Sarah J. Maas has finally put names to the next two chapters of A Court of Thorns and Roses, giving fans something far more concrete to analyse than years of speculation. The sixth book is A Court of Splintered Harmony, while the seventh is A Court of Forgotten Melody — and the wording is already sending the ACOTAR fandom into theory overdrive. (People.com)
The important question, however, is what these titles actually tell us about the story. The answer is: quite a lot thematically, but much less about specific characters or plot twists than social media theories might suggest.
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What’s actually true about ACOTAR 6 and 7?
The titles and covers were revealed by Maas on 17 August, following the release-date announcement earlier this year. A Court of Splintered Harmony is scheduled for 27 October 2026, with A Court of Forgotten Melody following on 12 January 2027. (Harper’s BAZAAR)
There is another significant detail. The books are labelled as parts of The Valkyrie Cycle: A Court of Splintered Harmony is Movement I, while A Court of Forgotten Melody contains Movements II and III. That makes clear these are not simply two unrelated sequels arriving close together. They form sections of a much larger story. (Cosmopolitan)
Maas had already explained that the new storyline grew much larger than initially expected. That helps explain the unusual structure and the decision to release the two books relatively close together.
What do the titles actually mean?
This is where the speculation begins — and where readers should separate clues from confirmed information.
“Splintered Harmony” naturally suggests something that was once united becoming fractured. It could refer to alliances, relationships, the courts of Prythian or even the internal dynamics of characters who have spent years fighting on the same side.
Maas has also paired the first title with the line “What was broken will be remade.” The second carries the complementary phrase “What was lost will be reclaimed.” (Cosmopolitan)
That wording makes it tempting to connect the books to unresolved conflicts and lost parts of Prythian. But it does not confirm any particular fan theory.
“Forgotten Melody” has produced even more speculation because music has appeared repeatedly throughout Maas’s wider mythology. Fans are connecting the word “melody” to characters, powers and unresolved mysteries, while others see possible links to the wider Maasverse.
Those are theories, not confirmed plot details.
The bigger question: who will ACOTAR 6 and 7 actually be about?
This is arguably the question fans most want answered.
After A Court of Silver Flames shifted the spotlight to Nesta and Cassian, many readers expected the next novel to centre on Elain. Others have argued for more of Nesta’s Valkyrie circle, particularly Gwyn and Emerie.
The Valkyrie Cycle branding certainly makes Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie relevant to the conversation. But it does not prove that all three will be the principal point-of-view characters. Current reporting also notes that Maas has kept important details about the characters and plot deliberately vague. (Business Insider)
So the popular claim that the titles “confirm” an Elain romance, a particular pairing or a specific Maasverse crossover should be treated cautiously.
Common misconceptions fans should avoid
The biggest misconception is that every visual clue or word in a title has already been decoded by the fandom.
It hasn’t.
The covers, titles and movement structure are real. Their precise meaning within the story remains unknown until the books or further official material provide answers.
It is also worth remembering that A Court of Frost and Starlight is a novella rather than a full-length numbered novel, which is why the upcoming book is generally referred to as ACOTAR 6 rather than ACOTAR 5.5 or 7. (Harper’s BAZAAR)
What happens next?
For UK readers, the practical takeaway is simple: the wait now has an endpoint. Bloomsbury confirms the two upcoming ACOTAR releases and is already directing readers towards pre-orders. (Bloomsbury)
Until Maas releases fuller synopses or additional official information, the safest approach is to enjoy the theories without treating them as spoilers.
The bottom line: ACOTAR 6 and 7 are officially titled, officially scheduled and clearly connected as part of a larger Valkyrie Cycle. What remains unknown — and what fans will undoubtedly keep debating — is exactly who will lead the story, what has been “splintered”, and what the “forgotten melody” ultimately represents.