amareck 's review for:

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

4.5

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad 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: No

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This book had so many of my favorite things: Easter eggs, world building, big reveals, dramatic twists, satisfying character arcs for more than the main character, female rage and strength, community and the power of love and friendship, well-rounded male characters who show vulnerability and more emotions than anger and dominance, and beautiful displays of magic. I finished the last 35% in one day, nearly in one sitting, because the pacing picked up so much toward the end. I removed .5 star because the pacing around 40% started to drag, but the payoff was worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War

Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Alcohol