House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Title: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: 03 March 2020

Rating: 4.75/5 stars

Cover:

Okay.

So, somehow I’ve got to write a review for a book that gave me all the feels. Somehow I’ve got to convey these feelings through words so that I can convince you to read this book if you haven’t already, and I don’t know if I’m capable of that. If this review seems a bit all over the place and doesn’t necessarily make sense, you know why.

This book reminded me why we all love Sarah J. Maas so much. Her words have so much feeling behind them and pack such an emotional punch that it’s impossible to not be drawn in.

Every single character is fleshed out and well-developed. There is no unnecessary dialogue and each character grows throughout the story. The world building is done with attention to the small details – details that really bring Crescent City to life.

Remember that you will die, and enjoy each pleasure the world has to offer.

The story is a little slow at the beginning, with more time spent on much-needed world building, but once you reach the middle, the pages start turning themselves as you can’t stop reading.

If you have been wanting to read a Sarah J. Maas book and you just don’t know where to begin or you don’t want to commit to reading the entire series, this book is for you!

Good Underlying Themes/Messages:

Love is a powerful force.
People are always more than a stereotype.
Everyone deserves equality, no matter who they are or how they look.

There are so many more in the book, but these stood out the most to me! A whole star for this category!

Realistic Characters and Growth:

I mentioned once in my Goodreads status update that Sarah J. Maas is the queen of turning normal, everyday moments into something special and this book was no exception.

Bryce is such a complex character. She’s a wild party girl who loves nothing more than going out with her friends, but underneath that free-spirit exterior is a kind woman who has no clue what to do with the rest of her life. I think many of us share that same fear of not knowing what we’re going to do in the future. Her relationships with her friends and family were so fun to read about! She’s sassy, she’s smart, and she’s caring. I love her so much!

Hunt’s progression bothered me a bit in the beginning. He was made out to be this broody, dark guy who felt nothing, but then halfway through he did a complete 360 and actually became someone I liked. I’m not complaining about who he was after the change, but rather about how sudden the change came out of nowhere. Did you feel that sudden change or was it just me? Apart from that, I really liked him! I love how SJM’s couples all challenge each other in the sense that they push each other to be the best versions of themselves!

That’s the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious.

I really loved the relationship between Ruhn and Bryce. It’s complicated, it’s messy, and they’re still at each other’s throats over something that happened years ago. But they still love each other, and if that’s not a real sibling relationship, then I don’t know what is. They fight a lot, but at the end of the day, Runh really is a loyal brother who loves his sister.

Lehabah is a sweetie-pie who made me giggle out loud. She is adorable and I loved her to bits! While reading about Syrinx, I couldn’t help imagining him as the grumpy cat/ a golden retriever puppy! He was so cute, but I still have no idea how he really looks like.

I find it fascinating how SJM made us all care about a character when we’ve only known her for like 5 chapters. The arcs in this book are beautiful and the growth all these wonderful characters go through gives me all the feels!

0.75 stars for this category, since that Hunt change really bothered me. Still good though!

Interesting Story:

In the first 300 pages, the story is sacrificed a bit to make way for the world building, which I understand. It’s a whole new world; we need some context.

But once the story got going, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Hours flew by and suddenly I was only a hundred pages away from the ending. Punches after punches are thrown at you, twisting your heart and making you cry. It doesn’t let up for a second and you become so invested that you just need to know.

There is little I can tell you about the story without spoiling it, but this is definitely a mystery worth reading.

A whole star for this category!

Fantastic World Building:

As I mentioned before, the story is sacrificed in the beginning to focus on the world building.

As you’re reading through it, you might complain that it’s slooooow but it’s definitely worth pushing through it. The world building pays off in the end in ways you can’t believe.

The attention to small details bring Crescent City to life and makes it an excellent setting for the mystery. The history is bloody and brutal, but wildly interesting. I’m still not sure where most of the places are, but that’s okay. I’ve got a general sense of where everything is.

A whole star for this category!

Emotion:

This book is a gigantic wave of feels ready to hit you full on.

You get attached to these characters and you want to know that they’re going to be okay. You need to know that they’re going to be okay. But it’s a SJM book; there is no way that they’re going to get through unscathed.