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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
This was an absolute hectic, torturous yet amazing roller coaster of a book, a monstrous-sized one at that. Story-wise I was hooked. I couldn't stop reading and I also kept reading even though there were times I should've really put the book aside to do some mom- and life-things, haha. It's safe - and predictable - to say SJM did it again by writing a story that grabs you and doesn't let go at all.
Especially since there is a certain event at the start of the book I did not see coming. It's that event that had me even more invested in the story than I already was. I was slowly easing into it and all of a sudden - bam - hook, line and sinker. The guts SJM had by doing something like.. the thing she did.. I'm amazed, really. And she pulled it off too!
Bryce, our main character, is half-elf and half-human. She has a very strong personality, even though she's going through a lot of things. Rough relationships, grief, the consequences of things in her past.. All of those things make for a very interesting, powerful and fleshed-out character. I truly felt like I knew her, understood her.
Then there's Hunt and.. well.. I feel like he might become my new favorite SJM-character, maybe. Rhysand is a hard one to beat but Hunt is coming close. He also has that broodiness, that rough past going on. Only thing is that I feel a little bit like Hunt's character has been done better. Which is a good thing, really, since it means SJM has grown in her writing once again and that's what we all want!
The tension between those two? I was ready to hit my book at some points. It builds and builds and then it feels like it'll explode but it doesn't and it goes back to building up again and.. It drove me insane in a good way?
Not only that aspect, but also the events in the book, the story in general. House of Earth and Blood is 800 pages and it held my attention from start to finish. I truly didn't expect that. Yes, the first fifty-ish pages are slow since there's a lot of world-building, but it's needed for the story so you can enjoy it more once it truly starts. And when it did? Boy, was I lost. I kept reading. The events followed one another. Not only action, no. The switching between character-growth, the growth of relationships, the actual "big plot" evolving... All those aspects were entwined in such a brilliant and perfect way. Everything was balanced and I enjoyed it so, so much.
As for other characters.. There are honestly so many who were introduced and so many characters I bonded with. I don't even want to mention them in case I spoil certain things, haha! Let's just say it doesn't matter what kind of creature, there are some truly precious beings in this book apart from the two main characters.
It's those minor characters that made this story the biggest roller coaster for me, I think. I got roped into those and when certain things happened.. I smiled, I snorted, I cried. Not only over the main characters, but also over some of the smaller ones that still ended up being so special to me.
I honestly cannot get over how much I enjoyed this book. I loved it. Adored it. And I can't wait to read more of SJM's work! Maybe I should just reread her books or something..
Especially since there is a certain event at the start of the book I did not see coming. It's that event that had me even more invested in the story than I already was. I was slowly easing into it and all of a sudden - bam - hook, line and sinker. The guts SJM had by doing something like.. the thing she did.. I'm amazed, really. And she pulled it off too!
You're the person I don't need to explain myself to - not when it matters. You see everything I am, and you don't run away from it.
Bryce, our main character, is half-elf and half-human. She has a very strong personality, even though she's going through a lot of things. Rough relationships, grief, the consequences of things in her past.. All of those things make for a very interesting, powerful and fleshed-out character. I truly felt like I knew her, understood her.
Then there's Hunt and.. well.. I feel like he might become my new favorite SJM-character, maybe. Rhysand is a hard one to beat but Hunt is coming close. He also has that broodiness, that rough past going on. Only thing is that I feel a little bit like Hunt's character has been done better. Which is a good thing, really, since it means SJM has grown in her writing once again and that's what we all want!
There are worse fates than death, you know.
The tension between those two? I was ready to hit my book at some points. It builds and builds and then it feels like it'll explode but it doesn't and it goes back to building up again and.. It drove me insane in a good way?
Not only that aspect, but also the events in the book, the story in general. House of Earth and Blood is 800 pages and it held my attention from start to finish. I truly didn't expect that. Yes, the first fifty-ish pages are slow since there's a lot of world-building, but it's needed for the story so you can enjoy it more once it truly starts. And when it did? Boy, was I lost. I kept reading. The events followed one another. Not only action, no. The switching between character-growth, the growth of relationships, the actual "big plot" evolving... All those aspects were entwined in such a brilliant and perfect way. Everything was balanced and I enjoyed it so, so much.
As for other characters.. There are honestly so many who were introduced and so many characters I bonded with. I don't even want to mention them in case I spoil certain things, haha! Let's just say it doesn't matter what kind of creature, there are some truly precious beings in this book apart from the two main characters.
It's those minor characters that made this story the biggest roller coaster for me, I think. I got roped into those and when certain things happened.. I smiled, I snorted, I cried. Not only over the main characters, but also over some of the smaller ones that still ended up being so special to me.
Through love, all is possible.
I honestly cannot get over how much I enjoyed this book. I loved it. Adored it. And I can't wait to read more of SJM's work! Maybe I should just reread her books or something..
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Even though this book starts off as a slow burn, when it takes off I mean it takes off. I saw it more as a fantasy mystery and wanted to figure out the ending. Sarah’s world building is just amazing and it really does make the time it takes to dive into the book worth it.
PEOPLE TOLD ME TO READ THRONE OF GLASS BEFORE THIS MASTERPIECE ARE YOU F**KING KIDDING ME???
3.5 stars out of 5 stars
It's been a MINUTE since I've read an 800+ page book. Along with that, I think if this book had been any shorter, I wouldn't have liked it as much. A lot happened in this first book of the series. I've read SJ Maas books in the past (my first one being Throne of Glass when I was in middle school) and was really excited to read Crescent City because it's her first adult fantasy novel.
That being said: it's very clear that this is her first adult novel. It took me about 100 pages just to get into the story, and part of that was because I found the characters and the dialogue to be weird. I was expecting the convoluted story building that takes place at the beginning of every fantasy novel (especially SJM books) -- this book was especially hard to keep track of; I barely even got a taste for the story before wild names, historical background, and current climate of that world drown me as a reader.
But I was expecting more maturity from a 20-something main character and other prominent characters that are between 50-200+ years old (just immortal things lol). For a long time, it seemed to me that SJM thought writing her first adult novel meant she had to lean heavily on swearing, drug use, partying, and innuendos. I had to put down the book a few times because I thought she was overdoing it to the point of being dramatic.
I found the main character to be generally unlikable. I thought it was very convenient that she was seen as attractive to pretty much every "male" (this book used that word instead of man, possibly because a lot of the characters are human men but still, it weirded me out). There was a lot of talk about her body shape (mostly the size of her boobs/butt) for, what seemed to me, literally no reason at all. Another thing was the lack of representation until we found out in the last chapters that two female characters have secretly been dating the whole time, thank you SJM for that crumb of representation. We're so lucky. Also: SJM is very good at making characters racially ambiguous by describing them as "tan" or "golden" or [insert adjective for not pale white but also not dark brown skin either]. Only one or two characters can I say that have definitively brown skin, and even then I'm not 100% sure because it's not really talked about often.
On the other hand, this book was a good quarantine read. It was overall fun and interesting. The action and murder-mystery element kept my attention. The last 200 pages had me on the edge of my seat! And it's been a while since a book has done that.
I'll probably be reading the next book in the series when it comes out. I'm hoping the immaturity of some of the characters will lead to a good arc throughout the series because I can't handle another 800 pages if the main character is gonna call every annoying man an "alphahole."
It's been a MINUTE since I've read an 800+ page book. Along with that, I think if this book had been any shorter, I wouldn't have liked it as much. A lot happened in this first book of the series. I've read SJ Maas books in the past (my first one being Throne of Glass when I was in middle school) and was really excited to read Crescent City because it's her first adult fantasy novel.
That being said: it's very clear that this is her first adult novel. It took me about 100 pages just to get into the story, and part of that was because I found the characters and the dialogue to be weird. I was expecting the convoluted story building that takes place at the beginning of every fantasy novel (especially SJM books) -- this book was especially hard to keep track of; I barely even got a taste for the story before wild names, historical background, and current climate of that world drown me as a reader.
But I was expecting more maturity from a 20-something main character and other prominent characters that are between 50-200+ years old (just immortal things lol). For a long time, it seemed to me that SJM thought writing her first adult novel meant she had to lean heavily on swearing, drug use, partying, and innuendos. I had to put down the book a few times because I thought she was overdoing it to the point of being dramatic.
I found the main character to be generally unlikable. I thought it was very convenient that she was seen as attractive to pretty much every "male" (this book used that word instead of man, possibly because a lot of the characters are human men but still, it weirded me out). There was a lot of talk about her body shape (mostly the size of her boobs/butt) for, what seemed to me, literally no reason at all. Another thing was the lack of representation until we found out in the last chapters that two female characters have secretly been dating the whole time, thank you SJM for that crumb of representation. We're so lucky. Also: SJM is very good at making characters racially ambiguous by describing them as "tan" or "golden" or [insert adjective for not pale white but also not dark brown skin either]. Only one or two characters can I say that have definitively brown skin, and even then I'm not 100% sure because it's not really talked about often.
On the other hand, this book was a good quarantine read. It was overall fun and interesting. The action and murder-mystery element kept my attention. The last 200 pages had me on the edge of my seat! And it's been a while since a book has done that.
I'll probably be reading the next book in the series when it comes out. I'm hoping the immaturity of some of the characters will lead to a good arc throughout the series because I can't handle another 800 pages if the main character is gonna call every annoying man an "alphahole."
adventurous
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:
Yes
CRYING SCREAMING THROWING UP SJM YOU COOKED WITH THIS ONE
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
sad
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:
N/A
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes