After Aelin Galathynius saved Erilea in Throne of Glass, and Feyre became High Lady in A Court of Thorns and Roses, came Bryce—a badass half-fae with nothing but a source of a blinding light coming from her chest. Trust that Sarah J. Maas arms her main characters with more than that, of course. Check our ACOTAR summary, and then a Throne of Glass character analysis, and come to your own conclusions.
A small tip to remember while navigating the Maasverse is to look for the details that connect the fae realms. In the Crescent City series, it becomes rather evident that the Fae share the same enemies and more. Take a look at our post on SJM theories and how the books are connected, right after finishing the synopsis of House of Earth and Blood, Crescent City Book #1, and the characters’ breakdown.
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Take notice that this post is filled with spoilers! Enjoy.
Lunathion, aka Crescent City, is a modern magical metropolis, the main city of Valbara in Midgard. Creatures from all species struggle to co-exist, and fight off humans rebels who have found refuge in Pangera. Note that humans are considered less than Vanir—any magical creature. However, there is a hierarchy between Vanir, too.
Bryce is a 23-year-old half-fae, half-human, who works at Griffin Antiquities; Jesiba Roga’s shop, where ancient scripts, and artifacts are collected and sold to the highest bidder. By night, though, Bryce roams around the city center, drinking, dancing, and doing anything that can make the night more interesting, with her best friend, Danika.
One fateful night, after clubbing hard with her other friends, Juniper and Fury, Bryce returns home to find Danika and her Pack of Devils murdered. Out of her mind, she follows the dark shadow of a demon coming out of their shared home, thinking it responsible for the werewolves’ deaths.
Bryce fights off the demon that has already found its next victim—but she does not come out unscathed. She ends up with a wound on her leg filled with the demon’s venom, but the stranger the demon attacked is safe. Bryce is taken in by Luthanion’s authorities, aka the governor’s Triarii, who interrogate her, but she is released immediately when her half-brother calls. Well, as if the governor himself can resist the Crown Prince of the Valbaran Fae, Ruhn Danaan.
Two years later, and still Danika’s murderer is on the loose. Hunt Athalar, the infamous Umbra Mortis, second in the elite warrior unit, pays Bryce a visit at Griffin’s. Another murder occurred, and Bryce is yet again connected to it. A Vampyr whom she met the other night, delivering an item Jesiba wanted to sell to him, was found dead in the same way Danika and her pack were; mutilated.
Bryce suspects the Viper Queen, the Head of the Meat Market, a place where bandits call home, but her guess is unfounded. When she finds Ruhn, he tells her about the Horn, a magical item stolen from Luna’s Temple, and they have yet to find after two years. Pelias, the First Starborn Prince, had used the Horn to fight off demons during the First War. But then, the Demon Prince of the seventh level of Hel, used Pelias’ blood to create the Kristallos, the demon that Bryce identifies as Danika’s murderer.
Having decided to help Hunt investigate further, Bryce hears from him that the victim Bryce had saved that night was Micah; the governor Archangel. Having altered his view of the party-girl, Hunt confesses to Bryce, that Micah needs to get rid of the Kristallos before the Summit; the meeting of the Valbara’s rulers.
More murders occur, and Hunt asks for an old friend’s help; Tharion, the River Queen’s Captain of Intelligence. He finds more bodies in the sewers, but the scars do not match those of Danika’s. Moreover, camera footage from two years ago shows Danika stealing the Horn from the temple. However, when Bryce visits Danika’s mother, Sabine, she accuses her of the murder of her daughter.
Bryce’s last resort is summoning the Prince of the Chasm, the fifth level of Hel. Aidas had found her right after her meeting with the Oracle, during the traditional ritual of the Fae to enter adulthood. Like a modern psychic, reading their fates. At thirteen years old, Bryce was shocked because she had actually managed to blind the Oracle. However, Aidas’ intel is crucial, worth any risk.
He tells Hunt and Bryce that deeper demons have no interest in Midgard. The Asteri have been lying about Hel all along. His last words as he bid them farewell are to summon him when she makes the Drop. Of course, Bryce is not planning to do any of that. She had promised to make the Drop, and claim her full powers as Fae, with Danika at the age of twenty-seven.
Further investigation reveals that Danika was dealing synth, a new dangerous drug, found on her clothes from that night. This magic drug increases the power of Vanir, and can even make humans Vanir. The story makes sense because Danika was working for the company, which was experimenting with synth. When Bryce finds footage of their experiments, she watches humans injected with synth rip Vanir to shreds. It is very possible that someone under synth’s effects killed Danika and her pack.
Closer to an answer than ever, Bryce visits a medwitch to remove the Kristallos venom from her leg, in order to make an antidote for synth. However, trouble keeps finding Bryce, and this time, the betrayal strikes close to the heart. Tracking the synth dealings, she finds herself in the middle of an exchange between the Viper Queen and Hunt.
A lil pause to explain. Hunt, Viktoria, Isaiah, and other members of the legion, used to be a part of the rebellion against the Asteri; the ultimate bosses. As you can guess already, they lost the war, and ended up slaves of the Asteri and the Archangels. So, the Fallen Angels carry a slave mark and a halo tatto restricting their power.
Back to Hunt and Viper Queen’s dealings, Bryce finds out that Hunt and some other Fallen Angels plan to reawaken the rebellion, by providing synth to the rebels. Only to get caught again… Hunt was actually backing off the deal, after seeing the aftermath of synth, and getting closer to Bryce, but the Viper Queen had already sold them off to Micah. This time, there is no second chance for retribution.
Hunt is sold to Sandriel, the Archangel who broke the Angel’s rebellion, and slaughtered everyone, including her sister, Shahar—the one who led the rebellion, and Hunt’s former lover. Although Bryce does not want to see him again, she cannot stand the injustice of slavery, so she makes a great offer to buy Hunt back. When Sandriel refuses, Bryce offers herself in Hunt’s place, but it is all in vain.
During the Summit, where almost everyone attends, Bryce has an unexpected visit at Griffin’s—Micah. Bryce, knowing he is up to no good, informs Jesiba, who shares the live footage of the shop on the Summit’s screens. Hunt, and Ruhn watch in horror as Micah confesses how he drugged Danika with synth, and summoned Kristallos to find the Horn.
He reveals that Bryce is actually the Horn, having been carrying it in the tattoo on her back all the time—one of many Danika’s doings. Micah plans to use the Horn to summon an army to fight the human rebels.
As he gets hold of Bryce, he sends his power to the Horn on her back, but nothing seems to happen. Bryce gets the chance to escape when her friend, Lehabah, a fire sprite, sacrifices herself to buy Bryce time. Bryce hides, and waits for Micah to come after her with a Godslayer gun in hand. Headshot!
But Bryce is far from done with Micah. Like the badass queen she is, she chops him off, burns his parts, and then cleans up the ashes, disposing them in a bin. All that, while all the members of the summit watch, holding their breaths.
You think this is how it ends? Nah. Bryce comes out of the shop, only to behold more horror. Remember Micah trying to use the Horn earlier and nothing happened? Well, actually, he opened all the portals around Crescent City, allowing demons to pass through.
As the big hero she is, she gives chase. During the chaos, it is revealed that she is actually Starborn, like her brother Ruhn who possesses the Starsword. The Summit orders everyone to stay behind and not interfere. Bryce and a few other Vanir are left to fight off demons alone, and secure the shelters.
That is, until, Queen Hypaxia, the Queen of the Witches, the medwitch who helped Bryce with her leg earlier, breaks Hunt’s power chains, setting him free. The aftermath is Sandriel’s well-deserved disposal. Hunt runs to Bryce’s side, while she tries to use the Horn and close the gates.
The Asterian guard, though, arrives, disposing bombs to get rid of the demons, causing more destruction than actually helping. At the last minute, Hunt covers Bryce with his body. After the explosion, he is left unconscious, barely breathing, forcing Bryce to make a grave decision. She must make the Drop, as the aftermath of it will release such an amount of energy that could actually heal Hunt and save the city.
The only problem is that Bryce needs an anchor to guide her back after the Drop. Then, Danika’s voice travels through a gate, from the Bone Quarter where she is buried. She helps Bryce survive the Drop, surprising everyone when she actually reaches a higher level of power—higher than the Autumn King, her biological father.
Hunt is healed, the city is restored, and the gates closed. Bryce takes Hunt to her apartment, and after some time, they receive a thank-you card from Rigelus; the “leader” of the powerful Asteri. As you can imagine, it sounds more like a threat than actual gratitude.
At Oracle Park, a curious meet up happens. Jesiba is with Aidas, discussing Bryce. Apparently, Aidas knew Bryce was Starborn, carrying Queen Theia’s light, but couldn’t share this information with Jesiba before. When their conversation turns to Hunt, Aidas hints at Jesiba’s relationship with Hunt’s father. Jesiba leaves him, warning him not to endanger them again.
Hints, hints, hints. Good for you that the next book, House of Sky and Breath, is out already. Then you can immediately move on to House of Flame and Shadow, the third book in the Crescent City series. After that, you can burn with the rest of us bookworms, until the next release.
Born by a human, but begotten by the Autumn King, the King of the Valbaran Fae, Bryce stands in a very dangerous line. She is a half-fae, living at the bottom of Luthanion’s society.
But how did she end up there, since she is technically a princess? Well, her father disowned her after her bad meeting with the Oracle.
So, Bryce is a working, independent woman, a former party girl, and a very loyal friend. She adores and supports Juniper, with whom she shares the same passion for dancing, though Juniper is a professional. Bryce’s juicer body type prevents her from seeking a professional career in dancing. Is she affected by that? Bryce carries her curves like a trophy. She also carries a deep guilt, though, since Danika’s death. She refuses to heal her leg from the Kristallos’ venom as a reminder of her failure to save Danika.
She is trained by her step-dad in combat, and aim, and she is very skillful. She has a sharp tongue and a sharper mind. It is hard to fool Bryce Quinlan.
The Umbra Mortis, the Shadow of Death, belongs to the House of Sky and Breath, as an angel. Now, marked as a Fallen Angel, as he participated in the rebellion against the Asteri, he works in the legion, and he is part of Micah’s Triarii, the governor’s elite warriors. He was sold to Micah, and had a deal with him. Hunt could gain his freedom if he brought as many souls as were lost in the rebellion due to his leadership to justice. Sounds somewhat fair.
He was born to a lowborn female, and has little insight into his father. His powers manifest as bolts of lightning, but he cannot reach his full potential as it is restrained by the thorn halo tattooed on his forehead. He seems bound by duty, but, secretly, he is a member of a new group of rebels helping the humans to fight the current reign.
Descendant of the Werewolf Prime, and the alpha of the Pack of Devils, Danika is a formidable character. And as we soon realize, very cunning and resourceful. She is the mastermind behind everything, unfortunately, gone too soon to see the fruits of her investigation.
She is loyal and justice-driven. She wants to expose the corruption of the government, even by putting her own life at risk. She works alone to protect her loved ones, and build a better world for them—very Aelin-coded.
Throughout the story, we follow her leads, basically. There is more to find out about Danika in the following books.
The honorable members of her Pack of Devil’s are Connor, Nathalie, Thorne, Bronson, Zach and Zelda, who were all massacred. There was a romantic interest between Bryce and Connor, Danika’s second, before everything went to Hel. Ithan, Connor’s brother, was a professional athlete, who abandoned his career and blocked Bryce off after the night his brother died.
Okay, let’s take a breather from all the chaos and talk about the deeper layers of House of Earth and Blood. Because yes, there are demons, murder, and magical tattoos—but Sarah J. Maas is doing so much more under the surface.
At its core, this book is about grief, healing, and the power of friendship, especially female friendship. Bryce’s entire arc is fueled by her love for Danika and how she claws her way back from heartbreak to fight for something bigger than herself. It’s not just a fantasy revenge story, it’s a raw, emotional journey about rediscovering your worth when the world tells you you’re nothing.
Whether it’s the Asteri, the Archangels, or shady synth experiments, Crescent City constantly questions who’s really in control—and at what cost. And the rebellion subplot? Deliciously messy. No side is entirely good or bad, and it makes the stakes feel so real.
Now for the world-building. This isn’t your average medieval-style fantasy. Think ancient gods meets high-tech city life. Crescent City is bursting with smartphones, motorcycles, surveillance cams, and fae royalty, angels, witches, and talking library sprites. It’s urban fantasy with a capital U.
Here is a breakdown of the Houses:
The House of the Spirit, includes the shifters (werewolves, lions, etc.), humans, witches, ordinary animals, and lesser fae. They are known to be grounded, passionate, and emotional. Its notable members: Bryce Quinlan, Danika Fendyr, and the Pack of Devils.
This House is all about loyalty, instinct, and the strength of community. They’re tied to the physical world and to mortality, which makes their sacrifices even more meaningful.
The House of the Mind, includes the Angels, elementals, sprites, fae of the air, and other beings tied to wind or lightning. Its notable members: Hunt Athalar, Hypaxia (technically affiliated), the Triarii soldiers, and Lehabah.
This House is all about intellect, strategy, and divine justice. It’s where you’ll find the elite soldiers, the angels, and the ones most closely tied to the ruling powers of Midgard (aka, the Asteri).
This House includes the Reapers, vampires, demons, necromancers, and underworld gods. They are mysterious, dark, and dangerous. Some of its notable beings are The Princes of Hel (like Aidas), the Kristallos demon, the Bone Quarter spirits etc.
This House rules over death, decay, and transformation. But also—secrets, shadowy pacts, and ancient powers. They’re not evil, per se, but they definitely don’t play by the rules.
House to the Mer, river spirits, nymphs, kelpies, water fae, and nøkks. Its members mentioned in the book: The River Queen, Tharion Ketos
This House is tied to the ocean, rivers, and emotional depth. They’re diplomatic but can be fierce, especially when it comes to protecting their own. Water runs deep and so does their power.
There’s so much potential for lore and crossover with Maas’ other worlds (ACOTAR girlies, we see you). Plus, the Drop? The Oracle? The Gates? It’s giving myth, it’s giving magic, it’s giving destiny.
The House of Earth and Blood is an exciting introduction to the Crescent City series, with a badass heroine who struggles to fight back her guilt and find her true place in the world. Like every true SJM main character, she still believes that the world is worth saving, even if it keeps treating her poorly.
The Crescent City series explores a new part of the complicated Maasverse, raising questions about the connection between the realms, especially in the next book, and then with an incredible crossover in the House of Flame and Shadow.
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Yes, there are some spicy chapters in House of Earth and Blood. A bathroom scene, a rooftop scene, and a kitchen scene are some of the moments you should look forward to. Mainly, though, it is a slow-burn romance.
Even though it is not the main plot in the first book, yes, there is romance in House of Earth and Blood. It is a slow burn romance blooming between Bryce and Hunt while they are investigating the murders by the Kristallos demon.
With the third book in the Crescent City series, the connection between it and ACOTAR is evident. At the end of House of Sky and Breath, (Crescent City, Book 2), Bryce goes through a gate and travels to Prythian, where she is found by Azriel. The crossover is explored in the first chapters of House of Flame and Shadow.
Nikki Sheryee insists that she’s “up to no good” whenever she’s in the company of books. Armed with a degree in English Language and Literature, she wields the power of words like a mischievous wizard. Her lifelong dream? To be the editor who sprinkles magic dust on manuscripts! To Nikki, a book is more alive than a caffeinated squirrel on roller skates. Readers nurture it, cuddle it, scold it, and occasionally challenge it to a duel! But in the end, a book does its own thing, pulling at our heartstrings and revealing our inner human-ness. Nikki’s favorite pastime? Well, it’s none other than the noble art of daydreaming! And she wears her daydreamer’s badge with pride, sharing this delightful delusion with the crème de la crème of her friends.
