Reading Between the Courts: A Cultural Lens on ACOTAR’s Magical Realms

Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series has enchanted millions with its powerful characters and sweeping word-building. But beneath the fantasy and romance lies something equally interesting: the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) cultural coding of the courts.

While Maas doesn’t explicitly name real-world cultural inspirations, many readers have picked up on patterns-architecture, language, values, and aesthetics–that evoke specific global traditions. When we look at the Night Court, the Day Court, or even the lesser-discussed Dawn Court, through a cultural lens, we see a rich tapestry woven from worldwide influences.

Let's break it down.

Night Court: North African/Middle Eastern/South Asian Coding

Verlaris, the hidden gem of the Night Court, is lush with color, starlight, and deep emotion. Its design-ornate, sensual, and layered–feels drawn from North African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian traditions. Picture the medinas of Morocco, the bustling markets of India, the domes of Istanbul, or the marble palaces of Jaipur.

Magic in this court balances darkness and beauty, mirroring spiritual dualities found in Sufi mysticism or Vedic cosmology. Rhysand himself, a figure of both power and tenderness, fits well within this cultural aesthetic: protector, philosopher, and romantic all in one.

In addition, the Night Court also has a hidden refuge that parallels historic cities that have served as cultural sanctuaries amid oppression.

Summer Court: Afro-Caribbean Vibes

The Summer Court’s deep connection to the ocean, celebration of life, and vibrant atmosphere suggest a strong Afro-Caribbean influence. With its tropical imagery, emphasis on family and community, and themes of resilience, this court feels spiritually aligned with island cultures shaped by survival, celebration, and deep ancestral ties.

Summer represents joy as resistance–a theme echoed in Caribbean histories of colonialism, resistance, and cultural pride.

Day Court: East Asian Inspirations With a Complex Twist

The Day Court, sun-drenched and orderly, radiates the values of East Asian traditions–particularly those of Confucian, Daoist, and imperial Chinese, Korean, or Japanese cultures. Its emphasis on scholarship, scrolls, and libraries positions knowledge as sacred. Its palaces and gardens suggest harmony, symmetry, and spiritual clarity.

However, there’s a twist: Helion, the High Lord of the Day Court, is widely interpreted as Black-coded-he’s described with dark skin, dreadlocks, and golden armor. This creates a fascinating complexity. While the court’s structure may be aesthetically East Asian, its leadership also reflects African diaspora identity, challenging a one-to-one cultural mapping.

This duality likely points to Maas’s blending of aesthetic-cultural codes with racially diverse character design, though some critics have noted that such blends sometimes feel surface-level or under-explored.

Dawn Court: Southeast Asia Coding

The Dawn Court is often overlooked, but many readers and scholars have picked up on Southeast Asia coding in its environment, aesthetics, and themes—especially in contrast to the Day Court’s East Asian influences.

Descriptions of domes, palaces, gold inlay, and light-filled, tropical structures evoke the grandeur of Cambodian, Thai, or Balinese temple architecture. Think: Angkor Wat, Ayutthaya, or the royal pavilions of Bali. The court’s warm tones, fragrant air, and ornate detail align beautifully with Southeast Asia's artistic traditions.

Thematically, the Dawn Court blends spirituality, beauty, and balance, suggesting a cultural model that honors learning and harmony without rigidity. Even the food, clothing, and sensory descriptions—spices, silks, glowing horizons — contribute to a lush Southeast Asia atmosphere.

Autumn Court: Indigenous American and Latin American Resonance

The Autumn Court, often portrayed as rigid or hostile, offers deeper meaning when viewed through Indigenous American and Latin American frameworks. The connection to fire, harvest, and ancestral land reflects agricultural and spiritual traditions found across Mesoamerican and Andean cultures, as well as North American Indigenous communities.

Themes of legacy, resistance, and the painful tension between tradition and personal agency are all here. Lucien’s role as an outsider born of two worlds parallels stories of diaspora, mixed heritage, and navigating identity under systems of control.

Winter Court: Inuit or Pre-Colonial Polynesian Coding

Rather than defaulting to a “Viking” lens, the Winter Court can be read through the cultures of Inuit peoples or pre-colonial Polynesian seafarers. These cultures have long histories of surviving–and thriving–in extreme environments.

The Winter Court’s stark beauty, stoicism, and reverence for seasonal cycles reflect Arctic Indigenous values like adaptability, community reliance, and ecological respect. If seen through a Polynesian lens, the frozen landscapes become vast oceans in an original state-navigated with ancestral wisdom and spiritual awareness.

Spring Court: Ashkenazi Jewish Resonance

Perhaps the most unexpected coding lies in the Spring Court, often viewed as overly traditional or emotionally repressive. But when interpreted through an Ashkenazi Jewish lens, its emotional weight makes more sense.

The Spring Court centers on themes of trauma, survival, and the pressure of preservation—all prominent in post-Holocaust Jewish identity. Tamlin’s overprotectiveness reads as generational trauma. The fear of loss and need for control reflect communities shaped by repeated displacement and grief.

Even the land itself-lush but stifling-evokes a homeland that must be protected at all costs, even if it means turning it into a gilded cage.

Why Cultural Coding in Fantasy Masters

Fantasy Worlds are never truly separate from our own. Real human histories, values, and aesthetics shape even the most magical realms. Cultural coding, whether intentional or subconscious, adds emotional depth and symbolic meaning to world-building.

Reading the ACOTAR courts through a cultural lens helps us see that representation isn’t just about who’s on the page–it’s about what’s behind the magic, what histories are being honored, and what stories are being retold in alternative forms.

Of course, it’s important to acknowledge that Sarah J. Maas has faced criticism for borrowing aesthetics from non-Western cultures without always deeply engaging with their histories or people. These readings are largely based on reader interpretation, not authorial confirmation. Still, they open the door for richer, more inclusive conversations in fantasy fandoms.

Final Thoughts

The courts of ACOTAR aren’t just fantasy–they’re reflections of real-world beauty, trauma, resilience, and legacy. Whether it’s the golden domes of the Dawn Court or the shadowy elegance of Velaris, each court offers a window into how culture and fantasy can intertwine.

So the next time you reread ACOTAR, ask yourself: Who built this magic? And what cultures live between the lines?