Review of Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas from a YA Fantasy Addict
- Lina Lintemuth
- Dec 15, 2021
- 6 min read
After devouring more than 12 Sarah J. Maas YA Fantasy books in the last few years, I was excited to see her approach to her first adult fantasy novel. In true Maas fashion, she did not disappoint.
Before I jump into my first official book review for this blog, I’d like to offer up some “credentials” first. I am an avid reader — and this is no exaggeration. I regularly finish 500 page books in the span of 36 hours, particularly when they are so addictive I just cannot put them down (...sleep? Never heard of her). I read an average of 70-80 books a year. I know my way around some literature, especially that of the YA Fantasy variety. Also, I don’t believe in giving spoilers, so you won’t ever find them here. Finally, this will probably be one of my lengthier reviews because of what I’m about to jump into. If you’re just here to decide if you want to read Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood, jump down to the next header.
Why do authors gravitate towards similar tropes so many times over? Well, for starters: they work.
Moving right along, I will make it known here and now that I fall firmly into the camp that adores Sarah J. Maas’ writing and the worlds she builds. Many of her books are among those I’ve finished in two days, sometimes even one. I find her writing to be the kind that pulls you in so thoroughly, it’s incredibly difficult to find your way out once you’re knee deep. It always baffles me how committed some people are to absolutely eviscerating Maas for anything she does. Are there some tired tropes in her books? Of course. I would challenge someone to find me a single YA novel today that doesn’t employ one kind of trope or another to round out the story line.
Why do authors gravitate towards similar tropes time and time again? Well, for starters: they work.
I know there are going to be a few self-proclaimed book snobs out there offended by that hot take, but it’s the truth. Writing is an art form, and like any art form, there are certain techniques and mediums that are proven to work best, no matter the colors or subjects.
The point I’m making is this: successful authors know what works and what doesn’t. Or rather, what sells and what doesn’t. Most people pick up books, especially fantasy books, to escape the mundane for a while — I know I sure do. So are the love triangles and ‘chosen one’ tropes realistic? Nope. But sometimes reality isn’t all that great. Personally, I care more about how well done the writing is than how many recurring themes there are. And Sarah J. Maas’ writing? Impeccable. Don’t even get me started on how impressed I am with her ability to tie together the smallest details between books in a series, just to bring you a totally unexpected ‘aha!’ moment three books later (shout out Throne of Glass).
All of that said — let’s talk about Crescent City!
Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood
Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood is an 803 page fantasy novel and Maas’ first foray into adult fantasy. What does that mean for those of us used to reading her YA content? More cursing, more bloody scenes, and far raunchier romances (even for Maas’ MO).
World building | 9.5/10
If there’s ever an area I feel Maas excels in, it’s world building. She has the innate ability to totally transport a reader through her pages into her fantastical, unique worlds. This is never something I find lacking in her writing, and to be totally transparent I could have done with a little less in House of Earth and Blood .
Still, I can see why she took such care with world building in this book. For starters, adult fantasy tends to dig much deeper into world building than YA fantasy does. That’s simply the nature of the genre. Additionally, Crescent City (the place) is very layered and complex. In order for her storyline to make sense, much of this entirely new world needed to be explained. I anticipate book two will be lighter on this front.
Character development | 6/10
Ahhh, Bryce Quinlan. The tall, tan, seemingly perfect party gal. I can totally relate.
Just kidding. I’m 5’3”, German (the extra pale kind) and haven’t been able to keep down a shot of anything without shuddering and chugging a chaser since college.
Beyond Bryce’s more obvious (and hard to relate to) qualities, there are of course some deeper layers there. Emotional and mental trauma play a role in her ongoing development, and I did cry for her on more than one occasion (yes, I cry while reading. No, I don’t want to talk about it).
My issues with Bryce don’t lie so much in what she has, but what she lacks. I felt that her total apathy and disconnection was sometimes a bit extreme, to the point where I felt skeptical, and I didn’t really notice it improving much as she began to work through some of the harder things that had happened in her life. Granted, plenty of us are like that outwardly, but even in her private moments I found myself waiting for more emotion, more tears, or more longing for someone, anyone to comfort her.
I will credit Maas in that Fae are typically written to be more emotionally disconnected than humans. However, our gal Bryce is 50/50, and at some point we all need someone to turn to. Maslow’s hierarchy and all that. I don’t think that’s a weakness and I wish she would have moved in the direction of realizing that instead of consistently shutting people out until wayyy late in the book.
Storyline | 7.5/10
Ok, there’s a reason this book is 800+ pages. There’s a lot to unpack. Sometimes I felt like I was reading three books in one. It’s certainly a rollercoaster, but I do believe Maas did a good job of tying things together, per usual. I also don’t think it would have made sense to separate House of Blood and Earth into smaller, separate books, since various components of the plot were so intricately linked. There were too many blanks that needed to be filled in early on for readers to truly grasp how deep some of the themes went.
I loved Maas’ emphasis on friendship, girl power, and the overall theme of being an independent ass b*tch. We need more of this in every literary space, so I hope it’s a theme that sticks (new trope, anyone? 😏).
However, referring back to my earlier points on character development — us independent ladies still have feelings, Ms. Maas. Even if they are expressed in private.
I also was not a fan of some larger gaps I saw crop up throughout the book. Bryce’s family situation is...complicated? Yes, complicated. I felt that topic needed some more attention, because uhh, it kind of turns out to be a huge freakin’ deal. There are some instances where I wanted more context surrounding damaged relationships, how certain characters were connected, etc.
Ultimately, I preferred the impossibly intertwined plot lines in the Throne of Glass series, and it’s difficult not to benchmark an author against themselves. Regardless, this is still a very well done first book to the Crescent City series.
Final Thoughts
To read or not to read?
Well, I love Maas’ writing, so unless she totally loses all of her talents someday and publishes something bafflingly awful (not likely) I will almost always recommend reading her work.
However, I do not recommend making Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood the first Sarah J. Maas work you read if you aren’t already familiar with her. It is a good book, but it isn’t a *knock your socks off* series (yet).
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) is a fan favorite, but I'd almost recommend the Throne of Glass series more. But please, for the love of all that is holy, do yourself a favor and read the Throne of Glass Novellas (0.1-0.5) and do so after you read book one (I read them after book two or three, I believe— just be sure to read them before you get to book five and beyond). Usually I don’t love novellas, but these added a multitude of depth to the story lines.