Utah has banned 13 books, including six by bestselling fantasy author Sarah J. Maas, from all public schools in the state, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
The Utah State Board of Education has demanded that schools pull all of the books from school shelves under the new law H.B. 29, which Gov. Spencer Cox signed in March.
The list of banned books includes A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames, and Empire of Storms. The first five books comprise Maas’ popular romantasy series, also called A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Maas’ books have frequently been the target of censors. A Court of Mist and Fury made the American Library Association’s list of the top 10 challenged or banned books of 2022.
Two books by another frequently banned author, Ellen Hopkins, made the list: Falloutand Tilt. Judy Blume’s Forever…and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crakewere also banned in Utah schools, alongside Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey, Craig Thompson’s Blankets, and Elana K. Arnold’s What Girls Are Made Of.
Arnold told Fox 13 News that she was not surprised to hear her book was on Utah’s list.
“I have 16 titles that have been banned or removed from various collections; this is one of the most frequent,” she said.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
