Cover of House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

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Books Like “House of Earth and Blood” by Sarah J. Maas

If you fell hard for the gritty urban fantasy, high-stakes mystery, and slow-burn romance of House of Earth and Blood, the book hangover is real. Readers cannot get enough of its fierce heroines and rich worldbuilding. Explore this handpicked collection of thrilling reads to find your next unforgettable obsession.

  1. Cover of Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

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    Angels' Blood

    by Nalini Singh

    FIRST IN THE GUILD HUNTER SERIES from “a major new talent” (CHRISTINE FEEHAN).View our feature on Nalini Singh's Angels' Blood.

    Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires.

    Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

    The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.

    Why it's similar

    Both books take place in a modern fantasy metropolis ruled by an angelic hierarchy and supernatural factions, centering on a high-stakes murder investigation that pairs a resilient heroine with a lethal, winged warrior.

    What's different

    It follows a tighter, faster-paced paranormal romance structure rather than the sprawling, multi-POV epic fantasy scale seen in Maas's work.

  2. Cover of Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

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    Darkfever

    by Karen Marie Moning

    MacKayla Lane's life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that only breaks down every other week or so. In other words, she's your perfectly ordinary 21st century woman. Or so she thinks - until something extraordinary happens!

    Why it's similar

    Both stories feature a grief-stricken, vibrant young woman investigating the brutal murder of a loved one, forcing her into a dangerous supernatural underworld alongside a brooding, dangerous male ally.

    What's different

    It is a portal-style urban fantasy set in modern-day Dublin where magic is hidden from humanity, whereas Crescent City is an entirely secondary world where magic and modern technology have always coexisted openly.

  3. Cover of Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

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    Burn for Me

    by Ilona Andrews

    In this spellbinding first novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews's urban fantasy Hidden Legacy series, private detective Nevada Baylor navigates her way through an alternate world where dynasties, built on inherited wealth and magic, guide the course of humanity.

    Nevada Baylor runs a small-time detective agency in Houston, Texas, busting scammers, exposing cheaters, and dealing with petty criminals. She's very good at her job--helped by a magical ability to sense when someone tells the truth or lies. But when she's forced into accepting a case to find a radical pyrotechnic who can conjure heat and fire at will, Nevada knows she's out of her league. To bring him to justice, she'll have to join forces with someone who wields an even more dangerous power.

    Connor "Mad" Rogan is a former combat mage, a telekinetic singularly responsible for mass destruction in war-torn countries, and a member of one of the most powerful magic families in the world. His nephew has been kidnapped by the fugitive pyromaniac, and Nevada is his best chance at finding them both. But unlike Nevada, Connor could care less about societal law and order, and has no qualms about extinguishing his family's enemy.

    Bound by their mission, Nevada and Connor clash over their tactics and moral beliefs, even as things undeniably heat up between them. But the man they're chasing is involved in a darker conspiracy that threatens to destroy the city--and destabilize the balance of power the elite magical families use to influence every nation on Earth.

    Why it's similar

    Both novels blend modern technology with magical class hierarchies and feature an investigative partnership between an underestimated, fierce female lead and a traumatized, ex-military powerhouse.

    What's different

    The narrative has a narrower scope centered on family dynamics and romantic suspense, lacking the grand apocalyptic scale and multi-species mythological politics of House of Earth and Blood.

  4. Cover of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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    Ninth House

    by Leigh Bardugo

    "The best fantasy novel I’ve read in years, because it’s about real people... Impossible to put down." —Stephen King

    The smash New York Times bestseller from Leigh Bardugo, a mesmerizing tale of power, privilege, and dark magic set among the Ivy League elite.

    Goodreads Choice Award Winner
    Locus Finalist

    Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age twenty, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

    Still searching for answers, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. Their eight windowless “tombs” are the well-known haunts of the rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street’s biggest players. But their occult activities are more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And, sometimes, they prey on the living.

    Don't miss the highly-anticipated sequel, Hell Bent.

    Why it's similar

    Both books follow a traumatized, outcast female protagonist investigating a brutal, drug-linked homicide that exposes dark magic and deep-seated institutional corruption.

    What's different

    It has a somber dark-academia tone focused on atmospheric occult mystery with negligible romance, contrasting with Maas's high-octane action set pieces and central romantic arc.

  5. Cover of Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

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    Some Girls Bite

    by Chloe Neill

    The first Chicagoland Vampires novel from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

    Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

    Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan Lord o the Manor Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude—and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of Merit's concerns. Someone's still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war...and there will be blood.

    Why it's similar

    Both feature a contemporary city ruled by supernatural factions, a witty young woman drawn into that world’s politics, and a mix of urban fantasy, mystery, and romantic tension with powerful nonhuman figures.

    What's different

    Its tone is more lighthearted and episodic, with less epic mythology and apocalyptic stakes and more emphasis on ongoing series hijinks and Chicago vampire politics.

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