Crescent City
#154.39 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Ongoing 2020–present Reading commitment Medium Sarah J. Maas Last reviewed 2026-08-07
Overview
Sarah J. Maas's contemporary-set urban fantasy saga (Bloomsbury, 2020-present), following half-Fae party girl Bryce Quinlan through the city of Lunathion after a brutal murder draws her into a war between gods, angels, and demons. A separate continuity from Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass sagas. Across its three published novels, House of Earth and Blood (2020), House of Sky and Breath (2022), and House of Flame and Shadow (2024), the series shifts from an urban murder-mystery register toward wider interdimensional stakes, while retaining a modern, technology-inflected setting distinct from the medieval-coded worlds of Maas's other series. Small but deliberate crossover references connect Crescent City to Maas's other continuities without merging their plots or characters. The series has been a consistent bestseller on release, contributing to Maas's status as one of the highest-selling fantasy authors publishing in the 2020s.
Romantasy, Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Crescent City Sarah J. Maas
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | House of Earth and Blood | 2020 | 1 | core | 4.45 (1,321,314 ratings) |
 | House of Sky and Breath | 2022 | 2 | core | 4.41 (960,364 ratings) |
 | House of Flame and Shadow | 2024 | 3 | core | 4.26 (814,460 ratings) |
A 4th volume has been confirmed by the author as planned, with no title or release date announced as of 2026-08-07 -- isn't counted here yet.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Crescent City? Crescent City's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Crescent City? Publication order, starting with House of Earth and Blood. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Crescent City finished? Ongoing (2020–present).
- How much reading does Crescent City take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books · ~2,443 pages).
- How is Crescent City ranked? #15 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,096,138 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #15?
Ranked #15 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.39 across 3 core books.
- Backed by 3.1M reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #14, Nevermoor (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 3 books · Ongoing · 3.1M ratings · Ranks #15 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length romantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- House of Earth and Blood (2020)
- House of Sky and Breath (2022)
- House of Flame and Shadow (2024)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Readers' Choice Award (Best Fantasy), 2020: won: House of Earth and Blood; Confirmed via the award body's own winners-announcement blog post.
- Readers' Choice Award (Best Fantasy), 2022: won: House of Sky and Breath; Confirmed via the award body's own winners-announcement blog post.
- Readers' Choice Award (Best Romantasy), 2024: won: House of Flame and Shadow; 2024 was the first year of the new 'Romantasy' category (split out of Best Fantasy); House of Flame and Shadow won that category, not Best Fantasy (which went to Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune) -- confirmed via independent reporting of the award body's own results.
Related universes
- Same author A Court of Thorns and Roses: Both by Sarah J. Maas. Crescent City is confirmed a separate continuity from A Court of Thorns and Roses, sharing no direct crossover beyond Easter-egg references (the same loosely shared “literary multiverse” framing as Throne of Glass).
- Same author Throne of Glass: Both by Sarah J. Maas. Throne of Glass and Crescent City are confirmed separate continuities from each other, sharing no direct crossover beyond Easter-egg references.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Crescent City and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Empyrean Romantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.42
- Hidden Legacy Urban fantasy / Romantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.37
- Shield of Sparrows Romantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.40
- Kate Daniels Urban fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.35
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.39 across 3,096,138 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Crescent City admitted (in progress); Core Canon = the 3 published novels accepted 2026-08-07
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Related universes: see the Related universes section above.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-07
Rule: Core = all 3 published novels (House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, House of Flame and Shadow). In progress: a 4th volume is confirmed planned by the author, no title/date announced.