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mommanay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Drug use, Blood, Murder, Drug abuse, War, and Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My first reaction was that it was an odd juxtaposition; people with various magical abilities driving cars, using mobile phones and enjoying Saturday night sport, and while the author of course makes it work, I wasn't as easily able to immerse myself in the world; the intrusion of the familiar made it harder to suspend my disbelief. Imagining an avenging angel slobbing out on the couch wearing a baseball cap and football jersey, wings and all, is brilliant, funny and certainly more relatable than a lot of the other males in Maas' writing (even if he does share the usual trait of the ultimate ripped body), but that's precisely the issue. I like my fantasy characters to be precisely that - fantasies.
I enjoyed the characterisations of both the individuals and the different beings very much; there are a lot more shades of grey in here, which definitely makes the reading more interesting. However, there are a LOT of creatures to get to know, and at times I found it hard to keep track of everything. There's not much of an 'on ramp' with this world; you're dropped almost straight into the middle of it and left to fend for yourself, picking things up as you go. And where in her other series there have been some similarities that allow you to grasp basic concepts, again this setting is so different it's a lot harder to establish the ground rules.
Similarly, understanding the structure and hierarchy of the world isn't exactly straightforward. I do like the Roman-inspired feel of the city as a whole, but it took me a while to get to grips with the angelic legions, the Aux and so on. It's just a lot to wrap your head around.
I would say that this story doesn't flow quite as well as her other works either. The story has certainly been well mapped out in the author's head, but the writing somehow just feels a bit clunky - the development of the relationship between Bryce and Hunt, while clearly inevitable, just seems to happen in the blink of an eye, rather than via the slow build which Maas is so good at. And some of the twists aren't so much shocking as head-scratchingly confusing.
I'm thinking this one might be a 'soaker' - it just needs to marinade in my head for a while before I 'get' it in the same was as TOG and ACOTAR. Also wondering if the graphic audio version might help. I do want to see where the series goes and how we end up at the spoilers I've heard about the end of book 2, but I am hoping for better next time around...
Graphic: Gore, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Alcohol, Gun violence, Cursing, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Vomit, and Car accident
jadedavon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
amykins_23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
riosblu's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Medical trauma, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Classism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Bullying, Slavery, and Violence
spicycronereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I found the first book House of Earth and Blood to be enjoyable. Bryce the FMC is kind of a mess but which was kind of endearing - I mean, who among us has not had a secret resume file on our work computer? I appreciate that she is a bit older (has finished college) and is seggs positive. The development of her friendship and eventual romance with Hunt, the MMC, was sweet. There was a maturity to the progression of their relationship that was more recognizable than the insta-love, fated mates relationships in other books.
The blending of magic, science, and technology were interesting. The plot twists were…ok? Some of them were predictable. There were so many characters that when something was revealed about someone, it generally was not someone you thought you “knew.” So the twists kept the plot moving but didn’t feel really like a betrayal. There were other places where the plot was a little convoluted and didn’t seem to go anywhere or payoff after the buildup (ex: that character in the tank).
As I was finishing the book I saw someone say to be sure to read ACOTAR before reading CC. So far I can’t figure out how they are connected. Maybe in book 2 it will become apparent (*fingers crossed for a Bryaxis sighting*)
Ruhn and the absent Danika are the only secondary characters with any kind of depth though others like Lehabah, June, and Declan add bits and pieces to the narrative.
The question of diverse representation is a hard one to answer. Bryce is repeatedly described as curvy. And she and other characters are described as having golden or tan skin. Race is a social construct so the racial categories of this fantasy world would not map onto race as we understand it. So there is a variety of skin tones but I don’t know that I would necessarily call it racial diversity. Hypaxia seems like the only definitely not-white character.
The spice is a definite slow burn. There are a few moments of buildup where you think it is going to happen, only to have things delayed.
So, overall, likable characters, a cool magic system, with a sometimes convoluted plot, and a slow burn. I enjoyed it and will definitely read book 2 in anticipation of the release of book 3 next month! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Gore, and Slavery
Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Racism, War, Suicide attempt, and Racial slurs
Minor: Gun violence
ladydeathnesta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love them equally.
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, War, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Ableism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Colonisation, Body horror, Child abuse, Animal death, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Genocide, Grief, Bullying, Car accident, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug use, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Deportation, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Addiction
infjkiki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Confinement, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Cursing, Death, Gore, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Classism, Drug use, Grief, Blood, Bullying, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: War, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
jennipea382's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Cursing, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Classism, and Sexual content
ashbul22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness