Reviews tagging 'Grief'

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

79 reviews

picaresquedreamer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Police brutality, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Murder, Classism, Colonisation, Sexual content, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Grief, Drug use, War, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse

itssable's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

After reading HOEAB I was hesitant to start reading Sky & Breath, purely because I didn’t particularly enjoy HOEAB after it took me close to two weeks just to finish it but Sky & Breath was different and in a good way! I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of sky & breath, the character development, and the pure heat of some of these spicy scenes… sheshhhhhh 🔥 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, and Rape

amy_in_the_city's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

 This book felt unfocused, constantly switching between too many plot threads and POVs. I feel like we could have done without a couple of the POVs, like Tharion's. He was just strange and kind of unlikeable (with the condescending nickname for Bryce and the creepy obsession with her underwear; wtf was that?), and I just didn't care about him. 

As a result of trying to cram in the various plotlines and other character POVs, I feel like Bryce and Hunt got lost in the shuffle. I was hoping to learn more about the main couple and see more of their relationship, but they were mostly in the story to serve the plot instead of the plot serving them. I missed seeing cute relationship moments like we had in the first book, and I don't feel like we really learned any more about Bryce and Hunt's pasts or struggles. I was hoping to see Hunt working through his emotions about the awful things he's done as the Umbra Mortis, his trauma from being enslaved, etc. but it seemed like all of that mostly went away or got brushed aside.

I loved seeing more of Ruhn and enjoyed his storyline of

falling in love with a spy sight-unseen

. I'm still not sure how I feel about who his lover ended up being and think he deserved better. Maybe I'll learn more about the love interest in the third book that will make me like her more.

Ithan seemed like an OK character, but I'm just tired of every guy in this book being in love with Bryce for some reason, and I wish that wasn't part of Ithan's character. I have hopes he'll be better in the next book as they seemed to be setting up some interesting storylines for him.

Everyone seemed to be making stupid decisions in this book. They're

constantly talking about their rebellion plans while walking down the street and while in public bars and cafes. They all know they live in a surveillance state, so why are they risking talking so openly in public places?

They also

send the kid everyone is looking for to go live with the main character's parents. Nobody thinks it will look suspicious that these people suddenly adopted an older kid who fits the description of the kid everyone is looking for?

Tharion decides to

break up with the River Princess without having a plan in place for escaping from the angry River Queen.

This guy is supposed to be the Head of Intelligence?

I really didn't like that the book ended on such a cliffhanger. I get that it's a series, but when I finish reading a romance book, I don't want to be left feeling worried for characters who <spoiler are in mortal peril and are going to be tortured for who knows how long. If I wanted that, I'd go read a normal fantasy series, not a romance fantasy. The only solution I can think of for how to avoid having such a stressful ending for the readers while still having plenty of stakes for Bryce in the next book is if

after Bryce disappears through the gate, somehow Ruhn and Hunt escaped or were rescued and went into hiding. Then Bryce could still be out of her mind with worry for what her brother and mate are going through, but the reader would know they're fine for now.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Slavery, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Murder, Infidelity, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Confinement, Cursing, and Colonisation

Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Gun violence, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Genocide, and Grief

Minor: Drug use and Sexual assault

amateur_bookworm's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful 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

My summary: Sophie Renast is half-human and half-Vanir, and with assistance of the Ophion human rebel group, breaks her brother, Emile, and last surviving member of her family out of a death camp he’s been in for three years. Sophie is a Thunderbird and has the ability to command any kind of energy, which means the Asteri have found and killed them all. But Sophie and Emile’s escape goes wrong. Bryce Quinlan, newly revealed as the Starborn Princess, and Hunt Athalar, recently released from slavery as the Shadow of Death under the Archangels, are soon pulled into the search for Sophie and Emile, and also into the human rebellion against the Asteri. Assisting the rebellion equals certain torture or death at the hands of the Asteri, a fate Hunt barely survived once. But Bryce is committed after finding ties to Danika and dares to dream of Midgard being free of the Asteri control one day. 

My thoughts: Incredible. Yes, this book is very long, but, wow, what a story Sarah J. Maas weaves through it. I love Bryce and her intrinsic nature to do what is right, no matter the cost to herself. And her relationship with Hunt—swoon—it is so primal and, just, right. I love the other characters that we learn more about through this book too. And although I knew there is crossover between this series and the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, I was somehow not at all prepared for it. I’m so excited to start the next in the series now to see how Bryce’s story continues to unfold. It is really fantasy heavy and I still have a bit of a hard time keeping it all straight, but the whole thing is just so mesmerizing that I’m again blown away by Sarah J. Maas’s ability to write such complex storylines with such depth to each character—and then tie it into seemingly unrelated worlds of hers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Death, Gore, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Sexual violence, Confinement, Torture, Child abuse, and Slavery

thebookishbinder's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Addiction, Blood, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, War, Abandonment, Body shaming, Torture, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery

unboundbooklover's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The ending was a redeeming quality and made me want to rate it higher. I loved the book, but some parts were extremely long and repetitive. Sometimes Bryce kept thinking the same things, which I guess is realistic, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of her in this book. I feel like she’s a bit of a hypocrite with disliking “alpha-holes” and associating them only with males, when her personality is very similar. Hunt was kind of dull because he let her walk all over him. She messed up a lot of things and instead of there being character growth, she kept being reckless which was frustrating. I’m trying to be vague, but her entitled personality and her hating that a certain thing occurred made not sense to me and she seemed very dramatic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Sexual content

yarisbooksandbevs's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was SO good. I really enjoyed it and I was STRESSED for a good portion of the read. Many of the plot twists and reveals were shocking/surprising. I found myself constantly torn on who was a rebel and who was not. I did feel like the characters were making reckless decisions but also that’s their personalities. The ending was CRAZY. I was so surprised to see that and I’m curious how it will play out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Blood, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, and Gun violence

Minor: Torture, War, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, and Child abuse

_alyssar_'s review

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, Slavery, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, Child abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Drug use, Physical abuse, Medical content, Rape, Colonisation, Infidelity, and Addiction

cdoubet's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Death, Alcohol, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, War, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Medical content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Rape, Abandonment, and Child abuse

tguccione's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, Classism, Gore, Grief, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, War, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Confinement