By Fatma Younis
Sarah J Maas’s latest novel, “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” has become the fastest-selling adult fantasy novel in the UK since records began in 1998, selling 188,914 copies in its first week.
Record-breaking sales
The sixth installment in the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series sold 188,914 copies between its publication on 27 October and 31 October, according to NielsenIQ BookData. This surpasses the previous record held by Rebecca Yarros’s “Onyx Storm,” which sold 155,141 copies in January 2025. The novel also marks the biggest single-week sales for any adult fiction title since Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman” in 2015, according to publisher Bloomsbury.
Global success and fan enthusiasm
Globally, the book sold 1.7 million copies in preorders and first-day sales across English-language print and ebook editions in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Maas’s total English-language sales across all series now exceed 100 million copies. The release prompted midnight launch parties at bookshops across the UK, with Waterstones hosting 60 midnight launches and 80 early openings and release-day events.
Romantasy genre dominance
Maas is a leading figure in the “romantasy” genre blending romance and fantasy, which has driven UK fiction revenue past £1 billion for the first time in 2024. The genre’s audience, largely young women, has grown significantly on TikTok, where hashtags related to Maas have amassed more than 14 billion combined views.
Series continuation
“A Court of Splintered Harmony” is the first part of a four-part story. The next two parts will be released in “A Court of Forgotten Melody” on 12 January.
