House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, 3)

Similar to another review I just read, this is the first book I've reviewed in the series (shame on me). I'll try to not re-hash the story line but perhaps offer a few different perspectives and only a humble recommendation or two. Like many other fans out there, SJM is one of my absolute favorite authors for a variety of reasons. I really appreciate her plots (across all her series) and the twists and turns she sends me down. She is one of the few authors that actually surprises me with her plot twists, and I love it. Her heroines are true heroines...and she makes room for more than one in her novels, which is how it should be. I also appreciate just how brilliant her heroines are. They have sass and always something up their sleeve. She also knows how to write well, which is actually not that easy to find these days. She may have a fantastic set of editors that help, but I'm just going to ignore that possibility for now and give her 100% of the credit. I mention that because even though this novel is close to 1000 pages, each page serves a purpose, and there isn't a whole lot of "extra". I never once sat back and wondered why 3 pages of material was written to describe something that could have been handled with a paragraph. That has been a frustration with some other favorite authors of mine lately....rush jobs to pump out novels to appease fans that have not been edited well. Anyway, moving on... Something I wanted to point out that I loved with this novel was this technique of switching back and forth between the action among different storylines within the same chapter. I can't recall if she did this with her other novels, but I loved this technique in this one. For example, one moment we would be reading about Hunt and the torture he and the boys were experiencing in the dungeon (or whatever we want to call it), and then it would switch to Tharion's situation in the Viper Queen's nest. The way she'd switch mid-chapter really kept the story moving along and interesting. There were times I'd be reading about the action in one place and wondering what was happening with a different set of characters and then...bam!....I was reading about them without having to wait for the next chapter. Or, alternatively, I think I would have just skimmed over an entire chapter about Tharion staying doped up and feeling sorry for himself when he was living in the Viper Queen's nest, but reading the little snippets here and there as we moved through that story line were perfect. Ok, so...enough on the great writing itself. :)Next, the crossover with ACOTAR....that was a present unto itself. Thank you Sarah J. Mass....seriously....thank you for that extra bit of joy you just gifted all of us. We knew it was coming, but I personally refused to acknowledge it after HOSAB because I knew I'd have to wait for the next book, and I couldn't get myself excited about it at that time knowing it would be a while before we'd have it in hand. I would have liked to see a bit more Rhysand and perhaps a Feyre appearance, but beggars can't be choosers, and I still loved it. I'm also looking forward to how some of this plays into the next ACOTAR novel that comes out!Next, the spice. No, it doesn't have as much in it as some of the other books, but that was completely fine by me because in this book I just wanted answers! I wanted it to all come together, I wanted the characters to get rid of the Asteri and save the world. The book did all of this. I can't believe I'm stating this (because I love some spice...4 peppers please), but if there had been no spice in this one, I'd have still given it 5 stars. hahahaha. Let's face it, it is hard to find a moment when you are constantly with your friends in the middle of saving the world for some private time. That's fair. (But, a few of them still managed to do it....so....let's not be too critical about it).If there was anything I might have tweaked, it would have been the process of getting rid of the Asteri. Something about it felt a bit too quick after Polaris was killed. At this point I've read two other novels and hundreds and hundreds of pages leading up to this moment, and I just felt like it was over a bit too quickly. (Maybe because Bryce is just such a good planner? :)) I liked the struggle described for Polaris. I think I was expecting one more twist or something to happen between that and getting rid of the others (outside of the kill-switch revelation). But, it's all good. Maybe at this point, we just want them gone.Anyway, I really did enjoy this novel, and this series. It met, if not exceeded, all of my expectations, and I'm looking forward to her next book release. I wish we could get 2 books a year from her, but the complex storylines, character development, and world-building are well worth the wait. For me, the TOG and ACOTAR series are still in the lead, but this is an outstanding series. Her books are all at a whole other level, and I think we are very fortunate she discovered her talent and passion early on and pursued them.I have only one recommendation, which I'm sure will never been seen, but I'm making it anyway! I am more than happy to wait a year or more for SJM's next book in a series. I'm all about quality over quantity. The challenge (for me at least) is that when that next book in a series comes out, I have, unfortunately, forgotten important details of the previous book(s), and I end up putting in a lot of extra time scouring the internet for synopsis, etc. (Thank goodness there is plenty out there). I wish I had the time to re-read previous books before a new one comes out, but that is not always possible with my schedule, and I read so many books each year that storylines can get a bit fuzzy. (I know...I know...there are some die-hards out there that can't believe I don't remember every detail, but it is what it is.). Anyway, I am a fan of what an author whose work I have read recently (Eliza Raine) has done to address this in one of her series, and I thought I'd put it out there as an example for consideration. She has added a short refresher/summary to the beginning of her books, and it is fantastic because it summarizes the details she thinks are most important from the previous books in the series. After reading this, you are locked in and ready to start the new book with no need to seek out summaries and play catch up. Anyway, just a humble recommendation for consideration.

Right off the bat, no spoilers for this book, likely for previous books so proceed with caution.As I’ve said before, crescent city is a series about a bunch of gold hearted idiots making questionable decisions in a bid to save the world. Now let me update that statement slightly. It’s a story of a bunch of Himbos trying to help save the world, and these adorable fools would get nowhere without the women in their life. Don’t get me wrong, I would throw myself on to oncoming traffic for each of them anyway. But it’s the women in this series that make the moves and get 💩 done. The big strong males help of course, but it’s the girls running the show and doing it right. Because it actually does take at least 500 years for a male to mature and most of these are wee baby bois (relatively), but that’s neither here nor there.All jokes aside, it’s non stop action as soon as you hit the first page of the book, as it should be bcs after that last cliffhanger, we needed some answers real quick. And we get them for the most part (some questions for possible future books but that’s a discussion for another day). There is intergalactic dimension jumping, petty politics, espionage, t0rture, and life changing battles in the book. Tbh so much happens in the book sometimes it’s a lot to take (I probably should’ve taken more breaks but ehh). Imagine if the entire 8 book ToG plot line was squeezed into 3 crescent city books. So this one’s for the EoS and KoA girlies (incidentally my fave ToG books), as in for those who love things being it’s chaotic and intense and action packed and full to the brim with love and friendship and invisible strings that all point to our characters’ ultimate goals. If you love certain specific hallmarks of the author’s writing (bcs they all make an appearance), as I do, then this one’s for you.As always what stands out in an SJM book are the characters and their relationships. Romantic, platonic, parental, the whole gamut. Through love, all is possible after all. It’s these soul connections between people and the invisible string running through the tapestry of their life that draws me in and keeps me hooked every time. It’s not just Bryce going on a journey for her character arc, her friends are too for their own.This found family, this pack of once seemingly ordinary misfits and rebels without a cause (now with one) would do anything for each other and therein lies their real power. My heart hurt for them every time they went through some 💩 , but it cheered wild and loud when another came to rescue them, even if meant mortal danger for themselves. Don’t worry I yelled at them too when they were being idiots. This all sounds mundane but these bonds are the heart of any book to me, and they elevate this series from just another fantasy series to a series of my heart. The sassy humor even in the darkest times sure helps.Yes, the thing that was teased in the last book happens, and no, it’s not a merging of the series in any way, so calibrate those expectations accordingly. I was just happy to be there, but I’m also glad the series aren’t all merged, but the worlds sure are entwined now. Honestly though, in this book, Midgard is where it’s at. Bryce is still our relatable Queen, but special in all the ways that count. Apart from her super powerful and magical star born princess crap (with Hunt being supportive and cheering her on every step of the way ofc), there’s a few other girls up for mvp of the book, and for me they stole the show, especially a certain shifter. I said I’d walk into traffic for all of them, and I’d do the same for Lidia, but I’d also throw people into traffic, and tattoo her name on my chest I love her that much. She’s THAT girl and her storyline makes me absolutely giddy and want to jump up and cheer and cry all at once. I keep making jokes about the boys, but you’ll never find a more loyal group of men who masculinity isn’t somehow damaged by the females taking the lead. For that alone, gold stars all around.We get closure about a lot of things with just enough left open for future exploration of this world, and I would truly like to come back bcs they all feel like old friends now. And I definitely need more of a certain couple. This is not my favorite book of the series, CC1 still holds that title and probably will forever, but I laughed and cried and grieved and celebrated with these dummies and I will be staring at a wall and processing this one for a while yet. You know, while I start rereading immediately.

Libro en perfecto estado.5 estrellas.No trae escenas extra.

4.5 eight-pointed stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Spoiler Free Review:I am very much still processing this book and I likely will be for a while. Going into this book I had so many theories on where this was going and let me tell you 90% of them were WRONG. Reflecting back I am glad this book wasn’t written as a fan service. As much as I wanted all the answers to my questions it didn’t make sense for everything to be revealed in this book. This is very much the kind of book that I will appreciate so much more on the re-read and I am excited to read this again. This book feels like it was written for the people who theory spiral with the amount of Easter eggs included (but also to drive us insane because of the thousand more questions she gave us). In saying all that, this book was full of the plot twists, intrigue and spice that we all love. Overall it is another excellent and expertly told story by Sarah and I am going to trust the process on where we are going and enjoy the ride. I can’t wait to see what is next and I will leave you with my favourite spoiler free quote.“Team Caves, all the way.” He huffed a laugh. “Let’s get T-shirts.”‼️THE NEXT PART OF THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️FINAL WARNING‼️‼️If I could write this entire review only about Lidia Cervos I would because this character just sky rocketed to close to the top of my list of favourites (which honestly with what we learned at the end of the book it makes sense iykyk)."The most beautiful female he’d ever seen. A flawless mask over a rotted heart. His enemy. His lover. The soul he’d thought was-"The enemies to lovers plot between Ruhn and Lidia was perfection and I didn’t think it was possible for my heart to be as crushed as it was when we learned that she has children. The line about having an acceptable female sob story really resonated with me and I thought that was masterful to include. I hope we get much more of Lidia in any future books.Part 1 was honestly not what I was expecting. After some time to reflect on it I am glad that she did not write this as a fan service and kept the characters true to their personalities (of course it makes sense that they would all be wary of each other). Do I wish we had seen more of the Prythian characters and was it slightly frustrating that all my friends weren’t getting along? Yes to both, but I think it was realistic for the situation and I appreciate how this played out in such a way that wasn’t a detriment to either series standing on their own. The Asteri torture chapters were surprisingly a good mix of humour and pain (so much pain). Some of my favourite moments and lines exist in this portion and it felt oddly cathartic that the boys were able to bond and use humour to survive this trauma.Part 2 was an absolute whirl wind and it was where the plot started to fall apart for me. Some of the characters made decisions that seemed very off for them. This was however, was the section of the book that contained my favourite quote.“I wanted you to listen,” she snapped, “but you wouldn’t. Yet now that I fit some sort of acceptably sad female backstory, you’re willing to hear me out.”“Would you have listened if I had no backstory other than realizing what was right and wanting to fight for it? Of doing whatever it took to make sure that good prevailed against tyranny? Or does my being a mother somehow make my choices more palatable to you?”This account is a Lidia fan account now. I thought it was so heart wrenching that after everything Lidia went through for FIFTEEN YEARS it was only accepted that she did what she did once they learned she had done it for her children.Some more incredibly dumb choices were made (I’m looking at you Tharion and Ithan) and we were back in some caves. I swear it felt like 50% of this book took place in caves. “Team Caves” indeed. I will however be buying ALL the Team Caves merch that is sure to pop up after this. We learn that Hunt is essentially a test tube baby and that Hel wants to come fight in their battle (because we can trust Hunt’s Daddies(?)). There was also a very suspicious line included about how only the 3 brothers would be assisting in the fight because the other 4 are on other worlds? Because the smirk right after from Aidas and Apollion didn’t scream red flag. I was rooting for the Autumn King redemption arc but he was given a chance to do the right thing multiple times so he got what was coming. Thank you Ruhn. Part 2 ended on a note that was very much hopeful and had me terrified for what was going to go wrong for the rest of the book.Part 3 in a typical SJM fashion was absolute insanity and included so much information that I can’t possibly cover it all in this review. Notable plot points included:-Finding the cure to the parasite in the water supply (I have been screaming from the rooftops to anyone who will listen about there being “fluoride” in the water supply causing their powers to dwindle for months so this was satisfying)-Ithan having SNOW MAGIC (I cried)-Ithan becoming Prime (I screamed)-Urd=Wyrd (I yelled)-Hypaxia become head of House of Flame and Shadow (I cheered)-Bryce opening a portal to find Nesta eating chocolate cake (I cried)-Lidia, Lidia, Lidia, Ruhn, Lidia, Brannon Galathynius, Lidia, FIRE AND FIRE SPRITES (I cried)-Bryce and Hunt using The Mask (I cried)-Jesiba and Pack of Devils (I. CRIED.)I found it oddly satisfying that there was a parallel to Bryce vacuuming up Micah in House and Earth and Blood with the Asteri’s ultimate defeat happening in the vacuum of space.With all that said I did have some major issues with this part. The jump to sci-fi felt jarring and I’m still trying to figure out if I like it or not. I know Sarah is a big fan of happy ever afters but this just felt a little too nicely tied up with a bow and I think I was hoping for more of a cliff hanger ending especially knowing there is a fourth book expected in this series. The entire plot with Sigrid felt like a blatant plot device. It was very frustrating to read because it seemed to be so obviously a means to get Ithan to be Prime and was so poorly done that it made me start to get annoyed with Ithan, who I previously adored. The deaths of main characters feel cheapened by them being immediately brought back and maybe I am alone in this but it has been done so many times at this point that it’s almost expected. Is it wrong of me to want to experience some true pain? Maybe make us wait a book before the resurrection happens I don’t know, I might just be crazy for wanting that. The ending felt somewhat rushed and I wish what are presumably the “big bads” didn’t go down so easily and the whole thing was more drawn out.I did thoroughly enjoy this book despite my critiques and I’m incredibly excited to see what is in store for us next. The writing itself was amazing and I found the jumps between points of view to be done in such a way that added to the intensity of the story and I want to applaud that because it really kept me on my toes the entire time I was reading. Not once did I feel as though there was a major lull in the story, which was stressful, but very impressive and well done.And we cannot forget the most important part, that our favourite Valkyrie bestie learned a new term to call the Bat Boys.“”Alphaholes,” Nesta echoed, eyes gleaming with amusement. Bryce chuckled”

I love those books so much, i highly recommend them to everyone

Stupendo!

The genre may be fantasy, but House of Flame and Shadow is even better than the two previous books in the Crescent City series. They have been chock-full of brilliantly rounded, captivating, characters that we get to see even more of with the changing points of view alongside that of the central character, Bryce Quinlan. It has a plot so full of schemes and twists that even the most avid thriller reader will be satisfied. Together with how well Maas immerses the reader in this world, it has everything from making you laugh out loud to welling up at the poignant sacrifices that loom.