Sarah J. Maas shut down some fan theories about the next 'Crescent City' book

• Sarah J. Maas discussed her "Crescent City" series on "Live Talks Los Angeles" on Tuesday.
• She addressed theories regarding Bryce Quinlan's mate and whether or not Danika Fendyr is actually dead.

Sarah J. Maas addressed some hotly debated fan theories about her series "Crescent City" this week.

On Tuesday, Maas appeared on "Live Talks Los Angeles" with Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the writing duo behind Christina Lauren's books, to celebrate the paperback release of the second book in the "Crescent City" series, "House of Sky and Breath."

During their conversation, Maas also discussed "House of Flame and Shadow," the third installment in the series, which is set to be released in January 2024. (The rest of this article contains spoilers for Maas' books).

'House of Flame and Shadow' will turn Maas' separate series into an interconnected universe

At the end of the second book, protagonist Bryce Quinlan finds herself in Prythian, where "A Court of Thorns and Roses" is set, after opening a portal to escape the Asteri, evil overlords who rule her planet Midgard by feeding off its inhabitants' magic. Hunt Athalar, her partner, and her brother, Ruhn Danaan, were left behind and taken prisoner by the Asteri.

"House of Flame and Shadow" will pick up where "House of Sky and Breath" left off, taking place in both Prythian and Crescent City as Bryce tries to find her way home while she is surrounded by the characters from "ACOTAR," including the protagonist Feyre and her mate Rhysand, according to Bloomsbury.

In the lead-up to the book's release, Maas' fans have been debating different theories about "Crescent City" on social media, speculating about everything from the extent of Bryce's power to her potential ancestral ties to characters in "ACOTAR."

Readers will have to wait for the publication of "House of Flame and Shadow" to get answers to most of their questions, but Maas did shut down a few fan theories in her discussion with Hobbs and Billings.

Maas confirmed that Bryce and Hunt are mates — with a caveat

Tuesday's "Live Talks" also included a rapid-fire question section based on fan submissions, and Maas' readers used the opportunity to ask about theories that have been circulating.

First, Billings and Hobbs asked if Bryce and Hunt are actually mates — something they began referring to each other as in "House of Sky and Breath." It's unusual for a protagonist in Maas' books to end up with the first person they are romantically involved with in the series, so fans have been suspicious about whether Bryce and Hunt are really endgame.

Some even speculate that Azriel from "ACOTAR" may be her actual mate, as he is the one who finds her when she lands in Prythian.

But Maas confirmed on "Live Talks" that Byrce and Hunt are mates.

"Since this is a spoiler talk, I will say yes, he is her mate," Maas said. "They are mates."

She went on to say that she wanted to surprise readers by making them mates since it's not her usual pattern as a writer.

"I was like, you know what, I'm gonna do a real doozy on everyone, and I'm gonna have the love interest here be the one at the end — if they both make it to the end," she said.

However, Maas told Billings and Hobbs she was going to "pass" on answering whether or not "mate" means the same thing in "Crescent City" as it does in "ACOTAR," so it's possible Bryce and Hunt's connection isn't the same as the bond Feyre and Rhysand share.

Maas also confirmed two character deaths

During the same rapid-fire question session, Billings and Hobbs asked Maas if two characters were actually dead: Danika Fendyr and Connor Holstrom.

Danika and Connor, shape-shifters who became wolves, were murdered in the first book.

Danika was Bryce's best friend, and much of the plot of the first two books involves Bryce trying to uncover secrets Danika kept from her before her death.

Some fans have wondered if Danika is actually dead, so Billings and Hobbs asked Maas about it in the interview. She seemed a bit surprised by the question, but Maas confirmed Danika and Connor died.

"She is dead, and as much as I wish she could be miraculously living, hiding out somewhere in secret, no, she is dead," Maas said of Danika. "The loss of that beautiful light in Bryce's life — that's something — it would feel cheap to me to suddenly be like, 'Oh, all your suffering doesn't matter.'"

In the same rapid-fire section, Maas declined to confirm whether or not Emile Renast, the younger sibling of a powerful thunderbird Sofie Renast, actually has no powers.

"House of Flame and Shadow" hits bookshelves on January 30, 2024.