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A review by fangirlfaction
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
The need for this book was real after finishing House of Sky and Breath. Everyone was going mad with the ending of that book and I was among those masses. I was simply ravenous for House of Flame and Shadow. Reviewing this book without getting into spoiler territory will be particularly hard but I will try my best.
First of all, the scope of the world-building for this book and the series as a whole is astounding. When you read this book and you see the lengths that Maas has gone to you will wholeheartedly understand. The world-building is just massive and intricate and all-consuming. The plotting of this story was so impressive. All of the small details and little touches in the plot grow to become a masterful piece of storytelling. I am always blown away by how detailed and integral all the details are after everything falls into place. The foreshadowing is excellent and the whole story is executed brilliantly. Maas' writing style has always captured my attention. I always feel such comfort falling into one of her books. Her writing is polished and easy to read while not being dumbed down at all. A perfect balance.
In regards to the direction that this story went which I can't really talk about because it is spoilery, I enjoyed the heck out of it! I am here for it all day long! If you know, you know.
I was really satisfied with the romances and the family relationships in this book. Maas has an exceptional knack for creating compelling characters and growing their relationships over time to form interesting and meaningful dynamics. One of the reasons why there is so much fanart of Maas' characters is because she makes her readers really care for her characters on such a deep level. The characters grow in your soul and you form an attachment to them. The character development is so superb that the reader feels so close to these characters and it sparks something inside of them. There is really no other way for me to describe it.
I felt that the ending was a little rushed. Only slightly but it is something that I noticed. I was satisfied with the boss fight and the way things ended but it all seemed to happen so quickly. In retrospect, it probably didn't. It may just be that I was so invested in the story that it felt like it moved faster than it actually did.
Overall, this book left me feeling satisfied and overjoyed and just a plethora of emotions. I just really don't want the story to end so I am feeling some kind of way about it. I watched an interview with Maas where she hinted at more stories in this world so there is hope that there will be more to come. In the end, Maas has created a group of characters that I feel so intensely and fiercely for and won't ever be able to get out of my head. This is one of those book series that I will reread over and over again because the characters have made such a huge impression on me and have imprinted on me so profoundly. Maas is such a beloved author to so many people and I am on this bandwagon for life.
First of all, the scope of the world-building for this book and the series as a whole is astounding. When you read this book and you see the lengths that Maas has gone to you will wholeheartedly understand. The world-building is just massive and intricate and all-consuming. The plotting of this story was so impressive. All of the small details and little touches in the plot grow to become a masterful piece of storytelling. I am always blown away by how detailed and integral all the details are after everything falls into place. The foreshadowing is excellent and the whole story is executed brilliantly. Maas' writing style has always captured my attention. I always feel such comfort falling into one of her books. Her writing is polished and easy to read while not being dumbed down at all. A perfect balance.
In regards to the direction that this story went which I can't really talk about because it is spoilery, I enjoyed the heck out of it! I am here for it all day long! If you know, you know.
I was really satisfied with the romances and the family relationships in this book. Maas has an exceptional knack for creating compelling characters and growing their relationships over time to form interesting and meaningful dynamics. One of the reasons why there is so much fanart of Maas' characters is because she makes her readers really care for her characters on such a deep level. The characters grow in your soul and you form an attachment to them. The character development is so superb that the reader feels so close to these characters and it sparks something inside of them. There is really no other way for me to describe it.
I felt that the ending was a little rushed. Only slightly but it is something that I noticed. I was satisfied with the boss fight and the way things ended but it all seemed to happen so quickly. In retrospect, it probably didn't. It may just be that I was so invested in the story that it felt like it moved faster than it actually did.
Overall, this book left me feeling satisfied and overjoyed and just a plethora of emotions. I just really don't want the story to end so I am feeling some kind of way about it. I watched an interview with Maas where she hinted at more stories in this world so there is hope that there will be more to come. In the end, Maas has created a group of characters that I feel so intensely and fiercely for and won't ever be able to get out of my head. This is one of those book series that I will reread over and over again because the characters have made such a huge impression on me and have imprinted on me so profoundly. Maas is such a beloved author to so many people and I am on this bandwagon for life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Classism