Item: House of Sky and Breath
Rating: 5
Author: Arielle

BOOK REIVEW: House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J Maas

House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City)
by Sarah J Maas
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Sarah J. Maas's sexy, groundbreaking CRESCENT CITY series continues with the second installment.

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.

Review

*Spoiler Alert* While I will be putting any straight up spoilers in spoiler bars, please be warned that I may still infer things in my normal review that could still spoil things for you. Proceed with caution!

Hunt’s voice was a thunderclap as he said behind her, “Light it up, Bryce.”

I was just telling Chelsea that I had opened up a document to review this beauty and that it was such a daunting task because for as much as I am A COMPLETE STAN for SJM, I hardly ever, properly review her books. I love them so much but SO much goes on that all that is in my head afterwards are these threads of jumbled flailing that I can hardly untangle so far as to get a coherent thought that isn’t just straight up screaming out.

But I’m here. I have written down very specific points I want to talk about. Wish me luck.

This book….may have topped ACOMAF for me. *Gasps in a huge breath* There I said it. ACOMAF has held my top favorite book spot since it came out and not even ACOSF (Cassian and Nesta are still my OTP) had superseded that. HOEAB is the only book that I have EVER read that consistently makes me cry and gives me physical reactions (goosebumps, aching chest LOL, etc.) in the exact same spots during every re-read, even when I already know exactly what’s coming. While I still didn’t hold it up on as high as a pedestal as I did ACOTAR and ToG, that might honestly just be because I had YEARS to fall in love with those characters over multiple books, whereas until now we had only had one Crescent City book. Besides that, the fact that this is FIRMLY in the adult fantasy/ adult urban fantasy genre has really set it apart. It’s in an entirely different league and Sarah has found. Her. Fucking. Element.

“Boyfriend sounds weird for you. It’s so … young. But what else is there?”
If he had a star on his chest, Hunt knew it’d be glowing as he asked, “Partner?”
“Not sexy enough.”
“Lover?”
“Does that come with a ruff and lute?”
He swept a wing over her bare thigh.“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a pain in the ass?”
“Just ye olde lover.”

Let’s start with the OG stars of the show. Hunt and Bryce. Sarah had been hinting that she was going to be holding these two back from one another since hey, they only have known each other for about five months before going through some super traumatic experiences together to top off all of the other trauma shit that each had previously individually experienced. Fun times. I do love that they wanted to try to explore a “normal” relationship with one another first, even if I myself felt blue balled and let’s be real, these two were NEVER going to have a normal relationship/life.

To keep things simple though, I love their relationship. I love their banter. I love how horny they are for each other’s power. I love how they both stand up for one another only to turn around and roast the hell out of the other person in the next minute. So many one liners in this book that I highlighted and that had me straight CACKLING. Even their sexy time banter=UNPARALLED. Gods so fucking hot I can’t even stand it. These two are so perfect for one another.

And let’s talk about the –FOLLOW ME TO THE SPOILER BAR MY FRIENDS – View Spoiler »

In short. I love them and am obsessed with them and as I told Chelsea, I will eat a fucking cactus if they don’t wind up together for all eternity.

Hunt growled, low and deep.
“I’m going to fuck you senseless.” Her nipples were hard as pebbles, and she squirmed against him. Nothing but those little lace panties separated her sweetness from his bare thighs.
But then Holstrom shouted, “That sounds medically dangerous!”

On to the rest of the cast. GUYS. Guys. GuYs. I love this ragtag group of loveable idiots. I know some people might not like that they added more POVs but I LIVE for that. Loved and both cried getting to know Tharion and what he was dealing with in the Blue Court (spoiler alert a bunch of BS). Ithan– SARAH WERE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY US MORE THAN USUAL?? HUH WERE YOU???? Loved Dec and Flynn AS ALWAYS and even the Cormac bits were interesting/enlightening in certain ways *wink*. The one person I found myself missing the most at first was Hypaxia but she does come into play eventually and I was so glad, especially when she and Bryce had some girl time. Queens need to stick together (and no I am not calling Bryce a queen in the literal aspect….yet anyway). Who is going to come up with a new squad name for me because I really think we need one.

AND NOW, FOR THE BEST BOY OF ALL. RUHN DAAANAAAANNNNNNNNNNN. *the crowd roars* Yallllll. My love for Ruhn in book one pales in comparison for what I feel for him now. We learn more about his past AND just see more of him as a friend and Bryce’s brother and boy was my heart working in overtime. He deserves SO SO much and I am so fucking glad that his TRASH father didn’t suck all of the joy and kindness out of him. Autumn King is #1 on my shit list let me tell you. And after that Pollux and Rigelus tied. ANYWAY we DO get a new ship in this book involving Ruhn that….well, I’ll go ahead and say it. I am fucking obsessed you guys. There are quite a few bad-guys-or-are-they in this book and I was MOST DELIGHTED when both were uncovered as GOOD. I seriously have been internally screaming since I found out about one of them in particular. Anyway not going into detail but just know, this new ship is my everything and I can’t wait for more.

Ithan said slowly, “Hel is our enemy.”
“Is it?” Aidas laughed, ears twitching. “Who wrote the history?”
“The Asteri,” Tharion said darkly.

I feel myself winding down so I had better go out with a bang here. This wouldn’t be a Sarah book or even series if it didn’t have a BILLION twists and turns that you never saw coming. We learned so many more things about Danika (which I honestly hadn’t expected her to STILL be playing such a big role) and I’m not going to lie, I was very pissed off FOR Bryce. I can only hope she had at least PLANNED on telling her best friend someday. Sighhh

One thing that I had expected out of this book was the talk of rebellion and the looming war on the horizon. What I didn’t expect was to learn exactly what we learned. That even though we hate the Asteri and know they are wrong, there are also plenty in the human rebellion that are almost just as awful. The question of WHO might be the best people to rule if the Asteri are dethroned comes into play a lot and it was actually very interesting to think about. I think a LOT of realllly big changes and power plays are going to be made in the final book.

And finally. Yes. I think you all know what’s coming. Dive into that spoiler for some really fun flailing.

View Spoiler »

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to re-read all my favorite parts over again.

Bryce faced her father. The Autumn King said in a voice so low no one else could hear, “You little bitch.”
Bryce smiled broadly. “It’s ‘You little bitch, Your Highness.’”

BOOK REVIEW: A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)
by Sarah J Maas
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

“This is Velaris,” I explained. “The City of Starlight.”
His throat bobbed. “And you are High Lady of the Night Court.”
“Indeed she is.”
My blood stopped at the voice that drawled from behind me.
At the scent that hit me, awoke me. My friends began smiling.

Out of the blue last week at work I was suddenly in the mood to pick up on where I had been on my ACOMAF audiobook, just to have some familiar noise playing in the background while I was working on a few mindless tasks. Well, SURPRISE surprise, one thing led to another and I was suddenly sucked back into the world of some of my favorite characters in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. I realized while I had been finishing ACOMAF, though, that I had started to become a bit jaded. You see, this book did not live up to what I wanted it to be. Yes it is amazing and intense and features some GREAT scenes but it was almost too much. I think it fell into this trap of being a final book while also….not being a final book. Even though ACOWAR is the final book in Feyre’s trilogy, as we all now know, Maas is writing a few more books and novellas in this world, with these characters. In my opinion, she threw in wayyyy too many new plot points in order to end this trilogy but also set up for things to come in future books. UGH. I get it but again, I was disappointed and I don’t think I wanted to admit it to myself until I just started re-reading it.

“Because the books were full of magic, and things they wanted to keep humans from knowing.”

Because I don’t really even know how to begin reviewing this book, the “final” book in this series that has meant so much to me, I might just start by listing things I loved.

-Since the book was again in Feyre’s POV but there were so many things going on with so many characters that Maas let us see these other interactions through Feyre’s daemati powers (or through other things as well). I thought that was really well done and interesting!

-How sassy Az is. LOVED that he was the one to teach Feyre to fly. Good lord I loved getting to know him better. P.s. I ship him with Elaine x1000

-Getting glimpses into the other courts….how I need a story about Kallais and Vivienne and her becoming High Lady of Winter….we all know it’s going to happen

– Tarquin saying they’re alternating holidays with Amren and Varien..I died

-Getting kind of more Lucien again…also I want a book featuring him and perhaps Vassa???? Maybe?????

-THE FUCKING BATTLE SCENE ESP WHEN THE LAST GROUP SHOWED UP. FUCKING SOBBED MY EYES OUT.

He said at last, “I’m a warrior. I’ve walked beside Death my entire life. I would be more afraid for her, to have that power. But not afraid of her.” He considered, and added after a heartbeat, “Nothing about Nesta could frighten me.”

Aaaaand then there were the things I didn’t like as much:

-As much as I am dying for all the rest, how I think Sarah added too much. I felt overwhelmed with the ending and all of the new characters and possibly threads and directions that she possible could go in

-Elaine…lol seriously though I was sick and tired of her until the very end when she did ~the thing~

-Jurian having this weird bullshit redemption arc….didn’t buy it AT ALL.

“One life may change the world. Where would you all be if someone had deemed saving my life to be a waste of time?”

And other, long and random/not so random thoughts:

Mor.
I fully enjoyed seeing her more vulnerable in this book. As for her whole reveal, guys, I am 100% fine with her being gay and I don’t know how more people weren’t. Didn’t feel “thrown in” like so many people are saying, wasn’t a “plot twist” –people were just calling it that on Tumblr. You guys, we only have ever gotten FEYRE’s perspective on things. And she’s been a part of the inner circle for a few months…how would she have picked up on anything but the very basics of all of their complicated relationships??? The only thing that REALLY bothered me about the whole deal is that Mor thought that she couldn’t have told any of them. ESPECIALLY AZRIEL. I’m pretty sure if it came down to it, he would have wanted her to just tell him so that he didn’t have to sit around pining for her, hoping that someday she’d change her mind. But now 500 years have gone by and he’s going to be fucked up when he finds out (even if he does start some tentative thing with Elaine). They all love her so much, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that they won’t accept ever bit of her, especially after she tells them.

CASSIAN AND NESTA.
HOLYYYYYYYYYYYYY CRAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. They are my ship of ships. My OTP. My heart yearns for them. I had FORGOTTEN all of the little moments they share in this book. S:DLGJSODGJSEIOGJSEOPGJE$O. BUT. That being said, I recently, quickly re-read ACOFAS too and reading all of this good stuff just makes all of their interactions from that book even more fucked up. I mean I get it. Nesta 100% has a baaaaad case of PTSD after what happened with her father, after seeing this war. But fuck. It’s Cassian. If anyone knows what she’s dealing with, it’s going to be him. I am dying to any information on their book. Dying to know if they’re mates or if have always just had this weird bond because they have found each other worthy opponents from the very beginning. Sighh….

So yes. I did love this book. I love this book 4.5 stars worth and that missing .5 star was still almost enough to break my heart. I love these characters and I will happily re-read ACOMAF which is still my favorite until the day that I die. Thank you Sarah for introducing us to this court of Dreamers. I will never forget them.

Only you can decide what breaks you, Cursebreaker. Only you.