House of Earth and Blood

Before this book, I had never read any urban fantasy. To be honest with you all, I was a little biased against the genre. I could never really connect with the idea of elves, fae, and other magical beings existing alongside modern technology—cell phones, cars, and all that. It was a genre I always stayed away from and one I never thought I’d enjoy.

That being said, this was also my first Sarah J. Maas book. I had definitely heard of her before (and honestly, 90% of what I heard was positive). I knew some of her book titles and that they were fantasy, but I didn’t realize this series was actually urban fantasy. I was pretty uninformed about the genre of Crescent City going in. One day, I ended up buying all of her books and decided to give them a shot. I started with the Crescent City series simply because, well… they looked the coolest.

When I started reading and realized it was, in fact, urban fantasy, I immediately thought about dropping the book. But I told myself, what the hell, and kept going. Unfortunately, the first 100 pages really struggled to pull me in. I found it hard to relate to the popular girl friend group and the gorgeous female protagonist. The same goes for the other characters—at first, they felt too perfect to be relatable. That actually made me put the book down for almost three months while I read other things. But when I finally picked it back up and stuck with it, everything changed. The characters started to feel more real and layered. The plot flowed so smoothly that I dropped everything else just to keep reading. I finished the book in less than a week.

As the story goes on, we see that the characters aren’t perfect at all. Every plot point adds depth to them and makes them more human. Sarah J. Maas writes trauma and PTSD incredibly well. I won’t spoil which characters go through it, but she shows how those experiences affect their daily lives in a realistic and meaningful way. That emotional weight adds a lot to the story. Even the side characters are written with just as much care as the main ones—they never feel flat or forgotten.

Crescent City itself is a fascinating setting. It’s a modern urban world where magic and technology coexist, and Maas doesn’t shy away from the darker sides of urban life. Drug use, inequality, and corruption are all present, which makes the world feel gritty and believable. At the same time, the city sometimes doesn’t feel fully alive. The book takes place mostly in one area, and we don’t get to explore much beyond it. I hope that changes in the next books, which I haven’t read yet.

The world-building is one of the strongest parts of the book. There’s no info-dumping. Instead, the world is revealed slowly, bit by bit, through each chapter. You can tell there’s a deep history and rich lore behind everything, and that made the reading experience even more immersive for me. I also liked that the book isn’t overly descriptive—it strikes a good balance that made it easier to read.

The relationship between Bryce and Hunt is written really well. It doesn’t feel rushed or artificial. It’s a slow burn that takes its time, and as their connection deepens, it feels natural and earned. You slowly start rooting for them, and when they finally come together, it makes perfect sense. The emotional development between them is one of the highlights of the story.

The mystery at the center of the plot is also done really well. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the story hits you with a twist that changes everything. It keeps you guessing and builds tension in a way that adds depth to the entire book. There’s definitely a strong murder mystery element, which I wasn’t expecting at first but ended up really enjoying.

The last 200 pages are absolutely incredible. They read so quickly and with so much energy that I didn’t even realize how fast I was turning the pages. It’s emotional, action-packed, and very well written. I couldn’t put it down.

Of course, I do have a few critiques. Sometimes the characters can come off as too feminine or too masculine—there’s not a lot of variety in personality types, and that stood out to me. The dialogue also occasionally feels a bit cringy or cliché, though overall it works for the tone of the book. And even though the story has high-stakes moments, I rarely felt like the main characters were in real danger. They always seem to make it out somehow—whether due to their powers, race, or sheer luck. I say this even though one important character does die early on and sets the whole plot in motion. That moment had real emotional weight, but later on, the stakes didn’t always feel as sharp.

One important note for new readers: this is very much an adult fantasy book. It contains strong language, graphic violence, and sexual content. If that’s not something you enjoy in a story, this might not be the right book for you.

If you love fantasy, urban fantasy, adult themes, and slow-burn romance, there’s a good chance you’ll really enjoy this book. Despite its flaws, it surprised me in the best way—and I’m genuinely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5.