A Court of Splintered Harmony Review: Mixed Fan Reactions

Published Oct 28, 2026, 2:25 PM EDT Paulina is a Contributor for ScreenRant, writing about books. After starting her career reporting breaking news as an undergrad, Paulina completed a Master of Arts in Journalism from NYU in 2026. She has spent the last four years writing about books and pop culture as a freelance journalist, including for Texas Monthly, The Daily Beast, and her Substack, Alienated Young Woman. After a five-year wait, fans finally have their hands on A Court of Splintered Harmony. The novel marks the start of author Sarah J. Maas’ planned four-book Valkyrie Cycle, the next phase of her A Court of Thorns and Roses series. It also follows years of anticipation; Maas has been teasing the novel since at least 2023. For the most part, critical reviews of A Court of Splintered Harmony match that hype. With an average Goodreads rating of 4.14 at time of writing, ACOSH scores similarly to the rest of the series, though slightly below its predecessors. (Granted, the book hit shelves just yesterday, so its score is still fluctuating; still, it has already had over 33,000 ratings.) For context, the previous ACOTAR novel, A Court of Silver Flames, rings in at 4.45, while Book 2, A Court of Mist and Fury, holds the highest average score at 4.63. Still, A Court of Splintered Harmony ranks significantly higher than the series’ lowest-rated book, A Court of Frost and Starlight, which scored just 3.70. Despite the relatively high score, however, not all fans are happy with this latest chapter in the beloved series. The Good: Readers Love The Refreshing Narrative Structure A Court of Splintered Harmony alternates perspectives between Feyre and an ensemble cast of previously sidelined characters, a format Maas has been experimenting with over the last series novels in the series. Across the board, fans seem to love this structure and the avenue it provides for hearing from longtime characters whose choices need explaining, like Lucien and Eris. On StoryGraph, user nicolelilly wrote, “So f**king happy to FINALLY be back in this world. So happy to get everyone's POV. I think I experienced literally every single emotion whilst reading this.” The Bad: No One Is Loving Sarah J. Maas' Prose Sarah J. Maas has always faced some criticism for her craft—even longtime fans have complained that her prose is distractingly underdeveloped. But ACOSH has even some of Maas’ most dedicated readers questioning whether her skill is deteriorating. In a review for The Review Geek, critic Lopa K asked, “Did we grow up, or was it always this bad?” Many fans seem to be asking the same question. On Reddit, user basic-eyeliner lamented: “This was such a waste of time, tbh. Was her writing always this bad?! I literally ended up skimming through most of the book instead of actually reading it. That's how bad it was for me.” Meanwhile, fellow fan Saaphie responded: “I think the writing in this book is less subtle than others? It felt like she really really wanted the audience to focus on certain things and highlight the important themes/what will be important in the future but in such an obvious way that it feels like a lack of faith in the reader.” Another reader, 404UserNotFoundError, summed things up: “Her writing has never been insanely amazing but man, I feel like I’m reading a first draft copy or something. Enjoying it but it feels… unfinished?” Across social media, many readers are taking issue with one very particular aspect of Maas’ writing. Fans are questioning why the book contains so many detailed scenes of one character breastfeeding, especially given the novel’s comparatively short length. Lopa K jokingly asked, “Does SJM have a lactation kink?” Reddit user NoIndustry5736 wrote simply, “As a mom of 2 who breastfed both for over a year, it was a lot.” (Other fans have defended Maas, arguing the author is simply incorporating her real-life experience as a mother of two young children.) The Good: Plenty Of Material For Fans Of One Particular Ship Readers may not have loved all of the book’s sexual imagery, but they are loving the dynamic between one prospective pairing: shadowsinger Azriel and Gwyn, a Valkyrie introduced in the previous book. Though their romance isn’t explicit in ACOSH, their few interactions have left fans excited for even more. Suffice it to say, fans of Azriel and Elain are less pleased. As Reddit user LumpyInstance4010 wrote, "Before this book I was really excited to see them as a couple but lowkey don’t ship them anymore." Meanwhile, the top Goodreads review, which otherwise scores the book just 3.25, concludes: “Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel.” Fans' Big Debate About The Valkyrie Cycle Ultimately, fans can’t agree on whether this novel works on its own. Then again, maybe it doesn’t have to. After all, A Court of Splintered Harmony is only the first in Maas’ four-movement Valkyrie Cycle, which is itself part of the larger ACOTAR series. In her foreword, Maas stresses this isn't a conventional story: "When I began writing this instalment in the ACOTAR series, it quickly became apparent that this was a story that could not be contained in one volume. Nor was it meant to be a trilogy, at least in the traditional sense of how a trilogy is structured and published. Rather, what poured out of my heart was a vast, sweeping story that didn't fit the parameters of what can be feasibly printed—a journey that needed to be told in a different way." All this means it's perhaps hard to evaluate A Court of Splintered Harmony, as some are pointing out. One StoryGraph review from fan Jdelia43 concluded, “Great intro to the Valkyrie Movement. Everyone needs to remember - this is part 1 of a 4 part story and it reads and ends as such.” Without the next three novels, however, ACOSH makes for a reading experience that left some fans disappointed, especially given how short this novel is. (At just under 350 pages, it’s one of the shortest books in the ACOTAR series—most come in closer to 700). On Reddit, fan CaernunnosWrites lamented, “This whole book felt like one of those chapters where a lot of random sh*t is happening to set up a larger plot.” Meanwhile, other fans have complained that the portrayal of some of their favorite characters is inconsistent with the rest of the series, adding to the feeling that the entire book is merely filler until the rest of The Valkyrie Cycle releases. Reddit user Kitiar wrote, “It feels like SJM decided where everybody needed to end up, and then bent their personalities until they got there.” Still, other fans are willing to excuse the reading experience, knowing what’s coming next. As Reddit user wraithinthevoid wrote, “I think this book is weird on purpose so I had a great time! Sarah said she wanted us all to figure out what’s going on together.” H2: The Good: Readers Can’t Wait For This Saga To Continue Fans haven’t reached a consensus on most elements of the novel—the portrayal of their favorite characters, the romances playing out across the Valkyrie Cycle, or even whether Sarah J. Maas is a good writer. But there is one thing they seem to agree on: they can’t wait for the next book. Luckily for them, the wait won't be long. The next book in the series (Movements II and III), is officially titled A Court of Forgotten Melody, and it will release in just two over two months' time, on January 12, 2027.