ACOTAR fans put real life on hold for latest release

As I arrive at Waterstones in York shortly before 08:00, there is already a queue forming outside the bookshop.

Fans of Sarah J Maas's bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series are waiting eagerly to get their hands on the latest instalment.

Among them is Olivia Bray, 28, who has spent more than a decade immersed in the American author's fantasy world.

For Bray, the appeal goes beyond magic, romance and fantastical kingdoms. It is the feminism running through Maas's books that has kept her coming back.

And with the release of A Court of Splintered Harmony, Bray is prepared to put real life on hold, having booked an entire week off work to give herself time to recover from whatever awaits her between the covers.