Crescent City Books in Order
Crescent City is Sarah J. Maas's adult fantasy series - angels, demons, shifters and a half-breed heroine named Bryce Quinlan in the city of Lunathion - and it is the doorstopper wing of a universe that also holds Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses. Three books are out, the series is paused rather than finished, and the second book's ending is the most-discussed pivot in the Maas catalog. This page maps the three, the length warning, and how the series connects to the rest of her shelves (2020–present).
Where to start
House of Earth and Blood (2020), the only door. This is a strict-order series with a romance that pays off across three books.
The complete list
Tick the boxes off as you read, or for the bookshelf.
| Year | Title | Series / type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | House of Earth and Blood | #1 — start here | |
| 2022 | House of Sky and Breath | #2 — protect the ending | |
| 2024 | House of Flame and Shadow | #3 |
Does the reading order matter?
Strict order: House of Earth and Blood (2020), House of Sky and Breath (2022), House of Flame and Shadow (2024). Each is eight hundred pages or more, and the second half of the second book changes what the series is - avoid all spoilers about the ending of House of Sky and Breath, because it is the hinge of the whole shelf and the reason the third book goes where it goes. Know the series' context: Bryce's world carries Easter eggs that connect to Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, and late in House of Sky and Breath that connective tissue stops being decoration - a crossover moment Maas readers treat as the event of 2022. Reading the earlier series first is not required, but it turns the crossover from surprising to flooring. A fourth Crescent City book has not been announced as of October 2026; Maas is currently publishing the next A Court of Thorns and Roses novels
Which one is the best?
House of Earth and Blood (2020), the strongest opening; House of Sky and Breath (2022), the pivot; House of Flame and Shadow (2024).
Related guides
Readers finishing this shelf usually want the map next door: Throne of Glass books in order, ACOTAR books in order, Sarah J. Maas books in order. Every guide follows the same format — the shelf, the entry point, the honest answer about order.
Make it a project
Pick a session size and let the days accumulate — at the pace our reading speed test measures, most shelves above clear in a few weeks of half-hours. Every guide on the books in order shelf follows this same format, and when a book lands, its 8-question quiz is waiting on the original book quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What order should you read Crescent City books in?
Strict order 2020 → 2022 → 2024; the ending of book two is spoiler-critical.
Where should I start with Crescent City?
House of Earth and Blood (2020); strict order through the three.
How many Crescent City books are there?
Three novels, each a doorstopper, 2020-2024, with a fourth unannounced as of October 2026 - the adult line of the universe that Throne of Glass and ACOTAR built. As of October 2026 this list is current.
What was Crescent City's first book?
House of Earth and Blood (2020) — the first row of the list above.