Crescent City
#164.38 of 664 ranked universes · 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.
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 (1,276,274 ratings) |
 | House of Sky and Breath | 2022 | 2 | core | 4.41 (927,662 ratings) |
 | House of Flame and Shadow | 2024 | 3 | core | 4.25 (785,971 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? #16 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 2,989,907 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #16?
Ranked #16 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.38 across 3 core books.
- Backed by 3.0M reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #15, Glass Immortals (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 · 3.0M ratings · Ranks #16 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
- Alpha and Omega Urban fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.26
- Shield of Sparrows Romantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.40
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.38 across 2,989,907 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.