By Sarah Gilley, Editor-in-Chief
Imagine you are in middle school, and you stumble upon the epic fantasy writer, Sarah J. Maas. You devour all eight of her currently published books in a matter of months. From then on, you grow up with this author as she grows in popularity; it is a tale many bookworms can relate to.
On Monday, Jan. 29, the doors of Barnes and Noble lock behind you as you enter at 9 p.m., when the story is usually closing. But not tonight. There is a horde of people anticipating the release of A House of Flame and Shadow, the third novel in the Crescent City series. It has been two long years of waiting to see where these characters ended up.
“Welcome to Lunathion,” announces the host of this event, “Get ready to experience a magical night.”
The Crescent City series follows Bryce Quinlan, a party girl who is enjoying living in her twenties until her best friend is murdered. She must team up with Hunt Athalar, a Fallen Angel, who will be freed from the Archangel he is enslaved to if he can help her solve the mysterious murders that keep happening around their home of Lunathion.
This book series is an epic-urban fantasy that has everything and more. It includes everything from passionate romances to finding your true family, and fae battles with guns (not swords, like usual). Buckle up for a ride of your life with these exciting novels.
Newer Maas readers should try her two other critically acclaimed book series, A Court of Thorns and Roses or Throne of Glass, before you jump into this one. They are not adult fantasy, but more like the new adult classification, so they are a bit easier to get into.
The midnight release party at Barnes and Noble included three main activities. A game of chances to find out who your mate is, and a quiz to figure out which house you belong in. These houses are House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, House of Flame and Shadow, and House of Many Waters. Lastly, the main event was matching all three cast of characters from Maas’s series to a funny description of them and then you had to go on a scavenger hunt to find each of these characters around the store.
As it started to get closer to midnight, you could feel the excitement and buzz of all the attendees. One hour to go, then thirty minutes, then suddenly counting down from ten, 3, 2, 1…it is midnight, and everyone grabs their new books and heads to the register to buy them.
For those who got to the event earlier than others, you were able to snag a first edition copy, while those who came later would just get a regular copy.
Barnes and Noble sure know how to host events such as these, so if you ever see one for a book you want, make sure to go! It is a fun experience and something you will always remember.
