Sarah J. Maas began publishing #1 New York Times Bestselling novels in 2012 and has continuously dominated the high fantasy genre ever since. On Jan. 30, Maas officially released “House of Flame and Shadow,” the highly anticipated third book in her “Crescent City” series.
The series’ second novel, “House of Sky and Breath,” was published in 2022 and has left fans with a remarkable cliffhanger for the past two years. Main character, Bryce Quinlan, finds herself traveling through worlds within the last 100 pages, ending up in another universe that Maas created in her series, “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” Maas left subtle hints within the first two “Crescent City” novels suggesting that the plot could overlap with one of her earlier series, but to the pleasant surprise of many, they are merging completely.
Teaser excerpts from, “House of Flame and Shadow,” were posted on Instagram a few weeks before the book’s release, revealing a scene that included Bryce and two significant characters from “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” Maas’ novels, categorized as “high fantasy,” feature high stake situations, challenges and adventures, typically relating to a character’s fight for power or love. Fans highly anticipate seeing these two different plotlines meeting in the middle.
One detail that makes this crossover between series so interesting is that their universes are completely different. In Maas’ first two series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” she sets the characters in a medieval time period without modern technology. Battles
and wars are fought with swords, transportation is limited to ships and horseback and long-distance communication is only possible through writing letters. The series’ magic and mythological creatures are characteristic of the fantasy genre, making reading an enjoyable escape from the modern world. Maas’ novels typically range anywhere between 400 to 800 pages in length, giving her the space to build complex worlds, allowing readers to connect with the characters.
“Crescent City” by no means lacks the fantastical elements that readers love, but Maas chooses to replace her usual castles with skyscrapers, and characters have access to cell phones, televisions and sports cars. Bryce’s native world is a modern urban metropolis, with the crossover requiring her to adapt to a society that is, technologically, centuries in the past. Even more interesting to fans is the possibility of characters from “A Court of Thorns and Roses” traveling to Bryce’s world to interact with unimaginable technology and gadgets for the first time.
Just a week after “House of Flame and Shadow’s” release, the novel was named a #1 New York Times bestseller as well as a #1 International Bestseller. This is nothing new for Maas, who made her name in the fantasy and romance genres in 2012 with the release of her first series. She was 26 years old when the first of this eight novel series was published but had been dreaming of the plot since she was just 16.
In response to her fanbase’s loyalty over the years, Maas thanked readers on Instagram for “showing up and shining bright” for her sixteenth book release. Fans expressed their excitement at midnight release parties on Jan. 30 at book stores all across the United States and Canada. Maas even surprised readers by showing up at an event in New York City, giving them a chance to meet her and have their books signed.
A new Sarah J. Maas book release is considered a holiday for many of her loyal readers, especially now that two of her award-winning fictional worlds have come together. Fans have already taken to BookTok (the side of TikTok home to millions of videos made by book lovers) with original fanart featuring characters and scenes from “House of Flame and Shadow.” Surprising no one, the community has already begun speculating what exciting fantastical story Maas will write next and what twists and turns will follow.