by Antoinette
The hype is getting real for the new Sarah J. Maas book House of Flame and Shadow. This third installment in the Crescent City series will be released on January 20, 2024, and internet is abuzz with excited readers preparing for this long-awaited event.
Sarah J. Maas is an American fantasy author known for her numerous bestselling fantasy series including Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the aforementioned Crescent City. Her books have sold over 12 million copies worldwide, translated into thirty-seven languages.
The Throne of Glass series (TOG) was the first that Maas began writing when she was 16 years old. The story line is a sort of “what if” scenario based on Cinderella’s story; in this case, what if Cinderella was not a servant but an assassin. The TOG world is very much a stereotypical medieval fantasy world with magic of all types.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) is Maas’ second, and most popular, fantasy series and is a loose retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale mixed with faerie lore.
Maas’ third series, Cresent City (CC), is also her first adult fantasy series and takes place in a more modern fantasy world with a mix of both magic and faerie lore.
Maas designates a significant amount of time across series to world building and developing the lore. Readers familiar with the series have their own theories about how future books will progress; draw your own conclusions regarding canon versus fan-on (fan made canon events) theories by reading them yourself!
If you are just looking to get started, you do not have to read all the books to understand what is going on in the Crescent City world so far. However, Maas has said that you do need to read ACOTAR to know what is going on in House of Flame and Shadow. According to the author, only TOG is designed to be a true standalone series.
To read (or listen to) the entire SJM Universe would take you approximately 154 hours, with the following suggested reading order:
A Court of Thorns and Roses in series order – 45 hours
- A Court of Thorns and Roses
- A Court of Mist and Fury
- A Court of Wings and Ruin
- A Court of Frost and Starlight
- A Court of Silver Flames
Throne of Glass series in the below order – 85 hours
- Throne of Glass
- Crown of Midnight
- Heir of Fire
- The Assassin’s Blade
- Queen of Shadows
- Empire of Storms
- Tower of Dawn
- Kingdom of Ash
Crescent City in series order – 24 hours
- House of Earth and Blood
- House of Sky and Breath
Note: No Cheating! Do not read the last pages of House of Sky and Breath until you have finished the Court of Thorns and Roses series.
I hope this has helped you map out your Sarah J. Maas reading game plan! Check out the collections on cloudLibrary and hoopla and get ready, House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, book 3) will be released January 20, 2024.
