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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
I totally didn't realize this was a modern setting so that completely threw me for a loop! I really enjoyed the story though once I got that straight in my head. I was very engaged and the twist early on I did not see coming. This is great as a stand alone book in my opinion!
“That’s the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes me everything that much more precious.”
I have been trying to process this for some hours now and I don’t know how to process it. While yes, I did finish this right before midnight, before Animal Crossing released, could I process this or did I think I would be able to? Maybe but no I couldn’t.
Here I am now, 12pm and I still can’t decide. I don’t know if I want to give it a full 5 or more of a 4.5 but I can’t choose.
This book, the ending of this book, the last maybe 200 pages of this book HURT ME. I was crying a lot. (Chapter 79, and others). This DESTROYED me. And I wasn’t expecting it at all in the slightest. A punch to the feels for sure.
This is my first ever SJM book I’ve read. I decided to start here because it intrigued me more than her other books have. And I’ll say, I’m glad I read it. Will I try her other series? Probably now. I don’t know exactly what has always steered me away from her books but I’ve always been not interested. Now I want to try because this was great.
I liked the characters, I liked the setting, I liked the plot of them trying to solve this crime. It was great. I’m glad I read it.
I have been trying to process this for some hours now and I don’t know how to process it. While yes, I did finish this right before midnight, before Animal Crossing released, could I process this or did I think I would be able to? Maybe but no I couldn’t.
Here I am now, 12pm and I still can’t decide. I don’t know if I want to give it a full 5 or more of a 4.5 but I can’t choose.
This book, the ending of this book, the last maybe 200 pages of this book HURT ME. I was crying a lot. (Chapter 79, and others). This DESTROYED me. And I wasn’t expecting it at all in the slightest. A punch to the feels for sure.
This is my first ever SJM book I’ve read. I decided to start here because it intrigued me more than her other books have. And I’ll say, I’m glad I read it. Will I try her other series? Probably now. I don’t know exactly what has always steered me away from her books but I’ve always been not interested. Now I want to try because this was great.
I liked the characters, I liked the setting, I liked the plot of them trying to solve this crime. It was great. I’m glad I read it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
You need to keep reading! Once you get to page 100-200 it will get better. The author is talking about the cities and politics. It’s a great book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
The number of times my jaw dropped while reading this. Bryce, congrats you are now one of my top bitches ily
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The ending had me super weepy - all the friends and love I was crying. Stayed up way too late to finish this lol
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an ambitious dive into urban fantasy, mixing angels, fae, demons, shifters, and more into a sprawling, modern city setting. At its heart, though, the story follows Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae party girl whose world is shattered after a brutal murder. Years later, she’s thrown into an investigation that could unravel the city itself, and she’s paired with Hunt Athalar, a brooding fallen angel who has as many secrets as he does scars. Together, they face conspiracies, monsters, and the darker truths of their world.
I’ll admit I got a little "lost in the sauce" with this one. The sheer density of worldbuilding, politics, and mythologies left me still not quite sure how the outer world functions. Despite that, I found myself enjoying the ride, the mix of gritty crime procedural and high fantasy drama is unique, and Bryce’s emotional journey kept me invested.
Hunt, on the other hand, tested my patience. His brooding and sometimes frustrating behavior dragged down parts of the story for me. And compared to "ACOTAR" and "Throne of Glass", the mash-up of so many mythologies in this urban setting was a bit jarring and it took me a while to adjust to Maas’s shift in style and scope.
Still, even with its chaos, "Crescent City" has heart. It’s a story about grief, friendship, resilience, and finding strength in unexpected places. While not as immediately sweeping as Maas’s other series, it offers a bold new corner of her imagination that, for all its messiness, kept me turning the pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Violence, Suicide attempt, War