Reviews with content warning for Body horror - House of Earth and Blood

I really enjoyed this one! The characters were so easy to love and root for! I thought the magical realism was explained well. Sometimes I got a bit lost in the world building but it wasn’t too bad. I love the way this book handled grief. It really showed how differently it can manifest. The writing was good. Every time I thought I had it figured it the plot twisted the other way and I was surprised.

Bryce’s goodbyes had me crying and I absolutely loved her relationship with Hunt.

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vendy_kha's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

My heart is shattered.
Light it up, light it up, light it up!!!
Nothing's what it seems, you'll be surprised by the things that will get you to your knees. I laughed, cried, broke down, was brought back to life... Play "did you know that there's a tunnel under ocean blvd - Lana del Rey" for full effect once you reach chapter 91 (on repeat) to really set the mood. Fun times.

I absolutely enjoyed the characters in this book. Love the whole Maasiverse and this one's really a true part of it all ❤️‍🔥

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mad_books_'s review

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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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amy_in_the_city's review

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really liked the slow-burn development of the relationship. The characters tell us and show us why they fall for each other, instead of it just being insta-love because they're both attractive people.

The mystery plot was really engaging and the world was interesting. I was confused by the worldbuilding and think a map of the world (instead of just the city) and a glossary of terminology would have been helpful.

I found the rudeness and hostility between Bryce and Hunt at the beginning to be immature and very annoying. Luckily the characters were developed, and I really liked them and their relationship by the end of the book. I thought it was great that they develop a friendship first and then eventually a romantic relationship. The scene where she takes care of him when he's feeling messed up after getting back from one of Micah's assignments was so sweet.

The last 200 pages or so were awesome. Just a wild ride, crazy action-packed and full of emotion.

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readwithde's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

I had been warned that the first quarter of the book was lore-heavy, but I didn't find that to be true. I felt like the story started straight away and many things in later chapters had just as much lore and worldbuilding as the beginning of the book.

I love the mix of fantasy and urban elements, especially mixing magical power with science. I liked how visceral the feelings and reactions were to the classist hierarchy in the society; it felt very real and bought the 1984 vibes that we no longer have in this social-media based society.

I felt like the end came too quickly; I would have liked to see some aftermath and some clue as to how society will move forward. It felt very ambiguous. I'm hoping more questions will be answered in book 2.

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