House of Earth and Blood (2020) by Sarah J. Maas is the explosive first installment in the Crescent City series, marking the bestselling author’s triumphant foray into adult fantasy. Published by Bloomsbury, this genre-blending epic introduces Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae party girl turned investigator, who teams up with fallen angel Hunt Athalar to solve her best friend’s murder in the magical metropolis of Lunathion. The 2020 first edition, features a cover design by Carlos Quevedo depicting the city’s crescent moon sigil—a visual nod to the novel’s themes of celestial magic and urban decay.
Maas’s worldbuilding shines in her creation of a modern fantasy universe where angels, merfolk, and witches navigate nightclubs, smartphones, and ancient prophecies. The novel’s balance of murder mystery, slow-burn romance, and high-stakes magical warfare—culminating in a heart-wrenching finale—expands Maas’s signature style for an older audience.
