House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas Book Review
- Overall: ****/5
- Romance: ****
- Reading Rate: ***
- Pages: 803
- Recommend if you liked: Other Maas works, Fever Series
- Release Date: March 3, 2020
- Publisher:Bloomsbury
This book was arguably the most anticipated Fantasy release of the year and I myself could not wait to get my hands on one. I was so happy I took advantage of the virtual signing Sarah did to get a signed and personalized book, even if it didn’t arrive until a week after publication date.
If you are a Maas fan this book will be right up your alley, if you are not… even with it making the change to the “adult” space I still don’t think you will be a fan. There was not much more “mature” about this book than anything Maas has written before, the language used was really the only difference I noticed. She also went for more of a slow burn style vs hopping into love like her other works (we will just have to wait and see if this means a guy might make it through the series).
While I ended up enjoying the story and will 100% be picking up the next book in the series as soon as it comes out, I could not give the book 5 stars.
What I liked:
- True to SJM form we had lots of snarky, smart characters that you cant help but love.
- A really interesting world (that almost gave me Daughter of Smoke and Bone vibes). The whole story really took place in one large city so I cannot wait to experience more if the world.
- I really enjoy when an immediate storyline is wrapped up but still open for the future. I was happy with the ending and ready for more without it being a cliff hanger that left me dreading the wait between books.
What I struggled with:
- While I enjoyed the characters there were a lot that gave me feels of characters she had already written, and basically took and put into a new setting. I think this is also just a casualty of reading an author with a specific style over and over.
- There was a lot of slow build to this story so it did not have that “suck me in” factor her other works have done. I was able to read the book in small spurts without feeling the draw to know what is going to happen next. That is until the last 200 pages…. be prepared to sit down and finish the book out when you get there.
- I think every character in every conversation throughout the entire book said “Hel” at least once… just a few chapters I was done hearing the word (and it usually takes A LOT for me to be annoyed with an element like that in writing).
Synopsis: I think its better to go into this book not reading it though*
Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
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.
Have you read House of Earth and Blood yet? What did you think if it?
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