Recently I finally finished reading House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas and I figured it was time for a review. It’s been a while since I reviewed a Sarah J. Maas book to be honest! Let’s jump in and see what I thought of this one.
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.
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.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Crescent City #1
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on 03/03/2020
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 803
Goodreads
“Through love, all is possible.”
It took me quite a while to finish this book…. I read the first couple of hundred pages when it was just released. And it broke my heart into pieces. I just couldn’t continue because I was bawling my eyes out. After putting the book down I just couldn’t pick it back up haha. Two years later everyone was talking about the sequel and I figured it was time for me to finally finish House of Earth and Blood. And so I did!
This book reminded me what it was like being sucked into a story and wanting to read every spare moment (and not so spare moment) of the day. It’s a big book and a bit slow at times but I didn’t mind that at all. There is a lot of world building and a ton of characters to get to know. And I just really enjoy that in books, especially fantasy books with interesting worlds. This has a more modern setting which was really refreshing, I really need to read more fantasy books with modern settings.
“What blinds an oracle, Bryce Quinlan?”
Like I said, there are a ton of characters. Bryce is our main character and I’ll say she reminded me a lot of Aelin. I really enjoyed almost all of the characters and their dynamics. But they were all typical Sarah J. Maas characters and a lot of the dynamics reminded me of ones she wrote previously. I’m not mad about it, as building cadre’s and inner circles is what she does best and what makes me love her books so much. But I did think it was noticeable.
What I loved most about the book was the friendships and family bonds, it all broke my heart into pieces and I cried multiple times while reading this book. Bryce’s grief hit me hard and her struggles were really well portrayed in my opinion. But overall I just really really loved everything that came down to very strong friendships. Yes there is romance, but I don’t care about that part as much to be honest.
“The universe is massive. Some believe it has no end. Or that our universe might be one in a multitude, as bountiful as the stars in the sky or the sand on a beach.”
This book had some twists and turns (and I was very proud to have guessed some beforehand haha) and I loved it a lot. If you love Sarah’s writing, this is another one you’ll love. Like her other books, it has flaws for sure. But I do feel like she is getting a bit better at writing more diverse characters, not great but better than before. I for one am very excited for the rest of the series!
Amazing review! I finished it last week and absolutely loved it. I cried so many time as well. I read nearly all of acotar last year and it was so nice to read another Maas book, I love her writing. I’ve just started the sequel to this and already loving it!