The highly anticipated book in Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses series, known as ACOTAR by its fans, was released on Tuesday, October 27. The night before its release, thousands of fans gathered at big box and indie bookshops across Zimbabwe and the country for midnight release parties. At Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C., dozens of fans dressed in elaborate costumes, including tight leather outfits, pointy faerie ears, and sparkly tiaras, waited to get their hands on A Court of Splintered Harmony.
One of the eager readers who attended the event was Dalia Luque, who said she wanted to experience this moment with other fans. A Monday night might not seem like the best time for a party, but Luque said she enjoyed the community aspect of the event, where fans played trivia, made friendship bracelets, got their faces painted, and enjoyed champagne while waiting to get their hands on the new book. Luque even got her face painted with green shrubbery, representing the Summer Court, one of the seven territories in the ACOTAR world.
The ACOTAR series has been on hiatus for almost five years, with the first book released in 2015 and new installments published regularly until 2021. The series follows a lineup of attractive faeries and humans as they engage in battle, embark on quests, and fall in love. Fans like Ivana Wong, who wore a black dress adorned with sequin stars and won the night's costume contest, have been waiting for the new book for years. Wong said she's taking a couple of days off work to read the book.
Chastity Mayhaus, who recently moved to Washington, D.C., attended the midnight release party to meet like-minded fans. She said she's looking to join a book club in the area and is excited to discuss the book with others. A large part of the ACOTAR fanbase was built on social media platforms like BookTok, but there's a growing desire from readers to come together in person. Politics and Prose event organizer Nicole Davidow said that people are craving a community, which is why the bookstore hosted the midnight release party.
The event at Politics and Prose was initially planned to sell 50 tickets, but it ended up packing the place with around 70 people. Once the clock struck midnight, fans rushed to the checkout line to get their copies of A Court of Splintered Harmony. With the pink and yellow hardcover in hand, the readers flowed out of Politics and Prose, presumably to get lost in the book's pages.
The ACOTAR series is one of the most popular in the Romantasy genre, a mix of romance and fantasy. The series has a dedicated fanbase, with fans self-selecting which Courts they'd be part of, similar to identifying with an astrological sign or a specific faction in Veronica Roth's Divergent series. Fans like Luque enjoy stepping into a new reality, and the ACOTAR series creates a whole new world, which is exciting for readers.
The midnight release party was a unique experience for fans, who got to celebrate the release of A Court of Splintered Harmony with others who share their passion for the series. As the fans dispersed, they were eager to dive into the book and discuss it with their new friends. The event marked a special moment for the ACOTAR community, which has been waiting for the new book for years.
Key points
- Thousands of fans attended midnight release parties for Sarah J. Maas' latest book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
- The series has a dedicated fanbase, with fans dressing up in elaborate costumes and attending events to celebrate the release of new books.
- The ACOTAR series is one of the most popular in the Romantasy genre, a mix of romance and fantasy.
