House of Sky and Breath

Spoiler-Free Review:

HOLY CRAP, y'all! That ending... That ending! Spoiler-free is always promised here, so feel free to slide into my DMs for all things spoilery. This book was such a ride! A long ride (she is a thick book) but a wild ride throughout. I love that we see so much character development. Not only with Bryce and Hunt but with the cast of side characters as well. I loved that we got so much insight into the lives of the side characters, and I feel like they have become some of my favorite SJM “cadre.” (credit to @nightnursereads for reminding me of the term) There is so much tension in this book. Sexual tension between so many people... it is all very present, and I was here for it. I love that SJM spiced this book up so much. It didn't feel as forced as other books, and I'm not sure if that's because of Bryce and Hunt's age or if I was so ready for payoff after all the tension in HOEAB. The spice was there, and I loved every bit of it. Hello Hunt and hello Ruhn. There is such a mystery to this story. I found myself wanting to figure it all out, but also not knowing who I could trust. I feel like SJM loves to write betrayal and we definitely see a little of that here. There are such amazing friendships in this book, and I continue to love that about every SJM series that I've read. I'm currently rereading ToG, and it's just opened my eyes to how well she writes friendships. We have the cadre and court, the inner circle, and now this amazing cast of characters in Crescent City. The romantic elements in this book were very present and I appreciated that. This book has me thirsting for the next ACOTAR and Crescent City book, but I know we will have to wait a bit.
This book is an adult fantasy, 18+ for themes and sexual content.