Samantha Grindell's face on a gray background.

The best reading order to catch up on all 16 of Sarah J. Maas’ books before the next ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ novel

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Sarah J. Maas is back, baby.

On March 5, Maas announced she was releasing not one but two new “A Court of Thorns and Roses” novels. The bestselling author announced the books on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, telling host Alex Cooper that they would form a single story arc.

Maas’ romantasy novels, which include 16 books across her “ACOTAR,” “Throne of Glass,” and “Crescent City” series, are typically split into parts. Rather than releasing the parts of her sixth “ACOTAR” story as a single book, she told Cooper she would publish them as separate volumes. Book six will be released on October 27, 2026, and cover part one; book seven will contain parts two and three and hit bookshelves on January 12, 2027; and book eight will tell the story of part four and be released at a later date.

“It’s meant to be read ideally as one massive, massive story as opposed to in a trilogy,” Maas said of the books. “It’s not a trilogy. Like, arcs aren’t wrapped up.”

The world of “ACOTAR” has grown drastically since Maas’ first installment was published in 2015, particularly in her latest works. When she released the third “Crescent City” book, “House of Flame and Shadow,” in January 2024, Maas created an interconnected literary universe between all three of her series, much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (fans fondly refer to it as the Maasiverse).

Maas has yet to release any information about the plot of her coming books, but it seemed clear that the events of “House of Flame and Shadow” had a lasting impact on Prythian and the characters in “ACOTAR.” Therefore, readers will need to be familiar with all of Maas’ works to understand everything that happens in “ACOTAR” six and seven.

However, because her massive catalog overlaps at different points, it can be confusing to know where to start. Whether you’re just getting started reading Maas’ books or want to revisit her novels before her next works are released, here’s the best reading order to follow.

Start with the first three ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ books

If you want to make sure you’re ready for the sixth and seventh “A Court of Thorns and Roses” books, it makes sense to read the earliest installments in the series first as you dive into Maas’ work.

“ACOTAR” follows Feyre Archeron, a human huntress who gets pulled into the faerie world after killing a fae. As the novels progress, Feyre dives deeper into the magical world of Prythian, discovering unexpected power and love as Maas flexes her world-building skills.

“A Court of Thorns and Roses” offers the best introduction to Maas’ work for those who haven’t read any of her writing before, even though she published “Throne of Glass” first. The otherworldly elements of the series are built slowly, the books offer a comprehensive view of Maas’ writing style, and the romance is steamy and compelling. 


A collage of the

“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas. 

Bloomsbury



Read the first three books in the series first, in the order they were released: 

  • “A Court of Thorns and Roses”
  • “A Court of Mist and Fury”
  • “A Court of Wings and Ruin”

Then, take a break from “ACOTAR.” Books one through three wrap up Feyre’s story, while four and five are arguably more closely tied plotwise to “Crescent City” and the coming “ACOTAR” books. More on that in a bit.

The ‘Throne of Glass’ series was released first, but it works best as the second Maas series

When readers enter the expansive and epic world of “Throne of Glass,” they meet Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old assassin imprisoned in Adarlan, a kingdom where magic disappeared years ago.

The crown prince of Adarlan offers Celaena a chance at freedom, proposing she compete as his contestant to become the king’s champion by defeating 23 other criminals. When other competitors start dying mysteriously around her, she will have to confront the pain of her past to face the battles ahead. 

The world of “Throne of Glass” becomes enormous as the books progress, and the rich, developed fantasy world is so complex that it’s easier to read once you’re already familiar with Maas’ style.


A collage in the books of the

“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas. 

Bloomsbury



However, reading the “Throne of Glass” books in the order they were published doesn’t offer the best narrative experience for the series.

Mass originally wrote one of the novels in the series, “The Assassin’s Blade,” as four novellas that she published as e-books between January and July 2012. Bloomsbury released “Throne of Glass” in August 2012 and later released the novellas, including one additional story, as “The Assassin’s Blade” in March 2013.

Chronologically, the events of “The Assassin’s Blade” take place before the rest of the series, but reading it first reveals details Maas intentionally leaves out of “Throne of Glass,” “Crown of Midnight,” and “Heir of Fire” that quickly become relevant in “Queen of Shadows.” The mystery surrounding Celaena’s past is part of what makes the first three books in the novel so captivating, so you shouldn’t read “The Assassin’s Blade” first.

In addition, the events of “Empire of Storms” and “Tower of Dawn” take place at the same time in different parts of the “Throne of Glass” world, so there’s debate among the fandom on how they should be read. They were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and although “Empire of Storms” was released first, it leaves off on a cliffhanger, while “Tower of Dawn” does not.

To maintain the series’ suspense without revealing spoilers, the best “Throne of Glass” reading order is: 

  • “Throne of Glass”
  • “Crown of Midnight”
  • “Heir of Fire”
  • “The Assassin’s Blade”
  • “Queen of Shadows”
  • “Empire of Storms”
  • “Tower of Dawn”
  • “Kingdom of Ash”

Maas recommends “The Assassin’s Blade” as the third book in the series on her website, but you will experience more drama from “Heir of Fire” if you leave it for before “Queen of Shadows.” Either way works, though.

Maas readers will be ready for ‘Crescent City’ after finishing books four and five of ‘ACOTAR’

Half-fae Bryce Quinlan is at a crossroads when the “Crescent City” series begins, grieving the murders of her best friends by a demon.

She believes the killer was apprehended, but when similar murders start taking place in Crescent City, Bryce agrees to investigate the deaths with Hunt Athalar, a Fallen Angel who has been enslaved for hundreds of years by the all-powerful Archangels after an attempted coup.

The series has three installments to date, and the most recent book, “House of Flame and Shadow,” was published in January 2024.


A side-by-side of the

“Crescent City” by Sarah J. Maas. 

Bloomsbury



“Crescent City” doesn’t work as an introduction to Maas’ novels for a few reasons.

First, the fantasy is more complex than in her other two series. It combines technology and magic, and it includes a wider variety of fantastical creatures from the get-go, like werewolves and mermaids. Elements from the other series are also key to understanding the climax of the second installment in the “Crescent City” series, and Maas herself recommends reading “ACOTAR” before starting “Crescent City.”

The events of the fifth “ACOTAR” book, “A Court of Silver Flames,” are particularly pertinent to “Crescent City.” In addition, the novel focuses on Feyre’s sister, Nesta Archeron, so it also feels like a different story arc than the first three “ACOTAR” books, a jump that the novella “A Court of Frost and Starlight” helps to bridge.

So after you finish the “Throne of Glass” series, return to “ACOTAR”:

  • “A Court of Frost and Starlight”
  • “A Court of Silver Flames”

It’s ideal to go into “Crescent City” with the events of “ACOSF” fresh on your mind. Then, you can read the “Crescent City” series as it was released:

  • “House of Earth and Blood”
  • “House of Sky and Breath”
  • “House of Flame and Shadow”

Once books six and seven in the “ACOTAR” series are published, they should be read after “HOFAS,” since it’s the latest installment in the Maasiverse and offers clues at what may be going on in “Prythian” when book six begins.

Happy reading! 




Source link

I-asked-Taco-Bells-CMO-what-his-go-to-order-is.jpeg

I asked Taco Bell’s CMO what his go-to order is. I wasn’t ready for the hot-sauce count.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

A person’s go-to Taco Bell order is a sacred thing.

Selena Gomez was eating a Mexican Pizza when Benny Blanco proposed. Jason Sudeikis grabbed two chicken tacos on the night his son was born. When Dolly Parton would go through the drive-thru on dates with her husband Carl Dean, she always ordered a Taco Supreme.

I’m partial to the Cantina Chicken burrito, and just last week, I convinced three different friends to try it during our 1 a.m. Taco Bell run (which somehow racked up to $117, but that’s another story).

So, when I recently sat down with Taco Bell CMO Taylor Montgomery, I knew I had to find out what his usual order is. Montgomery eats at the fast-food chain every other day, but his go-to hasn’t changed — nor has his wild hot-sauce count.


Taylor Montgomery and Benson Boone at Live Más LIVE,

Taylor Montgomery and Benson Boone at Live Más Live on March 3.

Courtesy of Taco Bell



“My order is still the same,” Montgomery, who has worked at Taco Bell for a decade, told me. “Crunchy tacos, one Fire sauce packet per bite. I have like 10 sauce packets per taco.”

“If I’m really hungry, it’s three tacos,” Montgomery added. “If it’s a normal day, it’s two.”

“Per bite!?” I asked. I’ve been known to rip through a few of Taco Bell’s hot and avocado verde salsa packets myself, but 10 was a whole new level.

“Oh yeah,” Montgomery replied. “You gotta go big. Fire sauce, only Fire.”

‘We truly are one of one’

While some fast-food brands have spent the past week trying to outdo each other with burger taste-test videos, Taco Bell has been focusing on the premiere of Live Más Live, an annual event where the chain unveils every new menu item it plans to release during the year.

Montgomery was originally inspired by Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference when he helped launch the first Live Más Live in 2024. This year, the CMO knew he wanted to shake up the format.


Taco Bell Live Más LIVE 2026

Taco Bell Live Más Live 2026 took place at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

Courtesy of Taco Bell



“We truly are one of one, just like Apple, just like Amazon, just like Tesla,” Montgomery said. “So I started to look at how some of those companies are behaving, and they are behaving like entertainment companies. That’s what consumers want. That’s what consumers’ expectations are.”

“That’s how Live Más Live, an unhinged night in Hollywood, was born,” he added.

Taco Bell hired the production team behind the Academy Awards, made a streaming deal with Peacock, and rented out the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles for a one-hour awards show on March 3. Celebrities like Sudeikis, Doja Cat, Benson Boone, and Demi Lovato were on hand to help announce the 20-plus new items coming to Taco Bell’s menu in 2026.


Taco Bell's Fire Queso Sauce Packet

Taco Bell’s Fire Queso Sauce Packet is an edible version of the famous hot-sauce packet.

Courtesy of Taco Bell



Montgomery said he hopes the event makes Taco Bell’s fans feel “seen and heard,” noting that the chain also listened to their pleas for more sweet treats.

“One of the most requested things we hear from our fans is, ‘I want more desserts at Taco Bell,'” he said.

Crème Brûlée Crunchwrap Sliders, Strawberry and Cream Mexican Pizza Bites, and chocolate fudge empanadas will all be coming soon, but Montgomery said the core of Taco Bell’s brand is still “crunchy, cheesy, saucy, spicy.” This year’s menu slate even includes an edible version of Taco Bell’s Fire hot-sauce packet.

The real question is, will Montgomery be using 10 of them per taco?




Source link

Taylor Rains

Delta’s order for Boeing 787 Dreamliners puts United and American on notice. Here’s why.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Delta Air Lines is entering its Dreamliner era.

Its order of up to 60 Boeing 787-10 planes reinforces Delta’s broader strategy of competing aggressively for premium long-haul travelers — a segment that has made the transatlantic market increasingly lucrative.

The new planes for long-haul routes will add pressure on US rivals American and United, which are also competing for the same international travelers, especially those in premium cabins that generate the most profit for airlines, including Delta.

Delta is hoping for a bigger piece of that pie.

It said the new 787 cabins will feature its signature Delta One business class alongside premium economy and standard coach. United has been particularly aggressive with niche transatlantic routes, while American has rolled out a new business-class product on its Dreamliners.

Delta’s new jets won’t arrive until the next decade. Until then, Delta will continue flying its aging 767s, which the Dreamliners will eventually replace.

Delta President Glen Hauenstein said in the airline’s earnings call on Tuesday that the 787 is a “financially great airplane” that offers enhanced cargo capacity, improved fuel efficiency, and ample space for those all-important premium cabins.

Meanwhile, Hauenstein said the airline would grow capacity by 3% this year, with new seat growth concentrated in premium cabins.

Delta didn’t disclose how much it was paying for the new planes.

It’s the airline’s first direct order of the popular jet, which has garnered more than 2,000 global orders. It represents a shift in its long-haul fleet strategy. Delta bought 30 and has options for 30 more.

The 787 will complement Delta’s Airbus widebodies

Delta’s purchase of Boeing 787s is significant for an airline that has long been dominated by Airbus on the widebody side.

The airline inherited a 787 order through its merger with Northwest Airlines back in 2008, but canceled it in 2016, citing delays, quality issues, and a preference for Airbus.

It opted for Airbus A330neo and A350-900 as its next-generation long-haul workhorses, and it expects to receive the larger A350-1000 later this year.

The addition of the 787‑10 diversifies and further modernizes the fleet. The variant ordered is the largest of the Dreamliner family, seating up to 336 passengers, but has the shortest range at roughly 7,300 miles.

Still, it outpaces the aging Boeing 767s that Hauenstein said the Dreamliner is set to replace, meaning it can carry more passengers more efficiently on both existing and new long-haul routes.

Delta’s 767s primarily fly to Europe and South America, where the airline said the 787 would be an “ideal addition.”

The order is a notable boost in confidence for Boeing, which has faced labor strikes, a change in leadership, and significant quality control issues for years — including on the 787 — but is gradually rebuilding trust from customers, investors, and regulators.

Delta made billions of dollars in 2025

The 787 deal comes alongside Delta’s better-than-expected earnings report for the fourth quarter and full-year 2025.

Its net income was about $5 billion, largely driven by continued strong premium and corporate demand, though main‑cabin ticket revenue fell about 7% year-over-year.

The airline previously said the government shutdown shaved roughly $200 million off its pre-tax profit after regulators forced airlines to reduce flying by 10% to alleviate congestion and ensure safety.

Delta’s stock slipped after its earnings report, but it has still gained about 6% over the past year.




Source link

Trump-signs-executive-order-restricting-states-ability-to-regulate-AI.jpeg

Trump signs executive order restricting states’ ability to regulate AI

by with No Comment Xpandfy

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that limits states’ ability to regulate AI individually.

In the 2025 legislative session, more than 1,000 AI-related bills were proposed across all 50 states. The executive order signed by Trump aims at establishing a federal framework for regulating AI, rather than requiring tech companies to comply with various state laws.

“It’s a massive industry. We’re leading China. We’re leading everybody by a tremendous amount,” Trump said during the signing. “But one of the things that it has is you have to have a central source of approval. When they need approvals on things, they have to come to one source. They can’t go to California, New York, and various other places.”

Trump said on Monday, prior to the signing, that the order aimed to ensure there’s only one “One Rulebook” for AI in the US, stating that the technology would be “destroyed in its infancy” if companies had to comply with different regulations across all 50 states.

“We are beating ALL COUNTRIES at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in RULES and the APPROVAL PROCESS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something. THAT WILL NEVER WORK!”

While the full text of the order had not yet been released at the time of publication, a draft executive order seen by Business Insider last month would have directed the Department of Justice to sue states for having “onerous” AI laws.

One thing is clear: Trump is likely to provoke backlash from members of his own party if he follows through with this, as many Republicans have been eager to protect states’ rights when it comes to AI.

The fault lines on this issue became clear over the summer, when Republicans tried to enact a 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulations via the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

That provision was ultimately watered down over time before being stripped from the bill in a 99-1 vote in the Senate during the final hours before passage.

Trump recently called for Republicans to include a version of that provision in a must-pass annual defense bill, but that didn’t come to pass. On Sunday, lawmakers released the text of that bill, and it did not include the provision.

In the meantime, the Trump administration has sought other ways to prevent states from enacting AI laws. An “AI Action Plan” released by the White House in July calls for withholding federal funding from states with “burdensome” AI laws.




Source link

Meta-delays-release-of-new-mixed-reality-glasses-code-named-Phoenix.jpeg

Meta delays release of new mixed reality glasses code-named ‘Phoenix’ in order to ‘get the details right’

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Meta is delaying the release of new mixed reality glasses code-named “Phoenix.”

The company planned to release the new device in the second half of 2026, but it is pushing back its timeline to the first half of 2027, Maher Saba, VP of Reality Labs Foundation, wrote in a Thursday memo to employees, which was seen by Business Insider.

In a separate memo, also viewed by Business Insider, metaverse leaders Gabriel Aul and Ryan Cairns said moving the release date back is “going to give us a lot more breathing room to get the details right.”

They added, “There’s a lot coming in hot with tight bring-up schedules and big changes to our core UX, and we won’t compromise on landing a fully polished and reliable experience.”

Meta declined to comment.

The “Phoenix” mixed reality glasses, which were previously reported on by The Information, have a goggle-like form factor and are connected to a puck to help power them, according to two employees who have seen the device and spoke anonymously as they are not authorized to talk to the press.

The two employees said the model looks similar to Apple’s mixed reality glasses Vision Pro. There was some skepticism among leaders about the puck, but they chose to keep it to help keep the glasses lighter and more comfortable, and to prevent it from overheating, they said.

Saba said in the memo that at a recent meeting with CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Reality Labs (RL) leaders received feedback on their plans for 2026, which he said “focused on making the business sustainable and taking extra time to deliver our experiences with higher quality.”

“Based on that, many teams in RL will need to adjust their plans and timelines,” he added. “Extending timelines is not an opportunity for us to add more features or take on additional work.”

Meta also plans to release a new “limited edition” wearable device code-named “Malibu 2” in 2026, according to Saba.

Meta is starting work on its next-generation Quest device, a product that Aul and Cairns wrote will be focused on immersive gaming, and represent a “large upgrade” in capabilities from its existing devices, and “significantly improve unit economics.”

In October, Meta reorganized its metaverse unit and tapped Aul, who led products for Meta Horizon, and Cairns, who was previously in charge of virtual reality hardware, to co-lead its efforts, Business Insider previously reported. The company is now considering budget cuts of up to 30% within its Reality Labs division, which could impact employees working on its virtual spaces platform, Horizon Worlds.

The company has also expanded its AI hardware push by acquiring Limitless, a startup that makes AI-powered pendant devices, the company announced Friday.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at jmann@businessinsider.com or Signal at jyotimann.11. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.




Source link