I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to get to talk about House of Earth and Blood, and now that it’s here, I’m having trouble putting my thoughts together. It was a great book! I was curious to see how Crescent City might compare to Sarah J. Maas’s other titles, since this is her first book pitched as adult, and I was pleasantly surprised. There are definitely more mature themes going on in this book, and I’m excited to see what everyone else thinks of it. Of course, if you’ve loved her other books/series, I think you’ll also enjoy the beginning of this new story and I highly encourage you to add it to your TBR if you like more urban/paranormal fantasy. I’m also a bit vain, and I absolutely purred when I saw there was a character that was also named Nathalie. Of course, I would like to quickly mention if you’re easily triggered by gore, murder, and death…this book was definitely more jarring than Sarah’s other series.
Bryce Quinlan has pretty much had an easy life, a working all day/party all night type of life. When a demon comes in and murders her closest friends, she’s left bereft of those who would help her close the wounds she currently holds. When the murders begin again and the supposed murderer is already behind bars, Bryce is ready to do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is also on the case, an enslaved fallen angel currently in the service of the Archangels he once tried to overthrow. He’s forced to team up with Bryce to hunt down the demon, or whatever monster is causing senseless deaths within the city, and his freedom is within reach if he succeeds. Together they’ll delve deep into the underbelly of the city, and find a dark power that is threatening to destroy everything they hold dear.
When I first started reading House of Earth and Blood, I had a little trouble getting into it, partially because of all of the world building that is happening to set up the story. However, all that world building is worth it because once the story really gets going, it builds quickly. I finished this 800 page monster in one day, which was definitely one of my favourite achievements of February. I’ll start with the fact that there is a lot going on in Bryce’s world. This isn’t just a world with Fae and humans, we’ve incorporated all manner of paranormal creatures as angels, werewolves, sprites, vampires, and more populate this world. There are three realms that correspond with different houses and even though there was a lot of information dumped at the beginning, I really liked what was going on.
There’s something about Bryce at the beginning of the book that seems a little off. She’s definitely got confidence, but she’s also a little insecure. She’s also got an interesting relationship with alcohol and recreational drugs. That aside, I loved the relationship that she had with her best friend as it went beyond loyalty and trust, and I would describe it more as a soul bond. Unfortunately when that soul bond is ripped away, you see Bryce stripped away from this persona that she had built for herself. It’s the raw Bryce readers will be looking for. The one that is struggling with a multitude of mental health issues, and trying her best to survive in a world without an anchor. I’ll admit that there were parts of this book that were a little hard to read, because some of her struggles are definitely relatable. Mourning specifically comes to mind for me.
Of course, we can’t talk about Bryce without talking about Hunt Athalar. He’s dark and enigmatic, but also a bit of a jackass. I’ll admit that Sarah does make a bit of a joke about “Alphaholes”, or basically: over protective, broody, territorial males. This becomes all the more hilarious because Bryce refuses to be cowed by someone like that. She stands her ground, and soon they establish a healthy working relationship. There are definitely kinks that need to be worked out as the progress in the story, but I like this pairing. That said, I’m absolutely wondering where the relationship is going because we all know Sarah likes to throw curveballs every once in a while.
Let’s talk about the villains in this story. Some of them are clear cut, no good…but others were more complex. There were grey areas, where I think readers will empathise with potential baddies. I was on the edge of my seat the entire novel, because I had no idea who the killer could possibly be. It was definitely surprising, and I was speechless. I didn’t see it coming. There’s a lot of complicated matters in there though, so I’m truly curious about the bigger picture here. The ending certainly hints at there being much bigger fish to fry, and our dear Bryce and Hunt aren’t in the clear yet. Once again, I had no words for how this ending made me feel.
Now, aside from the information overload at the beginning, this story really builds well and just moves so quickly. It keeps you in suspense the entire time, and I just wanted to keep reading until I ran out of book. I would argue again that this story isn’t for the faint of heart, but would encourage you to add it to your TBR, because I’m excited to see where this story is going. It’s a 9/10 for me!
Crescent City is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of March 3rd 2020.
Will you be picking up Crescent City? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas launches her brand-new CRESCENT CITY series with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.
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.
