Reviews tagging 'Death'

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

182 reviews

carolinesoverbooked's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Death, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Body shaming, Torture, Drug use, and Alcohol

ladylaelae's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• 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

4.0

4.0 stars to improve on my rating from the first book, House of Earth and Blood, because this one gripped me even more than the first one did.

With the pains of worldbuilding now behind us from the first book in this series, House of Sky and Breath is able to expand on the world through plot and character story. Bryce ascended to rival my love for SJM's other female protagonists - Aelin and Feyre - while Hunt, the primary male character, ascended entirely past almost all other male protagonists in her books for me, taking the top spot alongside Lucien Vanserra from ACOTAR. 

As I said in my HOEAB review, if you manage your expectations when reading SJM's books and others like them, you will find it much easier to immerse yourself in the world and enjoy it. This book boasts a mountain of tropes: enemies-to-lovers, touch-her-and-die, morally ambiguous characters masking a softer heart inside, the idea of fated mates, and powerful magic and skills being given to main characters. It also boasts a larger cast of side characters that steal the scene when they are in it

(looking at you, Lidia)

, and has an ending that gripped me in iron claws and had me frothing at the mouth for the next installment of the series - now coming early 2024!  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Sexual content

Moderate: Violence and War

Minor: Torture, Drug use, and Alcohol

addieleabo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Death, Blood, Violence, and Slavery

azrlm_95's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

It’s funny romantic but I love the world building all do at first it’s difficult it’s worth it.
It’s contains love love in friendship secrecy etc. 
I did like it. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Death and Drug use

sierrabowers's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book was even better than House of Earth and Blood! Definitely had to push through to get to the good parts but like any SJM book, the last 100 pages HAD ME HOOKED and made the entire plot building up to it WORTH EVERY PAGE. I CANNOT WAIT to read CC3 in January!!!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Physical abuse, War, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Torture, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery

eabecker05's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and War

Moderate: Slavery, Death, Torture, and Child abuse

Minor: Addiction and Bullying

jlyles_177's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Blood, Torture, War, Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, and Violence

sarahyjackson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A reread that was at times unbearably agonizing knowing the end. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Death, War, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse

elledanie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Sexual content

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Slavery, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Rape, Torture, Vomit, War, Child death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, and Pregnancy

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• 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

3.5

As Bryce and Hunt are trying to settle into a "normal" life, they are pulled into the rebel plans. 

I was a little lost for most of this book as to why it was necessary (considering the HEA we got in book one), but as we progressed through the book it made more sense. I really liked how the multiverse was beginning to be revealed. I am excited to see how she is going to tie all these worlds together, especially after that ending!! 

I felt like Dankia and Jesiba were over used to "explain" or conviently give them things. Dankia was one busy woman. How did she live this entire other life and keep a never ending list of secrets from Bryce? And Jesiba just gives Bryce whatever she needs? I feel like this is a cop out. 

Speaking of women, where are all the women at? This was a very male heavy book. Can we get a few more women in the mix? 

I liked that we got to see a bit more of the side characters, because the are really great. I am interested to see the direction of each one, especially

Tharion's blood oath (will the dragon be involved here?), Ruhn/Lidia, and Ithan/the Fendyr alpha!

I found the big "reveal" to be interesting. The Asteri survive off of first and secondlight of other species. It is revealed that they have have conquered different planets that they deemed suitable, then drained the life force. But have also destroyed many other planets that rebelled. We are told that both Hel and Prythian had both successfully banished the Asteri. 

It turn out that Midgard is actually made up of a collection species the Asteri has stolen from other world to feed on. This explains why the Great Library of Parthos stays hidden. The Asteri do not want the citizens to know the truth of where they came from and what happened before the Asteri conquered the world. They do not want a full scale rebellion. The Asteri also created the Malakim!

We know that is possible for the Asteri to be killed because one was killed when Hel rebelled. So will Bryce return with the knowledge of how to kill them? 

Tropes: urban fantasy, multiverse, mates, found family

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Confinement, and Death