Hi! My name is Raven (she/her) and this is my side-blog where I will talk all about books. I started reading when I was really young and was always obsessed with books, but due to not having much free time during and post-college, I fell out of the habit. I have recently picked up reading again last year and decided to try keeping a reading journal and writing more reviews of the books I read.
Most Recently Read: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Currently Reading: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read)
Some of the things you can find here:
Raven's Reviews (this is where I'll review books as I read them);
Raven's TBR (this is where I'll talk about any books on my TBR list);
On My Bookshelf (this is where I'll talk about books that I've read, that I've bought, etc.);
Raven Reacts (this is the tag I'll use if I feel like reacting to anything in particular that I'm reading);
Random reblogs of things related to books.
I will be using the CAWPILE system to review my books, which you can find here.
My askbox is always open for any book recommendations and/or questions!
This was my second time reading The Hobbit, and I had so much more fun than the last time. It felt like I was reading for the first time again, but at the same time, with previous knowledge that made me enjoy the little easter eggs and foreshadowing moments.
I wasn't expecting to pay such attention to the writing, but I quickly realized that it was something like I'd never read before (this was my first time reading the book in English). I really enjoyed paying a different kind of attention to semantics and how some expressions that Tolkien uses changed with time (yes, I'm talking about the word 'queer'). However, because I'm not used to this level of language, some parts were harder to understand and I felt my focus trailing off quite often.
I always forget that The Hobbit is supposed to be a children's tale. I could not imagine myself reading this tale as a youngin' from the plot alone. I can see it being a young adult book, though.
Overall, I really enjoyed this reading and all the annotations I took. There were plenty of funny and tense moments that had me on the edge of my seat (even though I already knew their outcome).
A quote that stayed:
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
Reading The Hobbit and LOTR now that I have a better knowledge of D&D is a much better experience than the first time I read the books.
It's so fun to see the little things that originated D&D, like how Tolkien describes Hobbits to be nimble and stealthy, and then Bilbo finds himself extremely lucky (a.k.a. Halfling Luck); how he differentiates wood-elves from high elves; how Beorn is definitely a druid, etc.
I think I'm definitely enjoying this read more than I did the first.
So I accidentally read six books in February, so I might try to take it slower in March.
The plan is:
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
The Silmarillion
These will all be re-reads, except for The Silmarillion, which I will only read if I have time at the end of the month. I'm not sure if I'm going to write a full review on them all because they are long and complex works, but I will at least do a rating review.
I got this book from a blind date with a book at Barnes & Noble. The premises were "a gorgeous book about monsters and monstrousness"; "dark, dangerous school of magic"; and "unwilling dark sorceress destined to rewrite the roles".
The review is hidden below due to spoilers.
I went into this book completely blind because I didn't read anything about it other than what the blind date cover mentioned, so I wasn't expecting it to be a young adult kind of book (I thought it would be something more like Fourth Wing), which is partially why I gave it such a low writing score.
The writing felt... weird? I don't mind stories told in first person but in this case, the narrator felt like it was talking directly to me, as in breaking the fourth wall, and that didn't feel much like telling a story. I would have enjoyed this type of writing more when I was younger, so I guess I can say that the author is doing a good job at reaching their target.
Another thing I didn't like about the writing was that the author broke the narrative multiple times to explain details that, in my opinion, were not necessary, making it hard to keep up with the story. A lot of those explanations were also very confusing, which is also why Atmosphere has such a low score. I had trouble visualizing because the descriptions were often confusing.
The characters are fine. They are what they are: common teenagers with relatable issues (like being an outcast). Orion is the typical teenage boy that has no clue how to talk to girls, so he accidentally starts dating El without even asking or telling her his feelings until the very end. Not gonna lie, that made me chuckle a little. They are kind of cute together and remind me when I was a teen (except I was the Orion in the situation-as in not knowing how to talk to boys).
The plot is what saved the book, in my opinion. I liked the idea that the school is always moving and trying to kill its students. It gave me a little big of Hogwarts vibes.
Something else that confused me at first was the fact that this is a fantasy book set in our world. I was taken aback when I first read the mention of New York and other cities because I wasn't expecting it to happen in our world. However, I did enjoy the diversity and the importance the author gave to languages. If it wasn't for the fact that the school is trying to kill its students on a daily(nay-hourly)-basis, I would have loved to attend it just for the language learning part.
All in all, it was a fun book to read and I'm excited to see what happens next. El's mom's letter brings in the perfect cliff hanger for book two.
Quotes that stayed:
I love having existential crises at bedtime, it's so restful.
I think that after a certain number of evil choices, it's reasonable shorthand to decide that someone's an evil person who oughtn't have the chance to make any more choices. And the more power someone has, the less slack they ought to be given.
I knew from the moment I read the summary of this book that I was going to love it, but I wasn't expecting to re-discover myself in these 426 pages. Sleeping Beauty was my first Disney movie-my most watched Disney movie as a child-and even though it has been probably 25 years since I last saw it, I still have vivid images of it in my mind, but, at the same time, a lot of details are blurred, and this book filled those holes perfectly.
The review is hidden below due to spoilers.
Let's talk about characters!
Philip is not a prince charming by any chance. Part of the reason why this book does not have a perfect 10 is because Philip was kind of a selfish bastard that frustrated me at times with his self-loathing and uselessness. However(!), by the end, I understood perfectly the reason for his behavior and mentality. It was a much needed growth arc that lead him from being a do-nothing gallivanting Prince to the Hero of our story.
Aurora/Briar Rose is a perfect princess who can't do anything wrong and I will defend her with my life. She is sassy, she is smart, she is a dreamer. She is everything I love and care about, and I'm so, so happy that this book changed her for me. Aurora has always been my favorite Disney Princess, but growing up I was always ashamed of it because she basically doesn't do much, right? She lies there, sleeping, until she's awaken by a kiss. What does that say about me? But this book made her a fighter, someone who didn't rest until she got the answers to her questions, who never gave up, even when things got hard. *chef's kiss*
I don't remember if Eris, Poena and Phrike are in the original story or not, but I thought they were a great addition to the book. I loved the betrayal, the way they tricked Philip into believe he had magic so he could steal the sword and shield for them. I loved the hint at a redemption arc for Eris that ended up not happening in the end. I thought it was the perfect way for the author to take the rug from underneath our feet while letting us remain in a safety bubble only to burst that bubble at the end. Again, *chef's kiss*
Short mention to King Hubert. I hate him and everything he represent parent-wise, and no matter that he apologized and saw his errors in the end, I still hate what he did to Philip.
The plot and writing of this book were simply perfect. I was hooked from the get go and couldn't stop thinking about the book when I was forced to take breaks. I literally stayed up to late to finish reading because I was so excited about it.
Seeing this side of Aurora and Philip's story was a nice complement to the original tale (when I mention 'original tale', I'm talking about the 1959 Disney movie, not Charles Perrault's story). Being witness to the flourishing of their love-with the enemies to friends to lovers arc that I love so much-in the dream world was exactly what I needed to fill the gaps in my memory of this story, but also a reminder of how this was one of my first ships. Reading their meeting in the dream world and consequent re-meet in the real world made me kick my feetsies in the air and gave me butterflies. :')
The end of the book was perfect, too. It gave us a little glimpse at what happens after "they lived happily ever after", while also keeping the narrative open to a possible sequel (which I would read in a heartbeat).
Honorable mentions:
Johanna referring to Samson as Your High Horseness made me cackle.
"You have to practice to get good at things. [...] That's why I write all the time and we spar so often. The more we fail, the better we get." Boy, do I relate to this. A much needed slap of reality to teach me a lesson.
"You're scared to love anyone and disappoint them like you do your father that you don't even love yourself, no matter how self-centered you pretend to be."
I need an Aurora in my life to yell some truths in my face like this, please.
"The dreams are the only interesting to ever happen to me. [...] These dreams are all I have."
This part absolutely broke my heart. Firstly because Philip finally realizes Briar Rose has been lying about roaming the kingdom and having the freedom to do what she wants with her life, then because we, readers, realize Briar Rose only made up these lies because she was jealous of Philip's freedom, and lastly because I, again, relate so much to her. When I was 16 all I had were books and dreams.
A quote that stayed:
It's easy to be envious of someone when you think you know their life, but you can't ever, can you?
I currently have a few books on my bookshelf that I have never read (some of them are my husband's but I still want to read them), and I thought it would be fun to share them and see how much the pile changes throughout the year.
Current TBR:
The Coward - Stephen Aryan
Lightlark - Alex Aster
The seven novels of Jane Austen
Six of Crows duology - Leigh Bardugo
Atomic Habits - James Clear
A Dawn of Onyx - Kate Golden
Bloodsworn series - John Gwynne
Warrior of the Altaii - Robert Jordan
Vox Machina Origins Vol. III - Critical Role (comic book)
The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen - Critical Role (comic book)
Prince of Thorns & Nightmares - Linsey Miller
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage - Haruki Murakami
The first thing I can think of to mention is the main plot. I am a sucker for nature-based quests, so as soon as it was clear that Keera was going to have to travel around Elverath to unlock the seals, and that they would unlock possible nature-based powers, I was hooked. I even made a list of locations where I thought the seals would be, based on the map and the hints provided (my theory was that the seals were connected to the different woods, so I looked for water bodies near them. I only got one location right tho).
Despite this, there were some plot parts that I disliked or that confused me. One of them being Killian's presence in Myrelinth because I was 90% sure Damien had ordered him to be locked his in room in Koratha, and even more because no one (particularly Keera) seemed to ask any questions about this. Of course this would be answered toward the end of the book, but I'd still have preferred if there had been some sort of explanation or mention.
Another part I didn't like (as I mentioned in the review of A Shadow Crown) was the possibility of a love triangle with Killian, Keera and Riven (if only I knew...), so when Keera kissed Killian (and he kissed her back) because she was hellbent on pushing Riven away, I was so angry I almost stopped reading the book. Props to the author for writing the chemistry between them so well (again, if only I knew) that it made me question if Keera and Riven were endgame or if Riven was going to die and she would end with Killian.
However I wasn't just upset with the relationship side of this scene, but also with Keera's dumb behavior, which brings us to...
Even though there is a content warning list at the beginning of the book and I clearly read 'relapse', I was not emotionally ready to read about Keera's relapse. The first few chapters were hard to read, but I'm glad Gerarda was there to get Keera's head out of her ass (I cannot believe I'm saying this!).
That was another pleasant twist I wasn't expecting. Gerarda turned out to be a character that I grew to love and admire, and I was especially happy to see her as another symbol of representation.
Let's now address the elephant in the room, the plot twist to rule them all. I felt like I hit a brick wall headfirst. It was one of those plot twists where I had to close the book and take a moment to gather my thoughts before I could proceed, because all I could think about was EVERYTHING that happened in the other two books, and how much foreshadowing I missed (I can't wait to reread the saga with a different set of eyes.
I always had a feeling of suspicion about Killian, but honestly, I thought it was because he was going to turn out being a spy to the crown or something. I am very pleased with the plot twist, although it was a bit hard to read the spicy scene the way it happened.
Two honorable mentions before I move on to the theories:
Keera's depression is so relatable. How many times did I have the same thoughts of "The time of easy days is gone, but perhaps they would be easier without me"? For the same reason, "Your mother felt everything as deeply as she could. it made her a fierce leader and a loyal friend, but it also made her lonely" is also something I relate to a lot.
Keera holding lightning was hot. When I read "You will be able to call storms and lightning at will" I almost died. Give me as strong, powerful woman who can wield lightning and I will fall at her feet.
Theories:
My theory of the lock of the power being connected to the King proved itself wrong, but I don't even care because I preferred the way it happened. I figured early on in the book that Riven's power was connected to the seals and he was going to die when the last seal broke, so I wasn't expecting him to actually survive, nor that he would become a Halfling, which I guess makes sense.
Because of this, I think that the reason why Riven was the way he was (Fae and Mortal) was because of his miskwithir connection to Keera. Like he was born with this power because Keera would need it in the future, and once she "siphoned it" (which is not confirmed but it's my theory), Riven no longer needed to be Fae.
Based off on that, I think Keera's blood is no longer Amber, because she went through a reverse transformation. Which means she's no longer Halfling but full Fae.
Let's talk about Collin (again). I should really trust my instincts. I had a feeling from the first moment that he was the mole, and turns out I was right, just... not in the way I wanted to be. Damien is a psycho and the way he used Collin is disgusting. I love it.
A quote that stayed:
A person only has as much power over our minds as we allow, Keera.
I enjoyed the writing in this book a bit more, and the plot thickened very well with a few twists and turns I wasn't expecting, but also a few that I was already foreshadowing.
In terms of world building, I feel like there was big improvement, especially with the explanation of the story of the Light and Dark Fae towards the middle/end of the book.
Where the first book had my favorite tropes, this book disappointed me slightly with the potential love triangle between Killian, Keera and Riven. I'm not a fan of love triangles, so when I started to notice one forming, I almost wanted to skip those parts (the kiss made me roll my eyes).
Theories:
I wasn't surprised when the author introduced the concept of miskwithir as I was already expecting some form of 'fated mates' bond between Keera and Riven, but I was excited to read that miskwithir can chose to become friends, lovers or enemies, which is a breath of fresh air in the Fantasy genre, where fated mates are almost always lovers.
I loved the suspense of Keera figuring out the only way to unlock the power of the Fae is if she kills the Aemon with her blade, only for him to be killed by Damien. I can't wait to see where this goes in the third book, although I have a theory that perhaps the lock on the power is connected to the King of Elverath, not necessarily Aemon himself.
I gasped and did a little happy dance when it was confirmed that Keera was older than 60. Although I don't feel like it has been totally explained, I think she was put into a sleep for the years after the Light Fae disappeared until she was found on the rift. I still want to learn more about that. Did she woke up because the magic was draining?
Throughout the book I started noticing some foreshadowing. For example, from the first mention of a mole, I immediately thought it would be Tarvelle or Collin, especially after Keera confessed to having killed Collin's family.
Another foreshadow was Keera mentioning an Elf that had been in the dungeons with her. I was expecting it to be Riven's mother, but it turning out to be Nikolai's was so much better.
A quote that stayed:
Trees, like grief, go through seasons. Their leaves change colors just as our feelings continue to churn and change. Sometimes the leaves fall to the ground entirely, leaving us cold and bare, draining us of hope that the warmth of summer will ever come. But it will.
I'm completely in love with the majority of the characters in this book. Not only do we have what could possibly be considered a morally gray MMC, but we also have a morally gray FMC, which is something I have been craving.
I'm personally very much in love with Keera because she feels so relatable when it concerns carrying scars to remind her of the weight on her shoulders. Keera's growth arc is, in my opinion, a lesson that anyone can learn. From carrying the guilt of all the lives she took by herself to opening about it and finding relief; from ridding herself of unhealthy coping mechanisms for her grief to accepting the pain and learning how to deal with it instead of avoiding it. There are many lessons to be learned here.
The world building can be a bit lackluster and confusing at first. I'm still not entirely sure about the differences between Fae and Elves, but that is mostly because I come from a D&D background where Elves are considered Fae. Apropos of that, although I read the Decree that comes before chapter one, it still took me a few pages to realize that Halfling in this context does not mean small creatures (aka Hobbits) but those who are born from Fae and Mortals. Imagine my face when I realized Keera was more like an Elf and less like a Hobbit.
Still from the world building, I'm hoping the next book brings more light into the Light Fae vs Dark Fae, and the wars that led to the death of all Elves.
The story feels somewhat inspired by some Maasverse stories (mainly Throne of Glass), which isn't totally bad. I really liked the way the author turned the story around, and I'm very excited to read the continuation.
Honorable mentions:
Content warning list: this was my first time reading a book with content warning, and I need this to be done for all books, please. I think that knowing what to expect and not being caught by surprise with certain themes made my reading experience much better.
Tropes: One bed and enemies to lovers and betrayal? PLEASE SIGN ME UP. I ate so well. Not to mention the slight hint at who did that to you.
Bi representation: A main character that is canonically bisexual and not just a mere 'oh by the way, this character is bisexual even thought it's not on the page'. I don't think I've ever read a book with a canonical bi MC.
Theories:
I think the author might be going some way with that electrifying connection between Keera and Riven as a soul mate/fated mate kind of vibe, and I'm not sure how I like it yet.
I was 100% expecting Killian to conspire against his father from the first moment he was mentioned, but I wasn't expecting him to be the one behind the entire Fae mission thing.
As soon as Riven appeared for the first time, I knew he was the shadow. There was a moment when I thought it could be Nikolai, and it angered me because he's like the class clown. The reveal was exhilarating.
I thought Keera was older than 60 for a moment, but then realized she mentioned she was found while young, so it doesn't make sense. I still think that she was purposely left in the rift, and I'm wondering if it has anything to do with her loss of memories before she was found.
A quote that stayed:
My body is made of scars, some were done to me, but most I did to myself.
One of the characters' horse in Prince of Thorns & Nightmares is called Taliesin, and I can not take it seriously. All I imagine when I read his name is a horse with an electric blue mohawk mane with swirls on the side and goth accessories (maybe even eyeliner, too).
I'm not really sure how to start this review, because I forgot to write it when the book was still fresh in my mind, but I will do my best.
The review is hidden below due to spoilers.
Let's start with the characters!
ACOTAR is not my favorite series in the Maasverse, but it was my first, and, like many people, it opened the door to Romantasy. Because of this, I was very excited about Bryce's Arc in Prythian, and SJM did not disappoint. It was interesting to see things from a different perspective. Rhys, who we know wants nothing more than to protect his people, being seen as a potential bad guy from Bryce's eyes was emotionally conflicting. I loved every moment of it, except when Bryce left Nesta and Az to fight the Middengard Wyrm alone (I could kill Bryce for that).
Moving back to Midgard, and onto our MMC. My opinion about Hunt has not changed with this book (I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a Hunt girlie). In a universe with Rhys and Rowan, Hunt is lacking badly, and not even the fact that he's a lightning wielder (which is my soft spot) makes up for it. I think the most interesting characteristic that he has is that he was literally made by the prices of Hel for Bryce. Not gonna lie, that's kind of romantic (I'm choosing to ignore the red flags of this).
Hypaxia, baby, thank you for breaking up with Celestina for snitching on your friends. Hypaxia is one of the MVPs in this story because she ticks off all my bingo slots: she is hot, she is smart, she is a necromancer and Queen of the Dead.
Another MVP is Jesiba. I knew there was something big about her, but I never imagined she was one of the priestesses of Parthos. Saying that I cried and smiled and fell completely in love with Jesiba is an understatement.
Do you know who is not a MVP? Ithan and Tharion. Once again, boring. I could not care less about their plot and POVs, and, unfortunately, I have a feeling that CC4 will be an Ithan and Tharion based book.
I've been avoiding talking about Bryce, but I'm running out of characters. I know she's the main character, but she was annoying as fuck in this book and I lost count at how many times I rolled my eyes at her. I was especially displeased with her behavior toward Hunt's PTSD and feelings in general.
This story would have been so much better if the main characters were Lidia and Rhun. Lidia is such a badass and her plot twist made her even better. She reminds me a lot of Aelin (duh) with all the fire inside of her (literal and figuratively). Her backstory tore my heart apart. Her and Rhun's relationship is everything to me and so, so much better than Quinlan. The only reason I gave this book a 4/5 spice level is because of Lidia and Rhun. They carried not only the spice, but also the entire book on their backs.
Let's move on to plot and writing!
The plot was kind of predictable, at least the end was. Some parts felt rushed, others felt too dragged on and everything related to the wolves and Tharion was just unnecessary to the story. I feel like SJM could have easily avoided using their POVs and subplots in these three books to create a spin-off with just them.
The battle with the Asteri was very disappointing and anti-climatic. There was a big hype for it but it was over before it even started and I never felt truly concerned about any of the characters (not even when it was obvious that Bryce was dying because I knew she would be brought back to life. SJM refuses to have a melodramatic end for her main characters-even though I'd prefer that in this story). Another thing that was disappointing about the battle was all the concern for the antidote and trying to get it to Bryce and Hunt to unleash their ultimate powers, only for Bryce not to have taken it until after the story was over. Like... what the fuck? What was the point of it, then?
Speaking of POVs, there were too many POVs to keep count of and too many abrupt changes within the same chapter. I felt lost at times. However, thankfully, for this book there was a physical demarcation of POV change (I think my previous issues were due to reading a digital copy).
A good thing about the plot was all the lore we got about the Daglan/Asteri. Learning more about the story of Prythian and Midgard was very fun, especially when comparing the truth to what we had been told in previous books. Although there were a few moments during all this lore dump that felt a bit too real with real life, and I didn't need that identity crisis, thank you very much. I read to escape reality, not to be confronted with the harsh truths of my existence.
I think overall I enjoyed reading this book. I read 300 pages on the first day, because I couldn't set it aside, which is an improvement from the previous CC books. I definitely think my rating could (and will) be lowered to three stars with a re-read since it's on the cusp (for those who don't know, in the CAWPILE rating system, 3 stars is an interval score of 4.6 to 6.9, and 4 stars starts at a score of 7).
Honorable mention:
With that, she pulled Nesta to her in a tight embrace, and Bryce could have sworn something like pain and longing crossed Nesta's expression. Like she hadn't experienced a mom-hug for a long, long time.
Ember and Nesta's goodbye had me in tears. As someone who has lost her mother, I definitely relate to this.
A quote Quotes that stayed (don't ask me to pick one):
I love you. I fell in love with you in the depths of my soul, and it's my soul that will find yours again in the next life.
A world where people loved and valued books and learning so much that they were willing to die for them. Can you imagine what such a civilization was like?
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Saga: Crescent City (#2)
Date Read: January 12, 2024 - January 24, 2024
Format: Digital
Pages: 805
Rating: 6,7/10 (3 stars)
Spice Level: 3/5
Characters: 7/10 - There was some improvement compared to the previous book. Some of the characters are starting to grow on me, but there are a few I can't stand.
Atmosphere: 8/10 - Really big improvement here. Once the first shock of the modern world passed, it was much easier to get into the atmosphere of the book, although some parts are still confusing.
Writing: 6/10 - This rating would have been so much higher if it hadn't been for the 75 instances of "mate", and the 230+ instances of "male".
Plot: 7/10 - Great start of the book plot-wise, but then it fell apart and became somewhat dull. The narrative was nicely paced but some moments in particularly felt unnecessary and dragged.
Intrigue: 7/10 - I had to take several breaks from reading every time there was a Tharion POV moment because it bored me.
Logic: 6/10 - There was a plot twist moment that got me, but in a "this doesn't make any sense" way. I'll get more into it in the review.
Enjoyment: 6/10 - I enjoyed this book more than the previous, but I still felt like it took a while to seriously get into it.
The review is hidden below due to spoilers.
The book had a great start with the prologue, but unfortunately, the next few chapters did not match. It felt like being doused with a bucket of ice. SJM did a wonderful job at setting up Lidia Cervos/the Hind to be a hated character, and if it weren't for the fact that I accidentally spoiled myself (again-I really need to stop looking up character art), the reveal that she is a double agent would have probably made me scream (with joy). Also from the prologue, I had higher expectations for Sofie and Emile, and boy was I disappointed when they were pretty much non-existent for the rest of the story and even more disappointed when, by the end of the book, they were completely pointless to the plot other than to introduce a new type of Fae and the fact that both Cormac and Lidia were Ophion agents.
The change in POV was, once again, confusing and sometimes unnecessary. Tharion's POVs were boring, and both his and Ithan's plot lines felt like side quests that didn't add anything to the main story.
The plot twist that Bryce knew where Emile was, and that he had no powers made no sense, just like Hunt's plot twist with the synth the previous book. I feel like since we are reading a book where the majority of the story and POV are focused on Bryce and Hunt, there should have been more foreshadowing/hints of their actions. However, there were another well-conceived plot twists in the book, like Celestina x Hypaxia and Lidia and Cormac being Ophion agents.
Danika is a dead tree that keeps on giving. That poor woman is more than dead and keeps coming back with more and more secrets. Please, SJM, I beg you. Let Danika rest. That said, I was also not expecting Baxian to be her mate and a rebel, too.
Now let's talk about what is, in my opinion, the best couple in this entire series, the dose of enemies to lovers that makes my heart sing: Ruhn and Lidia. Now that is a pairing I was not expecting and did not know I needed more than I need air to breathe. I really enjoy the duality of Bryce & Hunt and Ruhn & Lidia. Where the first one lacks, the second one picks up, where Bryce and Hunt sometimes make me roll my eyes, Ruhn and Lidia make me want to keep reading the book.
Props for a great cliffhanger ending. Unfortunately, coming in late to the fandom, and especially so close to the release of the next book, I heard rumors about the end of HOSAB, but I was still very excited about it, especially when shadow daddy Rhys appeared.
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Saga: Crescent City (#1)
Date Read: December 11, 2023 - January 12, 2024
Format: Digital
Pages: 803
Rating: 4,4/10 (2 stars)
Spice Level: 1/5
Characters: 6/10 - I didn't feel a strong connection to most of the characters, but I did tear up a few times. I do think some of the characters in this book are very similar in personality with characters from other SJM's books
Atmosphere: 3/10 - I was not expecting to fall into a modern society after reading TOG and ACOTAR. It took me a while to get used to cell phones, computers and surveillance cameras, and even by the end of the book, I was not totally convinced. This rating is also tied with the worldbuilding.
Writing: 5/10 - I'm not a huge fan of SJM's writing, but I have to hand it to her, that this wasn't as bad as I thought... mostly because I didn't have to read the word "mate" every other sentence. I still have beef with "male" though.
Plot: 4/10 - This book could have easily been cut to 500 pages and nothing important would have been lost. There were a lot of moments where the story was unnecessarily dragged on.
Intrigue: 5/10 - It took me a while to get into the story, so much that I didn't pick up the book for almost two weeks.
Logic: 3/10 - Like I said before, this rating is tied with Atmosphere. I will get more into this in the review proper.
Enjoyment: 5/10 - My enjoyment of this book was very much like a roller-coaster. It had a lot of dull moments, but it also had fun and exciting moments.
The review is hidden below due to spoilers.
There is a lot to say about House of Earth and Blood, so let's start from the beginning: the characters.
Shockingly, Bryce Quinlan is not a fair-skinned, blue-eyed, blonde woman, like the two previous FMCs from the same author. It was a very welcoming change, however, I still have a bone to pick with her.
Why does SJM feel the need to write all her female (and male, but we'll get to that) main characters as being extremely hot and fuckable? Not to mention that Bryce, Aelin and Feyre have a little bit too much in common, personality-wise. I feel like we're due for some change, here.
Something good about Bryce is that it was nice to have some variety and representation of a different body type. We need more curvy, wide-hipped FMCs, please.
Hunt Athalar is your copy-paste morally grey, hot as the sun, super fuckable MMC. And it wouldn't be a SJM book without wings (I'm not kink-shaming). Throughout the book, Hunt is described as being a super-powerful, cold assassin, of being the best in centuries, etc., but we never actually get to see his power in action. Sandriel's death was very underwhelming, to be honest. I hope we get to see more of Hunt's powers in CC2 and 3.
One good thing about Hunt? He's not as much as an "alphahole" as I thought he would be. The only time he actually seemed to step in for a "tell me who did this" moment, was with Amelie, and that was pretty soft when comparing him to Rhys and Rowan. But there's still time.
Honorable mentions go to Danika, who died before we could love her, and Lehabah, whose death legit made me sob into my pillow (seriously, My friends are behind me and I will defend them????? How can you not cry with this????).
Now, as for the story...
I felt like the story picked up in the middle of something, like I walked into a circle of people who were already discussing a subject, which was very confusing and unpleasant. To add more logs to the fire, the so-called worldbuilding was exhaustive and confusing. It felt a lot like infodumping. Because of this, it took me a while to go through the first ten chapters (I almost gave up after three pages, but I persisted).
The murder investigation itself was fun to read, but not entirely what I was expecting from this book. Also because I had such a hard time keeping up with the lore, I had to look up a bunch of stuff, and during one of those rabbit hole searches, I spoiled myself to who Danika's killer was, so my entire experience reading the investigation was me just anxiously waiting for them to find out it was Micah, and being super confused as to why there wasn't any foreshadowing that it was him (at least I didn't pick up on it).
Speaking of foreshadowing, can we talk about the plot twist of Hunt wanting to get synth???? Was I blind and did not see it coming, or did SJM suddenly pull that out of her butt? I didn't feel like it added much to the plot other than a rift between Hunt and Bryce (which she overcame a little bit too quickly, if you ask me).
Since we're talking about POVs, I'm not sure if all formats are the same, but for me there was no demarcation between POVs, which was extremely confusing. One second we were Bryce, the next we were Hunt, and by the time I realized that, we were already back to Bryce.
Lastly, and because this review is already extensive, I would just like to express my disappointment with the lack of spice in this book. Yes, I do love me a slow burn, and yes, this is the slowest of the burns, but like... there was so much hype for this book (I should have known better after ACOTAR) for being SJM's first Adult fiction, that I thought it would have actual adult content... but no. All we got was a measly masturbation scene that was very underwhelming (hello, A Court of Silver Flames, my old friend).
Stupid honorable mentions: For over half of the book, every time I read 'CBD' I thought they were talking about weed and not the district.
