ACOTAR Themed Decor, Discussion Questions & More

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas needs no introduction. This romantasy series has been popular for years and keeps gaining new fans every day. It is the great equalizer between readers and non-readers. A gateway drug into the world of fantasy books. Booktok has awarded it the book that has gotten the dystopian lovers of yore back into reading.

ACOTAR has a very special place in our hearts. Without Sarah J. Maas, we may have never even met and thus Always Booked may have never come to be. Scary.

Over the years, we’ve hosted several ACOTAR themed events and at this point we feel like experts. We hosted a Spring Court Breakfast at botanical gardens that would rival Tamlin’s estate, a 10th Anniversary Party we lovingly called ACOTEN, a community book club where we bedazzled copies of ACOTAR, and we are throwing a huge ACOTAR 6 Midnight Release Party.

Let us be your ACOTAR (and Throne of Glass and Crescent City) shamans! We have everything you need for a book club worthy of the House of Wind.

You’re Invited! ACOTAR 6 Midnight Release Party

Before we get into the Book Club Guide, ACOTAR 6 is dropping and we can’t be normal about it. We’re throwing the ultimate midnight release party in partnership with Talking Animals Books.

When: October 26 | 9:00 pm to Midnight

Where: Alabaster Hall | 304 E Pipeline Rd, Hurst, TX 76053

Everyone is welcome, whether that means a full Feyre cosplay, your favorite ACOTAR shirt, or your coziest pajamas. There is no wrong way to show up. Grab your bookish besties and come celebrate the book we have all been waiting for.

Learn more and get tickets here.

ACOTAR Book Club Setup

Since we have hosted a handful of ACOTAR parties and events at this point, we’ve figured out how to bring Prythian to life. Here’s everything you need to do the same.

Spring Court Vibes

The Spring Court is light and airy with an abundance of florals. The goal is for your guests to walk in and feel like they’ve stumbled into Tamlin’s estate in full bloom.

You can really put flower arrangements anywhere you want. We’re talking on every single surface. You can use bud vases if you’re limited on space, or create large arrangements using shallow pedestal vases that would fit right in at Tamlin’s manor. We’ve even created floral arrangements that hover above guests on clear stands. So when we say put flowers all over the Spring Court, we mean it. There really is no limit, unless your allergies say otherwise.
Pair your gorgeous florals with soft linens, along with matching plates and cutlery.

Under the Mountain Vibes

Maybe you prefer Amarantha’s red hair to Lucien’s. Decorating your book club as if you were Under the Mountain would be a fun and dramatic twist. Think low lighting and a dark and moody table.

Opt for these battery-operated candles and scatter them throughout your space. Just enough flickering light so you can see if the Middengard Wyrm is coming for you. RIP by the way.
Go the complete opposite direction of the Spring Court decor, choose dark linens, or even something with lace to make it feel elevated. Black plates and cutlery over any other color.

ACOTAR Themed Food & Drink

Use the book as your menu inspiration! Spring court calls for something light and beautiful. Think pastries, finger sandwiches, fruit, anything that feels like a garden party. If you’re going Under the Mountain, lean into something darker and more dramatic. Deep red wine and rich foods.

For our ACOTAR parties, we have had a full coffee cart with themed drinks that we named: the Cursebreaker Brew, Tampon’s Tears, Latte Darling, and a Mated Matcha. We also ordered custom stickers that read Fae AF and Brewed by the Cauldron for a fun touch.

Obviously, a full coffee cart is not realistic for most home book clubs, but a themed drink or two with a clever ACOTAR name can go a long way.

Details to Make it Extra Special

This is where things really get fun. The small, intentional touches are what will separate your ACOTAR Book Club from all the others.

Few things make guests more excited than a wax seal. We consistently incorporate them into our events because they’re so well-received. Did you know you can even buy wax guns to make it so much easier to seal? Or if you want to go one step further, there are wax seal stickers, even. We don’t use these, but won’t judge you if you do.
If you want to use a wax seal on an envelope, you need something to put inside! For our Spring Court Breakfast, we handed everyone their court assignments sealed in wax. For our ACOTAR 10th Anniversary Party, we handed out mate assignment cards in envelopes that matched the colors of each ACOTAR book. The ACOTAR-themed envelopes alone had people SQUEALING.
Order book bedazzling supplies and ask people to bedazzle their book covers, or literally whatever they want. It’s a great activity to run alongside the book club discussion.
Set up a game of trivia and offer your winner a prize! People love showing off how smart they are.
Encourage dressing up! The level of commitment is completely up to you. You could have fae ears for everyone or you could have a full-out cosplay contest.

ACOTAR Discussion Questions: ACOTAR Only

Discuss the dynamics between the Archeron sisters and with their dad.
Was this book reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast to you?
Did everyone fall for Tamlin just as Feyre did?
What do you think Lucien’s eye does?
Which of the characters that Feyre encounters in the Spring Court is the scariest?
Discuss what you felt when Tamlin sent Feyre back to the human realm.
Why did the glamour on Papa Archeron and Elain break so quickly? Was there a secret word Feyre had to say and was it Prythian?
Feyre goes Under the Mountain with no magic or training. What kept her going and what would you have done in her position?
What are your opinions on Rhysand and did they change at all throughout the story?
Did you guess Amarantha’s riddle?

ACOTAR Discussion Questions: SJM Universe Readers Only

Rereading ACOTAR with the knowledge of the entire universe in your back pocket is a whole new experience. While this section doesn’t have any blatant spoilers, proceed with caution if you haven’t read all of Sarah J. Maas’s books.

What nods to other series did you see throughout the book?
What the hell is the pool of starlight and why did Tamlin never ask?
Amarantha is described as Serpentine or snake-like SO many times. Why is that?
Knowing what you know now, did Tamlin have any red flags in this book?
Do you think the Suriel meant stay with Rhysand or stay with Tamlin when he referred to the high lord?
Is Amarantha a valg?? Really think about it.
Do you have any theories about the Cauldron? What did we learn from the mural in Tamlin’s manor?
Why was Feyre dreaming of Amarantha and the Attor before ever having seen them with her own eyes?
Why is Amarantha’s coat of arms sleeping dragons and what does it mean?
Are the Archeron sisters witches?

Join Us for More ACOTAR Chats

If you want to go even deeper into the ACOTAR universe or just need people who get it, we got you covered with:

Podcast episodes on every ACOTAR book - dive deeper into each one with us.
Book Podcast playlist of every Sarah J. Maas episode we’ve ever done - including our ranking of every SJM book and a full episode debating who needs the most therapy.
We’re rereading ACOTAR in preparation for ACOTAR 6 and 7. Join us for theories, things you missed, and predictions.

All our episodes are available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your bookish podcasts.

Book Club Guide: A Court of Thorns and Roses