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Crescent City [Dramatized Adaptation] #1, Part 1
House of Earth and Blood (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
Sarah J. Maas's CRESCENT CITY series begins with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.
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 dramatized audiobook 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.
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 dramatized audiobook 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.
12 pages, Audiobook
Published February 29, 2024
About the author
Sarah J. Maas
155 books587k followersSarah J. Maas is the #1 bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. She lives in New York City with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 644 reviews
September 26, 2024
Honestly, it was much easier to understand the worldbuilding of the Crescent City series because it includes full cast of actors, narration, sound effect and cinematic music. GraphicAudio delivered just as I expected! 😉👌🌙✨
If you plan to read the book but find it intimidating, try listening to the GraphicAudio's House of Earth and Blood! I have definitely enjoyed it a lot, and am currently in part two!
For full review of House of Earth and Blood, you can read my review here.
If you plan to read the book but find it intimidating, try listening to the GraphicAudio's House of Earth and Blood! I have definitely enjoyed it a lot, and am currently in part two!
For full review of House of Earth and Blood, you can read my review here.
March 10, 2024
How many different versions of the same book can I read/listen to in one year 😂
July 23, 2025
I had a rocky start with this series. It took picking this up twice for me to finish it. The first time it didn't go so well because I was under the impression (which turned out to be very, very wrong and it was solely on me) that this was ACOTAR 2.0. In the sense that it would be a paranormal romance, which (for me) means that the major focus of the story would be the romance. When that wasn't the case (this reads more like an urban fantasy - story driven, romance comes second to the plot), it soured the book for me. Again, totally my fault for assuming. I'm also a mood reader, so when the book I picked up turned out to not be what my brain decided it wanted to read, I had to jump ship or throw myself into a slump (which I wasn't about to do for a book).
The second time I picked this one up I knew what I was walking into. I made it a point to not read the synopsis or any reviews because I wanted to go in blind. People online have made a big deal of SJM series all being interconnected and whatnot so I didn't want to unknowingly read spoilers.
All that being said, I really liked this one! Honestly, it's lowkey better than ACOTAR. The chemistry and witty banter/sass between Bryce and Hunt was so fun to read. I liked that Bryce puts on this stereotypical airheaded personality for people to underestimate her. It pays to play the ditz when you're trying to solve a crime. I appreciated how Hunt also made that assumption and was later on confronted with how capable and smart she was, and had to check his ego and apologize. One thing that made me grit my teeth with this story was how every guy on the face of the planet wanted to get in Bryce's pants. Look, I get it, she's pretty. We don't need to portray that as every guy within a ten-mile radius wants her and won't accept no for an answer. When it gets to that point, it's just plain weird and it happened with every guy she spoke to throughout this series.
Ever been angry with an author for killing off a character that had like 5 minutes of screen time but ends up haunting the rest of the story?
The Graphic Audio Narration:
I have yet to find a Graphic Audio narration that I don't like. They outdo themselves with every release! What made this book even better? That it was produced by Graphic Audio. I probably would have never picked this book up if it weren't for Graphic Audio. I think all audiobooks should get the Graphic Audio treatment.
The second time I picked this one up I knew what I was walking into. I made it a point to not read the synopsis or any reviews because I wanted to go in blind. People online have made a big deal of SJM series all being interconnected and whatnot so I didn't want to unknowingly read spoilers.
All that being said, I really liked this one! Honestly, it's lowkey better than ACOTAR. The chemistry and witty banter/sass between Bryce and Hunt was so fun to read. I liked that Bryce puts on this stereotypical airheaded personality for people to underestimate her. It pays to play the ditz when you're trying to solve a crime. I appreciated how Hunt also made that assumption and was later on confronted with how capable and smart she was, and had to check his ego and apologize. One thing that made me grit my teeth with this story was how every guy on the face of the planet wanted to get in Bryce's pants. Look, I get it, she's pretty. We don't need to portray that as every guy within a ten-mile radius wants her and won't accept no for an answer. When it gets to that point, it's just plain weird and it happened with every guy she spoke to throughout this series.
Ever been angry with an author for killing off a character that had like 5 minutes of screen time but ends up haunting the rest of the story?
The Graphic Audio Narration:
I have yet to find a Graphic Audio narration that I don't like. They outdo themselves with every release! What made this book even better? That it was produced by Graphic Audio. I probably would have never picked this book up if it weren't for Graphic Audio. I think all audiobooks should get the Graphic Audio treatment.
June 3, 2025
So I just can’t get enough of this series, as soon as I finished the book I started listening to the graphic audio 🙈😍
April 8, 2024
I just couldn’t get used to the voice they gave Bryce, I don’t know why but it just didn’t fit with the voice I had in mind. Same with a bunch of other voices..
September 8, 2025
4.5☆ Review:
What a start. I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying the mix of a modern setting with supernatural creatures.
I love the banter between Bryce and everyone else.
I can’t wait to listen to part two.
What a start. I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying the mix of a modern setting with supernatural creatures.
I love the banter between Bryce and everyone else.
I can’t wait to listen to part two.
April 5, 2026
Amazing production! Perfect for a reread. The audio is so well-donе
and I love catching all the little Easter eggs for the other series. It's just a bit weird hearing Tamlin's voice for Declan 🤭
and I love catching all the little Easter eggs for the other series. It's just a bit weird hearing Tamlin's voice for Declan 🤭
September 15, 2026
perfect
August 13, 2024
This first part was way easier to follow than the first time I read it because I honestly had no idea what was happening then 🙏
April 6, 2024
I have already read the book and I love it, but omg, the graphicaudio was amazing. I felt like I was in the story and was able to picture everything so clearly. Even the world building, which is difficult in the book while reading, was so much easier to understand this way. I can’t wait until part 2 comes out. ❤️
September 26, 2023
I’M SO EXCITED!!!!
December 10, 2024
10/10!!!!!!!
September 16, 2026
After DNF'ing this book twice, I'm happy to report third time's the charm! I loved this first half of the book so much!
February 20, 2026
All of the stars❤️😭
✅✅ Great characters
✅ So many feelings!!!
✅ Complex world-building
✅ Compelling plot
✅ Action and pace
✅ Mystery to solve
✅ Magical creatures / Powers
✅ Love interest / Sexual tension
✅ Hate-to-friends-to-love
🆗 Info-dump in the first chapters
❗️❗️ Be sure to have Kleenex near you when you read this book
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: suicide ideation, depression, alcohol, drug use, torture, gore, and deaths
_______________________
Third read:Every time.
Every. Single. Time.
I cry.
Listening to the book this time was a whole new level of pain.
_______________________
Bryce Quinlan lost everything 2 years ago when her best friend’s pack was slaughtered, along with her best friend, in their apartment. Now, as she is trying to move on, without much success, she is forced to dive back into those painful memories when she is asked by the governor of the city to team up with one of his angels to investigate a murder that seems to have the same signature as her best friend’s. Only, the more they investigate, the more complicated it becomes, as the murders seem to be connected to a theft that happened 2 years prior, and to a new drug that hit the street and could have disastrous repercussions for the city.
Welcome to Crescent City, where shifters, fae, angels, witches, sprites, and any other magical creatures that you can think of coexist in relative peace and order.
Now, the world-building of this story is complex, I do like the fact that there are details about the government, the history, the structure, and the functioning of the city, but honestly, it felt like a big dumping of information for the first 4 chapters. I had to re-read the first chapters and take some notes about the Packs, the Aux., the Imperial Legion, the Asteri, the Triarii, Midgard, Pangera, the FiRo, the heads of the city, etc... The information about these new concepts (and new words or abbreviations) was just casually thrown in the story without any real explanation as if we were supposed to know right away how everything was organized. I do complain when everything is painfully explained over and over and over again, but in this story, I would have appreciated a few more details in the first few chapters.
Here is a quick recap of what you need to know about the structure of Crescent City:
- The Asteris are ruling over all the Republic, they are untouchable.
- Crescent City is part of the Republic. The Republic is divided into 10 territories.
- There are 6 lower Heads in Crescent City, each one controlling a specific part of the city:
The Prime of Wolves in Moonwood
The Viper Queen in the Meat Market
The Fae Autumn King in Five Roses (FiRo)
The Under-King in the Bone Quarter
The Oracle in Old Square
The River Queen beneath the Istros River
- Micah, the Archangel, is the 7th Head and rules over the 6 lower Heads. He is also the Governor of the city.
- The City’s Auxiliary (Aux) is made of packs and groups that patrol and protect the city.
- The 33rd Imperial Legion is the Governor’s personal army of angels, also part of the Auxiliary.
- Humans in the country of Pangera are oppressed by the magically gifted and the Vanir (magical beings such as shifters). It’s not as bad in the City, but there are definitely tensions.
But if you can push through these first 3 chapters, it gets better and it is so worth it! The main intrigue is a mix of murder, theft, and a drug-selling scheme to solve, and even though this book is almost 800 pages, it doesn’t drag on. There are fight scenes and action, especially for the last 200 pages. There are also some plot twists (no secret wedding yet though... iykyk) and just enough mystery to keep us guessing about the identity of the person behind it all until the end and it honestly kept me at the edge of my seat. I know that some people are sick and tired of Sarah J. Maas's style and I admit that Bryce reminds me of Aelin (yes she is super pretty and sassy and ends up being quite powerful), and her relationship with Hunt is a little similar to Feyre and Rhys's relationship at their beginning or even similar to Aelin and Rowan's relationship (banter, sarcasm, love/hate), but I still liked it and I really enjoyed reading this book.
Bryce is a sarcastic and "gorgeous-and-I-know-it" half-human half-fae girl and Hunt is the sexy fallen angel, the ex-general who's now a slave to the republic after leading a failed rebellion. They have to work together to solve the murders and stay alive because of course people are also trying to kill them. Add to that a few Fae (and an awesome half-brother that I wish to see more of in the next book), some angels, proud shifters, a funny sprite, and a cute chimera and you are ready for one hell of an adventure! I got really attached to the characters and I cried more than once (and I mean ugly sobbing), especially while reading the last 200 pages.
Bryce lets the world think that she’s a lazy, dumb party girl, but she is so much more than that. She is sweet, kind, caring, and fiercely protective. I really enjoyed watching her defend Hunt and doing all these little gestures to show him that he was worthy of love and that he was not alone anymore. Every time I reread this book, I fell more in love with her brilliant, cunning, sassy, and selfless ass and now I am utterly in love with Bryce Quinlan.
Bryce and Danika’s friendship is so beautiful and inspiring. They set the ultimate friendship goal. How devoted they are to each other, how they always have each other’s back, and the way Bryce still thinks about her friend every day as she tries to go on with her life… It was beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time.
I admit that I was not the biggest fan of Hunt the first time I read this book (don’t ask me why, I can’t even remember), but I have to say that he grew on me the second time around and I adore him now. So many times I felt heartbroken because of his story and I wanted someone to just hug him and tell him that everything would be okay. He is this tough, intimidating angel, and people are scared of him, but all he wants is to be free to live a long, normal, and boring life.
The relationship between Bryce and Hunt is so cute. It was everything.
I would qualify this as a hate-to-love type of romance since they started off wanting to punch each other in the throat. Honestly, though, it’s not even the romance part that got me all mushy, it’s the friendship they developed that was just SO FREAKING SWEET. They were both alone and lonely in their miserable life, and they realized that maybe they could find some kind of solace and peace with each other. His cooking for Bryce and her telling him that he could stay with her even after their investigation was over are the types of cute and heartwarming moments that made me smile like a deranged person way too many times. I am totally jealous of their relationship.
The characters are definitely a strength of this book. They are well developed, have their voice, and made me feel so many emotions.
- Ruhn is such a sweet big brother. Even though faes are all about power and selfishness, he does not give a shit about it as long as he can keep Bryce safe and be involved in her life.
- Tharion is a great secondary character, even though he is only there for a few pages. I really like him, I hope we get to see more of him in the next book.
- Aidas is super intriguing and mysterious and I can’t wait to know more about him.
- Hypaxia has the potential to be a great character and we’ve only seen her for a few pages in this book.
- Lehabah and Syrinx were the cutest friends for Bryce, they are both the cutest, sweetest, most perfect and I LOVE THEM with all my heart.
- Ithan seems like an interesting character too, I wonder if he will have a more important role to play in the next book.
They all made me cry. Many times.
Even though it was a re-read and I knew what was coming, I cried ugly fat tears and I am not ashamed of it. Also, talking about crying, I have to say that I love the fact that the males in this book do cry and are not ashamed of it. Ruhn and Hunt cried and they did not try to hide it or downplay it, they owned it because men (or males in this case) are allowed to cry.
As I said, the story is a little confusing at first, but you quickly get sucked into the universe of Crescent City. I know that this book will not be appreciated by everyone, but I found it amazing! It was different from Maas' other book because it was more focused on an investigation and resolving a crime instead of defeating a big evil villain threatening to destroy the world, and it was a nice change.
On a side note, this is also officially Sarah J. Maas's first adult fantasy novel (or so I've read...), but honestly, the main difference is the main characters’ age (25 yo), and the swearing, but it's not over-the-top. Get ready to read a lot about Alphaholes though (Alpha-assholes), if ACOMAF had a lot to say about busybodies, House of Earth and Blood is the domain of Alphaholes, I lost count of how many times this word was used.
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✅✅ Great characters
✅ So many feelings!!!
✅ Complex world-building
✅ Compelling plot
✅ Action and pace
✅ Mystery to solve
✅ Magical creatures / Powers
✅ Love interest / Sexual tension
✅ Hate-to-friends-to-love
🆗 Info-dump in the first chapters
❗️❗️ Be sure to have Kleenex near you when you read this book
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: suicide ideation, depression, alcohol, drug use, torture, gore, and deaths
_______________________
Third read:Every time.
Every. Single. Time.
I cry.
Listening to the book this time was a whole new level of pain.
_______________________
”Light it up, bitch.”
Bryce Quinlan lost everything 2 years ago when her best friend’s pack was slaughtered, along with her best friend, in their apartment. Now, as she is trying to move on, without much success, she is forced to dive back into those painful memories when she is asked by the governor of the city to team up with one of his angels to investigate a murder that seems to have the same signature as her best friend’s. Only, the more they investigate, the more complicated it becomes, as the murders seem to be connected to a theft that happened 2 years prior, and to a new drug that hit the street and could have disastrous repercussions for the city.
Welcome to Crescent City, where shifters, fae, angels, witches, sprites, and any other magical creatures that you can think of coexist in relative peace and order.
Now, the world-building of this story is complex, I do like the fact that there are details about the government, the history, the structure, and the functioning of the city, but honestly, it felt like a big dumping of information for the first 4 chapters. I had to re-read the first chapters and take some notes about the Packs, the Aux., the Imperial Legion, the Asteri, the Triarii, Midgard, Pangera, the FiRo, the heads of the city, etc... The information about these new concepts (and new words or abbreviations) was just casually thrown in the story without any real explanation as if we were supposed to know right away how everything was organized. I do complain when everything is painfully explained over and over and over again, but in this story, I would have appreciated a few more details in the first few chapters.
Here is a quick recap of what you need to know about the structure of Crescent City:
- The Asteris are ruling over all the Republic, they are untouchable.
- Crescent City is part of the Republic. The Republic is divided into 10 territories.
- There are 6 lower Heads in Crescent City, each one controlling a specific part of the city:
The Prime of Wolves in Moonwood
The Viper Queen in the Meat Market
The Fae Autumn King in Five Roses (FiRo)
The Under-King in the Bone Quarter
The Oracle in Old Square
The River Queen beneath the Istros River
- Micah, the Archangel, is the 7th Head and rules over the 6 lower Heads. He is also the Governor of the city.
- The City’s Auxiliary (Aux) is made of packs and groups that patrol and protect the city.
- The 33rd Imperial Legion is the Governor’s personal army of angels, also part of the Auxiliary.
- Humans in the country of Pangera are oppressed by the magically gifted and the Vanir (magical beings such as shifters). It’s not as bad in the City, but there are definitely tensions.
But if you can push through these first 3 chapters, it gets better and it is so worth it! The main intrigue is a mix of murder, theft, and a drug-selling scheme to solve, and even though this book is almost 800 pages, it doesn’t drag on. There are fight scenes and action, especially for the last 200 pages. There are also some plot twists (no secret wedding yet though... iykyk) and just enough mystery to keep us guessing about the identity of the person behind it all until the end and it honestly kept me at the edge of my seat. I know that some people are sick and tired of Sarah J. Maas's style and I admit that Bryce reminds me of Aelin (yes she is super pretty and sassy and ends up being quite powerful), and her relationship with Hunt is a little similar to Feyre and Rhys's relationship at their beginning or even similar to Aelin and Rowan's relationship (banter, sarcasm, love/hate), but I still liked it and I really enjoyed reading this book.
Yeah, Quinlan had balls. She was stupid and brash, but at least she had nerve. The combination, however, would likely see her dead before she completed the Drop.
Bryce is a sarcastic and "gorgeous-and-I-know-it" half-human half-fae girl and Hunt is the sexy fallen angel, the ex-general who's now a slave to the republic after leading a failed rebellion. They have to work together to solve the murders and stay alive because of course people are also trying to kill them. Add to that a few Fae (and an awesome half-brother that I wish to see more of in the next book), some angels, proud shifters, a funny sprite, and a cute chimera and you are ready for one hell of an adventure! I got really attached to the characters and I cried more than once (and I mean ugly sobbing), especially while reading the last 200 pages.
He swallowed hard, but she merely fitted the gun to her shoulder, each movement as comfortable as he’d expect from someone raised by a legendary sharpshooter. She clicked off the safety and didn’t bother to use the scope as she said to none of them in particular, “Allow me to demonstrate why you all can kiss my fucking ass.”
Bryce lets the world think that she’s a lazy, dumb party girl, but she is so much more than that. She is sweet, kind, caring, and fiercely protective. I really enjoyed watching her defend Hunt and doing all these little gestures to show him that he was worthy of love and that he was not alone anymore. Every time I reread this book, I fell more in love with her brilliant, cunning, sassy, and selfless ass and now I am utterly in love with Bryce Quinlan.
Bryce and Danika’s friendship is so beautiful and inspiring. They set the ultimate friendship goal. How devoted they are to each other, how they always have each other’s back, and the way Bryce still thinks about her friend every day as she tries to go on with her life… It was beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time.
Hunt wondered how much trouble he’d get in if he chucked Bryce Quinlan into the Istros. After the morning he’d had, any punishment from Micah or being turned into a pig by Jesiba Roga was starting to seem well worth it.
“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.”
I admit that I was not the biggest fan of Hunt the first time I read this book (don’t ask me why, I can’t even remember), but I have to say that he grew on me the second time around and I adore him now. So many times I felt heartbroken because of his story and I wanted someone to just hug him and tell him that everything would be okay. He is this tough, intimidating angel, and people are scared of him, but all he wants is to be free to live a long, normal, and boring life.
Ember frowned. “Why,” she asked Bryce, “is Hunt Athalar your roommate?”
“He was booted from the 33rd for his questionable fashion sense,” she said, munching on the croissant. “I told him his boring black clothes don’t bother me, and let him stay here.”
“You’re my friend.” The words hung between them. His head dipped again, as if he could hide the expression on his face as he amended, “If you would like me to be.”
For a moment, she stared at him. The offer thrown out there. The quiet vulnerability. It erased any annoyance still in her veins.“Didn’t you know, Athalar?” The tentative hope in his face nearly destroyed her. “We’ve been friends from the moment you thought Jelly Jubilee was a dildo.”
“You look how I feel,” she whispered, her throat tight. “Every day.”
He blinked, his only sign that he’d heard.
The relationship between Bryce and Hunt is so cute. It was everything.
I would qualify this as a hate-to-love type of romance since they started off wanting to punch each other in the throat. Honestly, though, it’s not even the romance part that got me all mushy, it’s the friendship they developed that was just SO FREAKING SWEET. They were both alone and lonely in their miserable life, and they realized that maybe they could find some kind of solace and peace with each other. His cooking for Bryce and her telling him that he could stay with her even after their investigation was over are the types of cute and heartwarming moments that made me smile like a deranged person way too many times. I am totally jealous of their relationship.
“I don’t care if I’m called Prince or Starborn or the Chosen One or any of that.” He grabbed her hand. “The only thing I want to be called right now is your brother.” He added softly, “If you’ll have me.”
The characters are definitely a strength of this book. They are well developed, have their voice, and made me feel so many emotions.
- Ruhn is such a sweet big brother. Even though faes are all about power and selfishness, he does not give a shit about it as long as he can keep Bryce safe and be involved in her life.
- Tharion is a great secondary character, even though he is only there for a few pages. I really like him, I hope we get to see more of him in the next book.
- Aidas is super intriguing and mysterious and I can’t wait to know more about him.
- Hypaxia has the potential to be a great character and we’ve only seen her for a few pages in this book.
- Lehabah and Syrinx were the cutest friends for Bryce, they are both the cutest, sweetest, most perfect and I LOVE THEM with all my heart.
- Ithan seems like an interesting character too, I wonder if he will have a more important role to play in the next book.
“Then let the world know that my first act of freedom was to help my friends.”
(...)
“My friends are with me and I am not afraid.”
The jackals joined them. The coyotes. The wild dogs and common dogs. The hyenas and dingoes. The foxes. It was who they were. Who they had always been. Defenders of those who could not protect themselves. Defenders of the small, the young. Shifter or true animal, that truth lay etched in the soul of every canine.
They all made me cry. Many times.
Even though it was a re-read and I knew what was coming, I cried ugly fat tears and I am not ashamed of it. Also, talking about crying, I have to say that I love the fact that the males in this book do cry and are not ashamed of it. Ruhn and Hunt cried and they did not try to hide it or downplay it, they owned it because men (or males in this case) are allowed to cry.
Through love, all is possible
As I said, the story is a little confusing at first, but you quickly get sucked into the universe of Crescent City. I know that this book will not be appreciated by everyone, but I found it amazing! It was different from Maas' other book because it was more focused on an investigation and resolving a crime instead of defeating a big evil villain threatening to destroy the world, and it was a nice change.
On a side note, this is also officially Sarah J. Maas's first adult fantasy novel (or so I've read...), but honestly, the main difference is the main characters’ age (25 yo), and the swearing, but it's not over-the-top. Get ready to read a lot about Alphaholes though (Alpha-assholes), if ACOMAF had a lot to say about busybodies, House of Earth and Blood is the domain of Alphaholes, I lost count of how many times this word was used.
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December 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! I’m gonna go ahead and just give it a four star because I don’t think I would reread it but I found it pretty easy to follow which I was nervous about because of other reviews saying it was really complicated to catch on to all the different species and names and everything but yeah, really excited to read this series.
August 9, 2026
Имам нужда от повече действие.
September 19, 2026
4.5 stars!
August 27, 2026
Best way to experience the Crescent City series IMO! Hunt’s narrators voice 👌🏻
June 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️ out of 5
(One star for not including the most annoying character of all time, Celaena Sardothien. The second? That’s for Bryce, who—against all odds—is actually likable.)
⸻
Sarah J. Maas opens this book with tragedy, bloodshed, and the promise of a supernatural crime thriller. And then… simply forgets to write one.
⸻
The Premise: An Urban Fantasy Procedural. Kind Of.
Bryce Quinlan is a half-fae party girl who suddenly becomes the central figure in an active investigation because… she happened to know the victim and was in the building once. Despite zero training, no badge, and no real interest in investigating anything beyond cocktail menus, the authorities hand her a demon case and say, essentially, “Good luck, babe.”
Strangely, she’s not terrible at it. Also not particularly good. Mostly she stares at old files, scowls at people, and makes a few intuitive leaps that everyone else in the city seems contractually obligated not to make. It’s less investigation and more mild poking around.
She’s grieving, prickly, smart, and capable—but doesn’t constantly tell us that she is. A rarity in a Maas heroine.
So that, I like.
⸻
Hunt Athalar: Emotionally Flat with a Side of Sports Fan
Hunt is introduced with immense dramatic weight. He’s the Umbra Mortis. The Shadow of Death. He’s killed over two thousand people (or destined to, responsible for, I dunno). And yet somehow… no personality has survived the carnage.
You expect menace, intensity, psychological complexity. What you get is a man who broods in corners, watches televised sports, and occasionally grumbles about injustice. He’s less “living weapon” and more “mildly intimidating personal trainer.” At one point, Bryce is literally more frightening than him.
There’s no internal conflict. No remorse. No rage. No charisma. Just muscles and trauma, served cold. He exists to glower, hover behind Bryce, and occasionally explain rules about angel bureaucracy that no one asked for. Somehow, this is not the worst part of the book.
⸻
The Pacing: All Flash, No Pulse
The opening scene—violent, shocking, tragic—is hands down the most dramatic part of the entire book. And then… nothing. For hours. Literal hours. The book becomes a drawn-out series of errands, slow walks through city districts, endless magical taxonomy, and Bryce quietly dealing with grief while Hunt lurks around like a moody tour guide. It’s like if Law & Order stopped solving crimes after the first 10 minutes and just followed the detectives around while they filled out paperwork and had unresolved feelings.
⸻
The Worldbuilding: Dense Yet Hollow
There are Houses. There are demons. There’s angel government. There’s a magical drug trade. None of it feels urgent. It’s more like an overly complicated board game you have to play with strangers who all insist you’re doing it wrong but won’t actually explain the rules.
Final Thoughts
This book wants to be gritty, emotional, and mysterious. But after the early tragedy, there’s no momentum. No tension. Just grief, bureaucracy, and Bryce trying to find answers in a system that doesn’t even seem to care there’s a killer on the loose.
And yet—Bryce works. She’s smart, emotional without being unhinged, and carries what little weight the story has. But she deserves a better plot. And a more compelling sidekick than a war criminal with a protein shake.
⸻
Verdict: Two stars.
One for escaping Celaena.
One for Bryce, who’s stuck inside a mystery that forgot to be interesting.
(One star for not including the most annoying character of all time, Celaena Sardothien. The second? That’s for Bryce, who—against all odds—is actually likable.)
⸻
Sarah J. Maas opens this book with tragedy, bloodshed, and the promise of a supernatural crime thriller. And then… simply forgets to write one.
⸻
The Premise: An Urban Fantasy Procedural. Kind Of.
Bryce Quinlan is a half-fae party girl who suddenly becomes the central figure in an active investigation because… she happened to know the victim and was in the building once. Despite zero training, no badge, and no real interest in investigating anything beyond cocktail menus, the authorities hand her a demon case and say, essentially, “Good luck, babe.”
Strangely, she’s not terrible at it. Also not particularly good. Mostly she stares at old files, scowls at people, and makes a few intuitive leaps that everyone else in the city seems contractually obligated not to make. It’s less investigation and more mild poking around.
She’s grieving, prickly, smart, and capable—but doesn’t constantly tell us that she is. A rarity in a Maas heroine.
So that, I like.
⸻
Hunt Athalar: Emotionally Flat with a Side of Sports Fan
Hunt is introduced with immense dramatic weight. He’s the Umbra Mortis. The Shadow of Death. He’s killed over two thousand people (or destined to, responsible for, I dunno). And yet somehow… no personality has survived the carnage.
You expect menace, intensity, psychological complexity. What you get is a man who broods in corners, watches televised sports, and occasionally grumbles about injustice. He’s less “living weapon” and more “mildly intimidating personal trainer.” At one point, Bryce is literally more frightening than him.
There’s no internal conflict. No remorse. No rage. No charisma. Just muscles and trauma, served cold. He exists to glower, hover behind Bryce, and occasionally explain rules about angel bureaucracy that no one asked for. Somehow, this is not the worst part of the book.
⸻
The Pacing: All Flash, No Pulse
The opening scene—violent, shocking, tragic—is hands down the most dramatic part of the entire book. And then… nothing. For hours. Literal hours. The book becomes a drawn-out series of errands, slow walks through city districts, endless magical taxonomy, and Bryce quietly dealing with grief while Hunt lurks around like a moody tour guide. It’s like if Law & Order stopped solving crimes after the first 10 minutes and just followed the detectives around while they filled out paperwork and had unresolved feelings.
⸻
The Worldbuilding: Dense Yet Hollow
There are Houses. There are demons. There’s angel government. There’s a magical drug trade. None of it feels urgent. It’s more like an overly complicated board game you have to play with strangers who all insist you’re doing it wrong but won’t actually explain the rules.
Final Thoughts
This book wants to be gritty, emotional, and mysterious. But after the early tragedy, there’s no momentum. No tension. Just grief, bureaucracy, and Bryce trying to find answers in a system that doesn’t even seem to care there’s a killer on the loose.
And yet—Bryce works. She’s smart, emotional without being unhinged, and carries what little weight the story has. But she deserves a better plot. And a more compelling sidekick than a war criminal with a protein shake.
⸻
Verdict: Two stars.
One for escaping Celaena.
One for Bryce, who’s stuck inside a mystery that forgot to be interesting.
June 6, 2024
Rating: 4★
DISCLAIMER: This was a reread for me! I had read CC already but really wanted to listened to the dramatized adaptation of the audiobook.
Similarly to other dramatized adaptations, I didn't LOVE all of the audiobook readers. Hunt lowkey sounded like Ron Swanson and Ruhn's voice didn't quite fit (and they're probably the two characters I would care most about). Again, at times it's too dramatic and I can't hear anything! For example, they will put "tv shows" or "pop music (with lyrics)" playing in the background and for someone who struggles with attention, I could not focus on what the characters were saying when there were other words being spoken or sung. ALSO! I listen to audiobooks in the car and this audiobook had a lot of car honking noises or sirens that FREAKED ME OUT while I was driving. At times, there was music when there didn't need to be which just felt too cheesy or cliche. Other times, there were overly gore-y sound effects during more violent scenes... GROSS. But again, it was still fun. I know that's the whole point of the dramatized adaption so it's still 4 stars!
DISCLAIMER: This was a reread for me! I had read CC already but really wanted to listened to the dramatized adaptation of the audiobook.
Similarly to other dramatized adaptations, I didn't LOVE all of the audiobook readers. Hunt lowkey sounded like Ron Swanson and Ruhn's voice didn't quite fit (and they're probably the two characters I would care most about). Again, at times it's too dramatic and I can't hear anything! For example, they will put "tv shows" or "pop music (with lyrics)" playing in the background and for someone who struggles with attention, I could not focus on what the characters were saying when there were other words being spoken or sung. ALSO! I listen to audiobooks in the car and this audiobook had a lot of car honking noises or sirens that FREAKED ME OUT while I was driving. At times, there was music when there didn't need to be which just felt too cheesy or cliche. Other times, there were overly gore-y sound effects during more violent scenes... GROSS. But again, it was still fun. I know that's the whole point of the dramatized adaption so it's still 4 stars!
March 25, 2026
Really hope Bryce gets cooler bc right now her character is WAY too shallow for me to get behind!!!!! Def so many names and politics but truly I’m just bopping along with the plot and assuming if the character is important SJM will say the name and title again bc god damn does she repeat herself.
On to part 2!
On to part 2!
September 30, 2024
The slowest built up ever but I enjoyed the world building. I have to listen while having the CC WIKI handy.
July 26, 2025
I can see why ppl hate this series.
(The narrators were so bad but the obsessive freak in me needs to see this atrocity to its end.)
(The narrators were so bad but the obsessive freak in me needs to see this atrocity to its end.)
October 13, 2024
This audio destroyed me!😭😭😭
When I read this book it took foreverrrrrr for me to get into it! Like 400 pages!… the last like 200-300 were absolutely insane and made me appreciate all of the build up. So listening to it I was hooked instantly and loved every second of it!
When I read this book it took foreverrrrrr for me to get into it! Like 400 pages!… the last like 200-300 were absolutely insane and made me appreciate all of the build up. So listening to it I was hooked instantly and loved every second of it!
April 28, 2025
This was such a fun re-read! The graphic audio was awesome. Excited and ready for the emotional damage to hit me again in part 2.
September 16, 2025
Re reading for triviaaaaa!!!
I love graphic audio so much! It’s such a fun way to re read books.
I love graphic audio so much! It’s such a fun way to re read books.
September 29, 2026
Seriously, all I can think about is why did I wait so long to start this series?!?! 😭
September 19, 2026
Criminally Underrated. I love Hunt. And Bryce is so cool! The Production of the Graphic Audio is great as always. I‘m trying to get over the fact that Xaden is Micah, but it’s fine.
September 7, 2026
Excellent cast once again, idk why people said they didn't like Hunt's voice.
March 1, 2024
So I love this book soooo much!!
The graphic audio was good, I loved the background sounds. I do enjoy a graphic audio.
Although I will say I love the standard audio better. Elizabeth Evans is so talented and I kept feeling like something was wrong because it wasn’t her narration.
I wasn’t 100% on hunts voice either felt like maybe he should of done a swap with isaiah.
But it’s still such a great story!
The graphic audio was good, I loved the background sounds. I do enjoy a graphic audio.
Although I will say I love the standard audio better. Elizabeth Evans is so talented and I kept feeling like something was wrong because it wasn’t her narration.
I wasn’t 100% on hunts voice either felt like maybe he should of done a swap with isaiah.
But it’s still such a great story!
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