House of Earth and Blood

This review is just to help me remember key points about the book. If you find it helpful or relatable that's cool too.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Please work through your trauma instead of having sexual fantasies in the kitchen during breakfast.
– My thoughts while reading this.


2.5 Stars ⭐️
4 Spicies

I feet a bit ashamed. I had so many issues with this book, that it is hard to count. Characters, plot, world-building, literally about anything. And then you what I did? I stayed up till 5 AM because I just needed to finish this book.

What was good in this book:
- parts starting from around 70% of the book. That's where everything picked up speed and all the plot twists were were coming at the speed of a motor vehicle instead of the snail-slow pacing of the beginning. And it was even engaging.

What I didn't enjoy:
- Characters. I couldn't discern between them if not for the color of their hair. Here we have the most beautiful angel, there is a striking medwitch, somewhere over there is the most gorgeous wraith and so on. No matter how small mention of a character we got, it is always the same - He/She was the prettiest male/female ever seen and his/her power was unparralled to any other. Because had I mentioned that god save us the character wouldn't have a special superpower.
- Unnecessary swearing. Like for real. The book would've been a 100 pages shorter if the word “f*ck” was edited out.
- Bryce is such a Mary Sue. Despite being told throughout the whole book that her power level was low, but of course till the end of the book she had more power that any other being in the city. And I didn't even mention what a special beautiful and curvatios snowlake she is. And how every “male” was ready to take her right there.
- That scene where Bryce tried to take Hunt's place. OMG, I so waited for the reveal of some clever plan. I just couldn't believe the sheer stupidity of what she intended to do.
- Portrayal of drug use. Especially in the beginning. That was disgusting.
- No logic in acquainting readers with the world. It was either a blatant infodump (which for me is a preferable option) or we see something, it gets mentioned again in 15 pages, and again in 20 pages and after that it gets explained in the way we already had to understand what is going on. By the way, I still don't know how this planet of Midgard looks and what all the random names belong to, and the author already gone into establishing parallel words and realms.
- If this book had an editor - he did a poor job. This book is overlong but at least 300 pages. And so confusing.

At this point, I'm tired and have no inspiration left for this review.

But you know the worst thing? I will still read a next book.

I think this may be one of Maas's best books - or at least my personal favorite. As per Maas's style, the story follows Fae and humans - and a girl who is half and half. I liked Bryce as a character - in some instances she felt similar to many of the Mcs Maas writes, but I didn't quite mind since I still found myself engrossed in the pages - in the story. This world is more contemporary-fantasy oriented, and the setting is done very well. Crescent city is described beautifully, bringing about a world that is both similar to and different from the other worlds Maas has written.

I went in blind for this book. Just like I did several years ago when I first came across one of SJM's book randomly on amazon...and bought it because I loved the cover. That's it. That's what started my SJM obsession. A pretty ACOTAR cover. I wasn't on bookstagram or anything like that so I had no idea who she was..or the massive following (and hate) she had. So for this book I avoided all the things about it. And I'm so happy I did. This book was nothing like what I was imagining. I mean that in the best way.

She dedicated this book to her son and people found that weird. But if you have actually read the book you'd get it. I know why people thought it was weird...they thought it would be full of smut. HA. Just because her other books were labeled YA when they were most certainly not (I don't know who's job it is to set books into whatever genre but that personal failed hard core). It is very much an enemies to lovers slow burn...and by slow I mean SLOW. But I loved it.

This book was about faith, and love and finding the strength to go on when your world is shattered. Of believing in someone when the whole world thinks the worst of you. And they let you know it. When all the evidence points to someone being something other than great..but you know better because nobody know them like you knew them. Nobody. And that resonated with me so damn much (I'm looking at you, Sugar Bunny).

It's a big book, yes. And it's not action packed. The shit doesn't hit the fan until about the last 1/3 of the book and then it's wild. I'm not saying it was dragging the whole way through. I certainly didn't think so. And all of it was worth it. One hundred percent worth it.

4.25/5 stars

This was even better during the second read when the world building actually makes a lot more sense.

This book is soooo so close to being a 5 star read, but Hunt exists and I just can't bring myself to give a book with Hunt in it 5 stars. He is just so, so, so boring. And doesn't really add much to the story. He can just go.

Original Review (March 18th, 2021)

This book was kind of a lot weird but I liked it. I think.

RTC.

This was a really great book!

Why not 5 stars, because I have some issues with this book! Yes, I know... I must be in minority here, but let's get into it!

First of all... I didn't like the relationship between Hunt and Bryce, it was too sexual for my taste. I was here for the fantasy but received a lot of weird moments between these two characters. However it gets a little better by the end, but personally, it wasn't right for me.

The second problem, I didn't like Bryce... I know that she is still an amazing friend, and some people like to hate her. But her personality was too confusing and I didn't understand some decisions that she made.

The third problem was the language. I don't mind some cursing, but sometimes here I felt that it was a little forced. Also, for me, it felt a little underwhelming and spoiled some of the more intimate moments.

And lastly, more than half of the book is just a build-up, a lot of sexual tension, and characters going one way then another. I don't think it is a bad thing but at some point, I realized that I had no interest in their “adventure” nor their “romance”.

All these things were kinda forgotten by the end! I mean, the last 300 pages were soooo amazing! The story, the love, the idea! I almost forgot my problems about the first part of the book and I analyzed better all the ideas and some things made sense. (I still didn't like Bryce though)

In spite of everything, I usually classify the book by my experience and I didn't have 5 stars experience through the book, so that is why I can't give it 5 stars. But with an end so strong I also couldn't give 3 stars here. Not to mention the world, which is so big and creative that it saved the book quite a bit.

And not to forget that this book introduced me to Hunt... who I loved so much!

CW: alcohol and drug use, violence and gore, talk of past suicide attempt

For a while there, I thought I might not read this book despite loving all of SJM's books and Throne of Glass being my all time favorite series ever. I know all the criticisms about her books and I agree with most of them too, so I guess I was just uncertain for a bit if I wanted to spend so much time on a new series which might have the same issues and is also such a huge intimidating one on top of it. But ultimately I couldn't resist and it was a binge read without a night's sleep just like I've done so many times before for her books.

No one can convince me that she doesn't write an entertaining story because she really does and I get so invested that I don't wanna put it down at all, and it's what happened here. Once the initial hook got me in at about 9%, I spent the next 14-16 hours just binging the book except for small breaks for food and essentials. It's not exactly fast paced but it's quite engaging and holds your interest very well and is pretty entertaining with the right dosage of humor, angst, mystery and action. That's not to say the book was amazing from beginning to end.

There is a lot of info dumping at the beginning and it confused me so much, because no way was I going to remember all the different houses and creatures and history of them all. Thankfully, it evens out a bit after the first 10% and the world building becomes more relevant to what's happening to the characters making it easier to follow along. The book is also huge, so understandably the middle portion slows down a bit where we feel the action is lacking, but I never got bored and I think it just gave me more more time to get invested in the characters. But one thing I can't deny is how vast the author's imagination is because this book has so much - a wide variety of creatures and their dynamics, war, rebellion and oppression, a serial murder mystery at its heart and its investigation - it covers a lot of ground and I was amazed at the scope of it all. And I guess many of us fans were anticipating what an adult SJM book would be like, and while there's a lot of swearing, I promise you it doesn't have all the smut that everyone expects it to. And the last thing which unfortunately I can't not mention is the usage of the word “male” over and over again still grates me and I really hope the author rethinks that. Thankfully “mate” isn't that repetitive this time around

4.25 stars.

As soon as I read the first sample page of this volume with the list of the houses and creatures, I decided I was in and I bought myself a copy. I have seen so many negative review though, that I was wondering if I did the right thing, but I decided to give it a chance anyway and I must confess that I was positively surprised by this volume. The book follows mostly Bryce's and Hunt's points of view.
Bryce is half-Fae, half-human, while Hunt is an enslaved fallen angel. Bryce's best friend, Danika, was killed at the beginning of the book and then Bryce and Hunt have to collaborate to investigate her death. Even if the book is set in a fictional world, Midgard, it has an Urban Fantasy feeling, due to contemporary setting and the presence of modern technology. It has also a small reminiscence of Rome, something I found in the Nevernight trilogy by Jay Kristoff, but less strong here, through for example, the Comitium, the Governors, but as I said, it was minimal.

The Lore
The reason I bought myself a copy at once was the lore and I was happy to stay in this world for quite some time (since the book has eight hundred pages!). In Midgard all the creatures you can imagine of exist and they have an affiliation of their own (e.g. House of Earth and Blood include shifters, witches, ordinary animals and many others). The book doesn't explain in detail each type of creature, but rather focuses on the affiliations of the main and secondary characters. On the other hand, 800 pages are justified to develop characters, plot and the lore as well. Information about the lore is given piece by piece, as soon as something new was introduced. However, for the first 90 pages, I struggled to keep up with all the information. There were names mentioned, places, and so on and it was too much to follow who was this and that, but afterwards, it got better and I could gradually put the pieces together.

Characters
Bryce is very immature, stubborn and impulsive. Her impulsiveness leads her to do often stupid things. This is why I could not sympathise with her nor could like her. On the other hand, she could also be funny or had some bright ideas. Here is a quote.

“Any ideas?”“Promise me you won't go ballistic.”“Summoning a demon is a bad fucking idea.”

I liked Hunt, as well. He is less explosive than Bryce. However, what I found very annoying is the repetition every few lines about how much he is physically attracted to Bryce and her attributes. I am fine with such statements, since the author has to express the attraction somehow, but it was just too much and irritating. Also, another aspect that I did not like is the language: there were too many “fucking”. Again, it is ok if a character uses because he/she becomes emotional, but if you abuse it, it loses its value and becomes just unnecessary and annoying.Overall, I liked them together and I liked the fact that their relationship developed gradually, first becoming a friendship and then started to have feelings for each other.A special mention goes to Syrinx, the chimera, and Lehabah, a fire sprite: the cutest and sweetest companions ever. PlotThe plot is mostly focused on the investigation. It develops very slowly and by that I mean that before page 500 we do not have any revelation and before page 600 nothing big happens. However, I did not mind it. I enjoyed the slow pace because it gave me the time to enjoy the lore and the development of the relationships between characters, not only between Bryce and Hunt, but also between Bryce and her brother Ruhn. On the other hand, when the revelations come, it's a hit. First, because we get everything in such a short time that it's hard to digest and secondly because I did not see any hint. The last 200 pages are high-adrenaline finale and I had the impression that the ending was somehow rushed especially compared to how the plot developed for the first two thirds, but it felt like everything was put into the right place. Conclusion and future expectationsOverall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I spent a great time in Midgard, even though I found some aspects a bit annoying, so to say. What I hope for the next books is that Bryce will grow and become more mature. After I have seen other reviews, I hope that no heartbreak between Bryce and Hunt will happen. I also hope that we get the chance to meet new characters from other factions as well and hopefully a cross-verse between this world and the worlds of Sarah's previous series. Last, but not least, for the next book it would be great if we get a character list with their affiliation and briefly what they did in book 1.

It was really good. For once, I loved the main characters. It's rare for me to like the main characters, especially from SJM's books, since I hate Feyre, Celaena, etc.
Overall I enjoyed the story. It was fast paced!
I do feel like the story could be a bit shorter, it was a bit too long at some parts of the book.

It is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than any other book she has ever written, so I do recommend it!

Crescent City The House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas
Book 1 in the Crescent City series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Where do I even begin! I am already feeling the effects of the hangover that this book has left me in! First of all thank you to @bee for peer pressuring/forcing me to give this book another shot. I started this book two times before and must not have been in the right frame of mind so this was my 3rd attempt. When I tell you that I don't know why I didn't keep on reading before, I literally have no clue! This book was everything! I held my breath, I cried, and I smiled following the journey of these characters. Both the male and female MC have been through immense trauma, like unfathomable pain, that they like to keep buried deep down inside. The things Bryce (the female MC) has experienced in the events of this book literally hurt my heart. It was truly gut wrenching at times. Hunt is another dreamy winged male that SJM has me wanting more of. This book truly had it all. Slow burn romance, amazing world building, a mystery to be solved, amazing banter- all the things! The world building is slow in the beginning but, once things happen later in the book, you see why it had to be that way. There is so much groundwork that is laid for the world, and I feel like book 2 will be more fast paced. There's so many different types of characters. I felt that this was definitely SJMs most inclusive book that I've read so far. I'd classify this as adult fantasy 18+ for themes discussed and language. While there's not any actual sex scenes in this book, there's still some spice. Check trigger warnings prior to reading as always! I am like jonesing for book 2 so bad I need it to be here already! I can't wait to see what happens next for Bryce and Hunt and the world of Crescent City!

This book was so, so good. I love the fact that it had 800 pages, I really feel connected to the characters now. And I am, of course, in love with Hunt.
The plot twists, the feelings, all the things that happened in this book have left me speechless. Sarah is an incredible writer and she has a special way of creating all these characters that make you instantly fall in love with them. She creates stories that will always remain in my heart, I've never read fantasy as good as hers. (besides Lord of the Rings).

5 Stars

I cried, I laughed, I loved it.

I've been putting this book off for so long cause I know I'd love it. Sarah J Maas books are beautifully written. A perfect mix of action, adventure, and romance.

Bryce Quinlan is witty, likes to have fun, and tells you whats on her mind. Her friends die and she'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Her grief makes you cry. Slow burn, sassy romance with Hunt Athalar a notorious Fallen angel.

All 800 pages. All the characters. I can't wait to read more.

Was just sitting here twiddling my thumbs, because who knows when another of Maas' ACOTAR books will be published, and then a friend recommended the Crescent City series (and to skip the Throne of Glass series). Don't let my star rating fool you: I was captivated! Maas knows how to write imperfect characters you really root for, and Bryce Quinlan are Hunt Athalar are great examples. What kept this just a bit less zippy than something like A Court of Mist and Fury or A Court of Silver Flames was both slightly clunkier world-building (I'm not sure how else to say this, but this high fantasy world has too many middle managers), and there's plenty of sexual tension, but not one full sex scene! So prob great for folks who find some of the later ACOTAR books too steamy.

O.W.L. Readathon - Transfiguration
read a book that includes shapeshifting

I am so disappointed in just about every aspect of this book, I genuinely am at a loss for words.

This is two stars because of Bryce Quinlan, the best part of this book, and Bryce Quinlan only. (And because Crescent City itself was an anazing setting)