenly feels much more literal.
The Crescent City Connection Could Be Crucial
Anyone who has only read ACOTAR may want to seriously consider catching up on Crescent City before October.
Without giving away every twist here, the boundaries between Maas’s fantasy worlds are no longer merely fan theory.
Crescent City dramatically expanded what readers know about Fae history, ancient objects, worlds beyond Prythian and the deeper mythology connecting Maas’s series.
Whether Splintered Harmony immediately continues those crossover threads remains unknown, but it would be surprising if the enormous revelations of House of Flame and Shadow simply disappeared from the ACOTAR storyline.
Could the Forgotten Melody Refer to Gwyn?
Possibly, but this remains firmly in theory territory.
Gwyn is strongly associated with music and singing, so the title A Court of Forgotten Melody immediately sparked speculation that she could have a particularly important role.
Add the phrase The Valkyrie Cycle, and the theory becomes even more tempting.
But a title rarely has only one meaning in a Sarah J. Maas novel.
“Melody” could refer to Gwyn.
It could relate to ancient magic.
It could refer to an actual song.
It could connect to the structure of the Valkyrie Cycle itself.
Or it might refer metaphorically to a forgotten part of Prythian’s history.
For now, Gwyn fans have plenty to be excited about, but there is no official confirmation that Forgotten Melody is specifically her story.
Could the Dusk Court Return?
This is another theory that has gained considerable strength following Crescent City.
The existence and history of a possible lost or forgotten Dusk Court has become one of the largest mythology questions in the Maasverse.
Now consider the language surrounding the new books:
Splintered.
Forgotten.
Remade.
Reclaimed.
Old enemies.
Revealed truths.
None of that proves the Dusk Court will return. But it certainly doesn’t make the theory less interesting. If something genuinely lost from Prythian’s ancient past is about to be reclaimed, the Dusk Court is likely to remain near the top of fan prediction lists until the book finally lands.
Why the Musical Titles Matter
The naming of the new arc represents a noticeable change for ACOTAR.
Earlier titles often paired contrasting concepts:
Thorns and Roses.
Mist and Fury.
Wings and Ruin.
Frost and Starlight.
Then came Silver Flames.
Now Maas has moved into a distinctly musical vocabulary:
Splintered Harmony.
Forgotten Melody.
Movements.
Cycle.
Crescendo.
Even the official description for A Court of Forgotten Melody uses musical imagery when describing the approaching conflict.
It is difficult to believe that is accidental.
The four-movement structure suggests Maas is approaching this new arc almost like one giant composition. Rather than each book being a completely self-contained romantic fantasy, they may function as sections of one continuing narrative.
That could mean readers should prepare for substantial cliffhangers.
Who Will the Romance Focus On?
We don’t know.
And despite the certainty of various corners of BookTok, Instagram and Reddit, no central romantic pairing has officially been announced.
The major possibilities include:
Elain and Lucien
Elain and Azriel
Gwyn and Azriel
another pairing involving characters we already know
multiple romances unfolding across the wider ensemble
The new structure also makes it possible that Maas no longer intends to follow the exact model established by A Court of Silver Flames, where one central couple carries most of the novel.
A story spanning four movements and more than 1,200 pages across the first two announced volumes gives her room for a much larger ensemble.
Where Do Feyre and Rhysand Fit?
Feyre and Rhysand’s central love story may already have been told, but it would be difficult for them to disappear from a conflict involving the Night Court itself.
Rhysand is High Lord.
Feyre is High Lady.
Koschei threatens Prythian.
The Inner Circle is apparently divided.
That puts both characters directly in the political centre of the coming conflict, even if neither becomes the principal POV.
The same applies to Cassian and Nesta. Whatever the exact POV structure, the Valkyrie name alone makes it highly likely that the world built around A Court of Silver Flames will remain hugely important.
Why ACOTAR 6 Is Technically Not the Sixth Full-Length Novel
If the numbering still confuses you, you’re not alone. The current ACOTAR publication order is:
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
A Court of Splintered Harmony
A Court of Forgotten Melody
However, A Court of Frost and Starlight is a novella rather than a full-length novel.
That means Splintered Harmony is technically the fifth full-length ACOTAR novel, but Maas and Bloomsbury officially refer to it as ACOTAR 6. Forgotten Melody is therefore ACOTAR 7.
Using the publisher’s numbering is by far the easiest approach.
When Were the Titles Revealed?
The release dates arrived first.
Maas announced ACOTAR 6 and 7’s dates in March 2026 during her Call Her Daddy appearance. At that stage, readers knew the books were coming in October 2026 and January 2027, but the titles were still secret.
Then, on 17 August 2026, the mystery finally ended.
The covers and titles of A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody were revealed, along with The Valkyrie Cycle branding and the new taglines.
For anyone who followed our earlier ACOTAR 6 news and theory tracker, it is remarkable how much has changed. We have gone from having no confirmed title, release date or synopsis to knowing the names of two books, their release dates, their structure and the central villain of the new arc.
Can You Pre-Order A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody?
Yes.
Sarah J. Maas’s official website now directs readers to pre-order options in multiple countries, including Australian retailers, while Bloomsbury has both books listed for pre-order.
Australian readers currently have both paperback and hardback editions listed through Bloomsbury.
Because the two books have different publication dates, Bloomsbury advises readers ordering directly through the publisher to place them separately if they want Book 6 delivered around its October publication date.
What Should You Read Before ACOTAR 6?
At minimum, read the existing ACOTAR series in order through A Court of Silver Flames.
However, readers who want the fullest possible picture should strongly consider adding the three published Crescent City books before October.
Our suggested catch-up order would be:
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
House of Earth and Blood
House of Sky and Breath
House of Flame and Shadow
A Court of Splintered Harmony
A Court of Forgotten Melody
Dedicated Maasverse readers may also want to revisit Throne of Glass, particularly if the interconnected mythology continues to expand. Our Throne of Glass reading order and character guide is a useful refresher.
The Biggest Questions We Still Need Answered
For all the information finally released, Maas is still keeping the most explosive details hidden.
We still don’t officially know:
who narrates A Court of Splintered Harmony
who narrates A Court of Forgotten Melody
whether Elain will be a central protagonist
what happens with Elain and Lucien’s mating bond
whether Azriel ends up with Elain, Gwyn or neither
exactly how prominent Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie will be
what the “betrayals” inside the Night Court refer to
what has been “lost” and will be reclaimed
who the returning enemies from Prythian’s past are
whether the Dusk Court will be restored
how heavily the Crescent City crossover will influence the story
what Movement IV will be called
when the final part of The Valkyrie Cycle will be published
And that’s exactly why the next few months are going to be chaos for ACOTAR fans.
ACOTAR 6 and 7 FAQ
What is ACOTAR 6 called?
ACOTAR 6 is officially titled A Court of Splintered Harmony.
When is A Court of Splintered Harmony released?
The official release date is 27 October 2026, including in Australia.
What is ACOTAR 7 called?
ACOTAR 7 is officially titled A Court of Forgotten Melody.
When is A Court of Forgotten Melody released?
It is scheduled for 12 January 2027.
How long is ACOTAR 6?
Bloomsbury currently lists A Court of Splintered Harmony at 352 pages.
How long is ACOTAR 7?
Bloomsbury currently lists A Court of Forgotten Melody at 928 pages.
What is The Valkyrie Cycle?
The Valkyrie Cycle is the name of the new multi-book ACOTAR story arc. A Court of Splintered Harmony is Movement I, while A Court of Forgotten Melody contains Movements II and III. A fourth movement will follow.
Is ACOTAR 6 about Elain?
It has not been confirmed. Elain has several major unresolved storylines and Maas has recently discussed her mating bond and questions around free will, but no official main POV has been announced.
Is ACOTAR 6 about Nesta?
That has not been officially confirmed either. However, calling the new storyline The Valkyrie Cycle strongly suggests that Nesta, Gwyn, Emerie and the Valkyries will be important.
Who is the villain in ACOTAR 6?
Koschei the Deathless is confirmed as a major threat in A Court of Splintered Harmony.
Will there be another ACOTAR book after Book 7?
Yes, the story has been conceived in four movements, and Movement IV is still to come. Its official title and release date have not yet been announced.
The Wait for ACOTAR Is Finally Almost Over
For years, ACOTAR readers have been surviving on bonus chapters, theories, rereads and increasingly elaborate predictions about Elain, Azriel, Gwyn, Lucien, Nesta and Koschei.
Now Prythian is finally moving again.
A Court of Splintered Harmony arrives on 27 October 2026, followed incredibly quickly by A Court of Forgotten Melody on 12 January 2027. Together, they begin The Valkyrie Cycle, an enormous four-movement story that looks set to fracture alliances, dig into Prythian’s forgotten history and finally bring Koschei the Deathless into the centre of the action.
What we still don’t know may be even more exciting than what has been revealed.
Who will the story follow? What exactly has divided the Night Court? What was lost? Which old enemies are returning? What role will Elain play? And why has Maas chosen music as the language for this entire new chapter of ACOTAR?
After years of theories, fake titles, cryptic Instagram posts and increasingly desperate rereads of A Court of Silver Flames, we finally have real ACOTAR news. And Sarah J. Maas has delivered far more than anyone expected.
The next two books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series now have official titles: ACOTAR 6 is A Court of Splintered Harmony and ACOTAR 7 is A Court of Forgotten Melody.
Even better, we know exactly when they are coming.
A Court of Splintered Harmony will be released on 27 October 2026, while A Court of Forgotten Melody follows just eleven weeks later on 12 January 2027. Both dates are confirmed by Sarah J. Maas and publisher Bloomsbury, including on Bloomsbury’s Australian listings.
But the titles and release dates are only the beginning. The two books launch an entirely new ACOTAR arc called The Valkyrie Cycle, Koschei the Deathless is finally moving from background threat to major villain, the Night Court appears to be fracturing from within and Maas has structured the enormous new story in four interconnected “movements.”
And yes, there will be more after Book 7.
Here is everything we know so far about A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody, what has actually been confirmed, and what remains firmly in fan-theory territory.
Warning: major spoilers for the existing ACOTAR books and some discussion of Crescent City follow.
If you need a refresher before diving in, start with our complete A Court of Thorns and Roses reading order, characters and ACOTAR guide.
ACOTAR 6 and 7 at a Glance
Bloomsbury currently lists A Court of Splintered Harmony at 352 pages and A Court of Forgotten Melody at a mammoth 928 pages. Those numbers immediately make more sense once you understand the unusual way Maas has structured the new story.
When Is ACOTAR 6 Coming Out?
A Court of Splintered Harmony will be released on 27 October 2026.
Bloomsbury Australia currently lists paperback, hardback and ebook editions for pre-order, with the publication date confirmed as 27 October. The publisher lists the hardback edition at 352 pages. That means the wait is almost over.
It has been more than five years since A Court of Silver Flames was published in 2021, making this by far one of the longest gaps ACOTAR readers have experienced between major instalments.
Maas originally announced the October release date in March 2026 during an appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. Her own website now lists ACOTAR 6 for 27 October 2026.
When Is ACOTAR 7 Coming Out?
The wait between Books 6 and 7 will be dramatically shorter.
A Court of Forgotten Melody will be released on 12 January 2027, just eleven weeks after A Court of Splintered Harmony. Bloomsbury’s Australian listing currently puts the book at a hefty 928 pages.
The near back-to-back publication schedule is deliberate because Maas does not see these releases as conventional standalone sequels. They are pieces of one enormous story.
What Is The Valkyrie Cycle?
This may be the most important part of the announcement.
A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody begin a new storyline officially called The Valkyrie Cycle.
The cover treatment identifies:
A Court of Splintered Harmony
The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I
A Court of Forgotten Melody
The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements II & III
The musical language is clearly intentional. We have Harmony. We have Melody. We have “movements.” And the story itself is being presented as a cycle rather than simply ACOTAR Books 6 and 7.
Maas has explained that when she finally found the story she wanted to tell, it became far larger than a conventional novel. What began as one story eventually developed into four parts, requiring multiple books. Book 6 contains the first part, Book 7 contains parts two and three, and a fourth part is still to come.
That also explains the dramatic difference between the two books’ current lengths. At 352 pages, Splintered Harmony is relatively short by modern Sarah J. Maas standards. Forgotten Melody, at 928 pages, is enormous.
The good news is that the first three movements arrive within a matter of months rather than leaving readers on a multi-year cliffhanger.
Will There Be an ACOTAR 8?
Almost certainly some form of another ACOTAR volume is coming. Maas has said the overall story comprises four parts. A Court of Splintered Harmony contains the first, while A Court of Forgotten Melody contains the second and third. Movement IV has not yet been released and was still to be completed when Maas discussed the project.
That points strongly toward another book after A Court of Forgotten Melody, although an official title and publication date have not been announced.
For now, it is safer to think of it as the final movement of The Valkyrie Cycle rather than assume exactly how Bloomsbury will eventually number or package it.
What Is A Court of Splintered Harmony About?
We finally have a meaningful plot direction, and one name towers over everything else:
Koschei the Deathless.
The official description reveals that Koschei, who has remained bound to his lake for thousands of years, is beginning to stir. His influence is spreading through the Fae territories, and powerful forces appear willing to align with him in an attempt to reclaim the human lands.
The Night Court cannot ignore the threat.
But there is a problem.
Prythian has never properly recovered from the war with Hybern. Alliances remain damaged, political relationships are fragile and, perhaps most intriguingly, the Night Court itself is struggling with what the publisher describes as recent betrayals and revealed truths.
That wording is potentially enormous.
The Inner Circle has traditionally been one of the most unified groups in the ACOTAR world. Even when its members disagree, Rhysand, Feyre, Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren have generally operated as a fiercely loyal unit.
Splintered Harmony appears ready to test that.
The book’s short official tagline says it all:
Exactly what is broken remains deliberately unclear.
It could refer to Prythian’s political alliances.
It could refer to the Inner Circle.
It could refer to the Valkyries.
It could refer to the human territories.
Or, knowing Maas, it could mean all of them.
If you need a refresher on the politics and personalities of Prythian before the new books arrive, our complete guide to the ACOTAR Courts breaks down the Night, Spring, Autumn, Summer, Winter, Dawn and Day Courts.
What Is A Court of Forgotten Melody About?
If Splintered Harmony sounds politically unstable, A Court of Forgotten Melody appears to push Prythian even closer to collapse.
Koschei remains a looming threat, but old alliances continue to crumble and diplomacy appears increasingly incapable of holding the courts together.
The official description also contains one particularly ominous warning: old enemies will emerge from the nightmares of the past.
Who or what those enemies are has not been revealed.
Meanwhile, the members of the Night Court’s Inner Circle will apparently disperse across the world searching for any advantage they can find against Koschei and his allies. Again, the language feels highly significant.
What was lost?
A territory?
A Court?
An ancient power?
A person?
An alliance?
A forgotten piece of Prythian’s history?
The title Forgotten Melody combined with the book’s description strongly suggests that history, memory and something long buried will become important to the story.
And after the revelations of House of Flame and Shadow, readers know better than to assume Prythian’s accepted version of history is necessarily the complete one.
Does “The Valkyrie Cycle” Mean Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie Are the Main Characters?
This is the obvious conclusion, but it has not been officially confirmed.
The name The Valkyrie Cycle immediately points toward Nesta Archeron, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie, whose friendship and training became one of the emotional centres of A Court of Silver Flames
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie resurrected the Valkyrie tradition and ultimately became the first females in centuries to complete the brutal Blood Rite together.
Calling the new storyline The Valkyrie Cycle therefore feels like a giant neon sign pointing directly at them.
But there is an important distinction between what the title suggests and what Sarah J. Maas has actually announced.
As of now, the central POV characters for Books 6 and 7 have not been confirmed.
It is entirely possible that Nesta and the Valkyries will be central to the wider plot without the novels following only their perspectives.
Is ACOTAR 6 Still Elain’s Book?
This may now be the biggest question in the fandom.
For years, many readers assumed the next full ACOTAR novel would focus on Elain Archeron. That theory wasn’t invented out of nowhere.
After Feyre’s original trilogy and Nesta’s central role in A Court of Silver Flames, Elain remains the Archeron sister whose powers, desires and future have been explored the least.
Her unresolved mating bond with Lucien, her connection with Azriel, her Seer abilities and her complicated relationship with her new Fae existence have all been waiting in the wings.
Maas has also spoken specifically about Elain’s situation and the concept of free will within mating bonds. In her recent interview, she questioned what happens when nature chooses a mate and whether that choice must necessarily be accepted, contrasting Elain’s situation with the comparatively clear mating relationships experienced by Feyre and Nesta.
That makes Elain’s story very much alive.
But the announcement of The Valkyrie Cycle complicates the assumption that Book 6 will simply be “Elain’s book.”
At present, Maas has not announced who the primary protagonist or romantic pairing will be.
So while Elain remains one of the most likely characters to receive major development, any claim that A Court of Splintered Harmony is definitively an Elain and Azriel book, an Elain and Lucien book or even an Elain-centred novel is still speculation.
What About Azriel, Gwyn and Lucien?
This is where ACOTAR fandom discourse could become particularly intense.
Azriel remains connected to several unresolved storylines.
There is his attraction to Elain.
There is the controversial A Court of Silver Flames bonus chapter.
There is his increasingly interesting connection with Gwyn.
There are his mysterious shadows.
There is the fact that we still know comparatively little about his deepest powers, history and future.
Then there is Lucien.
Lucien’s unresolved plot threads are enormous. He remains Elain’s Cauldron-chosen mate, maintains relationships with the human territories through Jurian and Vassa, has important political ties across Prythian and carries family revelations that could significantly alter the balance of power.
Koschei’s renewed focus on the human lands makes Lucien particularly difficult to imagine sitting on the sidelines.
Vassa’s story is similarly connected to Koschei, whose power has hung over her fate for several books.
In other words, The Valkyrie Cycle may have “Valkyrie” in the title, but the developing conflict gives Maas reasons to pull almost every major unresolved ACOTAR character back into the story.
Koschei the Deathless Is Finally Becoming the Main Threat
Koschei has been lingering around the edges of the series for years. Inspired by the figure of Koschei the Deathless from Slavic folklore, ACOTAR’s Koschei is an ancient and immensely powerful being confined to a lake on the continent.
His involvement with Vassa, the human queens and the broader political landscape has made it obvious that his story was never finished.
Now we know why.
A Court of Splintered Harmony explicitly brings Koschei forward as the major emerging threat. His influence is extending outward, he appears to be gaining allies and the human lands may once again become a major battleground.
This is important because it pushes ACOTAR back toward the large-scale political and military stakes of A Court of Wings and Ruin, rather than keeping the series centred solely on individual romances.
The new books appear poised to combine both.
The Inner Circle May Be in Serious Trouble
One of the most interesting parts of the new synopsis isn’t Koschei at all.
It’s the suggestion that the Night Court itself is fractured.
The official description refers to betrayals, revealed truths and rifts that appear extraordinarily difficult to repair. Book 7 then describes the Inner Circle spreading out in search of answers and advantages.
That sounds very different from the cosy Velaris dynamic readers have become accustomed to.
It also raises major questions.
Is someone inside the Night Court keeping secrets?
Are the fractures connected to Nesta?
Mor?
Rhysand?
The events involving Bryce Quinlan?
The history of Prythian?
Or something readers have not yet seen?
Whatever the answer, the word “harmony” suddenly feels much more literal.
The Crescent City Connection Could Be Crucial
Anyone who has only read ACOTAR may want to seriously consider catching up on Crescent City before October.
Without giving away every twist here, the boundaries between Maas’s fantasy worlds are no longer merely fan theory.
Crescent City dramatically expanded what readers know about Fae history, ancient objects, worlds beyond Prythian and the deeper mythology connecting Maas’s series.
Our full guide to how ACOTAR, Crescent City and Throne of Glass interconnect explains the major crossover reveals and why they may matter going forward.
You can also catch up with Bryce Quinlan’s world in our Crescent City reading and character guide.
Whether Splintered Harmony immediately continues those crossover threads remains unknown, but it would be surprising if the enormous revelations of House of Flame and Shadow simply disappeared from the ACOTAR storyline.
Could the Forgotten Melody Refer to Gwyn?
Possibly, but this remains firmly in theory territory.
Gwyn is strongly associated with music and singing, so the title A Court of Forgotten Melody immediately sparked speculation that she could have a particularly important role.
Add the phrase The Valkyrie Cycle, and the theory becomes even more tempting.
But a title rarely has only one meaning in a Sarah J. Maas novel.
“Melody” could refer to Gwyn.
It could relate to ancient magic.
It could refer to an actual song.
It could connect to the structure of the Valkyrie Cycle itself.
Or it might refer metaphorically to a forgotten part of Prythian’s history.
For now, Gwyn fans have plenty to be excited about, but there is no official confirmation that Forgotten Melody is specifically her story.
Could the Dusk Court Return?
This is another theory that has gained considerable strength following Crescent City.
The existence and history of a possible lost or forgotten Dusk Court has become one of the largest mythology questions in the Maasverse.
Now consider the language surrounding the new books:
Splintered.
Forgotten.
Remade.
Reclaimed.
Old enemies.
Revealed truths.
None of that proves the Dusk Court will return. But it certainly doesn’t make the theory less interesting. If something genuinely lost from Prythian’s ancient past is about to be reclaimed, the Dusk Court is likely to remain near the top of fan prediction lists until the book finally lands.
Why the Musical Titles Matter
The naming of the new arc represents a noticeable change for ACOTAR.
Earlier titles often paired contrasting concepts:
Thorns and Roses.
Mist and Fury.
Wings and Ruin.
Frost and Starlight.
Then came Silver Flames.
Now Maas has moved into a distinctly musical vocabulary:
Splintered Harmony.
Forgotten Melody.
Movements.
Cycle.
Crescendo.
Even the official description for A Court of Forgotten Melody uses musical imagery when describing the approaching conflict.
It is difficult to believe that is accidental.
The four-movement structure suggests Maas is approaching this new arc almost like one giant composition. Rather than each book being a completely self-contained romantic fantasy, they may function as sections of one continuing narrative.
That could mean readers should prepare for substantial cliffhangers.
Who Will the Romance Focus On?
We don’t know.
And despite the certainty of various corners of BookTok, Instagram and Reddit, no central romantic pairing has officially been announced.
The major possibilities include:
The new structure also makes it possible that Maas no longer intends to follow the exact model established by A Court of Silver Flames, where one central couple carries most of the novel.
A story spanning four movements and more than 1,200 pages across the first two announced volumes gives her room for a much larger ensemble.
Where Do Feyre and Rhysand Fit?
Feyre and Rhysand’s central love story may already have been told, but it would be difficult for them to disappear from a conflict involving the Night Court itself.
Rhysand is High Lord.
Feyre is High Lady.
Koschei threatens Prythian.
The Inner Circle is apparently divided.
That puts both characters directly in the political centre of the coming conflict, even if neither becomes the principal POV.
The same applies to Cassian and Nesta. Whatever the exact POV structure, the Valkyrie name alone makes it highly likely that the world built around A Court of Silver Flames will remain hugely important.
Why ACOTAR 6 Is Technically Not the Sixth Full-Length Novel
If the numbering still confuses you, you’re not alone. The current ACOTAR publication order is:
However, A Court of Frost and Starlight is a novella rather than a full-length novel.
That means Splintered Harmony is technically the fifth full-length ACOTAR novel, but Maas and Bloomsbury officially refer to it as ACOTAR 6. Forgotten Melody is therefore ACOTAR 7.
Using the publisher’s numbering is by far the easiest approach.
When Were the Titles Revealed?
The release dates arrived first.
Maas announced ACOTAR 6 and 7’s dates in March 2026 during her Call Her Daddy appearance. At that stage, readers knew the books were coming in October 2026 and January 2027, but the titles were still secret.
Then, on 17 August 2026, the mystery finally ended.
The covers and titles of A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody were revealed, along with The Valkyrie Cycle branding and the new taglines.
For anyone who followed our earlier ACOTAR 6 news and theory tracker, it is remarkable how much has changed. We have gone from having no confirmed title, release date or synopsis to knowing the names of two books, their release dates, their structure and the central villain of the new arc.
Can You Pre-Order A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody?
Yes.
Sarah J. Maas’s official website now directs readers to pre-order options in multiple countries, including Australian retailers, while Bloomsbury has both books listed for pre-order.
Australian readers currently have both paperback and hardback editions listed through Bloomsbury.
Because the two books have different publication dates, Bloomsbury advises readers ordering directly through the publisher to place them separately if they want Book 6 delivered around its October publication date.
What Should You Read Before ACOTAR 6?
At minimum, read the existing ACOTAR series in order through A Court of Silver Flames.
However, readers who want the fullest possible picture should strongly consider adding the three published Crescent City books before October.
Our suggested catch-up order would be:
Dedicated Maasverse readers may also want to revisit Throne of Glass, particularly if the interconnected mythology continues to expand. Our Throne of Glass reading order and character guide is a useful refresher.
The Biggest Questions We Still Need Answered
For all the information finally released, Maas is still keeping the most explosive details hidden.
We still don’t officially know:
And that’s exactly why the next few months are going to be chaos for ACOTAR fans.
ACOTAR 6 and 7 FAQ
What is ACOTAR 6 called?
ACOTAR 6 is officially titled A Court of Splintered Harmony.
When is A Court of Splintered Harmony released?
The official release date is 27 October 2026, including in Australia.
What is ACOTAR 7 called?
ACOTAR 7 is officially titled A Court of Forgotten Melody.
When is A Court of Forgotten Melody released?
It is scheduled for 12 January 2027.
How long is ACOTAR 6?
Bloomsbury currently lists A Court of Splintered Harmony at 352 pages.
How long is ACOTAR 7?
Bloomsbury currently lists A Court of Forgotten Melody at 928 pages.
What is The Valkyrie Cycle?
The Valkyrie Cycle is the name of the new multi-book ACOTAR story arc. A Court of Splintered Harmony is Movement I, while A Court of Forgotten Melody contains Movements II and III. A fourth movement will follow.
Is ACOTAR 6 about Elain?
It has not been confirmed. Elain has several major unresolved storylines and Maas has recently discussed her mating bond and questions around free will, but no official main POV has been announced.
Is ACOTAR 6 about Nesta?
That has not been officially confirmed either. However, calling the new storyline The Valkyrie Cycle strongly suggests that Nesta, Gwyn, Emerie and the Valkyries will be important.
Who is the villain in ACOTAR 6?
Koschei the Deathless is confirmed as a major threat in A Court of Splintered Harmony.
Will there be another ACOTAR book after Book 7?
Yes, the story has been conceived in four movements, and Movement IV is still to come. Its official title and release date have not yet been announced.
The Wait for ACOTAR Is Finally Almost Over
For years, ACOTAR readers have been surviving on bonus chapters, theories, rereads and increasingly elaborate predictions about Elain, Azriel, Gwyn, Lucien, Nesta and Koschei.
Now Prythian is finally moving again.
A Court of Splintered Harmony arrives on 27 October 2026, followed incredibly quickly by A Court of Forgotten Melody on 12 January 2027. Together, they begin The Valkyrie Cycle, an enormous four-movement story that looks set to fracture alliances, dig into Prythian’s forgotten history and finally bring Koschei the Deathless into the centre of the action.
What we still don’t know may be even more exciting than what has been revealed.
Who will the story follow? What exactly has divided the Night Court? What was lost? Which old enemies are returning? What role will Elain play? And why has Maas chosen music as the language for this entire new chapter of ACOTAR?
We don’t have long to wait for the first answers.
Until October, there is still plenty of time for one more trip to Prythian. Revisit our complete ACOTAR series guide, discover which ACOTAR Court you belong to or, if the wait is becoming unbearable, explore our guide to the best books to read after ACOTAR.
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