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Latest Sarah J Maas book becomes UK’s fastest-selling adult fantasy novel
Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Splintered Harmony has become the UK’s fastest-selling adult fantasy novel since records began in 1998. Its first-week success highlights the continuing popularity of romantasy, a genre combining romance and fantasy that has helped drive recent growth in UK fiction sales.
The sixth book in Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series sold 188,914 UK copies from its release on 27 October to 31 October, beating the previous adult fantasy record of 155,141 set by Rebecca Yarros’s Onyx Storm in 2025. It was also the fastest-selling hardback novel since Dan Brown’s Inferno in 2013, and Bloomsbury said it had the biggest weekly UK sale for an adult fiction title since Go Set a Watchman in 2015. Worldwide, the book recorded 1.7 million English-language print and ebook preorders and first-day sales across four countries.
In short
- Maas’s latest novel set a UK adult fantasy sales record.
- It sold 188,914 copies in five days.
- The book is the sixth in her Acotar series.
Explained simply
Sarah J Maas writes the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, a fantasy story aimed at adult readers. A Court of Splintered Harmony is its sixth book, so its characters and events follow five earlier novels.
The series is part of romantasy, which blends fantasy settings and plots with romance. The genre has become a prominent part of the UK book market, helping to drive growth in fiction sales.
Publishers and booksellers track first-week sales to compare the launch of new books. The series’ popularity also shows how established authors and continuing stories can attract large audiences for adult fantasy.