Author: Sarah J Maas
Rating: A
Format Read: Hardcover
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Vengeance, Mystery, Friendship
Kid Appropriate: Teens and older
Synopsis from Amazon:
A #1 New York Times bestseller!Sarah J. Maas's brand-new CRESCENT CITY series begins with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life―working hard all day and partying all night―until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose―to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion―one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom―and the power of love.
My Review:
To say that I am a fan of Sarah J. Maas' books would be a massive understatement. I get legitimately giddy every time I hear that she has a new book coming out and plan a drive into town every release day. And this one was no exception. On release day I was reading the sample on my Kindle every break I got and was rushing to my nearest Barnes & Noble as soon as I was out of work. The cashier smiled and said that people had been coming in all day asking about the book.Sarah J. Maas is either an author you are going to love or not. I've seen countless negative reviews for her newer books and they all say the same thing: the reviewer doesn't know why they even bothered because it's just like one of her previous books they did not like. Which is totally okay. There are plenty of popular authors I just don't get. But it's important to make the point that a lot of her books do have similar elements and if a previous book didn't work for you, her future ones probably won't either.
I love the cocky heroines, creatures, swoon worthy male leads, steamy scenes, magic systems, fae influences, animal sidekicks, and adventures. The stories she creates are everything I love in a great book and many of the author's recommended books I have also enjoyed greatly. They fit into what I find entertaining. House of Earth and Blood is in my top five books I've read this year and probably in my top three of Maas books I've ever read.
An element that was heavily featured in this book is the strength and intricacies of friendship, and to a greater extent female friendship. Even in death, the bond that is created between friends is explored and on full display. The questions of friends being your family and how well you can truly know another person are explored. I enjoyed this aspect of the story as Maas' other two main heroines, Aelin and Feyre, have close female friendships but they are not as closely looked into as Bryce's is with Danika and the pack.
One of the places this book deviated from previous Maas books is that it is not a high fantasy taking place in a tech free world. This is technically an urban fantasy. Bryce has access to security systems, cell phones, computers, and TVs. She lives in an apartment. Everything feels modern within the city. When I first read a reviewer state that this was an urban fantasy I became worried that it would feel cheesy and too futuristic. Luckily, that was not the case and the incorporation of magic systems and modern tech melded together nicely and naturally.
There is a romance in this book that tends to stray more towards brooding than steamy. If you are a fan of hate to love romances that slowly build as a friendship and mutual understanding are developed then this is the book for you. We definitely do not have instalove here. Another aspect that makes this older than a YA book is that neither character is experiencing their first romance or their first love. They've dated before. They've broken up with people. They've had loved ones die. It's messy and feels appropriate for the age of the characters. For reference, Bryce is 25 for most of the book. I liked that she was older than Feyre and Aelin and since I am the same age it was easier to relate to her.
A unique addition to this book that is not as heavily featured in Maas' other books is the inclusion of a mystery and investigation by a detective. I personally love crime novels and mysteries so this was a welcome change for me and made me even more excited to keep on reading. Sometimes I felt like the mystery aspect was going to be predictable and there were times I was sure I knew what was going to be going on. Despite this, Sarah J. Maas was able to surprise me and made it a satisfying reveal.
As far as the "feels", this book definitely had them. I was laughing out loud, crying, cringing. Maas is great at writing characters you want to root for, that you love, and then putting them through some major pain. She does not disappoint here.
Another aspect of Sarah J. Maas' writing that I enjoy is the way she is able to write really epic scenes that play out like a movie in your head. They're beautiful and massive and you just want to see them as a film. Without spoiling the book, there is a scene towards the end of this book that involved Bryce that was epic in proportions. It reminded me of the scene from A Court of Mist and Fury where Feyre is defending the city. I could picture it clearly and was on the edge of my seat.
I loved this book and tore through the massive page count within a few days of release. If you're a Sarah J. Maas fan then absolutely check it out. If you're into steamy romances, angsty characters, corny humor, and hot fae or shifters then I recommend checking this or her other two series out.
Here is the link to Amazon. Happy reading!
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