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

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

After not loving the second book in this series I was very nervous to read this one. But wow was I blown away at moments! I really ended up loving this series as a whole!
There were moments and storylines I wasn’t as invested in but overall this was such a thrilling ride. 
The cast in these books have become so special and I like their dynamics. 
There were moments with Bryce that I felt like I didn’t recognize her character anymore though. Some other character motivations were not my favorite either. 
I loved the ACOTAR crossovers and felt that they were the perfect amount, it didn’t take over the book but was used in the right moments. I love the nods to TOG as well and hope we might get more about that eventually!
I was annoyed at some of the storylines and truly could have cared less about them, but I felt that way in HOSAB about the same characters. I wish there were just less storylines and less stakes. 
I’m not a fan of the trope when someone basically dies but comes back that seem to happen in the Mass books. It has lost the impact at this point. 
There is so much more I could say. What a universe.
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