| Title | House of Earth and Blood |
| Author | Sarah J. Maas |
| Genre | Fantasy, Romance |
| Publication Date | March 3, 2020 |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Number of Pages | 832 |
| Setting | Crescent City, a magical metropolis in a world populated by humans, Fae, witches, shifters, and other supernatural beings. |
| Awards and Honors | #1 New York Times bestseller. |
Characters
Bryce Quinlan -Protagonist of the tale is a party girl who works at a Crescent City nightclub and is half-human and half-Fae. She becomes embroiled in a murder inquiry to try to solve the crime and forms an unexpected alliance with an angel named Hunt Athalar.
Hunt Athalar – A disgraced angel is now under the power of the Archangels of the Four Corners of the Universe. Hunt’s participation in Bryce’s investigation is necessary as payback for his prior wrongdoings.
Danika Fendyr – Danika, who lives with Bryce and is his closest friend is a werewolf and the leader of the Crescent City pack. In the start of the novel, she is brutally killed, setting off the story’s primary narrative.
Ruhn Danaan – He is brother of Danika and a member of the Crescent City pack. Ruhn joins Bryce’s group of pals and assists her in traversing the Fae realm during her investigation.
Micah Domitus – Strong and deadly Fae with a connection to Bryce. Micah develops as a significant figure in the murder inquiry and has his own objectives.
Lehabah – A witch who owns a tea store in Crescent City, is a strong seer who gives Bryce crucial information throughout the narrative.
Sandriel – The Briarcliff Archangel and one of the Four Corners of the Earth. The murder inquiry is important to Sandriel who also has her own secrets to conceal.
Fury Axtar – One of Bryce’s closest pals. Fury assists Bryce and Hunt with their inquiry and offers comedic relief throughout the narrative.
Jesiba Roga – A powerful sorceress who occupies a significant place in Fae society. Jesiba unintentionally becomes involved in the investigation for her own purposes.
Overview
The first book of Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series is titled House of Earth and Blood and was released in March 2020. It quickly became a New York Times bestseller after being published. Galactic Empire Science Fiction and Action and Adventure Romance are the subgenres that best describe this modern urban fantasy. (The page references in this study guide belong to the Kindle version of the book published in 2020.) House of Sky and Breath is the follow-up book.
The story takes place on the planet Midgard, which may one day turn out to be earth after a race of powerful beings known as the Asteri discover a method to enter the dimension and conquer it.
They have been in power for 15,000 years. Together with the Asteri, other magical races—collectively called as the Vanir—have also found a way to reach the planet and settle there. The most dangerous among these include elementals, witches, Fae, shifters, archangels, vampires, river spirits & angels.
Humans have no civic rights & are simply slightly better to slavery. Even though the rifts that once provided access to the world have been sealed, the people of Hel never stop looking for a way in. Although the administration is constructed similarly to that of the Roman Empire, but, the world of the novel is urban at present, equipped with smartphones.
Two characters—a half-human Fae named Bryce Quinlan & a fallen angel named Hunt Athalar—tell the story from a confined third-person perspective. To find the killer of Bryce’s closest buddy, a wolf shifter named Danika, Bryce & Hunt work jointly. Bryce & Hunt start to feel attracted to one another while they look for Danika’s killer.
The work can explore themes of false appearances, getting over grief, and the difference between the love of power and the power of love through their research into the murky power dynamics of the Republic and their growing romance.
Throne of Glass and Court of Thorns and Roses are two well-known young adult fiction novels written by Sarah J. Maas, who has attained #1 New York Times & USA Today bestseller fame. 37 languages have been used in the translation of her books, which have sold almost 12 million copies.
Crescent City, one of her most recent series, departs from the young adult genre. Her latest work, written for adult fantasy readers, has extensive profanity, widespread drug use, & explicit sex scenes.
Plot Summary
Bryce Quinlan, a party girl, is devastated when her closest friend, Danika, a wolf shifter, and her entire pack are found dead in Bryce’s flat. The monster who killed Bryce’s friend is found to be still present in her flat. It is a demon by the name of a kristallos that Hel’s lowest pit has sent to find a missing artefact called as Luna’s Horn.
The Horn is a Fae relic that is now damaged, but it might be fixed and used to open a gateway so that creatures from Hel may invade Midgard.
For the mission of finding the demon as well as the Horn, the archangel Micah assigns Bryce to work with his personal killer, the fallen angel Hunt Athalar. At first, Bryce’s seeming playfulness offends Hunt.
She is equally upset by his bossy, alpha male behaviour. In search of information, the two stroll around Crescent City’s magical areas. The Horn was stolen by Danika, based on the available evidence, to prevent a Hel gateway from opening. The artefact might be fixed by the new synthetic magical substance synth.
Due to their similar emotional losses, Bryce & Hunt became closer. During a failed uprising of angels, Bryce loses Danika and Hunt loses Shahar, the archangel lover.
Until he can discover the demon as well as the Horn, he is now a slave to do Micah’s will for all of eternity. As they get nearer to solving the mystery of a missing Horn, Bryce & Hunt find it difficult to let go of their previous grief.
Micah is found to be the bad guy who wants to open a gateway so he may create his own army. Understanding this, Danika powdered the Horn and had it engraved on Bryce’s back as a tattoo. Bryce, a princess who is half-Fae, has acquired the gift of Starborn light.
Bryce is able to utilise her light to seal the gateway and save the citizens of Crescent City after Micah activates the Horn & opens a passage to Hel. Her life was on the edge of ending because of the effort, but Hunt saved her. Together, the two discover a way to let go of their previous losses & look ahead to a future that holds the possibilities of love.
Themes & Messages
- Grief and Loss: The story shows Bryce Quinlan, the protagonist as she copes with the terrible death of her closest friend, Danika. The narrative demonstrates the different ways that sorrow may have an impact on a person’s life and relationships.
- Friendship: A major theme in the novel is Bryce’s friendship with Danika and her small group of friends. The tale highlights how crucial it is to have a solid support system as well as the extent to which friends would go in order to safeguard and assist one another.
- Love: The book features several romantic relationships, each with its unique challenges and complications. The story explores the theme of love in its various forms, including romantic love, familial love, and platonic love.
- Revenge: The central theme of the book is Bryce’s pursuit of vengeance against the demon guilty for Danika’s passing. Throughout the narrative, the concept of vengeance is explored along with its effects, such as how it may devour a person and damage relationships.
- Redemption: Forgiveness and redemption are the book’s main takeaways. The moral of the story highlights the value of reflecting on one’s previous misdeeds, owning up to one’s faults and making atonement to people one has harmed.
About the Author
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sarah Janet Maas |
| Pen Name | Sarah J. Maas |
| Birthdate | March 5, 1986 |
| Birthplace | Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.A. in Creative Writing from Hamilton College |
| Notable Works | Throne of Glass series, A Court of Thorns and Roses series, Crescent City series |
| Awards | Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015, 2016), The RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence (2016) |
| https://twitter.com/SJMaas | |
| https://www.instagram.com/therealsjmaas/ | |
| https://www.facebook.com/theworldofsarahjmaas/ |
FAQs
What is “House of Earth and Blood” about?
It is a fantasy story that follows the story of Bryce Quinlan, a half-human, half-fae woman who seeks revenge against the demon who killed her friends.
Who is the author of “House of Earth and Blood”?
Sarah J. Maas is the author of House of Earth and Blood.
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