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dicekittycat 's review for:
House of Earth and Blood
by Sarah J. Maas
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Totally blown away! I hesitate to say it because the author hasn’t finished writing the series yet, but this might be my absolute favorite of all the SJM series.
I was skeptical about its genre being described as “urban fantasy,” but what that really describes is a unique world with both modern technology and magic. It might seem odd if you’re used to more traditional high fantasy settings, but not for long because magic and technology are both integral to the story.
A lot of reviews mention getting dragged down by the world-building, but I didn’t feel that way at all. There isn’t much you need to grasp to enjoy the main plot. It’s basically a detective story, which I also did not expect in any sort of “fantasy” book! The world-building stuff doesn’t take away from the mystery, and stuff that’s actually important gets reinforced often enough to let you pick up on it.
I thought the story moved at a decent pace throughout, but as with most SJM books the last 100-200 pages REALLY picked up the pace and I absolutely couldn’t put it down. My real-world responsibilities suddenly got super frustrating because of this book!
Parts of the ending were kind of cheesy but in a good way: you can recognize the tropes (hello, super long villain monologue!) but they unfold in a way that’s satisfying rather than predictable. At one point I found myself tearing up and then laughing with relief a few pages later. And unlike many “series” books, this one does stand on its own: I want to experience more of this world, but I can imagine the characters staying exactly where they end up too.
If you’ve read SJM’s other series, ACOTAR and ToG, you’ll find some fun easter eggs in this book too! Books and various magical items from those series are referenced, as well as certain creatures and magical abilities. The crossover is a nice bonus, not that I needed another reason to love this book.
I was skeptical about its genre being described as “urban fantasy,” but what that really describes is a unique world with both modern technology and magic. It might seem odd if you’re used to more traditional high fantasy settings, but not for long because magic and technology are both integral to the story.
A lot of reviews mention getting dragged down by the world-building, but I didn’t feel that way at all. There isn’t much you need to grasp to enjoy the main plot. It’s basically a detective story, which I also did not expect in any sort of “fantasy” book! The world-building stuff doesn’t take away from the mystery, and stuff that’s actually important gets reinforced often enough to let you pick up on it.
I thought the story moved at a decent pace throughout, but as with most SJM books the last 100-200 pages REALLY picked up the pace and I absolutely couldn’t put it down. My real-world responsibilities suddenly got super frustrating because of this book!
Parts of the ending were kind of cheesy but in a good way: you can recognize the tropes (hello, super long villain monologue!) but they unfold in a way that’s satisfying rather than predictable. At one point I found myself tearing up and then laughing with relief a few pages later. And unlike many “series” books, this one does stand on its own: I want to experience more of this world, but I can imagine the characters staying exactly where they end up too.
If you’ve read SJM’s other series, ACOTAR and ToG, you’ll find some fun easter eggs in this book too! Books and various magical items from those series are referenced, as well as certain creatures and magical abilities. The crossover is a nice bonus, not that I needed another reason to love this book.