Yes, House of Earth and Blood Is Banned!
ISBN: 9781635574043
House of Earth and Blood launches Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series, set in a modern-feeling world populated by angels, shapeshifters, fae, and demons. Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae party girl, teams up with Hunt Athalar, a fallen angel enslaved by the ruling Archangels, to investigate the murder of Bryce’s best friend. At 800 pages, the book blends urban fantasy, romance, murder mystery, and political intrigue into a dense, addictive package. Maas published this through Bloomsbury’s adult imprint, positioning it clearly outside YA, but her existing fanbase followed her across the aisle.
House of Earth and Blood was challenged 9 times in the 2024-2025 PEN America data, with bans in Florida school districts including Broward, Escambia, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Santa Rosa County. As an explicitly adult fantasy novel, its presence on school library ban lists highlights the blurriness of the Maas problem: her adult books get shelved near her YA books, and her YA readers age into her adult work without a clear boundary. The challenges cite sexual content and violence, both of which are more intense than in her YA work. Whether these books belong in high school libraries is a legitimate question; whether they should be banned is a different one entirely.
Why Was It Banned?
Where Was It Banned?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is House of Earth and Blood banned?
Yes, House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas has been banned or challenged in 14 documented instances across 1 states in the United States, including Florida. It remains one of the most frequently challenged books in America.
Why was House of Earth and Blood banned?
House of Earth and Blood has been challenged and banned for the following reasons: Sexual Content, Violence. These challenges have come from school boards, libraries, and parent groups seeking to restrict access to the book.
Where is House of Earth and Blood banned?
As of 2025, House of Earth and Blood has been banned or challenged in Florida. Notable bans include Broward County Public Schools (2025), Escambia County Public Schools (2025), Hillsborough County Public Schools (2025).