Bloomsbury is releasing Night Court editions of theCourt of Thorns and Rosesbooks, butthese special editions are proving divisive among fans ofSarah J. Maas' fantasy series. ThefirstACOTARbookis celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, so it’s no surprise that the series is getting a set of special editions to celebrate. However, there’s been notable backlash toACOTAR’s Night Court editions, with several complaints cropping up repeatedly across social media.
While the all-black design of these limited edition releases feels properly reminiscent of the Night Court, not all readers are thrilled with this approach. Bloomsbury’sInstagramannouncement received numerous comments criticizing theseCourt of Thorns and Roseseditions, with some stating they’d preferthe sixthACOTARbookinstead. Those outside of the discourse might be wondering why the Night Court editions are proving so controversial, and there are a few reasons for this response.
The Complaints About A Court Of Thorns & Roses' Night Court Editions Explained
Readers Feel They Aren’t Flashy Or Exciting Enough
Among the most common complaints about the new Night Court editions ofA Court of Thorns and Rosesis the fact that they aren’t as flashy or exciting as readers expected, especially given the first book’s 10-year anniversary.Many readers are noting that theseACOTAReditions are paperbacks, not hardcovers, and that their designs aren’t all that unique. In fact, they’re very similar to the regular covers, mainly utilizing their black and gray color scheme to stand out.
There isn’t any new bonus material in these editions ofA Court of Thorns & Roses,giving readers little incentive to purchase them beyond their aesthetic.
Additionally, there isn’t any new bonus material in these editions ofA Court of Thorns & Roses,giving readers little incentive to purchase them beyond their aesthetic. WhileA Court of Silver Flameswill include the bonus chapter about Rhysand and Feyre that was featured in the original Barnes and Noble edition, there isn’t any additional content to look forward to. There aren’t new chapters, nor is there new artwork within the covers.The new design alone isn’t enticing readers to pick up more copies of theACOTARbooks, and that’s indicative of a bigger issue.
ACOTAR’s Night Court Edition Criticisms Are Reflective Of A Greater Publishing Trend
Special Editions Feel Less Special
The consensus around the Night Court editions ofACOTARis that they don’t feel special enough, and that’s representative of a bigger publishing problem. With publishers putting out so many special editions in recent years — for new books and older releases — such copies are starting to feel less remarkable. The Night Court editions aren’t the only special editions to receive backlash recently.Onyx Storm’s Target collector’s editionwas met with a similar response, albeit for different reasons.
The Lowest-Rated Court Of Thorns & Roses Book Does 1 Thing Better Than The Rest Of The Series
The lowest-rated Court of Thorns & Roses book leaves a lot to be desired, but it does one thing better than the other additions to the series.
It appears that readers are tired of choosing between multiple copies of the same book, and the lack of exciting bonus material makes that problem even worse. The response to the newA Court of Thorns & Roseseditions doesn’t bode well for this publishing trend. Perhaps better bonus content and designs can get readers back on board, but too many exclusives in different editions of the same book could also backfire.
