A full guide to the books, the crossovers, the reveals and what might be coming next. Spoiler Alert! Stop reading now if you don’t want any spoilers.
Sarah J. Maas has spent more than a decade building universes that feel rich, cinematic and emotionally layered. Fans fall in love with her characters, but long time readers know there is something even bigger happening under the surface. Across the Throne of Glassseries, the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the Crescent City books, Maas has quietly planted clues hinting that these worlds are not isolated fantasies but part of one sprawling multiverse. The evidence started as hints, then grew louder, until it finally exploded into a direct crossover that reshaped the entire way readers saw her work.
This article walks through every major connection, explains where the crossover becomes official, breaks down the ending of Crescent City 2 and the events of Crescent City 3, and dives into the biggest theories for what might come next.
The Three Major Series
Throne of Glass: The Oldest Magic
Throne of Glass is the earliest series both in publication and in mythological depth. It follows Celaena Sardothien, an assassin with a hidden identity, across kingdoms filled with old magic, sleeping gods and ancient forces that predate humanity. This series introduces concepts that become foundations for the multiverse, including Wyrd, portals between worlds, and creatures like the Valg that originate outside the mortal realm. Even early on, readers sensed the world was part of a much larger, older universe.
A Court of Thorns and Roses: Courts, Fae and Ancient Beings
While ACOTAR begins with a quiet, fairy tale inspired start, it grows into an epic involving High Fae courts, hidden histories, ancient monsters and lost powers. Feyre Archeron’s journey becomes intertwined with layers of magic that existed long before Prythian was divided into courts. The series introduces beings like the Suriel, the Bone Carver, the Weaver and Bryaxis. All of them speak of worlds beyond their own. None of them are native to Prythian. These hints planted early suspicions that the series was part of something bigger.
Crescent City: The Modern World with Cosmic Consequences
Crescent City shifts into a more modern setting, combining magic with technology. Bryce Quinlan’s world is filled with angels, shifters, starborn Fae, demons and the Asteri, who rule the planet Midgard with an iron grip. While the story begins as an urban murder mystery with fantasy overtones, it quickly becomes a cosmic tale involving ancient wars, collapsing portals, fallen worlds and a growing rebellion. Unlike the earlier series, Crescent City openly acknowledges other planets, other realms and gates between universes. It lays the groundwork for the crossover that fans long suspected.
Photo by Matheus Bertelli
Shared Threads That Hint at a Multiverse
Common Mythological Foundations
Across all three series, certain ideas repeat:
Starborn power
Beings that do not originate in the world they are found in
Ancient portals or locks between realms
Worlds that once touched or collided
Magic that feels cosmic rather than local
These recurring pieces create a shared language across series. Even when names differ, the deeper structure connects.
The Ancient Beings
Each world contains powerful entities that clearly share DNA with beings from the other series.
The Valg in Throne of Glass
Bryaxis, the Bone Carver, the Suriel and the Weaver in ACOTAR
The Asteri and their enemies in Crescent City
They all have similar traits, otherworldly origins, shapeless forms, shadow and bone symbolism and the ability to cross between dimensions.
The Gates
All three series include gates or tears in reality. Throne of Glass has Wyrdkeys, ACOTAR has ancient doorways created in a time before the High Fae ruled, and Crescent City includes portals once used by entire armies to travel between worlds. Each series treats these passages differently, but they all rely on the same central idea.
The Moment It All Became Official
Fans speculated for years that the worlds were connected, but the theory became canon in one defining moment.
The End of Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath (Book 2)
At the end of Crescent City 2, Bryce attempts to escape Midgard and travel to another world, Hel, through an ancient gate. Her goal is to find allies strong enough to help her fight the Asteri. When she emerges from the portal, she lands in Prythian. Not a symbolic version. Not an alternate universe. The actual Night Court.
The first faces she sees are the characters readers know well, Rhysand, Azriel and the Inner Circle. This is not a cameo or a wink. Bryce, a protagonist from a different series, physically arrives in the world of A Court of Thorns and Roses. It is the moment the multiverse becomes real on the page and it is spectacular.
What Happens in Crescent City 3: House of Flame and Shadow
With Bryce trapped in Prythian, the third book expands the crossover and confirms deeper links.
Bryce and the Night Court
Bryce explores Prythian, meets its most powerful Fae, and learns more about their world. They realise quickly that Bryce’s “starborn” abilities link directly to ancient magic that once touched Prythian. Her arrival also reveals to Rhysand and his court that their own ancestors may not be native to this world.
Hunt, Ruhn and the Others
Back in Midgard, Hunt Athalar and Ruhn Danaan face their own battles, uncovering even more about the Asteri and their true purpose in the galaxy. We learn that the Asteri have ruled and destroyed many worlds, not just Midgard.
The Asteri’s Origins
Crescent City 2 and 3 confirm that the Asteri:
Arrived in Midgard from another universe
Conquered multiple worlds through manipulation of portals
Fed on the magic of entire populations
Were responsible for the downfall of several ancient civilisations
This revelation ties them closely to threats mentioned in both Throne of Glass and ACOTAR.
Cross World Magic
The book also makes it clear that starborn power, shadow power and “light and dark magic” appear across the multiverse because they share a common root, not because the worlds are entirely separate.
The Crossover’s Implication for Throne of Glass
Although Celaena/Aelin does not appear in Crescent City, her world walking scenes in Kingdom of Ash now take on new meaning. When Aelin passes through a world resembling Prythian, it is no longer symbolic. She was passing through an actual multiverse corridor, the same type Bryce later uses.
Some fans believe Aelin briefly saw Prythian, and that Rhysand sensed her presence during that moment. This is not explicitly confirmed, but the language makes it strongly possible.
The Biggest Theories for the Future
1. A Full Multiverse War
The Asteri are not the only world conquering enemy hinted at across the series. Many fans believe the next major arc will involve a threat that spans multiple worlds, forcing characters from different series to unite.
2. Bryce Meets Aelin
Because Aelin has already crossed worlds, readers suspect Bryce and Aelin may eventually meet. Their powers both come from ancient cosmic sources, and their personalities would create an incredible dynamic.
3. The Truth About Rhysand’s Line
Crescent City implies that the Fae lineage in Prythian may have originated from another world entirely. This has fans theorising that Rhys, Amren or even the Illyrians have deeper multiversal origins.
4. Amren’s Past Becomes Crucial
Amren’s backstory in ACOTAR describes her as a creature from “a different world” who fell into Prythian. Many believe that world may have been Midgard or another realm tied to the Asteri. If true, she may hold knowledge that becomes vital to Bryce’s quest.
5. The Bone Carver and Bryaxis Return
Both beings are described as ancient, powerful and unbound by one world. Many think they will appear in a future Crescent City instalment or form part of a multiversal force.
6. The Gates Downfall
A major theory is that all gates across the multiverse will collapse or be destroyed, either to stop an invading enemy or to prevent further manipulation by the Asteri.
Sarah J. Maas has quietly constructed one of the most ambitious fantasy multiverses in modern fiction. What began as three separate stories has become an interwoven cosmic saga with overlapping histories, shared beings and characters who can literally walk between worlds. With the ending of Crescent City 2 and the revelations in Crescent City 3, the multiverse is no longer theory but canon. And with so many secrets still hidden inside each series, the next books have the potential to bring even bigger crossovers, larger conflicts and long awaited character meetings. With ACOTAR 6 and Crescent City 4 in the works, we can wait to explore more of this multiverse.
A full guide to the books, the crossovers, the reveals and what might be coming next. Spoiler Alert! Stop reading now if you don’t want any spoilers.
Sarah J. Maas has spent more than a decade building universes that feel rich, cinematic and emotionally layered. Fans fall in love with her characters, but long time readers know there is something even bigger happening under the surface. Across the Throne of Glass series, the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the Crescent City books, Maas has quietly planted clues hinting that these worlds are not isolated fantasies but part of one sprawling multiverse. The evidence started as hints, then grew louder, until it finally exploded into a direct crossover that reshaped the entire way readers saw her work.
This article walks through every major connection, explains where the crossover becomes official, breaks down the ending of Crescent City 2 and the events of Crescent City 3, and dives into the biggest theories for what might come next.
The Three Major Series
Throne of Glass: The Oldest Magic
Throne of Glass is the earliest series both in publication and in mythological depth. It follows Celaena Sardothien, an assassin with a hidden identity, across kingdoms filled with old magic, sleeping gods and ancient forces that predate humanity. This series introduces concepts that become foundations for the multiverse, including Wyrd, portals between worlds, and creatures like the Valg that originate outside the mortal realm. Even early on, readers sensed the world was part of a much larger, older universe.
A Court of Thorns and Roses: Courts, Fae and Ancient Beings
While ACOTAR begins with a quiet, fairy tale inspired start, it grows into an epic involving High Fae courts, hidden histories, ancient monsters and lost powers. Feyre Archeron’s journey becomes intertwined with layers of magic that existed long before Prythian was divided into courts. The series introduces beings like the Suriel, the Bone Carver, the Weaver and Bryaxis. All of them speak of worlds beyond their own. None of them are native to Prythian. These hints planted early suspicions that the series was part of something bigger.
Crescent City: The Modern World with Cosmic Consequences
Crescent City shifts into a more modern setting, combining magic with technology. Bryce Quinlan’s world is filled with angels, shifters, starborn Fae, demons and the Asteri, who rule the planet Midgard with an iron grip. While the story begins as an urban murder mystery with fantasy overtones, it quickly becomes a cosmic tale involving ancient wars, collapsing portals, fallen worlds and a growing rebellion. Unlike the earlier series, Crescent City openly acknowledges other planets, other realms and gates between universes. It lays the groundwork for the crossover that fans long suspected.
Shared Threads That Hint at a Multiverse
Common Mythological Foundations
Across all three series, certain ideas repeat:
These recurring pieces create a shared language across series. Even when names differ, the deeper structure connects.
The Ancient Beings
Each world contains powerful entities that clearly share DNA with beings from the other series.
They all have similar traits, otherworldly origins, shapeless forms, shadow and bone symbolism and the ability to cross between dimensions.
The Gates
All three series include gates or tears in reality. Throne of Glass has Wyrdkeys, ACOTAR has ancient doorways created in a time before the High Fae ruled, and Crescent City includes portals once used by entire armies to travel between worlds. Each series treats these passages differently, but they all rely on the same central idea.
The Moment It All Became Official
Fans speculated for years that the worlds were connected, but the theory became canon in one defining moment.
The End of Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath (Book 2)
At the end of Crescent City 2, Bryce attempts to escape Midgard and travel to another world, Hel, through an ancient gate. Her goal is to find allies strong enough to help her fight the Asteri. When she emerges from the portal, she lands in Prythian. Not a symbolic version. Not an alternate universe.
The actual Night Court.
The first faces she sees are the characters readers know well,
Rhysand, Azriel and the Inner Circle. This is not a cameo or a wink. Bryce, a protagonist from a different series, physically arrives in the world of A Court of Thorns and Roses. It is the moment the multiverse becomes real on the page and it is spectacular.
What Happens in Crescent City 3: House of Flame and Shadow
With Bryce trapped in Prythian, the third book expands the crossover and confirms deeper links.
Bryce and the Night Court
Bryce explores Prythian, meets its most powerful Fae, and learns more about their world. They realise quickly that Bryce’s “starborn” abilities link directly to ancient magic that once touched Prythian. Her arrival also reveals to Rhysand and his court that their own ancestors may not be native to this world.
Hunt, Ruhn and the Others
Back in Midgard, Hunt Athalar and Ruhn Danaan face their own battles, uncovering even more about the Asteri and their true purpose in the galaxy. We learn that the Asteri have ruled and destroyed many worlds, not just Midgard.
The Asteri’s Origins
Crescent City 2 and 3 confirm that the Asteri:
This revelation ties them closely to threats mentioned in both Throne of Glass and ACOTAR.
Cross World Magic
The book also makes it clear that starborn power, shadow power and “light and dark magic” appear across the multiverse because they share a common root, not because the worlds are entirely separate.
The Crossover’s Implication for Throne of Glass
Although Celaena/Aelin does not appear in Crescent City, her world walking scenes in Kingdom of Ash now take on new meaning. When Aelin passes through a world resembling Prythian, it is no longer symbolic. She was passing through an actual multiverse corridor, the same type Bryce later uses.
Some fans believe Aelin briefly saw Prythian, and that Rhysand sensed her presence during that moment. This is not explicitly confirmed, but the language makes it strongly possible.
The Biggest Theories for the Future
1. A Full Multiverse War
The Asteri are not the only world conquering enemy hinted at across the series. Many fans believe the next major arc will involve a threat that spans multiple worlds, forcing characters from different series to unite.
2. Bryce Meets Aelin
Because Aelin has already crossed worlds, readers suspect Bryce and Aelin may eventually meet. Their powers both come from ancient cosmic sources, and their personalities would create an incredible dynamic.
3. The Truth About Rhysand’s Line
Crescent City implies that the Fae lineage in Prythian may have originated from another world entirely. This has fans theorising that Rhys, Amren or even the Illyrians have deeper multiversal origins.
4. Amren’s Past Becomes Crucial
Amren’s backstory in ACOTAR describes her as a creature from “a different world” who fell into Prythian. Many believe that world may have been Midgard or another realm tied to the Asteri. If true, she may hold knowledge that becomes vital to Bryce’s quest.
5. The Bone Carver and Bryaxis Return
Both beings are described as ancient, powerful and unbound by one world. Many think they will appear in a future Crescent City instalment or form part of a multiversal force.
6. The Gates Downfall
A major theory is that all gates across the multiverse will collapse or be destroyed, either to stop an invading enemy or to prevent further manipulation by the Asteri.
Sarah J. Maas has quietly constructed one of the most ambitious fantasy multiverses in modern fiction. What began as three separate stories has become an interwoven cosmic saga with overlapping histories, shared beings and characters who can literally walk between worlds. With the ending of Crescent City 2 and the revelations in Crescent City 3, the multiverse is no longer theory but canon. And with so many secrets still hidden inside each series, the next books have the potential to bring even bigger crossovers, larger conflicts and long awaited character meetings. With ACOTAR 6 and Crescent City 4 in the works, we can wait to explore more of this multiverse.
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