Sarah J. Maas confirmed she's working on the next 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' novel (2024)

However, the trio also discussed "House of Flame and Shadow," the third installment in the series that will be released in January, and Maas' other upcoming projects. (The rest of this article contains spoilers for Sarah J. Maas' books.)

Maas is writing another 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book

During the conversation, Hobbs and Billings asked Maas what she is currently writing, as "House of Flame and Shadow" is already finished.

"I am working on the next 'ACOTAR' novel," Maas revealed in the chat. "I'm drafting it, and that is all I will say."

"A Court of Thorns and Roses" initially followed Feyre Archeron, though over the course of four novels and one novella, it's expanded to explore the fantasy world Prythian and a sweeping cast of magical creatures.

Maas didn't disclose anything about the content of the novel, when she may be finished writing it, or from which character's perspective it may be told. But she did say she's loving the process of writing it.

"I will say that I've become so focused and obsessed with writing this book," Maas told Hobbs and Billings.

"It's like that feeling of having a crush or when you're first, like, obsessed with someone and you're just thinking about it nonstop," she added. "I love that feeling."

It's not a surprise that Maas is continuing the "ACOTAR" series, as her website states it is ongoing. She also signed a new four-book deal with Bloomsbury in March, the publisher announced, on top of a preexisting three-book deal that included "House of Flame and Shadow."

Although she didn't specify which characters from "ACOTAR" the novel she is writing will focus on, Maas previously said in aFebruary 2021 conversation with Eva Chen that she planned to write a novel focused on Elain Archeron, Feyre's older sister, planting seeds for the book in the last installment in the series, "A Court of Silver Flames," which was about Nesta, the eldest Archeron sister.

Plus, "House of Flame and Shadow" turns Maas' works into a multiverse, as she revealed at the conclusion of "House of Sky and Breath," so it's unclear how the events of the novel will impact the next book in the "ACOTAR" series.

Maas also responded to a few fan theories about 'House of Flame and Shadow'

During the interview, Maas answered a series of rapid-fire questions Hobbs and Billings created with the help of fan submissions.

Through the questions, Maas confirmed that Bryce Quinlan, the protagonist of the "Crescent City" series, and Hunt Athalar, her partner, are mates.

"Since this is a spoiler talk, I will say yes, he is her mate," Maas said. "They are mates."

Bryce and Hunt began referring to each other as mates in "House of Sky and Breath," but readers were suspicious of Hunt being Bryce's mate because it's unheard of for Maas' protagonists to end up with their first love interest. But Maas said that was partly why she wanted to make them mates.

"I was like, you know what, I'm gonna do a real doozy on everyone, and I'm gonna have the love interest here be the one at the end — if they both make it to the end," she said.

However, Hobbs and Billings also asked Maas if the mating bond was the same in the "Crescent City" books as they are in the "ACOTAR" books, and Maas declined to answer. So it's possible Hunt and Bryce are "mates," but not in the way characters are in "ACOTAR," which is essentially a soulmate bond.

Maas also confirmed that Danika Fendyr and Connor Holstrom, two wolf shape-shifters, are definitely dead in the books, shutting down fan theories that the pair were secretly alive.

In addition, Maas gave readers some insight into her writing process for "House of Flame and Shadow," which follows Bryce as she tries to make her way back to her planet Midgard after accidentally ending up in Prythian with the cast of "ACOTAR" when attempting to open a portal to Hel.

She told Hobbs and Billing she actually wrote the book twice.

"The first draft I turned in, I didn't like it," Maas said. "I wrote the whole damn thing, and I was so excited to sit down and write it. And I turned it in to my editor, and I was just, like, meh about it."

"I knew I hadn't found the right story yet," she went on to say. Maas said she ended up writing a new draft of the story over the course of four or five weeks, and that draft went on to become the book that will be published.

"House of Flame and Shadow" hits bookshelves on January 30, 2024.