The hind house of sky and breath

Ok, now to the review.

This book stressed me. I can't even count the number of times I had to put it down and walk away for a minute because I was scared to read what happened next. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, a whole other layer of complications and magic and worldbuilding was added to the mix. It was a rollercoaster in every way.

While I did predict the outcome to several plot twists, like the identity of agent Daybright, there were a billion other twists that I didn't see coming, like that ending for which nothing could have prepared me for!!!!. And honestly, it's because half the time most of those twists were coming entirely out of left field and it was all Danika's fault! I was getting second-hand embarrassment for Bryce every time something new was revealed about her supposed 'best friend'. Danika had a whole secret life, filled with so many secrets and people that Bryce never knew about. After a while, it kinda felt like SJM just wanted to introduce new things and didn't know how so she threw them into Danika's bag of secrets and called it a day.

But, whatever. What I was really here for, more than the plot twists, was the characters! Gosh darn it, I love all of these characters so much!!! I really wasn't kidding about rioting if anything happens to them.

Ruhn was my favorite. I picked him out in book one as my comfort character in this series and I am way too invested in this man's well-being. Ruhn, Declan, Flynn, Ithan, and Tharion. I loved them. I loved the dynamic and I loved how Ruhn's house just kept getting more and more crowded and they all just accepted it like it was nothing. That brood of highly competent, badass idiots are all my babies and they better come out unscathed.

Then there was Bryce and Hunt. I love them. The banter, the chemistry, loyalty, and love they have between them is everything. Nothing will ever come close. I was worried about Hunt, I'm not gonna lie. Sarah has a tendency to bait us into falling for one guy, just for another dude to come in for the win. But no, Bryce and Hunt were everything together. There's nothing else to say.

Overall, this was great. I loved it. Not as much as I did the first book, I have to admit. But I loved it. And no, this wasn't really a review. I didn't even mention the plot of the novel, but if you've made it this far you probably already know what it's about. I just needed to gush about these characters for a bit since no one in real life will get excited and talk about these characters with me.

So yeah. That is all. Go read this book. Talk about it with me in the comments. That ending left me with too many emotions. Goodbye.

But before you go!

My final question to this all, the one that has bothered me since book one and plagues me to this day: how does a faun dance ballet? Like actually though? You can't be on pointe with hooves and bent legs. Every time they mentioned June dancing my brain almost spontaneously combusted trying to conjure up a visual! At this point, I just assume that Juniper is to ballet, what Feyre is to painting and I'll leave it at that!

Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate the bro club in this book? Ruhn, Declan, Flynn, AND MY PRECIOUS ITHAN. Okay, Ruhn is still my favorite but ITHAN came out of left field, barreled into me with a boyish smirk and a wink, and next thing I knew I was on my knees *cough* He is a must protect. And Tharion and Cormac? SJM just working her magic, that’s all.

Love Bryce and Hunt still of course, but SJM’s side characters have a way of jumping off the page and tunneling into your heart. This book is no exception.

The romance delivers, the plot delivers, the EASTER EGGS, the tension, the camaraderie and humor and banter between characters delivers, and THE PLOT TWISTS!?! Holy mother of all plot twists. I mean, yes, I’ve definitely been wanting that and assumed it might be the case, but I didn’t actually expect SJM to do it AND make it so integral to the plot. It was unexpected, and I both loved it and immediately had mixed feelings because it opens a whole can of worms—but after another day of letting it all sink in, I am here for it. I’m excited, and game to see what comes next, and I know SJM has our backs.

My theories are ABOUND and the connections I’ve been making in the time since finishing are off the charts. This space is spoiler free, but I can’t wait until we can discuss things more fully

Enjoy the book!

July 2021:

MY SUMMONING CIRCLE WORKED, Y’ALL. HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH COMING AT YOU JAN 2022. YOU’RE ALL WELCOME.

May 5, 2021:
summoning circle, hope this works

                       🕯️
              🕯️              🕯️
       🕯️       title and       🕯️

   🕯️         cover reveal         🕯️

       🕯️       may 2021       🕯️
              🕯️              🕯️
                       🕯️

and make the title House of Sky & Breath and the cover blue

Original, May 19th, 2018:
*SJM announces Crescent City #1*

Me:

a few days later: *sees Crescent City #2 on GR*

Me:

the way this book did NOT need to be 800 fucking pages.....literally half of this book is all detective work and finding out that the people you think you know and love *gasp* are not who you think they are?!?! consider me shocked. anyways...

this was an enjoyable mess but i would say the stakes in the first book sounded better and played out wayyy more extreme and intriguing than here in this book....aside from the last 30 pages because uh....if you know, you knowwwwwww!!!!

but...the smirking, hissing, giggling, and purring that amounts in this sequel? "GEEJUS CHRYSLER. NO. MORE. IM BEGGING, PURRING," SMIRKING AS IM TYPING THIS OUT......

too many slow-too much talking and banter-and nothing happens-parts but when the good parts hit, THEY HIT.

i skipped all sexy scenes bc no ty.

Full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpd99...

book rating overall: 3 STARS.
those last 30 pages overall: 4 STARS
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube

(view spoiler)[so i wasn't the spoiled but the way the book was building up into the final act i was SUS AF and peeps on the internet were like, "no way! the last 10 pages of this book??!! shook! wtf! prepare!" soooo i mean im like ok, what could be the most jaw dropping and shocking way she could end it, right? it was more of the interactions with the night court more than anything.....the way i actually hoped bryce would fall into the throne of glass world and get aelin for help but i get why we're dragging in the night court for this now....also Lidia as 'Day'? Called it from page uno!! very curious as to see how it'll go from here with either book.....crescent city 3 or acotar 5? (hide spoiler)]

____

The way this aged LMAO. cringe
____

*crosses fingers*

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL SMUT AND FARIES EVERYWHERE, PLEASE PUBLISH IN 2021. GOOD VIBES ONLY FOR 2021. PRETTY PLEASEEEE

AND CAN THIS BOOK PLEASE BE RUHN'S LIKE FUCK I NEED MORE RUHN

OH and
can the cover please glow in the dark

I SAID CAN THE COVER PLEASE GLOW IN THE DARK?!

oh and let's look at the bright side: only one more book
i'm sorry, i read somewhere that it's a trilogy

what the history books won't tell you is this was hunt athalar

that man is the poster boy for GTL and y'all like him that, i said what i said

(view spoiler)[this book peaked in the prologue imo, i was struggling through the middle ok it was a whole lot of nothing

☄️ ruhn and agent daybright had no chemistry... their relationship development shifted from professional to iN lOvE way too fast
☄️ bring back sophie, this girl was there for like .2 seconds and her chapter served harder than anything else in the book
☄️ only one aidas scene and 1. he's a cat and 2. it's not even fucking him bye👩🏽‍🦯
☄️ tharion and bryce have the most wholesome friendship, i want the world for him 🥺
☄️ i'm sorry but danika is the busiest girl in the world. after so many of her secrets being exposed in book 1, how does she have a whole nother closet full of them 💀 she's a rebel, she knew sophie, her dads evil, she had a mate, ENOUGH who has the freaking free time

and the end? i'll never forgive sjm for this multiverse bullshit istg. how am i reading a completely different series than acotar but rhys and feyre are still in my face 😩😩 (hide spoiler)]

Okay, I think I've calmed down enough to review this now that I've had time to process the bombshell Sarah dropped. I swear I've been admiring that last chapter ever since I finished it 😂😭 I had definitely stopped breathing, especially when the "R" word was dropped.

Firstly, Kudos to Sarah for writing such a masterpiece. I think it's going to be one of the best reads of 2022. I don't think I've read a bad review of it so far and rightly so. The book starts off at a good pace which she maintained throughout, especially compared to House of Earth and Blood. This was so much better than what I had expected. If I could have given more than 5 stars, I would.

What really interested me was the character development of Hunt, Tharion and Ruhn in particular. Their journey is one worthy of praise. Hunt's power and Ruhn's purity is commendable. Tharion ended up being my favourite, I enjoyed his struggles and his tough decisions, it brought more personality to the limelight. I was hoping he would've made a different choice at the end but it's going to be interesting to see what direction his story takes. Bryce was as usual badass. It was so good to see how she was struggling with Danika's constant secrets, it made her seem more human, instead of a robotic push over. What lays ahead of her in the series is going to be so good to see. There was a lot of foreshadowing done, can't wait to see how it unfolds. Cormac was a nice addition. Ithan and his struggles are shown well and the way he's welcomed into the group is just heartwarming to see. Flynn and Declan as usual are underrated supporting characters. I feel we don't give them much credit. The other supporting characters bring out great chemistry between the group as a whole. It just works out so well😩

The plot as a whole had a lot of twists, some of which had me shocked but it works well together. Their world just got bigger and there are lot of possibilities to explore, I do wonder how Sarah would incorporate it all. It's going to be a challenge considering the fan expectations will hit the roof, but I bet she can pull it off.

Also, if anything happens to Hunt and Bryce, Ruhn and Tharion, I'm SUING. 👀

I already CANNOT WAIT for the third book in the series. It's going to be mind-blowing for sure.

Through love, all is possible ❤️

**** NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW ****

Once again SJM has come up with an ending that is jaw-droppingly brilliant and one that all her fans are going to adore.

A sensational story in the world of dark fantasy, that is magical and haunting, with an exhilarating plot, powerful world building, a level of suspense that inspires a hungry turn of pages and a brilliant array of characters that I believe are her best cast yet. Ingenious.

The Plot

“I’m guessing you’re in Sky and Breath.” She went still. Had he struck true? “Why do you say that?” “You remind me of the wind.” He tried to explain. “Powerful and able to cool or freeze with half a thought, shaping the world itself though no one can see you. Only your impact on things.”

Sofie, is about to die with one vital piece of “information hidden in her head, information that could very well be the final piece of this war against the Asteri. The blow that could end it all” and so Bryce, Hunt and Ruhn try to unearth the corruption and the devastating truth that cost Danika her life in the last book and now Sofie in this story. This is not a spoiler as it happens in the first chapter but sets up a storyline that will continue well into the book.

As worlds collide and the Houses of Crescent City seek to take control, the treachery and danger takes us to the city ships of the queen’s court, the seven levels of hell and the orrery planet solar system as reluctant alliances are forged to prevent the Asteri taking control.

However, with an order from the Asteri to lie low or endure a penalty of death, the crew must carve out a strategy where the stakes are high, the game is at a different level, and the people only too willing to betray the daughter of the King of the Autumn Court too numerous.

Ignoring the request from her father to strengthen the alliance with the House of Avallen, by marrying Cormac, her cousin, Bryce is left isolated except for her lover and ‘mate’ Hunt and brother Ruhn.

Review and comments

What makes this my favourite Sarah Maas book yet!!!

The Ending ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The sensational ending just blew me away. I was left speechless and very happy knowing we have a fantastic set up going into the next book. If you have read other SJM series you will adore it. Although it is worth pointing out that you do not need to have read A Court of Thorns and Roses first.

Storyline and Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The plot / subplots are complex, gripping, and captivating and written at a pace that never slows. I loved that multiple sub plots were introduced rather than having everything centred around the two main characters which has become a common thread in SJM’s books. However, I feel there is room to make these side stories with other people even stronger and shorter because at 800 pages it feels too long, hence the 4.5 stars.

Main Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hunt and Ruhn are adorable, and although I liked Bryce much better in book 2, The connection is still not great. I would like to see the female characters portrayed differently from ‘bad ass bitches’.

Writing Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stunning writing and one I connect with although you need to pay attention given the number of subplots and wide ranging 'fantastical' names. However, for an immersive and absorbing read that captured me through the writing, then it can only be 5 stars.

Imagination ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I am in awe of SJM’s imagination. Ingenious, creative and explosive with settings like the seven levels of hell, orrery of planets and intricate details like the seven star and its representation, the glowing star on Bryce’s chest and symbolic nature of the marks and tattoos.

For ‘Love and other words’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ There is no shortage of passion between the main characters. What I loved about this part of the story was Bryce standing up for her right to choose her own ‘mate’ against her fathers wishes. Even better when she achieved this in such a clever way that blindsided everyone around her, including her father.

Book length ⭐⭐ This was too long. The Court of Thorns and Roses was in average 500 pages and was just right. At a huge 800 pages this was too long and more importantly not all the content was needed although written well.

Tormenting, imaginative, spellbinding, a fabulous game of brinkmanship, and totally immersive. A book I read over two days and up to ‘stupid o’clock’ in the morning to finish, because I hankered to know how it would all end, and what an ending it was - but no spoilers here!!!! And my advice is please do not read reviews that contain spoilers because the element of surprise will leave you speechless and very happy.

I have to confess that this is my favourite book over two series, this and the Court of Thorns and Roses.

Unbelievably good and highly recommended.

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I have not re-read but my written review has disappeared so had to create under a new date that seems to have worked. How strange!!!

i literally can't believe it ended like that. i am crying, sjm you are evil for doing this to us !

omg the amount of twists and turns in this book had my head spinning!!

“He pressed a kiss to her mouth. The entire universe melted away with it. It was only them, would only be them, dancing together, souls twining. “Everything that ever happened to me, it was all so I could meet you, Quinlan. Be here with you. I’m yours. Forever.”

i honestly didn't think i could love brycehunt even more than i already did and yes they finally fucked, who else cheered🤩

03/20
i really hope this is bryce and hunt's book because we still didn't get that sex scene. I NEED IT

some people are really shipping bryce and aidas??? you make me siCK

What the literal hell was that ending!?

I’ve got a damn headache!!

—————————————————————-
**All I want is Danika and the pack back!

Holy sh•t snacks!! This damn cover is everything!!!

✧ bryce & hunt are stale asf.

i loved them in the first book and their character development was really good and now it’s like sjm thinks she can just stop writing them well because they already had enough character development in the previous book. well, that’s not how it works. they are boring now and all they do is talk about having sex. their relationship is bland and i don’t even ship them anymore. i liked them in hoeab because they were friends first and then slowly grew to trust each other and be one another’s safe space and now they’re just oH sO pOWERfuL royalty bitches. they’re not an interesting couple, they have no chemistry or individual character development or relationship development and i don’t like how hunt is all possessive alpha male bullshit ok bye

sjm thinks she can make it okay that hunt is a bitchy protective asshole by bryce making fun of him for it, but that’s still his personality and i hate it. sjm if you actually believe that bryce can handle herself and doesn’t need an “alphahole” as you call it, (corny-ass name but whatever,) then make it so.

⚠︎︎spoiler⚠︎︎ also: bryce doesn’t need to be a princess with 10388373 magical powers to be a badass, so fucking leave her alone sjm.

✧ this world building sucks.

nothing is ever explained. here i was thinking that this took place in only one city?? i don’t understand anything. there are a bunch of random terms and things thrown in here to make a plot and they are never explained whatsoever. sjm continually has to explain what’s going on to us because i don’t think she understands her own story all that well, but half of the things she mentions aren’t ever explained and i’m just left here to fend for myself.

i liked the whole urban fantasy aspect of the first book, how it felt like an actual city and there was an atmosphere to it, but in this book i didn’t get any of that at all because the characters were constantly running around doing random shit in ‘realms’ that shouldn’t even exist smh

✧ since every single person whose pov we get in this book is straight as a board, i’ll make a list of characters i was shipping

♥︎ hunt x baxian (OKAY WHEN THEY WERE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES TOGETHER YALL CANT TELL ME THAT WAS PLATONIC) (literally #1 ship in this book xoxo)
♥︎ hunt x ruhn (brother in law romance 😍) (anyway how ruhn continuously warms up to hunt bEcAusE hEs wItH bRyCe mhm sure keep telling yourself that)
♥︎ tharion x ithan (these two did so much running around investigating together)
♥︎ ruhn x ithan (didn’t ruhn invite ithan to live with him or was that someone else)
♥︎ cormac x tharion (CORMAC LITERALLY DID SOME SELF SACRIFICING BULLSHIT FOR THARION DONT TELL ME THEYRE NOT MADLY IN LOVE)
♥︎ literally everyone in the group of cormac, tharion, ithan, ruhn, hunt (except for cormac and ruhn obviously because they’re cousins)
♥︎ bryce x danika (dont fucking tell me they were jUst fRieNds)
♥︎ the hind x the viper queen (LISTEN i know these two have probably never met but IMAGINE THE TENSION)
♥︎ danika x sophie (they were doomed lovers)

✧ SOMEBODY TAKE - AND … AWAY FROM SJM

SHE NEEDS TO BE STOPPED

you’d think after more than 10 books she would improve her writing style but nope. in this books she used almost word for word sentences from acomaf 😭 please she’s plagiarizing her own series 💀💀

✧ “you’re a princess 👸🏻 YOURE a princess 😍 EVERYONES A PRINCESS ✨

you have magical powers 💥 and YOU have magical 🧙‍♀️ powers ⚡️ EVERYONE has magical powers 🪄”

it gets tiring, i’ll tell you that.

⚠︎︎spoilers⚠︎︎ i liked it better when bryce was a messy person who had everyone see her as a shallow party girl so that they wouldn’t see the hurt inside her from losing her best friend (lover)

✧ the plot is so far gone at this point.

all of the things i said previously about the world building also apply to the plot. it doesn’t make sense and it’s trying to make us “surprised” every time something happens even though nothing is surprising at this point because so much random stuff is going on and apparently absolutely anything is possible.

it seems like we’re focusing on one thing and then we’ll abruptly move to something else and the whole thing is just really confusing. there’s also way too much running around trying to fiGuRe sTufF out, like why do y’all even care about what’s going on with the rEbeLLioN anyway it has basically nothing to do with you 😐

like is this harry potter or something y’all are acting like 12 year olds

✧ has anyone noticed how many male characters there are in relation to the number of female characters?

there are about 6 different male characters whose pov we get and one (1) female character. and OF COURSE everyone oversexualizes her and seventy five percent of the male characters are in love with her.

one of the male characters (who calls her Legs) says at one point, “it’s bryce. everyone has a thing for her.”

like ok is she just here to be sexualized by everyone now or what

(and i love that

✧ the sex scenes that everyone thinks are “sooooo hot” for some reason are underwhelming asf.

it’s literally not hot to start talking about stars and oceans in the middle of a smut scene. i literally don’t understand. sjm does that in every single one of her books like why do you have to bring magic into it??

and fire???
and snow??

like “the stars swam around us… the oceans rose and the golden dust on our planet lifted up to brush against our souls. the leaves on the trees fell and the wind… the wind swept us together until our magic fused together and-
and we were flying, with galaxies swirling- and our power becoming… becoming one.”

there will be something like that right in the middle of a smut scene. like sweetie 😐 that’s 😐 not hot 😐

but good for y’all who have mountains shaking at you while you’re having sex

✧ okay i DID like the night & day thing sue me

i knew who day was the whole time but i SIMP for that character so idec 😩🤚

ruhn seems like one of the more decent men in this series and he has pretty good character development so i actually didn’t mind reading about him. his relationship with day was a little bit insta love but they also had chemistry so it worked ig.

the whole reveal was pretty great too even though i already knew who day was (i read spoilers and read the ends of books first because i have no self control ha)

for the most part i support that ship and they’re a lot better than watching bryce and hunt try to be sexy when they are actually just stale 💀

✧ i really don’t like how all the ‘males’ growl and are all protective of the ‘females’ like stfu

it just gives me icky vibes and since bryce even knows she doesn’t want hunt and other guys acting like that and she even tells them so, and they act like that anyways and she just accepts it and has to deal with them i didn’t like the message that gives at all. like if she was on her own she could be much freer and do what she wants more.

it helps a little that bryce also gets protective over hunt sometimes but it’s not really the same and i still feel like alot of the ways sjm writes these things gives sexist vibes.

maybe this is just personal preference because i don’t at all like protective male characters in my books but i’m just sick of couples and male characters being written like that.

✧ even if i don’t feel like most of sjm’s characters are written well at all,

❥ lidia
❥ fury
❥ ruhn
❥ the viper queen
❥ aidas
❥ danika
❥ celestina

ok wow there are a lot of hot people i won’t lie

anyways putting myself through 800 pages of this mess was worth it to write this review because i am honestly having so much fun ahahahsjdjdj

☞︎ also i might be done with sjm

her latest few books (see: acosf and hosab) have been literally the shittiest quality ever and she

I’m gonna be dreaming about that ending. About this book full stop. Everything about this book shined! The plot, the characters, the side characters, the romance. It all came together perfectly. It's such a vast and vivid story.

I can’t wait to reread this. I’ve been in a trance for over a week (the time I’ve spent reading this book) and I don’t want to wake up.

But the possibilities now… 🤭 I could choke with excitement! I’m buzzing!

———————————————

I’m in no way ready for what this book will do to me. But I can’t wait for my emotions to be put through the ringer.

Expect relentless updates. It’ll be my version of therapy. ✌🏾

Buddy-reading with my support group - Azrah & Türkan! 🌙

“Our love is stronger than time, greater than any distance. Our love spans across stars and worlds. I will find you again, I promise.”

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG THAT ENDING!!!!! 😲😲😲😲😲😲
I AM SCREAMING AND SQUEALING AND REELING AND SO SO SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOK.

✅✅ Great characters
✅ So many feelings!!!
✅ Complex world-building
✅ Plot / Action
✅ Relationships
✅ Magical creatures / Powers
✅ Romance
✅ Action and good pace
✅✅✅ ENDING
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: grief, torture, and deaths

4.5 stars. If I am being objective, it was not as good as the first one, but I am clearly biased when it comes to SJM books. 😬🤷‍♀️

“You're a power player now, Bryce, wether you like it or not.”

This book takes place a few months after the end of HOEAB. Bryce is trying to adapt to her new reality as the Princess of Fae, while also trying to work things out with Hunt and build a steady and serious relationship. Hunt is enjoying his newfound freedom and Ruhn is building back the trust between his sister and him. That is until the whole group gets sucked into a research/rescue mission involving some rebels and ruthless and cruel faes that will not hesitate to destroy them all should their affiliation with rebels be revealed.

"You'd almost think this was planned by the gods. They probably have a special task force: How to Fuck Over Bryce and Hunt in One Day."

The plot is as good as in the first book, and it is full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations. My heart was pounding and I had to refrain from skimming parts of the book because I was so anxious to know what would happen, but at the same time, I wanted to take my time and savor this book... Conflicted emotions and a few heart attacks apart though, it is a GREAT book and there are many details that are included in the first book that actually have a big significance in this book. There are also some easter eggs and an amazing "wait-what-how-am-I-supposed-to-wait-for-the-next-book-now?" ending.

"Our insurance rates will go sky-high," Ruhn said to Declan, appealing to the slightly-less-insane of his roommates.
"When the fuck did you become a grown-up?" Flynn barked.
Ithan jerked his own chin toward the doorway again. "Wait to have your meltdown until after you meet the fourth new roommate."

"You're part of the Quinlan-Silago clan now. We're a crazy bunch, but we love each other."

I LOVE the characters in this book, THEY ARE SO CUTE AND PERFECT TOGETHER. SJM worked her magic once again and made me fall in love with them as I did fall in love with the crew of ACOTAR and TOG. The side characters are as lovable and amazing as the main characters. The friendship developing between the guys in this book is so cute and wholesome! Ruhn, Flynn, Declan, Tharion, Hunt, and even Ithan are becoming a cute little boy's club and my heart is SO happy about that. I wanted more of Ithan and Tharion and I got it! Hypaxia is also more present in this book and I can already see that Bryce and her will make a kickass duo.

She sipped from her champagne, then said casually to Hunt, "The headline on the gossip sites tomorrow is going to be: Horndog Umbra Mortis gropes Starborn Princess at Ballet."
"Good," Hunt murmured. "It'll improve my standing in the 33rd."

"You know what I mean," Bryce said.
"I'm not sure I do." Had his voice dropped lower?
"We're roomies," she said, her own voice getting breathy.
"Roomies."
"Occasional Beer Pong Champion?"
Hunt snatched the hat off her head and plunked it back on his own, backward as usual, "Yes, the Autumn King truly fears our unholy beer pong alliance."

The romance between Bryce and Hunt is still super cute, and we also have more spicy moments, even though SJM did ensure that Hunt got cockblocked quite a few times before *it* finally happened. They are cute and funny and they still have that witty banter from the first book that I enjoyed so much.

"If you're looking for How Not to Be an Asshole, it's shelved between Bye, Loser and Get the Fuck Out."

New characters also get introduced in this book, some likable, some less likable, but it was nice to have a few new people to love or hate. Some of them I'm still not 100% sure about, but it's normal, SJM still needs a few bombs to drop on us in the next book.

“Hel’s armies shall strike at your command, Bryce Quinlan.”

I am a little disappointed though that Aidas was not more present in this book. I really like him, and I think he has the potential to be a truly complex and interesting morally grey character, but we haven't seen enough of him to really know what he is up to and where he stands in the conflict that is to come.

I can't wait for the next book. There is SO MUCH potential for an even more epic third book. 😭😭😭😭😭

Hunt’s voice was a thunderclap as he said behind her, “Light it up, Bryce.”

House of Earth and Blood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ACTUAL RATINGS 3,5/5
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Not that I kept count or anything but I've been waiting for this for 348 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes and 54 seconds.
I'm bookgasming.

Pros:
1. Ruhn and his love story. That storyline between day and night was the most surprising and delightful thing out of this book. The way these two have a hold on me right now. That ending elevator scene was one of the best in the book!! I was here for it!!!

2. The secondary characters and the otters awwwww

3. THE ENDING- what else can I say about that!!

Cons:
1. The plot was just not there for me. I could not feel any major stakes for the characters throughout. They were all fighting a fight that they all barely seemed to even want to be apart of. The majority of the novel was just everyone talking all the time and info dumping loads and loads of things. I genuinely got a headache reading it- like my head still hurts. And also not to mention, the amount of new characters being added. Everyone is so powerful, everyone has this power and blah blah blah- like no one felt special at all because there was every kind of type of being. It’s like SJM took every mythical creature to exist and dump them in 800 pages.

2. The POVS were too much. Honestly I love a good multiple POV novel but this was just over doing it. Tell me why there was POV switches mid chapter- and sometimes even three switches. It was honestly too much and the characters really all started to blend into each-other sadly. No one stood out to me, even Bryce. I also was noticing the lack of female POVS. At some points it was all just Bryce in the room of men. Once I caught on, I couldn’t stop pointing it out. This novel felt very male centred and I was so over it by the end.

3. The main romance was unnatural and boring . I’m sorry but this book made Bryce and Hunt so boring. For a novel that promises lots of heat and tension…. It was barely there honestly. It was at no point a ACOMAF type of romance for me (but nothing will ever be). I also got annoyed with how many times Bryce said alphahole and ashole like girl… we’re all over it. Almost everyone of her remarks back had to have some vulgar swearing in it. It was fun first but it gets tired very quickly.

My final thoughts for this is that I truly think this novel by itself, was a complete filler for the next one. SJM honestly did not need to write 800 pages of this boring confusing stuff. She could have just given us 200 pages and that last chapter TBH. I see what she did and it was in a way very smart because THE LAST CHAPTER HAD ME SHAKING OKAY!
I have hope in the next one because there is an amazing foundation to work with. But for me, I will likely not pick up House of Sky and Breath again.

I definitely don’t have words right now, my brain is fried at how amazing this was. This book’s bar was set at sky high levels, and hands down my most anticipated book of 2022, or maybe ever. I was not disappointed in the slightest. I love this world & characters more than I thought possible. I’m even more obsessed than I was before.

I saw part of the ending spoilers before the book was released, but it honestly didn’t even matter or take away from the ending as a whole. There were a million other things happening that were just as insane.

I will be rereading this immediately. I need CC3 more than air.

———————
HUNT ON THE COVER LIKE THE KING HE IS!!!

WE FINALLY HAVE A TITLE & CONFIRMED RELEASE DATE!!!!!

EDIT- March 2021:

-CC2 should be out around March 2022 but there’s no official date. The tentative date on Goodreads for November 2021 is wrong

-Sarah knows the title but can’t say it yet. The same cover artist who designed HoEaB will be doing CC2’s cover

-Bryce & Hunt will be “very satisfied” sexually. (She said in a previous livestream it will rival the smut amount/steam level in ACOSF!)

——-
Me realizing there is absolutely no info about this whatsoever.......

PLEASE let it be sooner than later that we get a cover, title, description, release date, literally anything...I NEED MY BABIES BACK

°•*⁀➷

As this is a brand new book and I refuse to be That person, I'm going to review this when I inevitably pick it up again to highlight and bookmark and relive it in a clearer, less devouring mind set.

I loved every moment of this book. I loved every word. I loved every twist, and every turn, and everything in between.

I love Bryce so much it hurts.

I can't wait to open this back up when words might actually work. I can't believe I have to wait for the next book after the last ten pages of this one. I literally have no words for that yet. None.

This is Sarah's best book. I can't wait to see what comes next. I trust her with my life.

Sarah J. Maas - thank you so much for making reading so much fun. Every time. Always.

Wanted to add... that I got a hold of all three deleted scenes and cannot believe Ruhn's wasn't included in the actual book!! It feels so important to the plot and I think the third book might just be all about him (as he deserves after this). Bryce's was so cute and just added to how special her and Hunt are together. And Tharion's was sweet as well, with his and Hypaxia's friendship. I loved that we got a story behind that and wish that, too, was added in the original plot.

I

- Paige

—★—

THOUGHT: the title is gonna be House of Sky and Breath or House of Flame and Shadow I’M CALLING IT.

—★—

book one: *ends*
me: HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THAT NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR...
book two: *comes out near 2 yrs later*
me:
me: why does the world love suffering

—★—

If this doesn‘t have more

—★—

Book series playlist: Spotify URL
Related review: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)

WHAT IN THE NAME OF

✷ to Hel with me banking on this book to be better than the previous installment cause this was a downgrade. i was bored through most of it, and finishing it had felt like a chore.

✷ although... i feel like this was dull in a way that the next book would get good and exciting again since the stakes are higher now. but who knows, we’ll probably have to wait another two years to find out. should i quit while im ahead?

✷ (spoiler) i had guessed that Day was Lidia, but that last chapter i really did not see coming. when i said “i needed SJM to pull a Rhysand,” i didnt mean LITERALLY. 💀 does that mean Bryce is in Velaris now?

✷ we’ve managed to go without any “mates” business in book 1, but now so many of them (couple/pairing plot twists) were dropped like bombs in this book. the romance was done very poorly. how did SJM go from Aelin/Rowan, Elide/Lorcan, and Feyre/Rhys to this crap?

✷ (spoiler) Ruhn & Lidia, i didnt hate the idea of them, but wow the instalove had me wanting to barf. 🙄 though now that they know each others true identity, maybe there’ll be more tension between them in book 3.

✷ Bryce & Hunt seriously? am i the only one who couldnt feel the connection/passion between them? theyre better off as friends. also, the smut. from none (book 1) to... how many scenes in this book? idk what to say. and they werent that titillating either.

✷ im so disappointed Aidas didnt even make an appearance in this book. he was mentioned and impersonated, but no signs of the Prince of the Chasm. :( would it be foolish to hold out hope for him & Bryce? especially after what happened with Bryce & Hunt.

✷ idk if its me no longer being a teenager who adored SJMs books, but so far im finding this series is even worse than TOG & ACOTAR. especially, the writing and the romance.

(read as an audiobook)

im heartbroken, excited, and reeling so much from that cliffhanger THE WAY IT ENDED
CC3 better come out next year because any longer is just too cruel😭😭

RTC

______

im getting major FOMO seeing everyone read HOSAB, like I NEED MY COPY😭

______

[Sep. 30, 2021]:

OMG WE HAVE A COVER AND IT LOOKS SO EPIC?? LIKE THE DETAILS?? AND THE COLOURS?? IM IN LOVEE WITH THIS

[May 6, 2021]:

TITLE REVEAL AHHH AND OMG OMG ITS CONFIRMED, WE'RE GETTING HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH ON JANUARY 25, 2022😭😭
https://www.instagram.com/p/COit-FzjTh7/

[April 27, 2021]:

the release date says January 25, 2022 but idk if that can be trusted bc Sarah didnt actually announce it on insta😭😭

PLEASE BE TRUE. i need that 200% more Tharion asap

first of all, Bryce and Hunt. that’s it, that’s the sentence.

second of all, Ruhn and Day!!! i’ve never been so invested in a secondary relationship like i am with theirs…i was literally kicking my feet in the air and giggling every time they spoke to each other

and lastly, that entire plot blew my mind. like i’m genuinely speechless and if you know me that’s saying a LOT. one minute i was scratching my head like “huh? what is happening in this book right now?” but wow…it really did come together in the end.

sarah j maas truly has the mind of a mastermind and you can’t convince me otherwise.