Retail / news
Brands Rush Into ACOTAR Licensing as Sixth Book Hits Shelves Oct. 27
Retailers and consumer brands are rolling out merchandise tied to Sarah J. Maas's "A Court of Thorns and Roses" franchise ahead of the series' sixth installment, "A Court of Splintered Harmony," which arrives Oct. 27.
Target introduced a merchandise line on Oct. 11 built around the Courts and characters at the center of the series, spanning BrüMate tumblers and Alex and Ani bracelets and earrings. The retailer also plans midnight book-release events at select stores and a gift-with-purchase offer.
The same day, Fine'ry released "reimagined" versions of four scents already in its lineup, giving them new names and packaging drawn from the books. Earlier, in September, Funko Pop debuted figurines of ACOTAR characters including Feyre, Tamlin, Lucien, The Suriel and Rhysand, with a Feyre figure posed with her bow and arrow sold exclusively through Barnes & Noble and its online bookstore.
In early October, Loungefly added a crossbody bag printed with side-by-side images of the book covers, alongside a Ramiel Mountain mini backpack and a Bat Boys canvas tote bag.
The merchandise push follows a pattern brands have used with other entertainment properties, moving from "Barbie" to "Wicked" and now to the Maas universe. Readers are awaiting "A Court of Splintered Harmony," the sixth book in the series, and a seventh installment has already been announced.
Since 2015, the franchise has sold more than 75 million copies worldwide and has been credited with driving the growth of the romantasy category, a blend of romance and fantasy that has become a fixture of bookstore displays and online bestseller lists.