A Crescent City Novel – My first review

I’m going to write my first post about the last book I read. I literally just finished reading it in the breakroom at work because I HAD to see how it ended. But before we get to the end, let’s start at the beginning.

First of all, I’m quite literally obsessed with Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR series. I read all five books, three times over, consecutively. Do any of you ever get this weird feeling in the bottom of your feet when you read a sentence or passage that just gets to you? That tingle in the bottom of your feet because you read something so powerful, or sad, or sweet, or tragic? No? Me, either. Okay, I lied, I actually do though. I first noticed I was getting that weird sensation when I was reading the end of ACOTAR (the first book) then it happened again a lot in the second and third books. (Insert picture of me here swooning over Rhysand).

Well, Sarah J. Maas did it again. I will be honest, it took me quite a bit of discipline to get through the beginning of the book. Maas goes into great detail to help ‘world build’ and I felt that it didn’t really suck me in until I got through nearly 250 pages. I realize that the details are necessary to get a great book like that, but there were times when I started to skim because I was getting a little bored of the details about the city or a certain character’s ancestry. All that said, I laughed, I cried, I had the foot tingle.

Bryce is our female lead who’s tough, sassy, gorgeous, and funny. Hunt is everyone’s favorite love interest: the tortured, self-loathing, good-hearted, “I’ll rip your head off if you mess with my woman” kind of guy. The tragedy that starts the book, sets the tone for a lot of darkness and tough emotion for the first half. Once Bryce gets her real confidence (with the help of Hunt), she becomes the bad a** woman that you are fully rooting for. Bryce is constantly bullied by family and ex-friends, but she holds her head up and shoulders back and still has empathy for her fellow beings. When Hunt and Bryce are stuck together to solve a murder, it’s your classic enemies to lovers and forced proximity trope that I am just so here for. The creatures, the villains, the bullies are so detestable that I was feeling genuine anger at their behavior and/or words.

When I had about 300 pages left of the book, things got intense. I found myself desperately trying to find a comfortable position for my neck, because I knew I wasn’t putting this book down any time soon. And this book is a beast. I got within 70 pages of finishing last night, and had been crying through most of my reading. The scene where the fire sprite *spoiler alert!* sacrifices herself gutted me. It was just so real and Maas really knows how to write to make you feel the emotions the characters are feeling. She did the same in the ACOTAR series too.

So, let’s look at our pros and cons (in MY opinion) for the book:

Pro: I really loved (and hated) all the characters in just the way you’re supposed to. Maas makes the “good” characters so redeeming and likeable, while making me feel that anxious anger during parts of the book dealing with the villains.

Con: I was promised steam, sultry, and sexy in this book. I was looking for that chili pepper heat rating that BookTok promised me. In parts of the ACOTAR series, it was 4/5 chilis. House of Earth and Blood had a lot of lead up to something that *spoiler alert* doesn’t happen. I’d give it 2/5 chilis.

Pro: Even without the chilis, I was so invested in the book and the two leading characters. I loved so many of the characters. Don’t get me started on Ruhn (Bryce’s brother).

Maas gives great detail, paints a vivid picture, and I just love her writing. I will most likely dive head first into the second book immediately. You guys, do yourself a favor, and go get this book. You won’t be sorry.

Jen’s overall rating: 8/10 foot tingles