Sarah J. Maas on Writing Her First Adult Fantasy

Though she's straddled the boundaries of genre and audience before, Maas is now releasing her first book that's decidedly for adults. An urban paranormal fantasy featuring demons, fallen angels, and the sizzling romance that's a Sarah J. Maas signature, House of Earth and Blood kicks off the brand-new Crescent City series.

Maas spoke with Goodreads about persistent heroines, writing for a new audience of grown-ups, and the recent read she just couldn't put down.


Goodreads: House of Earth and Blood is your first fantasy series for adults. Was there a moment when you decided specifically to write for that audience, or did the idea for the book come first and the audience naturally followed?

Sarah J. Maas: The idea for it actually came first! Bryce [the novel's protagonist] just walked into my head one day, and I knew that she was in her 20s, which puts her story firmly in the adult realm.

So it wasn’t really a conscious decision for this book to be adult, but rather just the story and characters that came to me.

GR: For new readers unfamiliar with your previous books, what five adjectives would you use to describe your writing?

SJM: Epic, romantic, action-packed, emotional, fun.

GR: What was it like to write an epic adult fantasy? Did you have to change parts of your process or voice?

SJM: It wasn’t much different from writing my YA, to be honest.

I think there's this misconception out there that writing YA is "easier" than writing adult fiction, and I completely disagree with that. There are so many excellent YA fantasy novels out there with complex world-building and character growth that are on the same level as any adult fantasy I’ve read. 

Despite now being able to get away with more swearing, writing House of Earth and Blood was pretty much done in the same process and voice as my YA books.

GR: Are there some "signature Sarah J. Maas moves" that your fans can expect to find in this book? What do you think might surprise them?

SJM: Ha! I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I think my readers have come to expect a few twists and turns in my books—which Crescent City definitely has plenty of!

GR: One theme that runs through many of your books is a heroine who finds within herself the will to survive and overcome difficult situations. Can you tell us a bit about what this theme means to you personally and how it relates to House of Earth and Blood?

SJM: I could probably write about 100 pages in response and never quite convey all that I want to say about this question and what it means to me personally.

Talking about how I relate to my heroines’ struggles is something I’m just starting to be able to do publicly, but I will say that a lot of pieces of my own journey have made their way into my work over the years—not specific events, exactly, but the feelings and emotional journeys my heroines have gone through.

Bryce’s journey in this book is one that was fairly close to my heart in a lot of ways. Each book I write allows me to face and explore more parts of myself.

GR: You're also known for your intricate world-building. What are some of the influences that inform how you go about setting up a fictional society? 

SJM: There are so many influences—but one of the biggest is traveling. I love to travel and see new places and meet new people, and I like to think that every place I’ve been has inspired some part of these fictional worlds.

I often find that the memories I have of a place—scents, sounds, even the feeling of the light or the wind—allows me to add similar details in my work and help bring the world alive.

GR: House of Earth and Blood kicks off the Crescent City series. Can you give us any hints about the next book? Will we be revisiting Bryce and Hunt?

SJM: The next book will pick up where House of Earth and Blood finished—and though I definitely can’t give any hints yet (I’m still drafting it!), it will definitely continue Bryce and Hunt’s story.

GR: Are there other authors who've crossed over from writing YA to writing adult fiction who've inspired you? 

SJM: I’m really honored to be in such an incredible group of writers who are now switching to adult fiction, but one of the authors I truly admire did it the opposite way: Christina Lauren went from writing fantastic (and steamy!) romance to writing really marvelous YA fiction, and their graceful transition—and the balance they’ve found between writing YA and adult—has been such a source of inspiration for me.

GR: For fans of your work, what other sweeping romantic or urban fantasy books would you recommend?

SJM: There are too many to list, but to name a few off the top of my head: Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series, Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, and J. R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

GR: Finally, we always like to ask authors what books they've recently read and loved. Are there any titles that you can't stop recommending to your friends and family right now?

SJM: I’m the mom of a 20-month-old baby, so my reading time has plummeted since my son was born, but one book I read recently and absolutely adored was Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove. It’s really compelling and fresh fantasy, with a spitfire heroine whom I just adored.


Need more Sarah J. Maas in your life? Check out her exclusive Kindle Notes and Highlights for Throne of Glass.