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?
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