Reviews with content warning for Violence - House of Flame and Shadow

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

294 reviews

christinastentzel's review against another edition

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4.5

Content Warnings

carlyjoann's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

After not loving the second book in this series I was very nervous to read this one. But wow was I blown away at moments! I really ended up loving this series as a whole!
There were moments and storylines I wasn’t as invested in but overall this was such a thrilling ride.
The cast in these books have become so special and I like their dynamics.

There were moments with Bryce that I felt like I didn’t recognize her character anymore though. Some other character motivations were not my favorite either.
I loved the ACOTAR crossovers and felt that they were the perfect amount, it didn’t take over the book but was used in the right moments. I love the nods to TOG as well and hope we might get more about that eventually!
I was annoyed at some of the storylines and truly could have cared less about them, but I felt that way in HOSAB about the same characters. I wish there were just less storylines and less stakes.
I’m not a fan of the trope when someone basically dies but comes back that seem to happen in the Mass books. It has lost the impact at this point.
There is so much more I could say. What a universe.

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jess_thefacts's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

House of Flame and Shadow took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I wasn’t fully prepared for, but absolutely loved. Sarah J. Maas has a gift for creating worlds and characters that feel so real, and in this third installment of the Crescent City series, she truly outdid herself.

From the very beginning, I was drawn back into the lives of Bryce, Hunt, and the rest of the crew. The stakes are higher, the emotions deeper, and the plot twists more jaw-dropping than ever before. There were moments that hit me so hard, I had to put the book down and just let the tears flow. Maas doesn’t shy away from the heavy stuff, and it shows in the way she handles themes of love, loss, and sacrifice.

What I loved most was how Maas continues to develop her characters. Bryce’s journey is one of resilience and strength, but also of vulnerability. Her struggles felt incredibly raw and relatable, and it was impossible not to feel every bit of her pain and triumph. Hunt, too, is a character who brings so much depth to the story, and their relationship is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times.

The world-building, as always with Maas, is impeccable. The city of Lunathion feels alive, and the lore and magic that weave through the narrative are both intricate and fascinating. But it’s the emotional depth that really sets this book apart. There were multiple times when the intensity of the characters' experiences brought me to tears—whether it was from the heartache of loss, the beauty of love, or the sheer weight of the challenges they face.

House of Flame and Shadow is a powerful continuation of the Crescent City series, blending high-stakes action with deeply emotional moments. It’s a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that I know I’ll return to when I need to feel all the feels again. If you’re ready for a story that will make you laugh, cry, and hold your breath, this is the one.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Medical content, and War

Minor: Addiction, Sexual violence, and Abandonment

House of Flame and Shadow took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I wasn’t fully prepared for, but absolutely loved. Sarah J. Maas has a gift for creating worlds and characters that feel so real, and in this third installment of the Crescent City series, she truly outdid herself. From the very beginning, I was drawn back into the lives of Bryce, Hunt, and the rest of the crew. The stakes are higher, the emotions deeper, and the plot twists more jaw-dropping than ever before. There were moments that hit me so hard, I had to put the book down and just let the tears flow. Maas doesn’t shy away from the heavy stuff, and it shows in the way she handles themes of love, loss, and sacrifice. What I loved most was how Maas continues to develop her characters. Bryce’s journey is one of resilience and strength, but also of vulnerability. Her struggles felt incredibly raw and relatable, and it was impossible not to feel every bit of her pain and triumph. Hunt, too, is a character who brings so much depth to the story, and their relationship is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. The world-building, as always with Maas, is impeccable. The city of Lunathion feels alive, and the lore and magic that weave through the narrative are both intricate and fascinating. But it’s the emotional depth that really sets this book apart. There were multiple times when the intensity of the characters' experiences brought me to tears—whether it was from the heartache of loss, the beauty of love, or the sheer weight of the challenges they face. House of Flame and Shadow is a powerful continuation of the Crescent City series, blending high-stakes action with deeply emotional moments. It’s a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that I know I’ll return to when I need to feel all the feels again. If you’re ready for a story that will make you laugh, cry, and hold your breath, this is the one.

krieg98's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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melaniesw13's review against another edition

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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? Yes

4.25

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emmaegerb's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

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bellebookcorner's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging 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? Yes

4.5

“I love you.
I fell in love with you in the depths of my soul, and it’s my soul that will find yours again in the next life.”

It’s so good to be back here again with Bryce, Hunt and the rest of the gang!
I was super excited to read this one ever since I find out from the previous book it’ll also take place at Prythian!!

The storyline is quite complicated, some parts felt slow a little bit cause there’s a lot of information thrown in there. I would advice re-reading the previous ones so you can understand it better.
Nonetheless, it was very well written that the plot flows smoothly. The occasional humour and sarcastic comments from Bryce really liven up this dark and nerve-wrecking story.

It was also really cool seeing Bryce, Hunt and the rest of the gang showed their full power and directed them straight for the villains! Those power hungry people deserved that! So satisfying!

I also love the part where Bryce gets to spend a short time in the Night Court. Such a a great collaboration of two world - especially seeing them fight together!

Overall, I really enjoy reading through Bryce’s journey from the beginning until the very end. This would be a fantastic series to binged again later!

As always it’s not SJM if she doesn't leave a few clues behind for future books because things are far from over!

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pagesbycaroline's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

950 pages is a lot. And I mean a lot. But it was so worth it. There were many elements to this book that I have much appreciation for. First and foremost, I liked the variety in narrators. We got to experience the story from at least six perspectives, many of whom were new to this book. We also got to see the choices of each character from at least one other's perspective. Next, the crossover was *chef's kiss*. I was a bit worried it would feel overpowering but Crescent City and its characters remained at the forefront. My little Maas-loving heart was overjoyed with confirmation that not one but BOTH series connected to CC. Thirdly, the worldbuilding of this series is just incredible and leaves me reeling each time I read it. Not only does it have my favorite elements of both ToG and ACOTAR, but it also had the blend of technology and magic AND the Ultra Powerful Bad Guys who seem like they can't be topped in SJM's series, but she somehow STILL does it. Each detail is crafted so well that nothing can be overlooked and always ends up being vital to the story. The details that this author crafts in each one of her books continue to astonish me. Next, I just adore these characters. It took some time for them to grow on me, but I would say now that Bryce is one of my favorite protagonists and Hunt is definitely my favorite mate. They both feel so real to me, in more ways than I can describe. I love Bryce's resilience, stubbornness, resourcefulness, and more than that her love for others. She cares so deeply about her world and the people in it, more so than I've seen in other characters. I can't exactly explain what it is that I love so much about her, but she is a character I hold dear.

Some of my favorite things from this one:
-Ithan. Just Ithan.
-Bryce and Nesta's pseudo-alliance
-the fact that AZRIEL is with them the whole time
-Danika mentions!
-And Baxian!! Danika's mate!!
-Hunt going through capital T Trauma with his friends and them being buddies after (don't get me wrong, the actual torture was not good and I HATE the Asteri for it, but I love that Hunt is just constantly reminded how good of friends he has now)
-The Asteri were IN Prythian??
-Silene's story and all the connections
-Rhysand and Bryce and Ruhn have the same bloodline!
-Bryce totally outsmarting the Autumn King
-Lidia POV!!
‐Lidia to the rescue
-Lidia has sons??
-Jesiba backstory
-Bryce outsmarting King Morven
-Ruhn to the rescue
-Lidia backstory
-Hel to the rescue
-Isaiah and Naomi as allies
-Celestina as an ally
-Hypaxia doing Science
-Ithan is Prime!!
-Hypaxia is Head of HoFaS?
-The Fallen, coming back to fight with Hunt! Finishing what they started
-Bryce killed one of them!
-Everyone now has magic powers?! Yes, please
-Lidia! From Brannon's bloodline! With magic
-Shahar helping to rescue Hunt's mate
-Jesiba's sacrifice
-Paradise after death, and everyone is there! Danica included!
-Bryce leaving the Starsword with Nesta
-Everyone at peace, even if they have to build a new world

I just loved this book, and this series. It took some time to adjust to them in the beginning, but now I am so sad to leave the world of Lunathion behind. However, I will happily return, whenever that may be.

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sammiejayne's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

Bryce is the least likable FMC I’ve ever read. Ruhn was my main reason for continuing to care out the book. I trudged through yet another CC3 book.

Bryce was so nasty to everyone when they were all just trying to help for her need to be important. Personally feel like she missed out on a powerful ally in her dad if she hadn’t been so blinded by hatred. Ruhn and Lidia were everything. I felt so bad for hunt in this book, like honey, I’m so sorry your mate is such a raging b word. Also the crossover with ACOTAR seemed unnecessary and felt a little fanfictiony. If we were gonna do it we should’ve gone all in. Bryce didn’t even get to see Velaris. The fact that Cassian barely spoke felt strange. Also, that Rhys never came to yell at her in the end. We still didn’t get a Nyx intro.

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kshertz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

It was captivating and once you start reading it, you never want to stop! I enjoyed the ride and was happy I had the time to invest in this world. It’s incredible to think an 800+ page book would leave some things unwrapped but it did! Most of it was amazing but the lackluster smut and overall feeling of wait, that’s it?! Made it not 5 stars. But pretty close! It’s worth a read and it’s a much better universe to get lost in than our current one!

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