Midnight launch draws 70 readers to 'A Court of Splintered Harmony'

By Elena Vasquez

Around 70 readers packed Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C., for the midnight release of Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Splintered Harmony. Organizer Nicole Davidow planned 50 tickets and drew about 70 people.

The volume is the latest in Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, known to fans as ACOTAR. The event ran from 10 p.m. to midnight on Monday, one day before the book’s Tuesday, October 27 release.

It was Davidow’s first midnight release party during her five years at the bookstore. The turnout ran about 20 people above her 50-ticket plan.

What made a Monday night worth attending?

Dozens browsed the shelves in tight leather costumes, pointy faerie ears and sparkly tiaras. Dalia Luque joined them because she wanted to experience the release with other fans, despite the option to preorder online.

“I just want to have fun with the community and get to share with my friends as we read along,” Luque said.

Before midnight, four activities filled the wait:

• Trivia games
• Friendship-bracelet making
• Face painting
• Champagne

Across the country, thousands attended midnight parties at big-box and independent bookshops. At Politics and Prose, the 10 p.m. start gave fans two hours to turn a purchase into a shared event.

The crowd treated the release as a social occasion, not only a book sale.

How did the fan world shape the party?

Staffer Amber Lovold painted green shrubbery onto Luque’s face. The design represented the Summer Court, one of seven territories in the ACOTAR world.

A High Lord rules each Court, which carries a trademark color palette and its own vibe. That design let fans align with a Court as they might with an astrological sign or a specific faction in Veronica Roth’s Divergent series.

Attractive male characters remain a mainstay of ACOTAR. The stories follow attractive faeries and humans through battles, quests and falling in love. The series ranks among the most popular in Romantasy, a genre combining romance and fantasy.

Luque described her attraction to a different fictional world:

“I’ve always enjoyed stepping into a new reality, or a different version of reality,” Luque said. “And so I think these books create a whole new world, and that’s pretty exciting.”

Costumes, face paint and Court identities made the fictional world visible at the bookstore.

What did the almost five-year wait mean?

The first ACOTAR book appeared in 2015. Maas issued new installments fairly regularly until she took a break from the series in 2021. The new volume arrived after an almost five-year hiatus.

Ivana Wong arrived at Politics and Prose in a black dress adorned with sequin stars, a silver headpiece and a sheer, flowy cape. Her ensemble won the night’s costume contest. She planned to take a couple of days off work to read.

“I’ve been waiting for this since the very first book came out,” Wong said.

Chastity Mayhaus recently moved to Washington, D.C., and attended the release to meet likeminded fans.

“I’m hoping to make some friends, just talk to some people,” Mayhaus said. “I’m looking around to see any good book clubs that are like in the area, so maybe I can scout out some new ones.”

Much of the ACOTAR fanbase grew through social media, including BookTok, the books-focused corner of TikTok. Readers including Mayhaus, Wong and Luque wanted that online community to gather in person.

“I think that online community wants to be in a room together,” said Politics and Prose event organizer Nicole Davidow. “In general, we find that with all of our events, people are craving a community.”

BookTok built the audience; the midnight event brought it into one room.

What does the release establish?

At midnight, readers hurried into the checkout line. They left with pink-and-yellow hardcovers of A Court of Splintered Harmony. Davidow’s first midnight event in five years turned a planned 50-person gathering into an approximately 70-person launch.

The event combined a sales launch with community-building. Some readers already sought book clubs, while others took days off work to read. The next measure will be whether those in-person connections continue after opening night.