Ratings
Content Warnings: Language, Smut, Sexual Themes, Blood, Violence, Gore, Sexism, Racism, Drugs, Death, Thoughts of Suicide
Introduction
It’s been since February when I finished this book. I wanted to get through the series before my son was born, so I rolled through them without writing reviews. My recollection might be spotty and my review not so long, but I’ll try to cover the bases.
House of Earth and Blood, otherwise known as Crescent City, takes place in a modern city infused with magic and mystical beings. We follow Bryce as she uncovers the mystery behind her best friend’s death. This adventure is full of plot twists, sarcasm, and rebellion.
This book is not like Sarah J Maas’s other books. The world is bigger, more complex, and mature.
Pros
- Calling out both sides of sexism
- Murder mystery plot
- Intriguing characters
Cons
- Info dumping GALORE
- Confusing world building
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Plot
From what I recall of the plot, it was the best one of the entire series. I wasn’t expecting a murder mystery or for Danica to die off so soon, but boy oh boy does it create an intriguing plot.
The middle of the book kind of drug out, but the beginning and end were *chef’s kiss* (minus the major info dumping in the first few chapters). Things definitely got drawn out after awhile, but sped up towards the end. Which was a lot, not going to lie, but I enjoyed it.
The ending was brilliant and heart-wrenching. I loved the whole Micah scene and how it was broadcast to the Summit. Not to mention Lehabah sacrificing herself to save Bryce. Talk about a stab to the heart. And the Drop scene was amazing. I cried when Danica showed up and helped Bryce. Her last act was as a best friend.
There was a lot of setup for the remainder of the series in the subplots of other characters, which here was a bit annoying to read, but in the long run kinda helps. It definitely muddied the main plot of Crescent City.
Characters
To start off, I don’t see Bryce and Hunt as a romantic couple. They’re more of friends in my eyes and don’t seem to fit together well beyond that.
Bryce
I like Bryce. Is she a favorite character of mine? Eh, maybe. Definitely more so than Hunt. Bryce has a huge heart, and that comes through in quite a few instances– her saving Micah in the alley, buying Lehabah’s freedom, sacrificing herself to try and save people from the demon attack, etc.
Her character develops from a carefree, druggie to an intentionally misunderstood party-girl. Danica’s death truly impacts Bryce in all aspects of her life. Danica was Bryce’s person, there isn’t a doubt about it, and to see her death continuing to affect Bryce is very believable. The death of a loved one doesn’t just disapear after awhile, it stays but only becomes a easier to manage. And that is shown throughout the book.
Hunt
The white tank top scene, or the wife-beater scene, did it in for me. Definitely not interested in him anymore. On top of that, Hunt really isn’t that spectacular, or at least from what we’re shown. There’s all this talk about his powers and how grandiose he is, but we never see it. It’s kind of disappointing honestly.
I did, however, enjoy seeing his softer side. That troupe is one of my favorites: the bad boy turns soft around friends and those he cares about. It brought Hunt to life and made him more believable.
Side Characters
Danica was probably my favorite character, and she was only alive in the book briefly. But the girl had so much to hide and so little time. How did she accomplish all that she did without Bryce knowing?
Lehabah is such a sweetheart and I hate she didn’t make it. She deserved to be free and happy.
The rest of the characters, truthfully, are quite forgetful. I don’t really remember what everyone else did or how they contributed to the book in a meaningful way.
Writing
Gods the info dumping in just Chapter 1 was almost enough to do me in. Like many others, I was so confused and overwhelmed that my brain simply couldn’t process what it was reading and what was significant.
This cleared up after Chapter 5, roughly. But I still noticed some weird exposition thrown in and editing issues. Like on page 298, this was the dialogue tags: “he said, ‘insert dialog’ he said.” Come on editors, this should have been easy to pick up on!
Besides those 2 things, the writing was much more mature than the rest of Maas’s works, with the use of vulgar language, sex talk, and drugs. I enjoyed this change compared to her other works (ACOTAR is still my favorite though).
Final Thoughts
Overall, House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City was entertaining and got me interested in murder mysteries. However, the plots are a bit confusing and some characters are insufferable, but it all felt believable. So for Maas’s first dive into epic fantasy, not bad!
What did you think of the book? Did you like it or could you have done without it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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