Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
“What brings loyalty beyond death, undimming despite the years. What remains unwavering in the face of hopelessness." ...Through love, all is possible.”
Possible Spoilers
I think that it’s safe to say that I STAN Sarah J. Maas. Be ready to buckle up for this series. Unlike her other novels, Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood is an urban, modern fantasy romance. Complete with mysteries, drugs, sexual escapades, and war. Bryce Quinlan is a 23-year-old half-human, half-fae who works as an assistant at Griffin Antiquities. She lives in an apartment with her best friend, Danika, granddaughter to the Werewolf Prime, and alpha to the Pack of Devils. Two years after Danika and the Pack’s brutal slaying, Bryce finds herself in the heart of the investigation- alongside Hunt Athalar, a notorious Fallen Angel. Together they must find the murderer. Part one is slow- Maas takes her time building the world and introducing us to a snippet of what Bryce and her friend Danika's relationship is like, and their daily lives. HOEAB is highly plot-driven with strong character development. We get to see Bryce and Hunt open up to one another through their investigation. Bryce is known to be a party girl and people treat her as such. “ It’s easier for me when people assume the worst about what I am. It lets me see who they are.” Bryce is fully aware of how people perceive her as she shatters the image that was portrayed for her in Part One. Hunt is arrogant and pushy- a typical “alpha-hole” … except he’s also not. He’s pretty soft for someone who has already lived over a hundred years. I don’t know if I would say Hunt and Bryce are endgame here. Their relationship as of right now feels a lot like Aelin and Choal from Throne of Glass. As a reader, there were times I wasn’t sure who was speaking or who was being described. There were SO MANY names! It seemed as though Maas forgot who she was talking about. Lele, a fire sprite, is one of my favorite characters. Trapped in the basement of Griffin Antiquities with mystical books that would eat you if they got the chance. I felt so bad for her at times when all she wanted was some more company. Her infatuation with Hunt was adorable, as well as her unabashed flirty with Ruhn Danaan. Ruhn Danaan…what can I even say about him? I LOVED his character. Ruhn Danann, Crown Prince of Valbaran Fae, and related to Bryce Quinlan. He’s funny, sarcastic, and very protective over Bryce Quinlan. I swear if anything happens to him in this series I will just cease from being. I like the emphasis on friendship this book had throughout. Danika and Bryce’s friendship, and how much they loved each other makes me ball my eyes out. This novel left me with lots of questions, thankfully book two is already out.
Rating: 4.8/5
“Light it up.”