House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, 3)
The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.
Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.
Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.
In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
Truthfully another stellar book from SJM. I couldn't put it down as usual with her books - stayed up to read it, and (maybe ignored some responsibilities to continue reading it till I finished!)
I have a lot of love for this book! I also have a lot of thoughts on this book so diving into that below! Please be warned, the following will include spoilers!
Look I loved this book, it's hard not to with the inclusion of so many characters we've come to love and hold dear (I.e. Nesta, Az, even Cassian for a blink at the end). But I also have a lot of questions on some of the emotional decisions of the characters that felt like a plot line that was then stepped away from. For example:
In the beginning of the book, Bryce is written as very much against the Fae. Which understandable after what she learns - but it almost reads as though like she's a power hungry girl with her sights set on literally destroying everything as we know it. I understand being emotional, but a lot of her decisions felt very immature in their writing. Especially her fights with Hunt. To me those kept getting more and more annoying and felt like needless immature conflict due to her drive for the power and urge to take down the Fae. Which then RANDOMLY SHIFTED to her being all about uniting them - which obviously was the main plot this entire time and again is why I felt like all of her Fae hatred and needing to destroy them (and even Hunt's concern there) fell very flat for me.
Also Bryce please THINK before you make decisions. The opening of the coffin in NEsta & Az's world had me like !!! girl who are you to just waltz in and potentially fuck things up for a people who have already been through enough !!!
Lidia and Ruhn going from hating each other, to loving each other, TO ONCE AGAIN HATING EACH OTHER all because of the gunshot wound. Like girl, he's trying to save you AND your kids!! You just had all this affection for one another and now its back to I will wipe him out. This also felt unnecessary to me. WHICH HI HELLO!! SJM I THOUGHT BEING MATES WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOME SUPER RARE THING, HOW IS IT THAT EVERY COUPLE YOU WRITE IS MATES??? CAN PEOPLE NOT JUST CHOOSE EACH OTHER FOR THE SAKE OF CHOOSING EACHOTHER!! That being one of the 'saving points' here for Lidia's hatred drove me nuts, mostly for my above reason. The use of mates as a bandaid, when it's suppposed to be something rare is like???
Now the good things, and there were a TON. I highlighted so much in this book its stupid lol:
Did I highlight every mention that had something like "To what end?" "To the bitter end." because Aelin is always in my heart (you bet).
I honestly loved the lore drops through the carvings in the tunnels. There were so many !! moments i.e. the mountain with the three stars & a High Lord + High Lady. The archway with stars around it and a male with his hand upraised in greeting. The midgard constellations! Also the mound with the name Farya? HIII so close to Feyre.
SELINE LOOKING LIKE RHYSANDS SISTER!!!
also the relation lines then to Bryce!
LIDIA IN HER DEER FORM, LIDIA IN HER FORM LATER ON ONCE SHE HAS THE ANTIDOTE - THE OLD LINEAGE. LIDIA BEING RELATED TO THE GALATHYNIUS LINE!! HER CONFIRMING IT BY NAMING HER SON AFTER BRANNON. OUR FIRE BREATHING BITCH QUEEN'S ANCESTOR IS HERE TO FUCK SHIT UP LETS GO LIDIA
Apollion having the kind of darkness that exists in black holes and then Bryce using black holes later. I am
Just gonna write down a jumble of thoughts here. Definitely spoilers ahead.
The crossover was lackluster and promoted way too hard by Bloomsbury. However, I understand why it was the way to was. The relationship with Nesta & Bryceâs mom (who I low key forgot was alive) was sweet to see. I also liked Nesta and Az paired up.
Bryce was a bit of a bitch and a really poor communicator. Her POV is even unreliable with all the secrets she kept this book. And her dismissal of Huntâs trauma was disappointing to say the least. And how is she so much more powerful than Nesta?? I donât believe it
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.