A Court of Thorns & Roses weaves a compelling story, but the timeline of Sarah J. Maas’ fantasy series remains baffling, even after five books. The first three ACOTAR books cover the same conflict, while the Court of Frost & Starlight novella and A Court of Silver Flames expand Maas’ world. A lot happens over the course of five books, both on a personal level for the characters and on a larger scale. Feyre Archeron comes a long way from the beginning of A Court of Thorns & Roses, when she’s introduced as an ordinary huntress trying to keep her family alive.

Feyre’s arrival in Prythian also changes the world of the High Fae, and the continent faces many changes and challenges in what seems like a short period of time. Prythian’s conflicts take center stage in A Court of Thorns & Roses, but it’s hard to say whether they unfold in a believable succession. Maas doesn’t paint the clearest picture of the series’ timeline, making it one of the most perplexing elements of ACOTAR — and doing the math only makes it more so.

A Court Of Thorns & Roses’ Timeline Is Confusing

Readers Must Look Carefully At Sarah J. Maas’ Books To Determine How Much Time Has Passed

The timeline of A Court of Thorns & Roses isn’t explicitly outlined in Maas’ books, but the series seems to unfold over the course of a few years. Certain events, like the Winter Solstice, can be used to deduce how much time passes between each book. And readers know that Feyre is 19 years old when ACOTAR opens and several years old when she and Rhysand start a family in A Court of Silver Flames. However, the time frame remains confusing throughout the Court of Thorns & Roses books.

Readers can determine the time frame of the first three books by looking at the seasons they start and end in. ACOTAR begins in the winter and concludes in the fall (via Fandom.com), which means Feyre’s initial stay at the Spring Court and journey Under the Mountain happen in less than a year. ACOMAF picks up during the Winter Solstice and ends in the spring — an incredibly short span of time given all that happens. And A Court of Wings & Ruin has the most baffling timeline of all, as it unfolds in just a few months, despite tackling a full-blown war.

A Court of Frost & Starlight sees Feyre turning 21, which confirms that only about two years pass during the original ACOTAR trilogy. Since the novella tackles the aftermath of the war, it appears to be a few months out from ACOWAR. And A Court of Silver Flames is set about a year later. Such details aren’t immediately clear. And even after carefully piecing together the books’ timeline, it’s obvious that it doesn’t make much sense. In fact, it feels rushed for such a lengthy fantasy series.

Why The ACOTAR Series’ Timeline Doesn’t Make Much Sense

Feyre’s Journey & Prythian’s Conflicts Feel Too Rushed

Even those willing to break down the approximate timeline of A Court of Thorns & Roses have to admit that it doesn’t make much sense. The fact that the first three installments take place in about two years is enough to give any reader whiplash. It’s difficult to believe Feyre could go through so much in such a short amount of time, and that’s not even the strangest part of the time frame. ACOMAF builds to the war between the King of Hybern and Prythian, but it doesn’t truly arrive until ACOWAR — and then it’s over almost as soon as it begins.

It feels unrealistic for any war to conclude that quickly, but it’s especially strange given that most of Prythian’s leaders and fighters are immortal. Time passes differently for them, and they likely wouldn’t rush to face a threat to their kingdoms. Of course, the timeline isn’t just wonky on the political end. Feyre’s relationships also unravel quickly, and her life choices change drastically from one moment to the next, with too little time passing to justify such developments. Overall, the ACOTAR books suffer from the speed at which they take place. The timing makes little sense and adds to the confusion.

The ACOTAR Books Should Have Dragged Out Their Major Conflicts For Much Longer

The Story’s Personal & Political Plots Would Have Benefited

If there’s one thing that could have helped A Court of Thorns & Roses’ timeline, it’s dragging out the books’ conflicts for a longer period of time. Maas would have needed to set each novel over a longer period to make this work — either that, or make the series longer by adding installments. But expanding the timeline of the series would make sense of the major conflicts, allowing them to feel more fleshed out and believable. Feyre’s transitions from book to book would definitely feel more realistic if Maas had let a few more years pass during and between the ACOTAR sequels.

Prythian’s politics and conflicts would also feel more natural with an extended timeline, though A Court of Wings & Ruin could have benefited from more battle scenes before closing out its war. The lead-up to the conflict with Hybern feels more gripping than the actual climax, and just tweaking the timeline wouldn’t fix this. It would allow readers to fill in the blanks, though, suggesting that more happened behind the scenes. Unfortunately, A Court of Thorns & Roses‘ current timeline doesn’t leave the door open for such speculation. Instead, it confirms how unbelievable the story’s trajectory is.