A review by irfoxwriter
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous inspiring tense slow-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? Yes

2.0

I knew this book was going to be a strange read because there had been so much hype and speculation. I’d largely tried to avoid the conspiracy theories, because I didn’t want to expect anything. Overall, the book was… not great. Same as most recent Maas books, it delivered a few knock out punches, large sections of slog that were difficult to get through, and

ultimately a happy ending.

The most interesting elements were the

crossover and exploration of the interconnected lore, and what that means for the next ACOTAR book. The only part of the book I had any emotional investment in was when Ember gave Nesta a hug.

My view from the previous book that Bryce is a terrible partner and also a pretty awful person was also strengthened - the way she treats her supposed mate in this book is atrocious. If you gender swapped Bryce and Hunt and wrote a relationship like this, there would be uproar. 

I know SJM is contracted for another new series, but I might not read it tbh. The only characters I care about are in the ACOTAR universe and based on this book, I think she has run out of original ideas.