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A review by spacewhombus
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I requested this from the library after seeing everyone going crazy over the second book in the series, and it only took me a few days to read when it became available despite it being super long- there was so much happening and I didn't want to put it down!
I liked how complex and varied this fantasy universe was, but I wish there had been just a few types of magical creatures rather than literally every type (angels, werewolves, mermaids, fae, vampires, demons, sprites, witches, fauns, wraiths, etc... plus humans, and that isn't even all!). It was interesting to see how their society worked with all of that different magic, despite like the entire foundation of their social structure being built on hierarchies and slavery- big trigger warning there.
I enjoyed most of the characters and felt that even the side characters had some depth to them, and I looked forward to each different perspective. There were a lot of shocking reveals and they had me questioning some of my favorites at some points, but it kept me on my toes for sure!
As for the main characters- I'm sorry but Bryce is a HORRIBLE name for a half human/half fae leading heroine and I kind of didn't like how she was always ~sexy and perfect~ but she was very strong, confident, and brave, so we love her! She really went through a lot by the end and she deserves some happiness, my god, so I am a little scared to read the next book. Hunt is another horrible name for a character, but I also really enjoyed his development, although his story was SAD, folks. The romance was also pretty good, definitely a slowwww burn if you are into that and not cringey at all. There was way more focus on the overall plot rather than the romance, so if you are searching for a more romantic/sexy book then this probably won't be for you.
Overall, this was a nice read and it had a lot going on and lots of twists, so definitely kept my interest until the end and had my emotions all over the place as well.
I liked how complex and varied this fantasy universe was, but I wish there had been just a few types of magical creatures rather than literally every type (angels, werewolves, mermaids, fae, vampires, demons, sprites, witches, fauns, wraiths, etc... plus humans, and that isn't even all!). It was interesting to see how their society worked with all of that different magic, despite like the entire foundation of their social structure being built on hierarchies and slavery- big trigger warning there.
I enjoyed most of the characters and felt that even the side characters had some depth to them, and I looked forward to each different perspective. There were a lot of shocking reveals and they had me questioning some of my favorites at some points, but it kept me on my toes for sure!
As for the main characters- I'm sorry but Bryce is a HORRIBLE name for a half human/half fae leading heroine and I kind of didn't like how she was always ~sexy and perfect~ but she was very strong, confident, and brave, so we love her! She really went through a lot by the end and she deserves some happiness, my god, so I am a little scared to read the next book. Hunt is another horrible name for a character, but I also really enjoyed his development, although his story was SAD, folks. The romance was also pretty good, definitely a slowwww burn if you are into that and not cringey at all. There was way more focus on the overall plot rather than the romance, so if you are searching for a more romantic/sexy book then this probably won't be for you.
Overall, this was a nice read and it had a lot going on and lots of twists, so definitely kept my interest until the end and had my emotions all over the place as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Slavery
Moderate: Blood and Grief
Minor: Suicide and War