If you follow Booked J on any social media platform, you already know I'm a MASSIVE fan of SJM's A Court of Thorns and Roses series. (And that I have a lot of mixed, love-hate, feelings on Throne of Glass.) Well, I've got an update for you: House of Earth and Blood is one of her best series introductions to date, and Crescent City is setting itself up to be an new favourite series.


House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) 
by Sarah J. Maas

Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.

“That's the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious.”

First of all, I can feel an obsession brewing with House of Earth and Blood. I positively adored and completely devoured this one, similarly to how quickly I was consumed by A Court of Thorns and Roses. Still, it won't be for everyone and readers who actively dislike SJM's works will feign outrage over another series with fae.

(And they will continue to not show the same energy to male authors who write stories in their own set mythology, but that's another topic entirely. P.S., SJM isn't overrated, you just don't like her books and cannot comprehend that others do.)

Already, House of Earth and Blood is ions more compelling than Throne of Glass for me. It holds the same addictive quality to it that A Court of Thorns and Roses did. While TOG eventually became a chore for me to continue reading, I could scarcely put House of Earth and Blood down and am aching for the sequel.

Literally aching.

Although similar in structure and the occasional mythological creature, House of Earth and Blood is a new variety from the author. Written for an adult audience, it still has SJM's signature prose that is easy-breezy to slip into and burrow under your skin. Now with more gore and cursing.

(It still is highly reminiscent of her young adult prose, which is, honestly, more like new adult.)

Armed with classic tropes, witty dialogue, heart-breaking moments, and more, House of Earth and Blood certainly sets the tone for an all new series. Crescent City is pulsing with energy, lust, badassery and SO MUCH potential. The sheer horror and sympathy from the get-go is enough to get the pages turning, turning, turning, until there is nothing left to read. (And then comes the desire for more.)

The first, and only, thing you need to know about House of Earth and Blood is that it is not a mirror image of anything SJM has provided us in the past. There's an action-packed, vicious, tense with love and lust, tone to it that is undeniably charismatic and something about it sets itself apart from all prior SJM releases. House of Earth and Blood had me swooning, tearful, on edge, and so much more--I daresay it may be her best novel to date.