I knew this series was a bit different than her usual books. I haven’t read a ton of urban fantasy before and the concept feels a little foreign to me! I wasn’t sure what to expect and kept putting these books off. All in all, I’m glad I waited – I found myself in a little group of people who were mostly rereading the first two in order to prepare for the third book’s release. I managed to fit both in and finished HOSAB on the same morning HOFAS released. I’m writing these reviews a bit late so details are fuzzy and reviews may be brief for the first two, but here we go!
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas Series: Crescent City #1
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published by Bloomsbury on March 3, 2020
Also by this author: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, Throne of Glass, The Assassin's Blade, Crown of Midnight, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames , Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover (803 pages) • Source: Audible, Library, Purchased
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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.
SJM baby girl this book did not need to be this long. That’s my only qualm. I really kind of loved this otherwise.
It definitely took some getting used to with the cell phones and email addresses mixed in with fae and angels and witches. Absolutely nothing wrong with the genre but it’s so weird to see it from Maas!
I liked Bryce as a character even though she wasn’t written to be a super likeable MC. She was stubborn and made some dumb decisions but it was cool to see her evolve and understand why she acted certain ways. I liked the friend group, including Hunt, that started to develop in this book.
I also really enjoyed that there was kind of a mystery at the center – it was more interesting to learn about the world and explore its complexities while Bryce and Hunt tried to figure out what happened to Danika. Some good twists and turns toward the end that set up really well for future books!
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas Series: Crescent City #2
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published by Bloomsbury on February 15, 2022
Also by this author: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, Throne of Glass, The Assassin's Blade, Crown of Midnight, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames , Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover (805 pages) • Source: Audible, Library, Purchased
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Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.
In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.
My immediate review on Goodreads pretty much sums it up: “The way I fucking SCREAMED at the ending of this omg I scared my dog and he ran upstairs. Thank bob I waited until release month of CC3 to read this. I am so ready to dive right in. (Yes it would have hit even harder if SJM hadn’t spoiled it on her Instagram). I still think these books are too long, and there are some basic repetitive scenes that could be eliminated in order to make them shorter but I’m really starting to love these characters and the world. So incredibly excited to keep reading.”
That kind of says it all. I won’t spoil anything but oh man, what an ending… Again, this book was so long – it was even more annoying because the main “quest” was kind of pointless in some ways that I won’t get into. I don’t think this book dragged on necessarily because I really enjoyed spending time with pretty much all the characters and their POVs. Getting to know certain characters even better was a lot of fun.
Yes, the ending is fully the reason this gained a half-star on the first book.
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas Series: Crescent City #3
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published by Bloomsbury on January 30, 2024
Also by this author: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, Throne of Glass, The Assassin's Blade, Crown of Midnight, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames , Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover (816 pages) • Source: Audible, Library, Purchased
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.
Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.
Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.
In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.
If I thought the first two books were longer than necessary… woah boy was I NOT in for a treat with this third installment. I was so excited to keep reading and managed to finish CC2 on release day of CC3 so I could continue right away. I won’t spoil it but IYKYK. The events that made me so excited to read HOFAS didn’t last long enough to hold my excitement unfortunately.
The book absolutely dragged so much in the middle. I enjoyed the first section and then the final 20%, but if you ask me what even happened in them middle third of the story… I literally could not tell you a thing. I enjoyed seeing more of certain characters during this book but not enough to make up for how uneventful it was.
This reads like a final book in a series so I’m not even sure if there is a book four? I saw an interview where she said she was contracted for three books but obviously kind of wanted to write four (since there are four houses she could use for titles). This doesn’t leave much open for another book but I’m sure she’d find a way, if it happens.
I actually like Bryce more than most people do – I see a lot of people cite her and her personality as the main reason this series is their least favorite, but I don’t have any issues with her. I think she’s pretty similar to Feyre and Aelin honestly lol.
I would definitely read a fourth book if it happens but I am definitely disappointed overall with HOFAS. I’m confused by the high ratings but it’s pretty standard for all of her books, even if the editing becomes less and less utilized as they go on. Seriously, someone could have easily cut 200 pages from this book without issue. We don’t need the repetitive thoughts and scenes in an 800+ page book!
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