Sarah J. Maas - The Mother of Romantasy

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SARAH J. MAAS SMILING TOWARD CAMERA WITH A HAND ON HER HIP FOR AN OFFICIAL PHOTOSHOOT. SHE IS WEARING A BLACK SHIRT AND RED LIPSTICK, STANDING IN FRONT OF A GREY BACKDROP.

Image: The new york times

Introduction

It is hard to make a substantial impact on literature. It’s not every day that someone writes a bestseller,comes up with a Game of Thrones-esque world, or creates an entire new genre. Unless you’re Sarah J. Maas — she did all three, at sixteen years old. 

Throne of Glass 

As a lover of all things fantasy, Maas was frustrated in her adolescence by the scarcity of gripping, strong female characters. She decided if the media wasn’t going to create this character, she would. So, at sixteen, Sarah sat down and began the first draft of what would be her debut novel, Throne of Glass (or, as it was called at the time, Queen of Glass). Her inspiration? Cinderella, reimagined. Only this telling would incorporate threads of all the folklore she had consumed during her upbringing.

She began posting chapters to FictionPress in 2002, an online writing forum; by 2008 it was one of the most-read, highest-reviewed stories on the site. In 2008, Maas also graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College’s Creative Writing Program, where she also minored in Religious Studies. 

After graduating college, Maas began sending her manuscript to agents, eventually signing with Tamar Rydzinski of The Laura Dial Literary Agency in 2009. In March of 2010, Throne of Glass (TOG) was published and became a huge success, ultimately leading her to sign with Bloomsbury Publishing, with a deal that would have her write two more books for the series. From there, the series continued gaining extensions, which eventually culminated in an eight novel long series.

THE COVER OF A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES. A RED BACKGROUND WITH THE IMAGE OF A WOLF BEING SHOT THROUGH WITH AN ARROW AND TITLE OF THE BOOK WRITTEN IN GOLD LETTERING.

Image: Goodreads

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Despite the dedication she poured into creating the TOG universe, Sarah had actually been working on her second series since early 2009. She had written the first novel, A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), in what would eventually become a five book series — which still has more books coming! ACOTAR has undeniably become her most popular book series, gaining even more traction than TOG did. It was so well-received, it identified an entirely new genre for the literary community — romantasy, a heady mix of romance and high fantasy. It was so successful that in 2021 Hulu announced they would be bringing the story to the big screen. On top of her dedication to her multiple ongoing book series, Sarah J. Maas now also works as a scriptwriter to bring the story to life. An official release date has not been made public quite yet, but myself, as well as the rest of the fandom, wait anxiously at the edge of our seats! 

Crescent City

The newest addition to Maas’ ever-expanding queue of projects is the Crescent City (CC) series. It marks an official transition for Sarah into the adult fantasy market, a slow crawl she has been making since her writing career began. TOG is marketed as Young adult (YA), while ACOTAR is considered New Adult (NA). In this series she fell back on her experiences growing up in New York City to curate a highly-fascinating metropolitan landscape where her main character, Bryce Quinlan, navigates her story. 

Easter Eggs and the Big Conspiracy (Warning: Mild Spoilers)

Sarah J. Maas is already a powerhouse of a writer, but what makes her work even more gripping, is the fact that it's a multi-verse. Little did her audience know when they began TOG and ACOTAR, that these separate storylines would intertwine. Speculation began years ago as readers began to find easter eggs in the novels, ambiguous hints of the other storylines. But it was all confirmed in her most recent CC book, where characters from one of her other series actually show up in her metropolitan universe. Now, readers have deduced, although Sarah has yet to whole-heartedly confirm, that the final books in these series will be an amalgamation of all the stories. The entire time, it wasn’t three series, but different branches of one, sixteen-book series, an endeavor basically unheard of in modern literature. 

Conclusion

Sarah J. Maas began one of the most ambitious literary endeavors in modern literature as a teenager. Today, multiverse has become an international success, with a fanbase of millions and its first adaption coming to the big screen. A story that started out as a daydream in her childhood bedroom has now snowballed into the creation of, what is now, one of the most-read genres. Thousands of novels have been created in the wake of her opening this door. She is unmistakably one of the most successful authors of this generation. Now the only question left is, — where will Sarah take us next?

Clara Ivis is a student of Professional Writing from Ottawa, Ontario. When she is not inhaling books, she can be found drinking espresso martinis with friends or hiking in the Gatineau hills. A fan of the classics and high fantasy, Clara values great world-building and emotionally relatable characters. Among her favourite authors are many of the great female writers, such a Sylvia Plath and Jane Austen. Clara is currently writing her debut novel, which she often equates to climbing Everest. If you ever find yourself wanting to be in her good graces, she accepts Strava kudos and Audible credits.