Summary

• Sarah J. Maas' books have paved the way for the "new adult" genre to emerge, but her first fantasy series was aimed at young adults.
• Throne of Glass doesn't feature spicy moments until its later books, which push further into mature territory.
• Throne of Glass' explicit scenes don't come close to those featured in other Maas books, like A Court of Silver Flames.

Readers may be wondering how spicy the Sarah J. Maas' books have ramped up the amount of explicit content. The author's more recent releases, like A Court of Silver Flames and House of Flame and Shadow, haven't held back when it comes to sex scenes. And even ACOTAR and Crescent City's earlier installments feature steamy moments for the central characters. Maas is becoming known for including such sequences in her books, but that raises questions about whether her other series contains similar levels of "spice."

Throne of Glass was the first book Maas ever wrote, and it spawned the author's very first fantasy series. The later books came out alongside A Court of Thorns & Roses, and it goes without saying that Maas' writing has evolved over time. As such, Throne of Glass has a different feel from her other stories, especially during its earlier installments. It also takes a different approach to spice, something readers will want to be aware of before picking up all seven Throne of Glass books.

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Throne Of Glass Isn't As Spicy As Sarah J. Maas' Other Book Series

The Books Originally Targeted A Young Adult Audience

Readers shouldn't go into Throne of Glass expecting the same levels of spice they've seen in Maas' Crescent City and Court of Thorns & Roses books. Throne of Glass hit shelves in 2012, and it was categorized as a young adult fantasy book. This was before the "new adult" genre began to form, with A Court of Thorns & Roses paving the way. The original Throne of Glass book opens when Celaena Sardothien is 18 years old, making her an older protagonist than most YA books feature. However, Throne of Glass reads like other YA hits of its time.

While romance is a major element of Throne of Glass from the beginning, the early books in Maas' first fantasy series are tame when it comes to portraying sex. Throne of Glass only features kissing, and while Crown of Midnight takes things further — Celaena has sex for the first time in this book — it takes a "fade-to-black" approach to its sexual moments. In general, the early books are devoid of the spicy scenes present in Maas' more recent work. As Throne of Glass continues, however, its books push into "new adult" territory.

Throne Of Glass Features More Spice In Its Later Books

Their Sex Scenes Generally Still Aren't As Explicit As Sarah J. Maas' Other Books

Although the early Throne of Glass books feature minimal sex scenes, this changes as the series continues. The middle books don't have much sex, as the story shifts its focus towards the fantasy plot rather than the relationships. Aelin's journey in Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows doesn't go into spicy territory. It's mostly the last three books that feature sex scenes without fading to black — and even those aren't comparable to the sex scenes in the ACOTAR and Crescent City books. Throne of Glass does its best to stay in the young adult category, toning down the descriptions of explicit moments.

Of course, some parents won't be pleased with the later Throne of Glass books' shift into more mature territory, and whether readers consider the sex scenes in later books spicy will largely depend on their individual preferences. Throne of Glass contains enough sex to satisfy those looking for minimal spice, but it might come off as disappointing to those accustomed to more explicit books. It's also easy to read around the sex in Throne of Glass, so fantasy readers without a preference for spice can navigate them with ease.

Which Throne Of Glass Books Are Spicy (& Which Aren't)

Empire Of Storms, Tower Of Down, & Kingdom Of Ash Feature Sex Scenes

Apart from Crown of Midnight's fade-to-black sex scenes, the only Throne of Glass books that could be considered spicy are Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, and Kingdom of Ash. Of the three, Empire of Storms has the most explicit sequences, and it can be considered the turning point for Maas' fantasy series. There are multiple sex scenes from Chapter 38 onward, so those looking for spicy moments in the series will need to wait for the fifth book to get to them.

Tower of Dawn and Kingdom of Ash tone things down again after Empire of Storms, but they both feature spicy moments that are more explicit than those in the first four Throne of Glass books. Of course, both of these installments also resolve major storylines and character arcs, so there isn't a ton of time dedicated to sex sequences. Even without spicy moments, the Throne of Glass books are well worth reading. However, those looking for spice specifically can look forward to it during the latter half of the series.