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britwalsh16's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
5.0
Omg!!! Soooo many thoughts!!! This book blew my mind!!! It was soooo good!!! I love every single one of the characters!!! I can’t wait to hopefully dive more into certain characters in future books & see how everything is after the war!
I love all the parallels & Easter eggs to Sarah’s other worlds, & ofcourse Nesta, Azriel, & everyone from Acotar who had small parts in the story line!
The twists & turns this book took! This series takes! It’s unbelievable, there is so much I didn’t see coming, & I love books that shock me!!
I’m just so sad that it’s over, & for the moment I don’t have anymore new Sarah J Maas books to read!!
Cauldron blessed us all with Sarah & her amazing writing! I can’t wait for more of her books! If she writes it, I will read it. No questions asked.
“Wanna hear a joke?.. Two Angels and a Fae Prince walk into a dungeon..” 🤣🤣🤣
I love all the parallels & Easter eggs to Sarah’s other worlds, & ofcourse Nesta, Azriel, & everyone from Acotar who had small parts in the story line!
The twists & turns this book took! This series takes! It’s unbelievable, there is so much I didn’t see coming, & I love books that shock me!!
I’m just so sad that it’s over, & for the moment I don’t have anymore new Sarah J Maas books to read!!
Cauldron blessed us all with Sarah & her amazing writing! I can’t wait for more of her books! If she writes it, I will read it. No questions asked.
“Wanna hear a joke?.. Two Angels and a Fae Prince walk into a dungeon..” 🤣🤣🤣
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexism, Genocide, Blood, Classism, Death, Gore, Grief, Slavery, War, Child death, Sexual harassment, Torture, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual content, Confinement, Gun violence, and Hate crime
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Cursing, and Drug use
Minor: Animal death, Colonisation, Addiction, Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Rape
missespeterson's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
infjkiki's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Suicide, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Gore, Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Confinement, Torture, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Cannibalism, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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
So I didn't want to buy this in hardback as it won't fit on my bookshelf, and I have no idea when I'd be able to get it from the library (the reserve queue is huge), so I made use of my Audible subscription and bought the audiobook instead. Cheaper than the physical copy, and means I save more money to spend next year!
Thus far I haven't been as drawn into the world of Crescent City as I have with Sarah J Maas' other realms, but I was nevertheless very excited to read this one as soon as it came out as it starts to draw the worlds closer together. With Hunt, Ruhn and Baxian stuck in the dungeons of the Asteri and facing torture, and Bryce no-where to be found on Midgard or in Hel, everything is set up for this to be a gripping, bloody, thrilling ride toward the ultimate showdown.
I was hoping for an epic crossover event, a really impactful tale that would serve as an episode in both of her incomplete series and a temporary yet meaningful blending of the Night Court and Lunathion... but I was left feeling a bit cheated. I will be fair, although the ending of CC2 had been spoiled for me some time ago, I only read the book a few weeks ago so I haven't had the same length of time to have this building in my head. But if I had, I suspect I would have hurled the book across the room. Ultimately, there's a lot of wandering through tunnels, a little bit of friendly interrogation and a bitch-off between Nesta and Bryce and... that's about it. I did like the fact that little hints from both CC and ACOTAR were pulled into the narrative here, but overall the crossover element felt more like it was there to please the fans than to actually move the plot along. There is one moment which is gorgeous and brilliant and sort of illustrates Nesta's character development in a nutshell though...
This series is probably the most complex of the three in terms of worldbuilding, and generally speaking you can see that a LOT of thought has gone into it, but it almost feels like too much. There are just so many elements to keep track of, so many character threads to follow and so much lore to remember that a lot of bits and pieces get lost in the noise. And this book only adds to the worldbuilding, expanding on the origins of the people of Midgard, the history of the Asteri and so on. Unfortunately, while I can imagine the scenes where this is set out playing well on a TV or movie screen, when listening or reading it does feel like a never-ending info dump during these moments. And there are more than one of them, which really deadens the pace and had me zoning out a little. Similarly, I'd say that a lot of snippets could have been edited out so that the focus remained on the main story.
I'm ashamed to say that I can't ever really tell you who my favourite character is. I just can't connect with anyone in here. Their relationships with each other are well drawn and every one of the main characters and supporting cast is really well fleshed out, but there's just nothing binding my soul to one of them. If I had to choose, I'd probably go with Hunt, but even that doesn't sit quite right. And in terms of their character arcs throughout this book, I wouldn't day there are any major surprises - everyone basically acts exactly as you'd expect them to.
Likewise, most of the major plot points are fairly predictable; however, there are a couple of moments that make you sit up and take notice, and those are worth tuning in for. There are a couple ofmloose threads that I guess could be picked up in another book or two, but I suspect any future instalments might suffer from too thin a plot and too much magical politics.
The whole series has a bit more of a sci-fi edge to it, but that's definitely expanded in this book - why am I imagining Stargates dotted a over Crescent City and at the Northern Rift? I do like it because it's not what I was expecting, but equally I think I'm more of a straight fantasy type of girl.
I'm not disappointed with the book, but nor am I particularly worried about picking it up again. A shame for such an anticipated release!
Thus far I haven't been as drawn into the world of Crescent City as I have with Sarah J Maas' other realms, but I was nevertheless very excited to read this one as soon as it came out as it starts to draw the worlds closer together. With Hunt, Ruhn and Baxian stuck in the dungeons of the Asteri and facing torture, and Bryce no-where to be found on Midgard or in Hel, everything is set up for this to be a gripping, bloody, thrilling ride toward the ultimate showdown.
I was hoping for an epic crossover event, a really impactful tale that would serve as an episode in both of her incomplete series and a temporary yet meaningful blending of the Night Court and Lunathion... but I was left feeling a bit cheated. I will be fair, although the ending of CC2 had been spoiled for me some time ago, I only read the book a few weeks ago so I haven't had the same length of time to have this building in my head. But if I had, I suspect I would have hurled the book across the room. Ultimately, there's a lot of wandering through tunnels, a little bit of friendly interrogation and a bitch-off between Nesta and Bryce and... that's about it. I did like the fact that little hints from both CC and ACOTAR were pulled into the narrative here, but overall the crossover element felt more like it was there to please the fans than to actually move the plot along. There is one moment which is gorgeous and brilliant and sort of illustrates Nesta's character development in a nutshell though...
This series is probably the most complex of the three in terms of worldbuilding, and generally speaking you can see that a LOT of thought has gone into it, but it almost feels like too much. There are just so many elements to keep track of, so many character threads to follow and so much lore to remember that a lot of bits and pieces get lost in the noise. And this book only adds to the worldbuilding, expanding on the origins of the people of Midgard, the history of the Asteri and so on. Unfortunately, while I can imagine the scenes where this is set out playing well on a TV or movie screen, when listening or reading it does feel like a never-ending info dump during these moments. And there are more than one of them, which really deadens the pace and had me zoning out a little. Similarly, I'd say that a lot of snippets could have been edited out so that the focus remained on the main story.
I'm ashamed to say that I can't ever really tell you who my favourite character is. I just can't connect with anyone in here. Their relationships with each other are well drawn and every one of the main characters and supporting cast is really well fleshed out, but there's just nothing binding my soul to one of them. If I had to choose, I'd probably go with Hunt, but even that doesn't sit quite right. And in terms of their character arcs throughout this book, I wouldn't day there are any major surprises - everyone basically acts exactly as you'd expect them to.
Likewise, most of the major plot points are fairly predictable; however, there are a couple of moments that make you sit up and take notice, and those are worth tuning in for. There are a couple ofmloose threads that I guess could be picked up in another book or two, but I suspect any future instalments might suffer from too thin a plot and too much magical politics.
The whole series has a bit more of a sci-fi edge to it, but that's definitely expanded in this book - why am I imagining Stargates dotted a over Crescent City and at the Northern Rift? I do like it because it's not what I was expecting, but equally I think I'm more of a straight fantasy type of girl.
I'm not disappointed with the book, but nor am I particularly worried about picking it up again. A shame for such an anticipated release!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Death of parent, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual content, Murder, Gore, Body horror, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Slavery, and Grief
Minor: Sexual violence, Car accident, Vomit, Alcohol, and Cannibalism
fnwilson's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Gun violence, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, War, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Cursing
siad's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
I was really looking forward to reading this book and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The fast scene switches really kept you on your toes but there were times where I just wanted to skip POV’s (sorry Tharion). I definitely should’ve reread the previous books as well as the ACOTAR series because there were a lot of names and terms I didn’t remember and I feel like I would’ve enjoyed the story more.
After the ending of the last book I was really excited to see Rhys interact with Bryce but he was in like two pages so I was a little disappointed especially given that Nesta isn’t really my favorite character. Also I think this was the first time that I truly understood why people are scared of him. I’m dying laughing thinking about the Inner Circle standing around the phone trying to figure out how it works. Plus am I the only one that found Bryce and Azriel’s scenes kinda… shippable?
I loved seeing Ithan discover his powers and become Prime even though his life felt like a bit of a dumpster fire and when Connor appeared I teared up. I still don’t understand how I ended up getting so attached to a character that was dead for the entire series. I’m sad that this is the last time we’ll see him but it felt like a fitting ending.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but I was really hoping Cormac would end up being alive somehow.
Are we not going to see Aelin at all? I was so sure the TOG characters would've made an appearance. I hope we get to see all three words interact at some point.
The ending did feel a bit… not anticlimactic… maybe a bit “easy” in a way and less high stakes than the last one. It also felt very much like an ending so I was really confused about whether there would even be a next book but apparently there will be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, War, Cursing, Torture, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexual content, and Genocide
Minor: Kidnapping and Vomit
pagesihavenotyetread's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Slavery, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Colonisation, Confinement, Physical abuse, Classism, Sexual content, Gun violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Blood, Cursing, Violence, and War
readwithde's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.25
Action. Adventure. Romance. Mystery. Lore. Sacrifice. Character Growth. Secrets. Meaningful Choices. This book had it all.
This book read like the end of a trilogy, despite the fact that there are four houses (and supposedly a fourth book coming). Most of the main characters had their story arcs conclude, and there are only a few loose ends.Along with the obvious: How will Midgard be ruled now? Will technology survive? But these seem like simple worldbuilding questions, not future books or series of content.
Bryce and Hunt became less vital and important to me; the background characters became much more important. I love that the story focused on so many different paths and choices, all culminating in the final conflict of the book.
All that to say, it was good. I liked it. But I wanted more, and I'm not sure when or if that will happen.
This book read like the end of a trilogy, despite the fact that there are four houses (and supposedly a fourth book coming). Most of the main characters had their story arcs conclude, and there are only a few loose ends.
Bryce and Hunt became less vital and important to me; the background characters became much more important. I love that the story focused on so many different paths and choices, all culminating in the final conflict of the book.
All that to say, it was good. I liked it. But I wanted more, and I'm not sure when or if that will happen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Sexual content, Torture, Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Death, Violence, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child death, Alcohol, Confinement, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
aklovekorn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Sexual content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
readwithria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.5
House of Flame and Shadow was a fun read! I had a good time while I was reading it. However, it definitely has some issues.
I won’t get into specifics, as this is a spoiler free review, but if you want to know more of my thoughts I’m happy to share them!
Things I Loved
- Bryce and Hunt really carried this book (with a couple of small exceptions)
- the focus on emotional intimacy in the romantic relationships was a nice change of pace
- people actually shared their plans with other characters! Whoop whoop!
- there was an action sequence in the first half that had really good stakes, really good tension/pacing, and kept me on the edge of my seat
- a lot of the plot pieces that were put into place in book one had a satisfying conclusion
- the crossover was done well!
- Lidia Cervos. IYKYK
Things I Wish Were Different
- miss Sarah Janet really loves to end her books the same way. It made the stakes of the last sequence feel a lot lower that they were supposed to
- there are some characters that behave in ways that I CANNOT comprehend
- Tharion and Ithan’s POVs (but especially Tharion’s) felt really unnecessary. I sincerely believe that Tharion would have been better as a non-POV character, though I do understand that she was going for a person from each of the major races
- there was a little too much space, and it felt kinda thrown in without being well developed into the story/world building
- this is personal thing but I’m SO TIRED of mates. They’re rare, but also everyone has one. Are they rare of not?
Will I read more from SJM? Probably, yeah. Will it be as highly anticipated in the future? Probably not.
I won’t get into specifics, as this is a spoiler free review, but if you want to know more of my thoughts I’m happy to share them!
Things I Loved
- Bryce and Hunt really carried this book (with a couple of small exceptions)
- the focus on emotional intimacy in the romantic relationships was a nice change of pace
- people actually shared their plans with other characters! Whoop whoop!
- there was an action sequence in the first half that had really good stakes, really good tension/pacing, and kept me on the edge of my seat
- a lot of the plot pieces that were put into place in book one had a satisfying conclusion
- the crossover was done well!
- Lidia Cervos. IYKYK
Things I Wish Were Different
- miss Sarah Janet really loves to end her books the same way. It made the stakes of the last sequence feel a lot lower that they were supposed to
- there are some characters that behave in ways that I CANNOT comprehend
- Tharion and Ithan’s POVs (but especially Tharion’s) felt really unnecessary. I sincerely believe that Tharion would have been better as a non-POV character, though I do understand that she was going for a person from each of the major races
- there was a little too much space, and it felt kinda thrown in without being well developed into the story/world building
- this is personal thing but I’m SO TIRED of mates. They’re rare, but also everyone has one. Are they rare of not?
Will I read more from SJM? Probably, yeah. Will it be as highly anticipated in the future? Probably not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Violence, Gun violence, Cursing, War, and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Gore, Murder, Kidnapping, and Slavery
Minor: Gore, Cannibalism, and Death