Sarah J. Maas Teases ACOTAR Book 6 Announcement on ‘Call Her Daddy’ Podcast
Fantasy romance author Sarah J. Maas appears to have teased a major announcement about the next installment of her A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and the online book world has erupted.
Here’s what’s going on — and enough detail to hold your own in a conversation about it.
Sarah J. Maas is appearing as a guest on “Call Her Daddy,” the popular podcast hosted by Alex Cooper, on March 4 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The episode follows months of speculation about a potential sixth book in Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series, commonly shortened to “ACOTAR” (pronounced “a-co-tar” by most fans) in online conversation.
An exclusive clip from the upcoming podcast episode was shared with USA Today. In the clip, Cooper gets right to the point, referencing an Instagram post by Maas that sent fans into a frenzy.
“I think we need to address your Instagram post,” Cooper says.
Maas responds, “Which one, Alex?”
Cooper continues, “Well, Sarah, the one that quite literally lit the internet on fire, where fans could not tell if it was an arrow or if it was a ‘6–8.’ Everyone has been freaking out. And so, I have the pleasure of sitting across from you and so I have to ask, Sarah, what is going on?”
The clip ends there, leaving fans hanging.
Back in July, Maas posted a video to Instagram showing what appeared to be her closing a notebook and opening a bottle of champagne. She captioned the post, “First drafts DONE.” But a detail in the video sent her devoted fanbase into overdrive: the notebook showed “ACOTAR” written on it alongside what appeared to be either a “6” and an arrow or “6–8.”
That tiny visual detail prompted widespread speculation. Some fans interpreted “6–8” as a sign that not just one, but potentially three more books could be on the way. The ambiguity only fueled the excitement.
Maas has not released a new book since January 2024. She has not published a new installment in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series since 2021. For a fandom deeply invested in these characters and their storylines, that’s a long gap.
Earlier this year, there was no listing for a sixth book in the series in the Bloomsbury Publishing catalog through August 2026. That absence left fans uncertain about whether the series would continue at all, which made Maas’ cryptic Instagram post land even harder.
The fact that a major publishing announcement (or at least a tease of one) is being made on a mainstream entertainment podcast rather than through a traditional book-industry channel speaks to how pop culture and publishing are increasingly intertwined.
Cooper teased the episode on Instagram by posting a video of herself standing in front of a bookshelf stacked with Maas’ novels, captioned, “Who’s booked next?”
The A Court of Thorns and Roses series began in 2015 and includes five books:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses
- A Court of Mist and Fury
- A Court of Wings and Ruin
- A Court of Frost and Starlight
- A Court of Silver Flames
The full podcast episode is set to air on March 4 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
