Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by siobhanreads
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
tense
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? No
2.0
I came for the crossover. I stayed for the chaos. I regret everything.
I went into HOFAS excited to see how the crossover would play out — and ended up in a caffeine-fueled fever dream of recycled plot devices, overwritten drama, and a main character who never takes a breath… or a break from being “iconic.”
Bryce in HOEAB was sassy, cheeky, and funny. I loved her. Bryce in HOSAB was mostly tolerable. Bryce in HOFAS, however, was exhausting. EX-HAUS-TING. She’s always “on,” always quipping, always the “Most Important Person/Super-Magical Starborn Princess.” I think I spent more time rolling my eyes than actually engaging with the story. Every interaction was turned up to 100. Every emotion was narrated in italics and sparkles. Emotional scenes felt engineered for maximum drama, not genuine character growth.
The writing? Lazy. For the love of all that is good, someone give this woman a damn thesaurus. The first time SJM uses the word “pure” in her next book will be the exact moment I burn it.
The characters all sound the same. The plot feels contrived. The whole thing reads like fanfiction of her own earlier, better work — only louder, longer, flatter and infinitely more boring.
This was almost a DNF for me. It only earned a second star thanks to the final 10–15% of the book. I picked up Crescent City to get out of a reading rut… and I think I’m in even deeper than before.
Thoroughly disappointed.
I went into HOFAS excited to see how the crossover would play out — and ended up in a caffeine-fueled fever dream of recycled plot devices, overwritten drama, and a main character who never takes a breath… or a break from being “iconic.”
Bryce in HOEAB was sassy, cheeky, and funny. I loved her. Bryce in HOSAB was mostly tolerable. Bryce in HOFAS, however, was exhausting. EX-HAUS-TING. She’s always “on,” always quipping, always the “Most Important Person/Super-Magical Starborn Princess.” I think I spent more time rolling my eyes than actually engaging with the story. Every interaction was turned up to 100. Every emotion was narrated in italics and sparkles. Emotional scenes felt engineered for maximum drama, not genuine character growth.
The writing? Lazy. For the love of all that is good, someone give this woman a damn thesaurus. The first time SJM uses the word “pure” in her next book will be the exact moment I burn it.
The characters all sound the same. The plot feels contrived. The whole thing reads like fanfiction of her own earlier, better work — only louder, longer, flatter and infinitely more boring.
This was almost a DNF for me. It only earned a second star thanks to the final 10–15% of the book. I picked up Crescent City to get out of a reading rut… and I think I’m in even deeper than before.
Thoroughly disappointed.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Torture, Injury/Injury detail