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booksofautumn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
4.25
First off I am so grateful for StoryGraph, because it is literally the only app that I was able to truly realistically rate this book I adored this book, and the only reason it isn’t five stars is because the conflict sometimes dragged on a little too much for my liking. I was surprised by every plot twist, and every new development. Seeing the character development was honestly so heartwarming and made me so happy. I am truly so happy with the outcome of this novel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 🌶️
This book was unexpected in so many ways, and I loved it.
Searching for clues that tied this world to Maas’ other worlds was the best scavenger hunt. Though I do believe that people should go into this expecting, and knowing, that it is a Crescent City book.
A lot of people seem disappointed with the lack of ACOTAR characters, but I loved the tie-in. Would I have taken more? Of course! Am I mad about what we got? Not at all. I enjoyed seeing Nesta and Bryce interact, and I can’t wait to see how the events of this book tie into the next ACOTAR book.
It had all my favorite characters and then some. I enjoyed seeing so many different points of view and following multiple side characters, though I do think some POVs were stronger than others.
The ending blew me away and makes me think the next book(s) will focus on characters other than Bryce and Hunt. I love how well Maas tied this up and am excited to see what happens next.
This book was unexpected in so many ways, and I loved it.
Searching for clues that tied this world to Maas’ other worlds was the best scavenger hunt. Though I do believe that people should go into this expecting, and knowing, that it is a Crescent City book.
It had all my favorite characters and then some. I enjoyed seeing so many different points of view and following multiple side characters, though I do think some POVs were stronger than others.
The ending blew me away and makes me think the next book(s) will focus on characters other than Bryce and Hunt. I love how well Maas tied this up and am excited to see what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Drug use
allisonamber's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-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? Yes
2.5
Be prepared to be frustrated by a lot of the characters’ choices throughout the entire book. The middle of the book also felt a bit sluggish.
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD:
1. Bryce and Hunt’s reunion felt extremely lacklustre and anticlimactic
2. Tharion and Ithan’s POVs are infuriating and I have no idea why SJM made these two make so many dumb decisions repeatedly
3. Bryce didn’t feel nearly as loveable and she was oddly hard on Hunt which didn’t seem to align with the past two books
4. The ending felt a little rushed and unbelievable as to how the world would change from it
5. Ithan’s so called character development felt very inauthentic
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD:
1. Bryce and Hunt’s reunion felt extremely lacklustre and anticlimactic
2. Tharion and Ithan’s POVs are infuriating and I have no idea why SJM made these two make so many dumb decisions repeatedly
3. Bryce didn’t feel nearly as loveable and she was oddly hard on Hunt which didn’t seem to align with the past two books
4. The ending felt a little rushed and unbelievable as to how the world would change from it
5. Ithan’s so called character development felt very inauthentic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
jennanaps's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
indusnm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The first half of the book was five stars for me, but the second half was three, so it averages out to a four. This was my favorite of the three and probably one of my favorite of this author. I liked a lot of it.
PROS
I liked a lot of the final pairings. I'm not sure how a few will work out, but I look forward to finding out. I also liked the way the final battle is shown from so many points of view and how everyone had a role. I appreciate the way the universes combine and the smut to plot ratio felt right. No love scenes came out of left field and they seemed to take into account the exhaustion and pain characters felt.
CONS
While everyone had a role, it felt like by the end most of the roles could be distilled to delivery person and distraction. I mean yes, they saved each other, but honestly it felt like Bryce could have done this on her own with her battery dude and then none of them would have been in danger. To use a Harry Potter reference (I know, canceled, but like it or not everyone reading this will get the reference) it's as if Bryce was Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Neville all at once. She's even Ron as comic relief, except his one-liners were mostly funny and she gets a little annoying. All in all, it feels like lazy writing to have one person able to do everything better than everyone else.
She's also terrible and manipulative with a lot of people. Her character arc is in many ways the least traumatic- she grows up with loving parents, her biological father is much more horrible to her sibling, and in a lot of ways she escapes the most horrific moments and leaving people she loves to endure those moments doesn't seem to give her much pause. This might be why she shows no sympathy to those who need time to deal with it. Being called a misogynistic slur isn't akin to being physically tortured day in and day out for years.
So 4 stars, and I very much enjoyed reading it.
PROS
I liked a lot of the final pairings. I'm not sure how a few will work out, but I look forward to finding out. I also liked the way the final battle is shown from so many points of view and how everyone had a role. I appreciate the way the universes combine and the smut to plot ratio felt right. No love scenes came out of left field and they seemed to take into account the exhaustion and pain characters felt.
CONS
While everyone had a role, it felt like by the end most of the roles could be distilled to delivery person and distraction. I mean yes, they saved each other, but honestly it felt like Bryce could have done this on her own with her battery dude and then none of them would have been in danger. To use a Harry Potter reference (I know, canceled, but like it or not everyone reading this will get the reference) it's as if Bryce was Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Neville all at once. She's even Ron as comic relief, except his one-liners were mostly funny and she gets a little annoying. All in all, it feels like lazy writing to have one person able to do everything better than everyone else.
She's also terrible and manipulative with a lot of people. Her character arc is in many ways the least traumatic- she grows up with loving parents, her biological father is much more horrible to her sibling, and in a lot of ways she escapes the most horrific moments and leaving people she loves to endure those moments doesn't seem to give her much pause. This might be why she shows no sympathy to those who need time to deal with it. Being called a misogynistic slur isn't akin to being physically tortured day in and day out for years.
So 4 stars, and I very much enjoyed reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
Moderate: Addiction and Drug use
britwalsh16's review against another edition
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: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
maggied89's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Sexual violence
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: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
savage_book_review'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: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Sexual violence, Vomit, Cannibalism, Car accident, and Alcohol
sarahyjackson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
This was the conclusion of a trilogy fans wanted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, and Vomit