Adult

Pages: 805

Series: Crescent City #2

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: February 15, 2022

Genre(s): Fantasy

Format: Hardcover

*NOTE: If you have not read the first book in the Crescent City series (House of Earth and Blood), please stop reading here, as SPOILERS for that book lay ahead! A non-spoiler review of House of Earth and Blood can be found here*

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Goodreads Synopsis

“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.”

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What Did I Think?

Let’s back this train up to the end of House of Earth and Blood for just a second just to recap. So basically, Bryce and Hunt have been searching everywhere for this magical horn that can open Lunation’s Gates to Hel, but come to find out, Danika had the horn ground down, mix it into ink, and had the dang thing tatooed into Bryce’s back – like WHAT? It was also revealed during Micah’s fit of rage and insane rant at the antiquities shop that he was the one that killed Danika and the Pack of Devils by exposing Danika to Synth, which made her totally lose her mind. Thoughout the book, Bryce has been seeking revenge for Danika’s killer and she finally gets it when she shoots Micah with a magical golden bullet. Around this same time, Hunt takes it upon himself to kill Sandriel after Hypaxia removes his slave marking that was keeping him from being able to unleash his full powers. After the Horn is activated by Micah using Synth, demons start come up through the Gates and try to kill the citizens of Lunation. Bryce brings out her kickbutt fighting skills and Hunt, Fury, Ruhn, and lots of others join the fray after they arrive back from the Summit. Bryce reveals that she has true Starborn powers (more than her brother’s) and uses them to close the Gate by taking the Drop on her own with the last bit of Danika’s essence as her Anchor. She does this just in time to save Hunt, who plummed (almost) to his death in order to save her from being killed by the Asteri. Bryce basically saves the whole city and the Asteri give her a gift for saving the city with a catch: Hunt is no longer a slave – he’s a free man – as long as he and Bryce lay low.

With that out of the way, let’s get into my thoughts on the overall direction House of Sky and Breath went in. I’ll be honest and say it took me a little while to understand what was going on plotwise, as we meet quite a few new characters early on and it was difficult to see how they all fit in. But, when I did, I found that I really enjoyed the direction the book was going, especially the parts that seemed to tie into some of the more integral parts of the first book, like Danika’s past/her roles outside of her relationship with Bryce. I’ve always viewed SJM books as character driven rather than plot driven, and I think that mold still applies to HOSAB. While I really enjoyed the plotline of this book, I found it to move pretty slowly at times – like to the point where I felt like the book could have been quite a bit shorter. BUT, I think some of those slower moments could be built off of in future books, so I’m excited about the potential for that to happen!

It’s no secret that I’ve been a huge shipper of Bryce and Hunt since the first book. I loved seeing them get to know each other better in HOSAB and enjoyed the fact that just like real life couples, Bryce and Hunt have very normal things they have to work through in addition to those associated with being high-profile individuals. My one complaint is that it seemed as though one person in this pairing was running the show in the relationship without taking into account the other person’s feelings. That just bugged me because Bryce and Hunt are supposed to be a team (and I loved that about them!), but it truly felt like that aspect of their relationship started to crumble. I’m hopeful that this will change in the future, but I think it’s going to take a lot of effort for them to rebuild that part of their relationship to the point where I’m convinced it’s genuine. Overall, thought, I am totally still rooting for them, even thought I got a little agitated with them in HOSAB.

For me, the supporting characters really stole the show by, like, a landslide! They were all so well developed and I loved that they each got their own moments in the spotlight. I’m still madly in love with Ruhn and Tharion, and Ithan and Baxian are well on their way to winning me over as well. My SJM book boyfriend list continues to grow and I’m 1000 percent okay with it 🤣 I also have to give a special shout out to the supporting gals – Hypaxia, Celestina, the Viper Queen, and Agent Daybright, in particular, give me LIFE!!! I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s coming next for all of these beautiful, fabulous, strong, and saucy men and women!

House of Sky and Breath was a great continuation of the Crescent City series. It was full of plot twists (some more obvious and some absolutely 🤯🤯🤯), superb character development, hysterical banter, and most of all, a whole lotta love. ❤️ I’m already counting down the days until we hear news about the next book, especially after that absolutely INSANE ending! Why does SJM always leave us hangin’ like that, y’all??? I secretly love it, though! 🤣❤️

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Will You Love It?

Hello, bookish friends! Welcome to another installment of “If you liked that, try this!” This segment’s topic is all about fantasy novels. Be warned: There are some blasts from the past on this list (partly because I am a little behind on my newly-released fantasy novel reading. This summer, I’ve been on a crazy contemporary kick!). Without further ado, let’s get on with this thing, shall we?

If you liked Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, try Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings!

I know what you’re all thinking: How are these two books even remotely similar? Well, let me tell ya, folks: They are more alike than you could ever imagine! One of the shared elements I loved about both of these books were the “crews” the characters were a part of and the adventures they went on together. While I’m a sucker for some good romance, I appreciated that this component took a backseat in both of these books, keeping the focus on the characters’ individual journeys. If you enjoyed all of these elements while reading Six of Crows, as well as its completely unexpected plot twists at every turn, Zenith may just be the perfect read for you!

If you liked The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, give A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer a try!

When I was trying to come up with these book pairings, I honestly could not think of a better match than these two in terms of overall concept/structure. Both The Cruel Prince and A Curse So Dark and Lonely have protagonists who are thrown into completely different worlds and fight back against those who try to force them to adapt to their new surroundings. These books also have the “tortured male lead” and “normal girl falls for the royal” tropes going on. If you enjoyed the political intrigue, strong female protagonist, and supernatural elements of The Cruel Prince, check out A Curse So Dark and Lonely!

If you liked House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas, give From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout a try!

I couldn’t help but include both of these adult fantasies on this recommendation list because they are two of my favorite reads of 2020 thus far! It also just so happens that many of the elements I enjoyed about House of Earth and Blood are also at the forefront of From Blood and Ash. Both books have super awesome, kick butt female protagonists who are taking control of their lives after coming to terms with some seriously traumatic events. As you can probably guess already since we are talking about Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, after all, you will probably want to hate but will end up loving the male leads (ughh. It happens to me every time!). If you fell in love with the witty characters, sizzling romance, and stunning world-building of House of Earth and Blood, From Blood and Ash is the perfect book for you to check out next!

If you liked Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, give Invictus by Ryan Graudin a try!

Calling all time travel fans — this recommendation is totally for you! Both Passenger and Invictus take the reader on a journey through time as their protagonists race against the clock to discover long lost truths about members of their families. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even be faced with the ultimate choice to make: Is rewriting history worth the cost? In addition to this critical similarity, Bracken and Graudin both have very distinct writing styles, making their storytelling incredibly compelling. If you’re on the hunt for a book to help fill the hole that Passenger left behind when you finished it, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Invictus!

If you liked Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, give Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick a try!

In addition to both of these books having supernatural creatures in them (aliens and fallen angels) and the fact that they have similar “struggle between two factions to save humanity” concepts, the main similarity I couldn’t help but point out is the fact that the male leads in both books are kind of… broody, especially when the female protagonists first meet them. I would also argue that the way the romances in these books start out are very similar to one another, in that there is sort of this “instant attraction” element that while I’d love to hate it, I can’t help but love. If you enjoyed the broody, mysterious dude that is Daemon Black, the can’t-help-but-ship romance, and the battle between good and evil in Obsidian, I highly suggest giving Hush, Hush a read!

If you liked Divergent by Veronica Roth, give Matched by Ally Condie a try!

There’s been a lot of talk about both of these books, and it appears that one similarity between Divergent and Matched is the fact that readers either love or hate them. While neither of these books were necessarily make my list of favorite reads of all time, I did find myself enjoying a lot of things about them. I found the overall concepts of these dystopian novels to be really interesting, and the worlds these writers created were so neat to learn about. I found myself relating to the main characters on more than one occasion, and even though I didn’t always agree with the choices they made, I still enjoyed watching their journeys play out. If you enjoyed the plot twists, dash of romance, and watching the protagonist attempt to destroy the corrupt government systems in their world play out in Divergent, definitely give Matched a shot!

There you have it, folks — another recommendation list, as if our TBRs aren’t long enough as it is! Did a book you love that’s similar to those above not make the list? Drop your recommendations in the comments below!

Tag: Adult

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

If You Liked That, Try This: Fantasy Edition!

If you liked Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, try Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings!

If you liked The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, give A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer a try!

If you liked House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas, give From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout a try!

If you liked Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, give Invictus by Ryan Graudin a try!

If you liked Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, give Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick a try!

If you liked Divergent by Veronica Roth, give Matched by Ally Condie a try!

There you have it, folks — another recommendation list, as if our TBRs aren’t long enough as it is! Did a book you love that’s similar to those above not make the list? Drop your recommendations in the comments below!

Until next week, bookish peeps! 🙂