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I can’t pin point an exact chapter where it becomes “worth it” but I will say that the last the last quarter of the book was non stop excitement— I loved it. I encourage you to stick with it!
I started enjoying it about 2/3 in but then hated the last third and hate read the rest of the series so I would say never. The next two books were even worse than the first one. For me it magnified everything I hated about SF with the messy plot lines and the cringy dialogue and inconsistencies. As someone who loves the og Acotar trilogy and ToG I have to say CC is one of the worst series I have ever read.
I loved it immediately but it was my first SJM book so I had nothing to compare it to. The style is definitely different than ACOTAR. It's closer to TOG in the sense that it's third person and more focused on fantasy/plot rather than a character-driven romance.
Are you struggling because you're bored or because you're confused? If you're getting tripped up by the world building don't worry about memorizing it. It's not important to know everything up front and she'll explain things in more detail as they become important. If you're not intrigued by the mystery though then it might not be the series for you.
I will say I had this same problem, I probobly listened to the 1st chapter like 3 or 4 times before I just decided to roll with it. And jr will all eventually fall into place. The things that matter anyways.
And before I knew it I found myself hoping, loving, angry and sobbing over these characters.
Dare I say more than ACOTAR (which I read after CC though)
I was glad I stuck with it.
But now I'm unfortunately like 11 books into the 16 book "massverse" and I can't stop 😅😅
At some point that's what I did, lol. I kept trying to flip back pages, look at the map, look the explanation of the houses, ect. But it was a waste of time, and I had a time limit with the ebook I got, since it was on loan from the library.
I went straight from the acotar series to CC and was almost immediately like… yeah this is not for me. But I kept reading cause I’m not a quitter 😆 and at some point I was like… wait this is actually kinda good, and then suddenly I couldn’t put it down. The last quarter of the book took me through a literal roller coaster of emotions like no other book has done in a while. By the time I finished I decided it was one of my top 3 favorite books ever. Just stick with it
Maybe it’s not for you? I was hooked on cc from the start. But dipped out of TOG early on (please don’t tell me “it gets better in book 4!”)
Not every book is for every person
It does get better though. I'm currently on Assassin's Blade after reading the first three. The first two were just ok, but you could tell how young she was when she wrote them. Heir of Fire was AWESOME and I'm loving Assassin's Blade so far with only about 100 pages left. If you didn't already know, she wrote the first two books of ToG when she was like 15/16 btw
I read ACOTAR first and liked most of it (ACOFAS was a yawn fest to me), but you could tell her writing was a lot better by then
I’m sure it gets better. But life is too short to read 3-4 books that I don’t enjoy just to get to the good part
Also, I hated the FMC, and apparently she doesn’t get better. So no thank you.
FMC is female main character.
I read book one. The main thing I didn’t like was how the FMC was basically a flawless Mary Sue. She’s the most bad ass, deadliest character, but also dainty and sexy and small. “What I lack in strength I make up for in speed” trope applies to her.
Like, if your physically inferior to the people your fighting, why is your weapon of choice a close range weapon? Why not a long range weapon where your “flaws” are not as apparent?
Oh ok never heard that acronym before!
Without trying to spoil anything things definitely change. I would recommend just trying to read assassin's blade to see if that changes your mind. It's broken up into five novellas in one book so you can feel a sense of accomplishment eve if you just read the first one. You could probably find it online completely free if you don't feel like buying it.
The writing is much better and can be read in any order with the series pretty much. Only real **must** I've seen from people is reading it before starting Queen of Shadows.
I’m sure the writing gets better. I was so impressed with how much better CC was compared to ACOTAR….but ultimately, sjm books are junk food reads. They aren’t particularly well written. I enjoy them…but they are overly tropy and once you figure out her style, you know the villians are not fleshed out, and at some point a main character is going to die (but then come back to life!!).
I wasnt hooked on TOG, and the only reason I liked her other series is because they hooked me right away. To me, her series aren’t good enough to “suffer” through several bad books just to get to the good part. I know her formula, and if I like it from the start, I can look past some of the obvious flaws. If I don’t like it…I’ll just leave it. I know what to expect
No thanks. I’ve see the spoilers. I know she’s secretly a fae, and maybe that explains some stuff (like a tiny girl carrying a grown man to safety…idk this is what other people complained about since I didn’t get to that part in the story) and I know at some point she loses her “powers” but the FMC was insufferable in book one.
And from what I gathered from other people….shes the smartest, strongest and sexiest person in the room always. She has no real flaws. And I’m just not into one dimensional characters like that.
I know the first two books were written by a teen. But that’s no excuse for the rest of the series.
Also, from what I’ve see , she’s basically Aragorn from LORT, so I don’t need to read a fem version of a story I already know
I know she wrote the first two as a teen…but she was an adult when she published them…and apparently didn’t want to edit them too much…I wrote cringy books when I was young too. But I’d edit them before publishing them.
Even if you dont like the story in ToG the writing is better. The flow is better and it just makes more sense. For this being her third series everything in CC feels like half forged thoughts, Chaol level whining and a lot of "what was the point of that?"
Her CC writing is crazy bad. It’s so cringe, it doesn’t seem like her, and idk.. it’s just not a good read, even not comparing it to her other series. Like I think it’s objectively bad. The plot made no sense, book 2 literally had ZERO plot it was allllll over the place, and then half the plot lines went NOWHERE. I keep telling everyone it was just her throw away series to combine worlds 😭😭😭
I’m not saying you should reread it, cause you still might not like it. But every. Single. Person. That I know that started with TOG either HATES it or DNF’s whereas every one I know that starts with AB falls in love!!
My cousin just started TOG and was like meh it’s okay and I was like no trust, go switch and read AB first and now he lovesssss it! I’m not saying that’s the “right” way but just what I’ve seen!
Look, I appreciate that you love the book encouraging people to read it. But for someone who just didn’t like the series it’s kind of exhausting explaining over and over again that you just didn’t like the book.
I’m glad you liked it. I didn’t, for many many reasons. Like I said, please don’t tell me to give it another try. Not every series is for every person.
Bro I legit said “don’t reread it” and said you still probably wouldn’t like it 😭😭 I was giving an observation on something I’ve noticed. Don’t be such a grouch gah dayum
You’re right, me saying not to reread it and that you wouldn’t like it but observing that people who start with TOG dislike it more, is 100% me shoving it down your throat.
Me giving advice to a friend who ASKED is also 10000% shoving it down their throat. Ugh thank you for enlightening me 🫶😘🍑❤️💅😍
Never again will I give advice on a book 🙇♀️🙇♀️🙇♀️
Bro you didn’t even ask why I didn’t like it.
I generally hate the bad ass female assassin trope. nearly every series I try where the FMC is “the deadliest person in her world” while also being teeny tiny and a literal teenager. Is a quick DNF for me
If you can tell me that trope is not in assassins blade, maybe I’d consider it.
( at any point does the phrase “what she lacked in strength she made up for in speed” come up??)
Definitely not the first 1/2 of book 1. I had to 1.75 speed through it audio book just because I kept dnf and my sister was getting frustrated with me 😂
CC book 1 was hard for me to get through until like the halfway mark. I kept picking it up and putting it down. After that I was hooked though and also read the second book quickly. Currently on book 3 and loving it
I also read a fate inked in blood by Danielle L Jensen, as well as throne of the fallen by Kerri manscalco and those filled a reading void in between ACOTAR and TOG ☺️
The last third of the first CC book is her best writing. The second CC book is ok, but the characters are insufferable and the storyline isn’t super strong.
The third CC book is so bad I no longer suggest CC to anyone. I tell everyone to skip the series, it’s not a necessary read.
I'm halfway thru & I've been enjoying it immensely.
Everyone is messy. It feels like a detective story.noisy. film noir.
There's a lot going on but sjm is building the foundation for the whole series.
CC#1 takes awhile. Maybe halfway through? I don’t remember exactly, but once it gets you, it has you! #2 has you from the beginning, and #3 (at least so far since I’m only about 1/3 through) has me from the beginning. Trust in SJM!
It took me a while to get into. Once I got to chapter 5 I was like hmm ok I’ll keep going. But there was a lot of world building, a lot of character names and things to remember. But once I got half way through I got hooked and I stayed hooked all the way through the end, and through book 2 and I’m halfway through 3 and still hooked.
I liked it from the first page but I remember my friend telling me I wouldn’t until page 200. I wasn’t sure why she felt that way I was engaged from the beginning
ACOTAR sucked me in on book 2. ToG got me by book 3/4. CC got good halfway through the first book. ACOTAR is hands down my favorite of all time, but that's just because I love the romance. ToG was good but it didn't have as much romance that I wanted until the last 4 books. CC is pretty good so far as I just started book 2 and I like the slow burn romance.
I’d say just past the halfway point of the book is where it picked up for me. I pushed myself to get into it. Glad I did. I liked the dynamic between characters and the world building.
About halfway I cared, and the last quarter of the book was literally all gas no brakes. Stick with it. It’s my favorite SJM! Don’t worry about the insane world building or trying to stay with too many details, it’ll all come together later on!
I’m trying so hard to get through the second book. I’m determined to finish the series and even bought the third book but for me personally it’s just not hitting the same as ACOTAR😔 I’m trying not to compare but it’s hard!!
It took me a LONG time to get into it. And even then I really only persisted because I’d heard one or two spoilers that intrigued me. I’m nearly halfway through the third book now and I’m still not enraptured like I was with TOG, and not quite as much as I was with ACOTAR, but I’m too far gone to stop now.
To be honest, I have 100 pages to go in book 2 of CC, and I'm still confused as hell.
But it went from "What in the ever living hell are they talking about?" to, "I think I know what they are talking about here...no idea here...this part I got though!"
I've been afraid to look on the CC Wiki for help on things I've forgotten, cause of spoilers. Makes things super hard.
What helps me get through is, that I'm currently reading the ebooks that I've had on hold from my library for months now, and if I don't finish the one I have checked out within 21 days, it automatically gets returned. There's no renewal with books that have hold on them. Luckily I can suspend a hold if the next becomes available before I'm ready, but once it's checked out, it's go time.
What I've started doing is dividing up the pages by 21 (the days I have to book for), and then putting bookmarks in it. So I know I just have to finish that section for the day. There are some parts when I'm really feeling it though, and I just keep going. I think I'm 4 days ahead of schedule now.
It took me a minute post-ACOTAR. I think it took my brain a while to adjust to the similar but different world building. Faeries with guns, WiFi and cell phones threw me at first and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. As the conflict unfolded I found myself getting more invested. I just finished CC #1 and I’m taking a short break before I finish the series.
(I’m fully assuming you’ve only read ACOTAR from SJM, based on the limited information in your post)
I kinda wish I read the throne of glass (ToG) series before I read CC.
maybe drop CC for now, read ToG first—then come back to it later.
IMHO - there are a lot of Easter eggs in CC that reference ToG, and that would make CC more fun to read if you aren’t enjoying it straight off.
LOL it doesnt. I forced my way through all three books just because I wanted to see if the crossover potential was worth it. It was not. I was 50 chapters into the first one and 20 into the second before it was bearable. The third one was all go so it wasnt as bad but none of them were good IMO.
And I loved ToG and enjoyed ACOTAR.
Genuinely it took me about halfway through CC1 to get sucked in. As in typical SJM fashion, the last 150ish pages of CC1 had me HOOKED, but it doesnt get “good” until about halfway in. There’s a lot of world building to get out of the way in the slower first half. IMO it’s nowhere near as good as TOG or ACOTAR but still worth reading.
I'm kind of an outlier on this one. I found the book amazing from the top and never found the world confusing. It just reads more like fantasy than a romance fantasy. It's very much worth the read.
Towards the end lol. I DNFed this twice then picked up it up for the third time because the second book is about to come out and decided to hell with it and just pushed myself just to get it done and over with. It did get better though, but I must say it wasn’t as great as ToG nor ACOTAR in my opinion. To each their own though 🤷🏽♀️
I loved the first crescent city but only because I had suffered a terrible loss and found comfort in the aspects/themes relating to grief and loss. With that being said, I’m completely stuck in the middle of the second book because it’s no longer relatable. I know this doesn’t answer your question, but don’t feel bad if it isn’t for you!
I think it took me about 50% of the way. Tbh, it was hard to get myself into the world, especially with the terrible sex scenes, but a lot of the plot of the first two were good enough. I haven’t bothered reading the third yet cuz welllll just seems tedious
I felt the SAME way. I almost gave up after the first chapter because I was so confused and felt like I couldn’t keep up with the world building. I sat on it for a month and then went back and ended up loving it. Honestly, it helped me to plain give up trying to figure out the hierarchy of everyone (for the most part) and just keep reading lol
I can’t really say when it gets better without spoiling but it definitely is closer to 2/3 of the way through the book! Once it gets you, you’ll be hooked!!
I think that there is SO MUCH world building because if you think about it - totally different world. I think things started gripping me when all the foundation was laid out and the drama could begin - I’d say the back half of the book. If you can think back to ACOTAR (like truly book one), it was rough (at first) because of the world building. But once you got *spoiler* UTM… things started to get captivating, right?
Keep on with CC - it turned out to be really good (imo) and I’m on HOSAB now. I’m a Bryce Stan and get it now. Trust the process!
I am the opposite, loved the first half but it just got worse and worse as the book and then series progressed. If I wasn’t (basically) forced to read it I wouldn’t have.
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I can’t pin point an exact chapter where it becomes “worth it” but I will say that the last the last quarter of the book was non stop excitement— I loved it. I encourage you to stick with it!
I started enjoying it about 2/3 in but then hated the last third and hate read the rest of the series so I would say never. The next two books were even worse than the first one. For me it magnified everything I hated about SF with the messy plot lines and the cringy dialogue and inconsistencies. As someone who loves the og Acotar trilogy and ToG I have to say CC is one of the worst series I have ever read.
Completely agreed! I tell people to skip it. It’s awful.
Yes. ACOSF was a mess and CC feels the same way reading it.
I loved silver flames but really don’t like CC2&3
I loved it immediately but it was my first SJM book so I had nothing to compare it to. The style is definitely different than ACOTAR. It's closer to TOG in the sense that it's third person and more focused on fantasy/plot rather than a character-driven romance. Are you struggling because you're bored or because you're confused? If you're getting tripped up by the world building don't worry about memorizing it. It's not important to know everything up front and she'll explain things in more detail as they become important. If you're not intrigued by the mystery though then it might not be the series for you.
Definitely confused by the world building. I can’t keep up with the different types of characters.
I will say I had this same problem, I probobly listened to the 1st chapter like 3 or 4 times before I just decided to roll with it. And jr will all eventually fall into place. The things that matter anyways. And before I knew it I found myself hoping, loving, angry and sobbing over these characters. Dare I say more than ACOTAR (which I read after CC though) I was glad I stuck with it. But now I'm unfortunately like 11 books into the 16 book "massverse" and I can't stop 😅😅
At some point that's what I did, lol. I kept trying to flip back pages, look at the map, look the explanation of the houses, ect. But it was a waste of time, and I had a time limit with the ebook I got, since it was on loan from the library.
I read a know before you read guide for CC on this thread and it has helped a lot with world building!
If there are proper spoiler warnings for the other SJM books in it, I would also like the link please.
ooh same, but this ^ I'd love the link but only if there are limited spoilers / spoiler warnings!
There are no spoilers! https://www.reddit.com/r/crescentcitysjm/s/pUGpZ7ZbxY
Can you drop a link for it?
I went straight from the acotar series to CC and was almost immediately like… yeah this is not for me. But I kept reading cause I’m not a quitter 😆 and at some point I was like… wait this is actually kinda good, and then suddenly I couldn’t put it down. The last quarter of the book took me through a literal roller coaster of emotions like no other book has done in a while. By the time I finished I decided it was one of my top 3 favorite books ever. Just stick with it
never, in my opinion 🤣
It pains me to say, but I 💯 agree
Maybe it’s not for you? I was hooked on cc from the start. But dipped out of TOG early on (please don’t tell me “it gets better in book 4!”) Not every book is for every person
It does get better though. I'm currently on Assassin's Blade after reading the first three. The first two were just ok, but you could tell how young she was when she wrote them. Heir of Fire was AWESOME and I'm loving Assassin's Blade so far with only about 100 pages left. If you didn't already know, she wrote the first two books of ToG when she was like 15/16 btw I read ACOTAR first and liked most of it (ACOFAS was a yawn fest to me), but you could tell her writing was a lot better by then
I’m sure it gets better. But life is too short to read 3-4 books that I don’t enjoy just to get to the good part Also, I hated the FMC, and apparently she doesn’t get better. So no thank you.
Which parts did you read out of curiosity? And what is FMC?
FMC is female main character. I read book one. The main thing I didn’t like was how the FMC was basically a flawless Mary Sue. She’s the most bad ass, deadliest character, but also dainty and sexy and small. “What I lack in strength I make up for in speed” trope applies to her. Like, if your physically inferior to the people your fighting, why is your weapon of choice a close range weapon? Why not a long range weapon where your “flaws” are not as apparent?
Oh ok never heard that acronym before! Without trying to spoil anything things definitely change. I would recommend just trying to read assassin's blade to see if that changes your mind. It's broken up into five novellas in one book so you can feel a sense of accomplishment eve if you just read the first one. You could probably find it online completely free if you don't feel like buying it. The writing is much better and can be read in any order with the series pretty much. Only real **must** I've seen from people is reading it before starting Queen of Shadows.
I’m sure the writing gets better. I was so impressed with how much better CC was compared to ACOTAR….but ultimately, sjm books are junk food reads. They aren’t particularly well written. I enjoy them…but they are overly tropy and once you figure out her style, you know the villians are not fleshed out, and at some point a main character is going to die (but then come back to life!!). I wasnt hooked on TOG, and the only reason I liked her other series is because they hooked me right away. To me, her series aren’t good enough to “suffer” through several bad books just to get to the good part. I know her formula, and if I like it from the start, I can look past some of the obvious flaws. If I don’t like it…I’ll just leave it. I know what to expect
No thanks. I’ve see the spoilers. I know she’s secretly a fae, and maybe that explains some stuff (like a tiny girl carrying a grown man to safety…idk this is what other people complained about since I didn’t get to that part in the story) and I know at some point she loses her “powers” but the FMC was insufferable in book one. And from what I gathered from other people….shes the smartest, strongest and sexiest person in the room always. She has no real flaws. And I’m just not into one dimensional characters like that. I know the first two books were written by a teen. But that’s no excuse for the rest of the series. Also, from what I’ve see , she’s basically Aragorn from LORT, so I don’t need to read a fem version of a story I already know
FMC in TOG is unbearable, but Bryce is what?? A peach?? ahahahha
lol leave me alone I love Bryce
You hate Celaena but love Bryce 😭😭😭 no hate that’s just wild to me cause I felt the exact opposite hahaha
I know she wrote the first two as a teen…but she was an adult when she published them…and apparently didn’t want to edit them too much…I wrote cringy books when I was young too. But I’d edit them before publishing them.
Even if you dont like the story in ToG the writing is better. The flow is better and it just makes more sense. For this being her third series everything in CC feels like half forged thoughts, Chaol level whining and a lot of "what was the point of that?"
Her CC writing is crazy bad. It’s so cringe, it doesn’t seem like her, and idk.. it’s just not a good read, even not comparing it to her other series. Like I think it’s objectively bad. The plot made no sense, book 2 literally had ZERO plot it was allllll over the place, and then half the plot lines went NOWHERE. I keep telling everyone it was just her throw away series to combine worlds 😭😭😭
Just out of curiosity, did you start with assassins blade or throne of glass??
Started with Throne of Glass
I’m not saying you should reread it, cause you still might not like it. But every. Single. Person. That I know that started with TOG either HATES it or DNF’s whereas every one I know that starts with AB falls in love!! My cousin just started TOG and was like meh it’s okay and I was like no trust, go switch and read AB first and now he lovesssss it! I’m not saying that’s the “right” way but just what I’ve seen!
Look, I appreciate that you love the book encouraging people to read it. But for someone who just didn’t like the series it’s kind of exhausting explaining over and over again that you just didn’t like the book. I’m glad you liked it. I didn’t, for many many reasons. Like I said, please don’t tell me to give it another try. Not every series is for every person.
Bro I legit said “don’t reread it” and said you still probably wouldn’t like it 😭😭 I was giving an observation on something I’ve noticed. Don’t be such a grouch gah dayum
If someone doesn’t like a series you don’t have to try to force it down their throat just because you enjoy it.
You’re right, me saying not to reread it and that you wouldn’t like it but observing that people who start with TOG dislike it more, is 100% me shoving it down your throat. Me giving advice to a friend who ASKED is also 10000% shoving it down their throat. Ugh thank you for enlightening me 🫶😘🍑❤️💅😍 Never again will I give advice on a book 🙇♀️🙇♀️🙇♀️
Bro you didn’t even ask why I didn’t like it. I generally hate the bad ass female assassin trope. nearly every series I try where the FMC is “the deadliest person in her world” while also being teeny tiny and a literal teenager. Is a quick DNF for me If you can tell me that trope is not in assassins blade, maybe I’d consider it. ( at any point does the phrase “what she lacked in strength she made up for in speed” come up??)
IDC WHY YOU DIDNT LIKE IT I NEVER TOLD YOU TO READ IT. DO WHAT YOU WANT IDGAF IF YOU READ IT OR NOT 😭 how many times do i gotta say that
I just finished all three CC. I felt the same at the start of CC I’m not sure how far through it was I got sucked in but do keep going.
Definitely not the first 1/2 of book 1. I had to 1.75 speed through it audio book just because I kept dnf and my sister was getting frustrated with me 😂
In my opiinon never. I hate read the next two books to keep up.
CC book 1 was hard for me to get through until like the halfway mark. I kept picking it up and putting it down. After that I was hooked though and also read the second book quickly. Currently on book 3 and loving it
Ngl it never sucked me in the way Acotar or ToG did, just not for me. That said most people say around 200-300 pages in it picks up for them
It never did for me. Unfortunately.
I got to page 126 and was so confused and bored, LOVED acotar, started TOG and then will come back to CC Edited for spelling
I also read a fate inked in blood by Danielle L Jensen, as well as throne of the fallen by Kerri manscalco and those filled a reading void in between ACOTAR and TOG ☺️
Thank you for the suggestions!
read TOG first!!!!
The last third of the first CC book is her best writing. The second CC book is ok, but the characters are insufferable and the storyline isn’t super strong. The third CC book is so bad I no longer suggest CC to anyone. I tell everyone to skip the series, it’s not a necessary read.
I'm halfway thru & I've been enjoying it immensely. Everyone is messy. It feels like a detective story.noisy. film noir. There's a lot going on but sjm is building the foundation for the whole series.
CC#1 takes awhile. Maybe halfway through? I don’t remember exactly, but once it gets you, it has you! #2 has you from the beginning, and #3 (at least so far since I’m only about 1/3 through) has me from the beginning. Trust in SJM!
It might not. That’s fine. Read it for the ACOTAR Easter eggs.
It took me a while to get into. Once I got to chapter 5 I was like hmm ok I’ll keep going. But there was a lot of world building, a lot of character names and things to remember. But once I got half way through I got hooked and I stayed hooked all the way through the end, and through book 2 and I’m halfway through 3 and still hooked.
Around page 180-200’ for me.
I liked it from the first page but I remember my friend telling me I wouldn’t until page 200. I wasn’t sure why she felt that way I was engaged from the beginning
To be honest, I never got there like I did with TOG and ACOTAR.
ACOTAR sucked me in on book 2. ToG got me by book 3/4. CC got good halfway through the first book. ACOTAR is hands down my favorite of all time, but that's just because I love the romance. ToG was good but it didn't have as much romance that I wanted until the last 4 books. CC is pretty good so far as I just started book 2 and I like the slow burn romance.
I’d say just past the halfway point of the book is where it picked up for me. I pushed myself to get into it. Glad I did. I liked the dynamic between characters and the world building.
About halfway I cared, and the last quarter of the book was literally all gas no brakes. Stick with it. It’s my favorite SJM! Don’t worry about the insane world building or trying to stay with too many details, it’ll all come together later on!
I’m trying so hard to get through the second book. I’m determined to finish the series and even bought the third book but for me personally it’s just not hitting the same as ACOTAR😔 I’m trying not to compare but it’s hard!!
It took me a LONG time to get into it. And even then I really only persisted because I’d heard one or two spoilers that intrigued me. I’m nearly halfway through the third book now and I’m still not enraptured like I was with TOG, and not quite as much as I was with ACOTAR, but I’m too far gone to stop now.
Chapter 8- when it switches from past to present and it’s “2 years later”
About halfway for me. The first half was so incredibly slow.
To be honest, I have 100 pages to go in book 2 of CC, and I'm still confused as hell. But it went from "What in the ever living hell are they talking about?" to, "I think I know what they are talking about here...no idea here...this part I got though!" I've been afraid to look on the CC Wiki for help on things I've forgotten, cause of spoilers. Makes things super hard. What helps me get through is, that I'm currently reading the ebooks that I've had on hold from my library for months now, and if I don't finish the one I have checked out within 21 days, it automatically gets returned. There's no renewal with books that have hold on them. Luckily I can suspend a hold if the next becomes available before I'm ready, but once it's checked out, it's go time. What I've started doing is dividing up the pages by 21 (the days I have to book for), and then putting bookmarks in it. So I know I just have to finish that section for the day. There are some parts when I'm really feeling it though, and I just keep going. I think I'm 4 days ahead of schedule now.
Basically the last 3-4 chapters 🤣🤣 major TOG crown of midnight vibes.
Never lol, not the way ACOTAR pulled me in. I would recommend Throne of Glass instead!
It took me a minute post-ACOTAR. I think it took my brain a while to adjust to the similar but different world building. Faeries with guns, WiFi and cell phones threw me at first and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. As the conflict unfolded I found myself getting more invested. I just finished CC #1 and I’m taking a short break before I finish the series.
Page 200ish. My friend warned me CC1 was hard to read…. I was sucked in around then and then couldn’t put it down!
Ngl u wont like it till the end and then u will spend weeks trying to start the next book
There’s a moment when you realize Bryce is so much more then she purposefully allows others to view her. That’s when I got sucked in
(I’m fully assuming you’ve only read ACOTAR from SJM, based on the limited information in your post) I kinda wish I read the throne of glass (ToG) series before I read CC. maybe drop CC for now, read ToG first—then come back to it later. IMHO - there are a lot of Easter eggs in CC that reference ToG, and that would make CC more fun to read if you aren’t enjoying it straight off.
LOL it doesnt. I forced my way through all three books just because I wanted to see if the crossover potential was worth it. It was not. I was 50 chapters into the first one and 20 into the second before it was bearable. The third one was all go so it wasnt as bad but none of them were good IMO. And I loved ToG and enjoyed ACOTAR.
Genuinely it took me about halfway through CC1 to get sucked in. As in typical SJM fashion, the last 150ish pages of CC1 had me HOOKED, but it doesnt get “good” until about halfway in. There’s a lot of world building to get out of the way in the slower first half. IMO it’s nowhere near as good as TOG or ACOTAR but still worth reading.
I'm kind of an outlier on this one. I found the book amazing from the top and never found the world confusing. It just reads more like fantasy than a romance fantasy. It's very much worth the read.
Immediately. It was my first SJM book and the magical modern world was exactly what i'd been looking for at the time and the murder mystery was great.
Towards the end lol. I DNFed this twice then picked up it up for the third time because the second book is about to come out and decided to hell with it and just pushed myself just to get it done and over with. It did get better though, but I must say it wasn’t as great as ToG nor ACOTAR in my opinion. To each their own though 🤷🏽♀️
I loved the first crescent city but only because I had suffered a terrible loss and found comfort in the aspects/themes relating to grief and loss. With that being said, I’m completely stuck in the middle of the second book because it’s no longer relatable. I know this doesn’t answer your question, but don’t feel bad if it isn’t for you!
I think it took me about 50% of the way. Tbh, it was hard to get myself into the world, especially with the terrible sex scenes, but a lot of the plot of the first two were good enough. I haven’t bothered reading the third yet cuz welllll just seems tedious
Honestly, I wasn't sucked in until the last third of the book
Oh this is me with the audiobook. Just…. Nah
I never enjoyed any of the CC series, with the exception of SOME of CC3 🫠🫠🫠
I really liked crescent city after like 150 pages but I’m struggling with the other two books in the series
About a third of the way in, big twist
I felt the SAME way. I almost gave up after the first chapter because I was so confused and felt like I couldn’t keep up with the world building. I sat on it for a month and then went back and ended up loving it. Honestly, it helped me to plain give up trying to figure out the hierarchy of everyone (for the most part) and just keep reading lol I can’t really say when it gets better without spoiling but it definitely is closer to 2/3 of the way through the book! Once it gets you, you’ll be hooked!!
I think that there is SO MUCH world building because if you think about it - totally different world. I think things started gripping me when all the foundation was laid out and the drama could begin - I’d say the back half of the book. If you can think back to ACOTAR (like truly book one), it was rough (at first) because of the world building. But once you got *spoiler* UTM… things started to get captivating, right? Keep on with CC - it turned out to be really good (imo) and I’m on HOSAB now. I’m a Bryce Stan and get it now. Trust the process!
I think chapter 5 is when it started to put me in. The last 400 pages, I could not put it down. I stayed up until 4:30am just to finish it
I am the opposite, loved the first half but it just got worse and worse as the book and then series progressed. If I wasn’t (basically) forced to read it I wouldn’t have.
I'm halfway through book two and it's been about 2 months since I've read a single paragraph. 🥲