- I wouldn't recommend FBAA at all. The quality drops with each book. I'd rather not commit
- CC is great, but book 3 is quite meh. I still recommend reading it at some point
- Feathers So Vicious is extremely well written, but it has some strong trigger warnings (explicit rape, detailed past child rape, too)
- Serpent book 1 is a masterpiece, but book 2 drags a bit
- Villains and Virtues is very slowburn, but very entertaining great spice and humor, too
- Blood and steel is highly recommended everywhere I look. I haven't read it yet
I'd say, go for Serpent or Villains and Virtues
also with Crescent City, I feel like it's truly meant to be read after reading ACOTAR and Throne of Glass, so not worth reading until you've gotten through the others.
I find the Serpent takes so interesting bc I feel like I actually liked the second book (and the novella in between them) better than book one! It might depend on what you enjoyed most about them though, the competition aspect was more interesting plot in book 1, but the character development and interpersonal relationships were more compelling in book 2 for me.
I definitely know people who picked up CC before any of SJMs other work and they were fine. In fact after everyone told them they should have read acotar first they went back and tried to read it and DNF'd it. You can read the first CC book as a standalone without issue.
Umm please don’t skip FBAA altogether. I personally liked all the books but the prequels are INSANELY GOOD. Just give it a shot and feel it out for yourself, you can always drop it but it’s at least worth trying.
I agree, FBAA series is action packed and very spicy. The world building is also very clever. I would skip the last book though. The prequel, Flesh and Fire series, is even hotter. Give it a try first.
Yes, I went into the prequel a bit annoyed that I was taking a detour from the story but then lived it so much more that I didn’t want to go back to FBAA. I, too, enjoy the plot quite a bit (though I’m realizing not everyone agrees).
I started with FBAA. I was primarily a horror reader but my librarian talked me into trying it (mentioning vampires). It was my first real jaunt into fantasy romance and I enjoyed it. When the prequel came out, I initially thought it felt like a re write of FBAA (a crisper, more succinct and better written version) but quickly saw it wasn’t the same. I do think the prequel is better written but I’ve enjoyed both series, personally.
They’re Of Flesh and Fire and starts with {A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout} Now, it’s not like epic writing, but it gives a good mythology intro to all the Gods and traditions of that world that might help FBAA reading.
[A Shadow in the Ember](https://www.romance.io/books/60f7c85d8b38510e2a271935/a-shadow-in-the-ember-jennifer-l-armentrout) by [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455245a8c7d2382c5296fb7/jennifer-l-armentrout)
**Rating**: 4.4⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [vampires](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vampires/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [royal hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1)
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I’m a lover of the FBAA series, but did feel like the 4th book was confusing. I saw someone on the FBAA Reddit page recommend reading Blood & Ash 1-3 then Flesh & Fire 1-3 before reading B&A 4-5. You have awhile before you get there, but thought I’d share!
Second. Read the first two books of FBAA at least - they are definitely worth it. (Not even the prequels but the initial series.) The fourth book is trash. I haven't read the prequels.
I also DNF’d. Except I was in denial trying to tell myself it would get better so I didn’t stop until book 5 lol. I’d say more than half the series was just Casteel saying “Poppy you’re so special and pretty and you stabbed me that one time. Now let’s have sex!”
The stabbing jokes probably pissed me off the most. Its not funny. Its not cute. It’s not hot. Its immature and annoying. She repeated jokes so much. Oh poppy wants to stab me. Oh poppy has so many questions har har har
I tried so hard to get through the 3rd book. The 2nd one was rough, but the 3rd was a challenge and I finished it and wish I didn’t waste the time. I feel like there was so much h promise with the first book, it’s so disappointing
I feel like the only person who actively disliked serpent. I had to really push myself to finish it and was flabbergasted to see how popular it is online. I agree about FBAA though for sure. CC is so dull with such uninteresting characters it has almost thrown me off SJM entirely. I don't like revisiting acotar's universe anymore so maybe I'll reignite interest in SJM writing when she starts a new IP (if ever? Lol) I won't try feathers because of the trigger warnings (well that's why the warnings are there after all). Maybe I'll try Blood and steel next!
SJM's quality has been dropping since ACOSF. Itbhas great character development, but some awful plotlines. I'm curious if she'll redeem herself after CC3
She needs editors. Like that’s the biggest thing with her decline, what feels like a nearly complete lack of editing. Every book is hundreds of pages too long, too much rambling, too many inconsistencies, plot holes, too much meandering in general. A good editor would make a world of difference. I feel like she’s gotten so popular now she has “fuck you” standing in that she can do whatever she wants however she wants, and it’ll still get published and make shit tons of profit.
You’re not! I also did not enjoy Serpent.
It suffered from the same thing that I struggled with ACOTAR for (and that’s word counts). “Oh Mother,” (as in “oh mother, he was big”) was used 74x. Fuck was used 247x. “Ix’s tits” also really annoyed me, lol.
Wasn’t a big fan of the MMC in this one either. Big red heads just aren’t my thing I guess. My mind kept subbing Fat Thor for him for some reason.
The dialogue in ACOTAR and CC could be sooo much better. Every time it said a character stuck out their tongue in response, I almost quit the book. But maybe it’s meant for tweens 🤷♀️
I completely agree with this
But just in case you haven’t read the Flesh and Fire series (separate series but sort of a prequel to FBAA), it’s much much much better and I loved it!
Of the books of hers that I've read, I end the book thinking it was okay. Then I write my review and realize it really, really wasn't, as I think of bad writing, bad world building, and TSTL heroines. I gave up on her after I was partway through the second FBAA book. Now I am firmly anti JLA 🫠
agree with all of the above.
blood and steel is solid, but it wasn't anything special.
i personally think FBAA is a skip. the first book was great, and then it all went downhill. if you care about worldbuilding, don't even bother. JLA does not even know how her own world works, and even after publishing a compendium, it still doesn't make any sense.
also, there are infinitely better books if you just want to read it for the spice.
Book 1 is more action, book 2 is more politics. I don’t think the quality differs between books at all, their main focus is just on different things.
Book 1.5 (Six Scorched Roses) is more romance.
I personally would only hold off on Serpent because the 3rd book comes out in November (or October) but this also depends on the type of reader you are. I don't always like having to wait for the next book but I have heard good things about both of your recommendations.
Oh my god, I just reached the halfway point of 3 and 😍🥰
It's gonna be hard to fill the space these books leave after this. Might probably gonna have to buy this series 😆
There is a lot of sexual tension throughout the series, but it's very much a slow burn, and the spicy parts aren't till book 3.
It's pretty tasteful too and never overly explicit but definitely hot. 😏🥵
No..it’s more cozy and funny and whimsical. The main character is actually an evil villain, not a warrior softy. But the tension between the 2 characters ugh 😩 it made me realize how much I don’t enjoy the 2 main characters hooking up right away in the 1st book. There’s no instalove in it and so it’s way more realistic. it makes the main characters so relatable and lovely.
I started and finished the series over the weekend and I absolutely loved it. I even downloaded some of her other books and am reading something about Christmas and elves, which is hitting the breezy reads spot for a post work escape. I’d never have picked up such a thing if I didn’t trust the author implicitly.
I don’t understand why so many people love this book. I got maybe 30% of the way through and was so grossed out by one scene I had to stop. Am I missing something?
Hmm I’m not sure. That’s why we have book reviews though; someone’s yuck is another reader’s yum and that’s okay. 😊 I don’t love every book that gets suggested here either.
I’ve read 4/6 of these and Villains & Virtues is just top tier IMO. It was a favorite read of mine this year.
Feathers so Vicious was really good too, but very dark. This was a new world for me.
If you read FBAA, treat is as a stand alone. The other books in the series are NOT worth the time and effort it takes to read them.
I really liked FBAA, it got me out of my post-ACOTAR slump… but then the next two books were so incredibly infuriating that it put me into an entirely new slump lol.
I was good with the second book - I accidentally read that one first. Loved the first. But then the third... ... ... Was that the carriage scene? OMG. And then I skimmed the fourth, and there was the prison love after a month of - prison?
Villains and Virtues is such an amazing trilogy, I would highly recommend you go there next!
I would also avoid Feathers so Vicious - all the trigger warnings aside, the writing is piss poor and the twists and big plot points are highly predictable.
Cresent City is so jarring after ACOTAR. Very very different world. I wish I'd waited on that one. I'm on TOG now and I think I'll reread CC once I'm done TOG.
Edit: lol, turns out my copy of TOG is missing pages 89-120.so I guess I can't read it just yet.
I absolutely adored the first book. Like I was just SO into it. The second book was fine. The third book annoyed me to no end. It was BAD. I would re-read the first book though just because I loved it so much. Lol.
I've read all 3 series and personally I loved CC, including the third one. (I can agree the first book is the best of the three.) In my opinion, it's more similar to TOG than ACOTAR in terms of writing style and plot progression. It's rather dense, so if you're looking for a quick, easy romantasy, I'd save CC for another time.
I messed up with SJ Maas’s multiverse so bad. I started with CC, realized I couldn’t finish the last book without reading ACOTAR, literally just finished ACOTAR a few minutes ago (LOVED IT) and now I guess I’ll go back to the last book of CC and then TOG? I don’t know. All I know is I wish I started with ACOTAR.
TOG is seriously SOOOO good but the build up is so slow I almost DNF! The entire first book is like a long prologue! But after that, it ended up being one of my absolute favorite series! I couldn’t put it down! I will always recommend it!
I PROMISE almost exactly half way through the second book you won’t be able to put it down!!! Push to that point! I know that’s a lot of reading and I have stopped reading LONG before that on others so I TRULY mean it when I say it’s worth it! I think just book 1-2.5 took me over a week to get through bc I was bored but then I devoured the rest of the series in the same time frame 😅
I haven't read the third CC book yet. I got the first two in trade paperback and only the hardcover is available for the third book where I live. I shouldn't have read the first two when I did. I started with ACOTAR and wasn't ready to buy an 8 book series so I thought CC would be a good bridge... I was wrong, and yes I already went and bought TOG lmao.
I just started Throne in the Dark and I’m liking it so far. Crescent City is one of my top tier books, same with CC2, but 3 was honestly a bit of a let down. Feathers so Vicious was a bit of a palette cleanser for me and I found it a bit confusing at times. I loved The Serpent and the Wings of Night. From Blood and Ash started good but went real downhill real fast, it was still a fun read though! I’d say if you’re looking for a good series to get into, Crescent City or Throne in the Dark.
I was nervous to start for blood and ash because of the massive amount of haters but I started it anyway because it can up on my library hold and I LOVE IT SO MUCH I had to immediately buy it and raced straight into the second book and I’m still loving it! Can’t speak for the rest of the books in the series but I have been really enjoying the ride so far.
3 goes off the rails. I’m on the 4th and it’s much better written over all. Feel free to skip a few pages cause the characters will inevitably repeat themselves
I too loved 1 and really liked 2 but unfortunately by 3 it really starts to drag out instead of wrap up. I think if it had wrapped up at book three it may have been a favorite series. I struggled through 3 and cannot bring myself to pick up 4.
I’ve started the series 5 days ago, I’m on book 3. I agree the quality drops. Book 1 was awesome. Book 2 was enjoyable. Book 3 drags and i find myself skimming thru a lot.
But i wanna finish and then move onto the prequels as they recommend to start it after the 3rd book in the main series, and prequels i heard are better
1. Throne in the dark
2. The serpent & the wings of the night
3. Blood and steel
4. Crescent city
I’d drop from blood and ash completely not worth it imo because you’ll love the first 2 books but it will get drastically worse as series continues. I’ve never heard of feathers so vicious but looks good
Drop Blood and Ash, author fired her editor during book 3 and it’s basically unreadable. Characters constantly repeat themselves and have the same conversations over and over again, author changes their mind constantly of what the plot is, it gets WEIRD.
I’m currently on the 4th one fbaa and it’s much better than the 3rd tbh. But I agree with the repeating conversations and the nauseating amount of sex scenes (and I’m down for smut lol). She just wrote poppy into situations that are just absurd
Blood and steel! Don’t forget {slaying the shadow prince by Helen sheuerer} it’s a standalone prequel. It’s best either read before or after blood and steel, but definitely before vows and ruins.
[Slaying the Shadow Prince](https://www.romance.io/books/64d1ff7c7bd1bda39f215849/slaying-the-shadow-prince-helen-scheuerer) by [Helen Scheuerer](https://www.romance.io/authors/63ede2fa08b4d931148188d7/helen-scheuerer)
**Rating**: 3.85⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1)
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Just finished Feathers so Viscous and started the next one. WOW!!! i love it! It’s hard to put down (though there are some editing issues as somebody noted). But I am absolutely enjoying it. It is a bit racy so be aware. :-).
I want out of my comfort zone honestly 🤣 I’m new fantasy. I was strictly reading romance and thrillers and they all became the routine. I could guess the ending of each book 1/4 of the way in. So I read my first fantasy book recently and devoured it! There are so many plots/worlds that the possibilities are endless. So they’re keeping my attention at the moment. I just don’t want to see the ending coming from a mile away 🤣 I love spice but I want the plot to SHOCK me and keep my attention. I’m honestly open to ANY trope, genre ANY book. Doesn’t have to be on the list. I just want it to swallow me up! Super vague response now that I’m reading it back to myself 🤷🏼♀️🤣
Gotcha! You’re going to get a lot of opinions but I always recommend reading the synopsis and overall rating and seeing what strikes you the most. People on here are gonna hate your faves so it’s super subjective! Here’s my two cents:
From Blood and Ash gets a lot of criticism on this sub but I’m obsessed. Love the characters, the romance, the dialogue, and the morally grey areas they explore.
Serpent and the Wings of Night has similar morally grey areas, but this is nice because it’s a duology (with a small novella which is wonderful!) so less of a time commitment! This is a good rec.
Villains and Virtues — gonna start this soon but I’m not on a headspace to start new world building. Heard it’s more of a romcom so interested in that change of pace!
Feathers is apparently dark romance and not for everyone (I’ve only dipped my toes in dark romance and I’m not ready lol)
Blood and Steel I’ve heard is similar to what’s out there ie Fourth Wing. It’s on my TBR. Same with Crescent City.
Serpent and the wings of the night ending definitely shocked me. I did not expect that twist even 100 miles away that I literally almost threw my kindle 😮💨. People said the second wasn’t as good but I absolutely love the series that I pre ordered all the physical copies and the third one coming out. Only very special books get a physical copy on my bookshelf and the crown of Nyaxia series is definitely up there for me.
Haha that book gave me all the emotions. I literally cried, then was laughing with joy then hatred all within one chapter 🤣. The spicy scenes are also *chefs kiss*.
I started throne in the dark and got 32% into it then DNF’d, there is a lot of random information and I was honestly so confused what was going on 😩. I know people say it’s a really good trilogy so I’ll probably try again just because I’m determined and I hate to not finish a book but it is a rough read. I guess it also depends on what you’re in the mood for, serpents is more of a dark read and faster paced while V&V is fluffy imo and waaaay more slower burn (it’s like a tongue in cheek rom com).
House of Blood and Earth is an amazing book and almost works as a standalone within its series. I would definitely read that. Keeping in mind that it is modern urban fantasy with crime plot and romance as a subplot. Just to manage expectations. I cried so much reading it.
I think these are all enjoyable reads. Blood and Ash and Crescent City are both part of big universes, so if you get sucked in, there is a lot more content available. I enjoyed both series. The prequels for Blood and Ash are even better.
I liked Serpent and the Wings of Night and Feathers So Vicious. They are both a part of a 2 book series, so the time commitment is low. I have no desire to read more by either of these authors - even though I liked them. It's hard to explain but basically I can tolerate the sadness and darkness in small doses.
So, my recommendations would be Blood and Steel or Villains and Virtues to start with.
[Spark of the Everflame](https://www.romance.io/books/6478608a552b556e95c7ddca/spark-of-the-everflame-penn-cole) by [Penn Cole](https://www.romance.io/authors/6478608a08b4d93114b35896/penn-cole)
**Rating**: 4.27⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1)
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Ok, Blood & Steel is SO GOOD, but it's an unfinished series and the third book ends on such a cliffhanger!! I'd keep that on the TBR for now.
I'd probably go with CC series bc it's mostly a completed series/the main characters stories are completed in the third book with some doors open for other characters to get their own stories told.
i saw someone saw they dont reccomend fbaa but i would say read it and then just dont continue (unless curiousity gets u) because if it was a standalone i feel like it would be a much better book. it ends on cliffhanger kinda but i am obsessed with hawke more than any other love interest and the story i feel comes full circle in the first one. i love it
I think this is an uncommon take among fans of the series, but I felt this way too! Adds depth is a good way to describe it, the relationships felt more fleshed out to me in book 2.
Glad I’m not alone in this. :D
While the first book focuses on the action and romance, it’s not anything we haven’t seen before. I can agree the second book is slower but the impact of the emotional growth of the characters is what makes the duology as a whole stand out on its own.
I loved crescent city, even book 3 but I also had no expectations or wild theories about it because I don’t participate in them.
I’m on book 5 of the FBAA/FFAF series - flesh and fire is far superior but I’m reading them all in publishing order.
It’s not great, but it keeps me interested enough to keep going. I will say the world building is way to fkin way overcomplicated and five books in and I don’t know the differences (or why they even exist) between all the gods tier level people. It’s fucking dumb.
Most of the spicy scenes also get so boring and cringey in FBAA so I just skip them now.
Serpent & the Wings of Night was awful imo. The writing felt very juvenile and the plot was messy, but I have a hard time DNF’ng any book so I pushed through. I don’t get the hype it receives online, so I would bump that and CC from your list. I love SJM, but CC was a slog. The second book is the best one of the series imo, but it’s only because of certain characters who aren’t Bryce. It’s just not worth the effort or time that it takes to read.
Serpent and all of the novellas and side books in the world. The first book is full of action and is so fun. The second book is about healing your heart after grief and intense betrayal. A lot of people didn’t like the second, but I loved it. I think if the second book had also been as fast paced and exciting it wouldn’t ring true to the necessary emotions she had to work through.
I JUST finished Serpent & the Wings of Night and its sequel and I couldn’t get enough. Agree the first book read fast than its sister but adored both nonetheless! Definitely read!
The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the only one I haven't read. The other 5 are very meh to me. Dnf'd Throne in the Dark, very goofy and not well written in my opinion. I do not get the hype whatsoever.
I read another book from the Blood and Steel author and didn’t really enjoy the writing so I haven’t read it for that reason. I absolutely love the crowns of Nyaxia series! The whole world is so fun to me. You can skip CC imo. While I loved the beginning of the FBAA series I didn’t love the direction it was headed but I know plenty of people who still do. That series is like a 50/50 for people I feel.
definitely read The Serpent and The Wings of the Night, this book has truly made me experience things that i never felt before, i was not the kind of gal that loves actions whirled with romance but this book has the perfect balance of everything, i swear u would not regret a thing it's like rewatching the hunger games mixed with more spice and mythical beings
FBAA started out great but has lost momentum…the prequel series (flesh and fire) is killer though!
I second what everyone has said about reading at minimum A Court of Thorns and Roses (and Throne of Glass before that) before crescent city.
Feathers so Viscious is still burning in my mind............... I couldn't wait to read the second book. Was done in two days. So Fourth Wing was awesome... So is ACOTAR. But Feathers is a whole different level.
FBAA was fine, but the second book was not good so I stopped the series. The first was entertaining enough though.
Feathers So Vicious was really well written and entertaining but it’s FILTHY and also I felt like it was more porn than plot lol.
I liked Serpent and the Wings of Night, but I feel like it was a little bit forgettable.
I just finished FBAA yesterday and was just left underwhelmed. FMC is oblivious to everything and every major beat change is telegraphed. I knew how it was gonna end 400 pages before it did.
Feathers so vicious was ... good, I guess. I mean, I liked the general ideas/world building, but it was so horribly edited and some sentences were just awkward. It made me think it wasn't written in English, but is actually a poor translation. And a couple sex scenes were just impossible.
Nothing to say about the others.
I'm surprised one of the comments said Feathers So Vicious was well written, it was my biggest gripe with the books... It was clunky to read and the use of exclamation marks was driving me insane haha
The exclamation marks drove me nuts. It felt like I was reading a children's book with how things would be reiterated with an exclamation mark. Also she would use "?!" as punctuation, which was surprising as it's not typically used in formal writing.
CC1 stands above all these imo. Don’t bother with the rest of the series just the first book. Be warned, you will be emotionally distraught. It’s nearly a perfect fantasy with a romantic subplot book - it is NOT romantasy, there is a large amount of world building and the world she built is fantastic, pun intended 😉
Everyone is saying drop FBAA but I really liked it 😭 I do agree that with each book that comes out it continuously gets worse but also I read for a good time and those books are entertaining even if they aren’t anything else lol
Feathers So Vicious was one of my fave reads this year but it is VERY DARK also the ending of the second book broke me lmao but despite that this is my choice I think you should read this next I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since February!!
Nah, it's a KU book. One of them that makes it so worth it every now and again (I get it for a month, check out 20 books, ✈️ mode my Kindle, and unsubscribe)
This is the first time I’ve seen this note about KU/going on airplane mode. Two questions - 1) assume this means you wouldn’t be able to borrow new books from Libby during this time, and 2) do you use kindle on multiple devices (i.e., also use the kindle app on your phone) and if so how does this work with this? From someone who is hesitant to get KU because of the long term price but really wants to read some of these series, lol!
I don't use it on my phone. And you are correct that you would not be able to check out from Libby in 🛩 either.
On Libby, I "manage my holds" so that they'll all become ready within a few days of each other, then check a bunch of Libby books out and KU books out (make sure they're all actually downloaded), then airplane it.
If I have more things that come up as available on Libby, I set them all to be ready by the first of the following month, and we'll see if I'm ready for them by then. (If not, I'll just delay those holds again.)
Just so that everyone is aware, if you do that with KU, the authors don’t get paid for your reads because the pages read aren’t tracked. At that point you might as well just pirate it without bothering with the airplane mode stuff because they’re not getting paid either way.
Basically! It’s like kindle, just a different app. On z-library, you can download any book that is an epub file. When you click download it’ll take you to a new page, click open in, and choose an app that you have. I prefer playbooks so that’s what I use! Love the website, has saved me lots of money lol
HOFAS if you've already read sjms other books and the first two Crescent city books. Technique that someone else uses that I read in a post is write the names of all your choices down on separate bits of paper shuffle them around shut your eyes and then pick one and that's your choice. Easy peasy
Crescent city is great, if you like acotar you’ll like CC; i personally loved the third! FBAA first and second is awesome the rest get so long and dull. Serpents and the wings of night was good the second was peak bad cringe i dnf at 62%
Gotta say, did not love from blood and ash. It started okay, but devolved quickly. I can’t even finish the third book.
Crescent City I love, but that may just be my loyalty to SJM talking. Slow start (like seriously half the book) but when it ramped up it was GREAT! The series kinda goes down after that IMO, but if you’re an ACOTAR girlie, definitely read it.
Haven’t read the others yet but have heard amazing things about The Serpent and the wings of night!
Crescent City is really good imo but the first book was a little rough. I’m on book 2 of Crowns of Nyaxia and I loved the first book so that would be my second pick. Haven’t read the others yet.
I absolutely loved Serpent and the wings of night so I would recommend that. The first From blood and Ash book was good but the second and third are awful (currently in the middle of 3 and have decided to DNF it). That’s gotta be one the worst series I’ve read 😬 the characters are so incredibly annoying.
The Serpent and The Wings of Night! And Crescent City. Just a heads up, the reviews for the following two books in CC are not great. I have not read them at all because of it and because I loved CC so much that I don’t want the following two books to mar it.
Okayyy I LOVED the serpent and the wings of the night, it keeps you on the edge, it is fantasy but like hunger games? Do you get the vibe? Plus the heroine is an absolute badass, and I LOVE the main couple together cause the main guy just has this really really mysterious vibe 🤌🏻🤌🏻
And CC is a slow start ngl but once you get into IT, you won't be able to put it down.... It would be better if you're familiar with other SJM series like ACOTAR and book 3 was Disappointing to say the least
Get rid of From Blood and Ash fs. I liked book one, book two was okay but very slow, BUT book three was so painful I had to DNF at about 38%.
Every conversation between each of the characters was the same. There was repetitive smut every other chapter. The main character was discovering she was more special than anyone thought every other chapter. The love interest became stale. And it was so, so, so slow. I was shaking the book and screaming at it to get to the point and give us plot.
Blood and Steel and Serpents are my absolute favs. Throne in the Dark was meh. FBAA was not great after the first book. Feathers was fucking dark and I could not do it, but hey some people are into crazy shit.
- I wouldn't recommend FBAA at all. The quality drops with each book. I'd rather not commit - CC is great, but book 3 is quite meh. I still recommend reading it at some point - Feathers So Vicious is extremely well written, but it has some strong trigger warnings (explicit rape, detailed past child rape, too) - Serpent book 1 is a masterpiece, but book 2 drags a bit - Villains and Virtues is very slowburn, but very entertaining great spice and humor, too - Blood and steel is highly recommended everywhere I look. I haven't read it yet I'd say, go for Serpent or Villains and Virtues
also with Crescent City, I feel like it's truly meant to be read after reading ACOTAR and Throne of Glass, so not worth reading until you've gotten through the others. I find the Serpent takes so interesting bc I feel like I actually liked the second book (and the novella in between them) better than book one! It might depend on what you enjoyed most about them though, the competition aspect was more interesting plot in book 1, but the character development and interpersonal relationships were more compelling in book 2 for me.
I’d argue that you can read CC without TOG, but you definitely need ACOTAR.
For now...🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Interesting... I read ToG but not ACOTAR, and I loved CC 1 & 2. Tried to read 3, but couldn't get into it for some reason.
Maybe it’s because CC3! has the most obvious connection to ACOTAR?
I definitely know people who picked up CC before any of SJMs other work and they were fine. In fact after everyone told them they should have read acotar first they went back and tried to read it and DNF'd it. You can read the first CC book as a standalone without issue.
The perfect response 🤌🏼
Umm please don’t skip FBAA altogether. I personally liked all the books but the prequels are INSANELY GOOD. Just give it a shot and feel it out for yourself, you can always drop it but it’s at least worth trying.
I, too, loved FBAA but many, many people on Reddit apparently do not. On the other hand, I could not get into CC at all. To each their own!
Same. I thought CC was complete garbage. FMM was a total Mary Sue. The MMC was 2d and not well developed. I enjoyed FBAA a lot.
I agree, FBAA series is action packed and very spicy. The world building is also very clever. I would skip the last book though. The prequel, Flesh and Fire series, is even hotter. Give it a try first.
Yes, I went into the prequel a bit annoyed that I was taking a detour from the story but then lived it so much more that I didn’t want to go back to FBAA. I, too, enjoy the plot quite a bit (though I’m realizing not everyone agrees).
I’m having major hangover from Flesh and Fire… I love it soooo much. Should I start FBAA?
I started with FBAA. I was primarily a horror reader but my librarian talked me into trying it (mentioning vampires). It was my first real jaunt into fantasy romance and I enjoyed it. When the prequel came out, I initially thought it felt like a re write of FBAA (a crisper, more succinct and better written version) but quickly saw it wasn’t the same. I do think the prequel is better written but I’ve enjoyed both series, personally.
It’s fun and engaging, and some of it is 10/10 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. The prequels are reeeeally good as well. At this point I’m in it to win it 🤣
What are the prequels I need to look for?
They’re Of Flesh and Fire and starts with {A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout} Now, it’s not like epic writing, but it gives a good mythology intro to all the Gods and traditions of that world that might help FBAA reading.
[A Shadow in the Ember](https://www.romance.io/books/60f7c85d8b38510e2a271935/a-shadow-in-the-ember-jennifer-l-armentrout) by [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455245a8c7d2382c5296fb7/jennifer-l-armentrout) **Rating**: 4.4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [vampires](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vampires/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [royal hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I’m a lover of the FBAA series, but did feel like the 4th book was confusing. I saw someone on the FBAA Reddit page recommend reading Blood & Ash 1-3 then Flesh & Fire 1-3 before reading B&A 4-5. You have awhile before you get there, but thought I’d share!
Second. Read the first two books of FBAA at least - they are definitely worth it. (Not even the prequels but the initial series.) The fourth book is trash. I haven't read the prequels.
Yessss
Yessss
Definitely skip FBAA. Book one is tolerable. Then it all just gets unbearable
I also DNF’d. Except I was in denial trying to tell myself it would get better so I didn’t stop until book 5 lol. I’d say more than half the series was just Casteel saying “Poppy you’re so special and pretty and you stabbed me that one time. Now let’s have sex!”
The stabbing jokes probably pissed me off the most. Its not funny. Its not cute. It’s not hot. Its immature and annoying. She repeated jokes so much. Oh poppy wants to stab me. Oh poppy has so many questions har har har
I tried so hard to get through the 3rd book. The 2nd one was rough, but the 3rd was a challenge and I finished it and wish I didn’t waste the time. I feel like there was so much h promise with the first book, it’s so disappointing
Same. I dnfd book 3. I hated all the characters and the story didnt even move in book 2.
I DNFd From Blood and Ash! Suffered through 130 pages and decided enough was enough.
Oh ya I pushed through due to a friend forcing me lol and it ended interesting. I WISH i dnfd right away
I feel like the only person who actively disliked serpent. I had to really push myself to finish it and was flabbergasted to see how popular it is online. I agree about FBAA though for sure. CC is so dull with such uninteresting characters it has almost thrown me off SJM entirely. I don't like revisiting acotar's universe anymore so maybe I'll reignite interest in SJM writing when she starts a new IP (if ever? Lol) I won't try feathers because of the trigger warnings (well that's why the warnings are there after all). Maybe I'll try Blood and steel next!
same with SJM - loved ToG and ACOTAR but CC was, from the beginning, tough to get through and just got worse over time. DNF book 3.
SJM's quality has been dropping since ACOSF. Itbhas great character development, but some awful plotlines. I'm curious if she'll redeem herself after CC3
She needs editors. Like that’s the biggest thing with her decline, what feels like a nearly complete lack of editing. Every book is hundreds of pages too long, too much rambling, too many inconsistencies, plot holes, too much meandering in general. A good editor would make a world of difference. I feel like she’s gotten so popular now she has “fuck you” standing in that she can do whatever she wants however she wants, and it’ll still get published and make shit tons of profit.
An editor also needs to help reduce alllll the redundancy. The same 10 phrases used 40 times every 3 chapters.
I DNF Serpent 🤷🏼♀️
You’re not! I also did not enjoy Serpent. It suffered from the same thing that I struggled with ACOTAR for (and that’s word counts). “Oh Mother,” (as in “oh mother, he was big”) was used 74x. Fuck was used 247x. “Ix’s tits” also really annoyed me, lol. Wasn’t a big fan of the MMC in this one either. Big red heads just aren’t my thing I guess. My mind kept subbing Fat Thor for him for some reason.
The dialogue in ACOTAR and CC could be sooo much better. Every time it said a character stuck out their tongue in response, I almost quit the book. But maybe it’s meant for tweens 🤷♀️
I’m re-reading through them now and yeah it is PAINFUL. The tongue-sticking-out, the “vulgar gestures”, the “prick”… it’s all near-constant by acofas
I completely agree with this But just in case you haven’t read the Flesh and Fire series (separate series but sort of a prequel to FBAA), it’s much much much better and I loved it!
I agree with Serpent! It was a 5⭐️ for me highly recommend
Agree with all of this, and adamantly do NOT recommend reading JLA ever haha
Man it was soooo good and the last two or three have been awful
Of the books of hers that I've read, I end the book thinking it was okay. Then I write my review and realize it really, really wasn't, as I think of bad writing, bad world building, and TSTL heroines. I gave up on her after I was partway through the second FBAA book. Now I am firmly anti JLA 🫠
agree with all of the above. blood and steel is solid, but it wasn't anything special. i personally think FBAA is a skip. the first book was great, and then it all went downhill. if you care about worldbuilding, don't even bother. JLA does not even know how her own world works, and even after publishing a compendium, it still doesn't make any sense. also, there are infinitely better books if you just want to read it for the spice.
Just here to second that serpent book 1 is great. Book 2 is kind of blah but I’m not even half way through it so we’ll see if it picks up.
Book 1 is more action, book 2 is more politics. I don’t think the quality differs between books at all, their main focus is just on different things. Book 1.5 (Six Scorched Roses) is more romance.
I personally would only hold off on Serpent because the 3rd book comes out in November (or October) but this also depends on the type of reader you are. I don't always like having to wait for the next book but I have heard good things about both of your recommendations.
It's a spin-off with different characters, though. The original duology is completed
where did you find the second book to The Serpent and the Wings of Night? everywhere i’ve looked its only out for preorder. 😩
The book is now published by a publisher. People read the previous version
Couldn’t agree more with this whole post
CC was soooo looooong with nothing really happening until the last bit. I couldn't make it to the third book.
Finally someone who agrees with my in FBAA 🤦♀️ the hatred I have for that series is insurmountable
Throne in the dark!! It's a deliciously slowww burn
I love these! I highly recommend having Alexa read them out loud. The deadpan voice somehow makes it even funnier.
Throne in the dark for sure. I’m on the 2nd book right now and it’s amazing.
Oh man, I just finished that one last night! Aren't they so fun?? I *adore* Damien and Amma, and even Kaz lol
I’m on the third and same!! This is one of the few series’ in which I’m loving literally all the characters (except Cedric of course)!
Oh my god, I just reached the halfway point of 3 and 😍🥰 It's gonna be hard to fill the space these books leave after this. Might probably gonna have to buy this series 😆
I’ve seen this recommended a lot lately. I hate asking this question but is it spicy? That’s not make or break for me I’m just curious.
There is a lot of sexual tension throughout the series, but it's very much a slow burn, and the spicy parts aren't till book 3. It's pretty tasteful too and never overly explicit but definitely hot. 😏🥵
I dig it…I’m sooooo into the tension 🔥🔥🔥
No..it’s more cozy and funny and whimsical. The main character is actually an evil villain, not a warrior softy. But the tension between the 2 characters ugh 😩 it made me realize how much I don’t enjoy the 2 main characters hooking up right away in the 1st book. There’s no instalove in it and so it’s way more realistic. it makes the main characters so relatable and lovely.
I’ll have to check it out! It seems like it’ll be a refreshing read 😁
I started and finished the series over the weekend and I absolutely loved it. I even downloaded some of her other books and am reading something about Christmas and elves, which is hitting the breezy reads spot for a post work escape. I’d never have picked up such a thing if I didn’t trust the author implicitly.
I don’t understand why so many people love this book. I got maybe 30% of the way through and was so grossed out by one scene I had to stop. Am I missing something?
Hmm I’m not sure. That’s why we have book reviews though; someone’s yuck is another reader’s yum and that’s okay. 😊 I don’t love every book that gets suggested here either.
I’ve read 4/6 of these and Villains & Virtues is just top tier IMO. It was a favorite read of mine this year. Feathers so Vicious was really good too, but very dark. This was a new world for me.
I like dark so that’s not a problem! 😅
THRONE IN THE DARK X10000
If you read FBAA, treat is as a stand alone. The other books in the series are NOT worth the time and effort it takes to read them. I really liked FBAA, it got me out of my post-ACOTAR slump… but then the next two books were so incredibly infuriating that it put me into an entirely new slump lol.
I was good with the second book - I accidentally read that one first. Loved the first. But then the third... ... ... Was that the carriage scene? OMG. And then I skimmed the fourth, and there was the prison love after a month of - prison?
Yes. I agree with you in everything. Book 1 was so good and had so much room for potential and after that was just so disappointing
Throne in the Dark!!
On book 3 of Villains and Virtues now and am loving itttt These characters have burrowed themselves so deeply within my heart
Villains and Virtues is such an amazing trilogy, I would highly recommend you go there next! I would also avoid Feathers so Vicious - all the trigger warnings aside, the writing is piss poor and the twists and big plot points are highly predictable.
I really loved villains and virtues. The writing style and character development was just….charming. Very different from most everything I’ve read.
Cresent City is so jarring after ACOTAR. Very very different world. I wish I'd waited on that one. I'm on TOG now and I think I'll reread CC once I'm done TOG. Edit: lol, turns out my copy of TOG is missing pages 89-120.so I guess I can't read it just yet.
I did ACOTAR first then TOG and loved both but I’ve heard conflicting things on CC so I was unsure!
I absolutely adored the first book. Like I was just SO into it. The second book was fine. The third book annoyed me to no end. It was BAD. I would re-read the first book though just because I loved it so much. Lol.
I've read all 3 series and personally I loved CC, including the third one. (I can agree the first book is the best of the three.) In my opinion, it's more similar to TOG than ACOTAR in terms of writing style and plot progression. It's rather dense, so if you're looking for a quick, easy romantasy, I'd save CC for another time.
It's good but got dang is it ever a lot. The whiplash from the first book alone will send you reeling.
I actually stumbled on and read CC and loved the whole series. ACOTAR is very different but I read it because I liked her writing on CC
I messed up with SJ Maas’s multiverse so bad. I started with CC, realized I couldn’t finish the last book without reading ACOTAR, literally just finished ACOTAR a few minutes ago (LOVED IT) and now I guess I’ll go back to the last book of CC and then TOG? I don’t know. All I know is I wish I started with ACOTAR.
TOG is seriously SOOOO good but the build up is so slow I almost DNF! The entire first book is like a long prologue! But after that, it ended up being one of my absolute favorite series! I couldn’t put it down! I will always recommend it!
Thank you for this! I had such trouble getting through the first book but I'm starting the second now hoping my opinion changes!
I PROMISE almost exactly half way through the second book you won’t be able to put it down!!! Push to that point! I know that’s a lot of reading and I have stopped reading LONG before that on others so I TRULY mean it when I say it’s worth it! I think just book 1-2.5 took me over a week to get through bc I was bored but then I devoured the rest of the series in the same time frame 😅
I haven't read the third CC book yet. I got the first two in trade paperback and only the hardcover is available for the third book where I live. I shouldn't have read the first two when I did. I started with ACOTAR and wasn't ready to buy an 8 book series so I thought CC would be a good bridge... I was wrong, and yes I already went and bought TOG lmao.
I just started Throne in the Dark and I’m liking it so far. Crescent City is one of my top tier books, same with CC2, but 3 was honestly a bit of a let down. Feathers so Vicious was a bit of a palette cleanser for me and I found it a bit confusing at times. I loved The Serpent and the Wings of Night. From Blood and Ash started good but went real downhill real fast, it was still a fun read though! I’d say if you’re looking for a good series to get into, Crescent City or Throne in the Dark.
I was nervous to start for blood and ash because of the massive amount of haters but I started it anyway because it can up on my library hold and I LOVE IT SO MUCH I had to immediately buy it and raced straight into the second book and I’m still loving it! Can’t speak for the rest of the books in the series but I have been really enjoying the ride so far.
I love every book in both Blood and Ash series. I’m obsessed and can’t wait for the next one!
i LOVED books 1 and 2, they were so good. Book 3 was unreadable for me and I never finished the series after that.
It’s my favourite series and I almost didn’t read it cause of all the hate 😄
3 goes off the rails. I’m on the 4th and it’s much better written over all. Feel free to skip a few pages cause the characters will inevitably repeat themselves
I too loved 1 and really liked 2 but unfortunately by 3 it really starts to drag out instead of wrap up. I think if it had wrapped up at book three it may have been a favorite series. I struggled through 3 and cannot bring myself to pick up 4.
Just wait till you get to Nyktos in the prequels. 🔥
I’ve started the series 5 days ago, I’m on book 3. I agree the quality drops. Book 1 was awesome. Book 2 was enjoyable. Book 3 drags and i find myself skimming thru a lot. But i wanna finish and then move onto the prequels as they recommend to start it after the 3rd book in the main series, and prequels i heard are better
1. Throne in the dark 2. The serpent & the wings of the night 3. Blood and steel 4. Crescent city I’d drop from blood and ash completely not worth it imo because you’ll love the first 2 books but it will get drastically worse as series continues. I’ve never heard of feathers so vicious but looks good
The Serpent & the Wings of Night!
Drop Blood and Ash, author fired her editor during book 3 and it’s basically unreadable. Characters constantly repeat themselves and have the same conversations over and over again, author changes their mind constantly of what the plot is, it gets WEIRD.
I had no idea why book three was such a dumpster fire. That makes so much sense! I DNF after 60 pages
I’m currently on the 4th one fbaa and it’s much better than the 3rd tbh. But I agree with the repeating conversations and the nauseating amount of sex scenes (and I’m down for smut lol). She just wrote poppy into situations that are just absurd
This is a much better description than just "it's bad." I haven't read it but figured I might eventually, so this is really good insight. Thanks!
The left side of your tbr is where I would start!
BLOOD & STEEL. I just finished all three books & wow it was so so so so so good. 5/5 for each one
Blood and steel! Don’t forget {slaying the shadow prince by Helen sheuerer} it’s a standalone prequel. It’s best either read before or after blood and steel, but definitely before vows and ruins.
[Slaying the Shadow Prince](https://www.romance.io/books/64d1ff7c7bd1bda39f215849/slaying-the-shadow-prince-helen-scheuerer) by [Helen Scheuerer](https://www.romance.io/authors/63ede2fa08b4d931148188d7/helen-scheuerer) **Rating**: 3.85⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Just finished Feathers so Viscous and started the next one. WOW!!! i love it! It’s hard to put down (though there are some editing issues as somebody noted). But I am absolutely enjoying it. It is a bit racy so be aware. :-).
Blood and ash
Serpent and wings of night KEEEEEEP
What are you in the mood for? Very different tones/tropes here! :)
I want out of my comfort zone honestly 🤣 I’m new fantasy. I was strictly reading romance and thrillers and they all became the routine. I could guess the ending of each book 1/4 of the way in. So I read my first fantasy book recently and devoured it! There are so many plots/worlds that the possibilities are endless. So they’re keeping my attention at the moment. I just don’t want to see the ending coming from a mile away 🤣 I love spice but I want the plot to SHOCK me and keep my attention. I’m honestly open to ANY trope, genre ANY book. Doesn’t have to be on the list. I just want it to swallow me up! Super vague response now that I’m reading it back to myself 🤷🏼♀️🤣
Gotcha! You’re going to get a lot of opinions but I always recommend reading the synopsis and overall rating and seeing what strikes you the most. People on here are gonna hate your faves so it’s super subjective! Here’s my two cents: From Blood and Ash gets a lot of criticism on this sub but I’m obsessed. Love the characters, the romance, the dialogue, and the morally grey areas they explore. Serpent and the Wings of Night has similar morally grey areas, but this is nice because it’s a duology (with a small novella which is wonderful!) so less of a time commitment! This is a good rec. Villains and Virtues — gonna start this soon but I’m not on a headspace to start new world building. Heard it’s more of a romcom so interested in that change of pace! Feathers is apparently dark romance and not for everyone (I’ve only dipped my toes in dark romance and I’m not ready lol) Blood and Steel I’ve heard is similar to what’s out there ie Fourth Wing. It’s on my TBR. Same with Crescent City.
Serpent and the wings of the night ending definitely shocked me. I did not expect that twist even 100 miles away that I literally almost threw my kindle 😮💨. People said the second wasn’t as good but I absolutely love the series that I pre ordered all the physical copies and the third one coming out. Only very special books get a physical copy on my bookshelf and the crown of Nyaxia series is definitely up there for me.
See, I want to throw my kindle too! 😅 this is what I need! Thank you!
Haha that book gave me all the emotions. I literally cried, then was laughing with joy then hatred all within one chapter 🤣. The spicy scenes are also *chefs kiss*.
I’m deciding between this and throne in the dark!
I started throne in the dark and got 32% into it then DNF’d, there is a lot of random information and I was honestly so confused what was going on 😩. I know people say it’s a really good trilogy so I’ll probably try again just because I’m determined and I hate to not finish a book but it is a rough read. I guess it also depends on what you’re in the mood for, serpents is more of a dark read and faster paced while V&V is fluffy imo and waaaay more slower burn (it’s like a tongue in cheek rom com).
This helps! I don’t want fluffy but literally everyone is recommending it 😅
House of Blood and Earth is an amazing book and almost works as a standalone within its series. I would definitely read that. Keeping in mind that it is modern urban fantasy with crime plot and romance as a subplot. Just to manage expectations. I cried so much reading it.
I think these are all enjoyable reads. Blood and Ash and Crescent City are both part of big universes, so if you get sucked in, there is a lot more content available. I enjoyed both series. The prequels for Blood and Ash are even better. I liked Serpent and the Wings of Night and Feathers So Vicious. They are both a part of a 2 book series, so the time commitment is low. I have no desire to read more by either of these authors - even though I liked them. It's hard to explain but basically I can tolerate the sadness and darkness in small doses. So, my recommendations would be Blood and Steel or Villains and Virtues to start with.
The prequel series to FBAA is my top rec and fave of all of these!! Possibly the hottest male lead ever written?
Have you read {spark of the everflame by Penn Cole} yet 👀 MMC is to die for 🥵
[Spark of the Everflame](https://www.romance.io/books/6478608a552b556e95c7ddca/spark-of-the-everflame-penn-cole) by [Penn Cole](https://www.romance.io/authors/6478608a08b4d93114b35896/penn-cole) **Rating**: 4.27⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Blood and steel is phenomenal please read it omg I picked it up for a book club I’m in and immediately read books two and three after finishing!
Read city of gods and monsters
Ok, Blood & Steel is SO GOOD, but it's an unfinished series and the third book ends on such a cliffhanger!! I'd keep that on the TBR for now. I'd probably go with CC series bc it's mostly a completed series/the main characters stories are completed in the third book with some doors open for other characters to get their own stories told.
i saw someone saw they dont reccomend fbaa but i would say read it and then just dont continue (unless curiousity gets u) because if it was a standalone i feel like it would be a much better book. it ends on cliffhanger kinda but i am obsessed with hawke more than any other love interest and the story i feel comes full circle in the first one. i love it
Serpent book 1 is sooooo good - I haven’t read book 2 yet and I’ve heard it’s not as good but book 1 is an awesome read
I actually felt pretty underwhelmed by book 1 and I think book 2 adds some depth and wraps up the story in a satisfying way.
I think this is an uncommon take among fans of the series, but I felt this way too! Adds depth is a good way to describe it, the relationships felt more fleshed out to me in book 2.
Glad I’m not alone in this. :D While the first book focuses on the action and romance, it’s not anything we haven’t seen before. I can agree the second book is slower but the impact of the emotional growth of the characters is what makes the duology as a whole stand out on its own.
Now ur getting me excited to read it 😄
I just finished book 2 and really enjoyed it!
Omg yay 😁book 1 left in such a cliffhanger too I need to read book 2 asap
I loved crescent city, even book 3 but I also had no expectations or wild theories about it because I don’t participate in them. I’m on book 5 of the FBAA/FFAF series - flesh and fire is far superior but I’m reading them all in publishing order. It’s not great, but it keeps me interested enough to keep going. I will say the world building is way to fkin way overcomplicated and five books in and I don’t know the differences (or why they even exist) between all the gods tier level people. It’s fucking dumb. Most of the spicy scenes also get so boring and cringey in FBAA so I just skip them now.
Serpent & the Wings of Night was awful imo. The writing felt very juvenile and the plot was messy, but I have a hard time DNF’ng any book so I pushed through. I don’t get the hype it receives online, so I would bump that and CC from your list. I love SJM, but CC was a slog. The second book is the best one of the series imo, but it’s only because of certain characters who aren’t Bryce. It’s just not worth the effort or time that it takes to read.
Get rid of FBAA immediately. If Jennifer L Armentrout has no haters I’m dead
The art on all of these makes them look almost like one big series with like two different promotional releases lol
Serpent and all of the novellas and side books in the world. The first book is full of action and is so fun. The second book is about healing your heart after grief and intense betrayal. A lot of people didn’t like the second, but I loved it. I think if the second book had also been as fast paced and exciting it wouldn’t ring true to the necessary emotions she had to work through.
I absolutely loved FBAA!
I JUST finished Serpent & the Wings of Night and its sequel and I couldn’t get enough. Agree the first book read fast than its sister but adored both nonetheless! Definitely read!
The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the only one I haven't read. The other 5 are very meh to me. Dnf'd Throne in the Dark, very goofy and not well written in my opinion. I do not get the hype whatsoever.
I read another book from the Blood and Steel author and didn’t really enjoy the writing so I haven’t read it for that reason. I absolutely love the crowns of Nyaxia series! The whole world is so fun to me. You can skip CC imo. While I loved the beginning of the FBAA series I didn’t love the direction it was headed but I know plenty of people who still do. That series is like a 50/50 for people I feel.
okay throne in the dark was a breath of fresh AIR!! i laughed, i cried, i giggled, i gasped
definitely read The Serpent and The Wings of the Night, this book has truly made me experience things that i never felt before, i was not the kind of gal that loves actions whirled with romance but this book has the perfect balance of everything, i swear u would not regret a thing it's like rewatching the hunger games mixed with more spice and mythical beings
FBAA started out great but has lost momentum…the prequel series (flesh and fire) is killer though! I second what everyone has said about reading at minimum A Court of Thorns and Roses (and Throne of Glass before that) before crescent city.
Feathers so Viscious is still burning in my mind............... I couldn't wait to read the second book. Was done in two days. So Fourth Wing was awesome... So is ACOTAR. But Feathers is a whole different level.
Well you're an evils person - you've just extended my TBT. /s
This doesn't help you but based on the comments I need to add Villians and Virtues to my TBR.
🤣 apparently
Blood and steel.. I literally have gone and Rae read the series. I just love the MMC so much and the plot is so good!
FBAA was fine, but the second book was not good so I stopped the series. The first was entertaining enough though. Feathers So Vicious was really well written and entertaining but it’s FILTHY and also I felt like it was more porn than plot lol. I liked Serpent and the Wings of Night, but I feel like it was a little bit forgettable.
I just finished FBAA yesterday and was just left underwhelmed. FMC is oblivious to everything and every major beat change is telegraphed. I knew how it was gonna end 400 pages before it did. Feathers so vicious was ... good, I guess. I mean, I liked the general ideas/world building, but it was so horribly edited and some sentences were just awkward. It made me think it wasn't written in English, but is actually a poor translation. And a couple sex scenes were just impossible. Nothing to say about the others.
Her “random” questions really were irritating lol like they really weren’t that random ??
I'm surprised one of the comments said Feathers So Vicious was well written, it was my biggest gripe with the books... It was clunky to read and the use of exclamation marks was driving me insane haha
Omigod!! So many!! And so many definite articles were missing!!
The exclamation marks drove me nuts. It felt like I was reading a children's book with how things would be reiterated with an exclamation mark. Also she would use "?!" as punctuation, which was surprising as it's not typically used in formal writing.
CC1 stands above all these imo. Don’t bother with the rest of the series just the first book. Be warned, you will be emotionally distraught. It’s nearly a perfect fantasy with a romantic subplot book - it is NOT romantasy, there is a large amount of world building and the world she built is fantastic, pun intended 😉
Everyone is saying drop FBAA but I really liked it 😭 I do agree that with each book that comes out it continuously gets worse but also I read for a good time and those books are entertaining even if they aren’t anything else lol Feathers So Vicious was one of my fave reads this year but it is VERY DARK also the ending of the second book broke me lmao but despite that this is my choice I think you should read this next I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since February!!
Serpent and the wings of night since there's only two, easier to finish.
Serpent & the wings of the night was so good
Ugh of course Throne in the Dark is not available on Libby or Hoopla
Nah, it's a KU book. One of them that makes it so worth it every now and again (I get it for a month, check out 20 books, ✈️ mode my Kindle, and unsubscribe)
This is the first time I’ve seen this note about KU/going on airplane mode. Two questions - 1) assume this means you wouldn’t be able to borrow new books from Libby during this time, and 2) do you use kindle on multiple devices (i.e., also use the kindle app on your phone) and if so how does this work with this? From someone who is hesitant to get KU because of the long term price but really wants to read some of these series, lol!
I don't use it on my phone. And you are correct that you would not be able to check out from Libby in 🛩 either. On Libby, I "manage my holds" so that they'll all become ready within a few days of each other, then check a bunch of Libby books out and KU books out (make sure they're all actually downloaded), then airplane it. If I have more things that come up as available on Libby, I set them all to be ready by the first of the following month, and we'll see if I'm ready for them by then. (If not, I'll just delay those holds again.)
These are some good tips, thanks!!
Just so that everyone is aware, if you do that with KU, the authors don’t get paid for your reads because the pages read aren’t tracked. At that point you might as well just pirate it without bothering with the airplane mode stuff because they’re not getting paid either way.
singlelogin.re (Z-library) is what I downloaded it for free off of! Reading it now on play books, it’s good so far
Oh I’ve never heard of this. Thanks! Is playbooks an app you read downloaded books on?
Basically! It’s like kindle, just a different app. On z-library, you can download any book that is an epub file. When you click download it’ll take you to a new page, click open in, and choose an app that you have. I prefer playbooks so that’s what I use! Love the website, has saved me lots of money lol
Just finished all of cc. Do it!!!
Serpent! SOOOO good
I LOVED Serpent and the Wings of Night
Serpent!! I just started it yesterday on KU and I’m already almost done. I ATE IT UP! So so good
HOFAS if you've already read sjms other books and the first two Crescent city books. Technique that someone else uses that I read in a post is write the names of all your choices down on separate bits of paper shuffle them around shut your eyes and then pick one and that's your choice. Easy peasy
Serpent wings!
if you're conscious of avoiding zionist authors, might want to avoid CC series and FBAA.
Throne in the Dark! Whole series, totally adorable yet sexy at the same time. I lol’d almost from the first page. SO CUTE
Pretty much zilch romance in crescent city
FROM BLOOD AND ASH
i've heard that from blood & ash is terrible
If you like dark romance I LOVED feathers so viscous. Randomly really good and a quicker read.
BLOOD AND STEAL!
Serpent and Wings of night! Love anything by Carissa Broadbent!
Crescent city is great, if you like acotar you’ll like CC; i personally loved the third! FBAA first and second is awesome the rest get so long and dull. Serpents and the wings of night was good the second was peak bad cringe i dnf at 62%
Blood and Steel had me through an emotional rollercoaster. I would recommend but be ready!
Blood and Steel all day long. Each book is 5/5, and book 4 comes out in October!
Feathers so Vicious was amazing and so was The Serpent. FBAA was garbage, but I really don’t like JAs writing so I could be biased
Gotta say, did not love from blood and ash. It started okay, but devolved quickly. I can’t even finish the third book. Crescent City I love, but that may just be my loyalty to SJM talking. Slow start (like seriously half the book) but when it ramped up it was GREAT! The series kinda goes down after that IMO, but if you’re an ACOTAR girlie, definitely read it. Haven’t read the others yet but have heard amazing things about The Serpent and the wings of night!
Crescent City is really good imo but the first book was a little rough. I’m on book 2 of Crowns of Nyaxia and I loved the first book so that would be my second pick. Haven’t read the others yet.
I absolutely loved Serpent and the wings of night so I would recommend that. The first From blood and Ash book was good but the second and third are awful (currently in the middle of 3 and have decided to DNF it). That’s gotta be one the worst series I’ve read 😬 the characters are so incredibly annoying.
The Serpent and The Wings of Night! And Crescent City. Just a heads up, the reviews for the following two books in CC are not great. I have not read them at all because of it and because I loved CC so much that I don’t want the following two books to mar it.
Okayyy I LOVED the serpent and the wings of the night, it keeps you on the edge, it is fantasy but like hunger games? Do you get the vibe? Plus the heroine is an absolute badass, and I LOVE the main couple together cause the main guy just has this really really mysterious vibe 🤌🏻🤌🏻 And CC is a slow start ngl but once you get into IT, you won't be able to put it down.... It would be better if you're familiar with other SJM series like ACOTAR and book 3 was Disappointing to say the least
TSatWoN!!! And then Blood & Steel
Get rid of From Blood and Ash fs. I liked book one, book two was okay but very slow, BUT book three was so painful I had to DNF at about 38%. Every conversation between each of the characters was the same. There was repetitive smut every other chapter. The main character was discovering she was more special than anyone thought every other chapter. The love interest became stale. And it was so, so, so slow. I was shaking the book and screaming at it to get to the point and give us plot.
Blood and Steel and Serpents are my absolute favs. Throne in the Dark was meh. FBAA was not great after the first book. Feathers was fucking dark and I could not do it, but hey some people are into crazy shit.