By Sarah J. Maas

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Quick Take: Wonderful! Really impressive world-building filled with high stakes, fun twists, engaging mysteries, and a whole lot of heart.

Favorite Quotes: “They were two of a kind, like she could throw anything at him and he’d catch it. Would meet every challenge with that wicked, feral grin.” (357)

“You’re the person I don’t need to explain myself to—not when it matters. You see everything I am, and you don’t run away from it.” (556)

“For fuck’s sake, just kiss me, Quinlin.” (590)

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But I was so pleasantly surprised by House of Earth and Blood. While I do think it could’ve been 100–200 pages shorter (it’s 800 total), I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The world-building wasn’t nearly as intense as I imagined and was integrated into the narrative really well. While I initially had a little trouble keeping some things straight (like the different houses and classes), it all sank in relatively quickly and I followed it just fine overall. I actually found the societal intricacies and hierarchies pretty fascinating (and impressive).

What I Loved:

All the mysteries that kept me guessing. Every time I thought I figured something out, there was a fun, new twist.

The strong friendship between Danika and Bryce. The book really revolves around their connection and love for each other. It really hits home the value of platonic love, how it can be just as powerful and meaningful as romantic love.

The unconditional love between Bryce and her brother Ruhn. Their relationship is the way I want familial bonds to be—even when you drive each other crazy, even when you piss each other off, you still love each other and would do anything you could to protect one another.  

The slow burn romance and deep connection between Bryce and Hunt, and the idea that second love can be just as powerful as first. They both lost people they loved, knew what it was like to be othered and treated as less than, and understood the anger that belied the deep-seated pain they each harbored. And they came to accept each other fully, rough edges and all.

Sidenote for ACOTAR fans: Bryce and Hunt reminded me of a slightly less intense version of Nesta and Cassian in A Court of Silver Flames.

The messy, complicated characters, especially Bryce and Hunt. Maas is so good at writing people coping with trauma and going through all the stages of grief. Notably, using anger as a shield before finally allowing themselves to fully experience their pain. Bryce’s journey to accept what is and ultimately love and trust both herself and others again is so emotionally satisfying.

The other things I loved, as well as the majority of my criticisms, get into spoiler territory, so if you haven’t read this book yet, stop here!

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***SPOILERS AHEAD!***

I went into this book blind, and I’m so glad I did. I was truly shocked when Danika and Connor died fairly early on. I expected Danika to be Bryce’s sidekick throughout the book, and Connor to be her primary love interest. It made me all the more excited to keep reading and figure out where the book would go after such a surprising, horrific event.

I was also legitimately surprised when archangel Micah turned out to be the book’s ultimate villain. I’d been convinced that he was if not good, at least decent and principled. When he showed up at the antiquities shop where Bryce works, I was sure he was there to help her figure out how to free Hunt. When he reveals that he was behind the horrendous crimes of the novel, it was surprising but also made sense—which is how a twist should be.

Some Small Qualms:

• I was heartbroken when the fire sprite Lehabah died, sacrificing herself to save Bryce. The heartbreak itself isn’t a problem—I want a story to make me feel things—but it bugged me that an enslaved character who had literally nothing died for the book’s hero. I would have preferred a character with more power and autonomy—such as the sorceress Jesiba, Bryce’s domineering and irascible boss—to make that kind of sacrifice.
  
• Hunt’s secret plan to use synth for another uprising stretched credulity for a few reasons.
  
  1. He sneaks out in the middle of the night to buy synth on a barge in the middle of the river without Bryce knowing. Yet, he, was in agonizing pain from his wings being cut off, and could barely walk hours earlier. How is he physically capable of pulling off this caper?
     
  2. We get Hunt’s POV so often throughout the book that it doesn’t make sense we wouldn’t know what he was up to. We should’ve at least gotten more clues so it didn’t come as a total shock. It felt a little cheap and purposely obfuscating rather than organic. 
     
• At the summit at the end of the book, everyone watches Bryce fighting for her life on the video feed for far too long before jumping into action. I know the summit was far away from Crescent City, but they could’ve gotten off their asses sooner to try and help her. It was also a little irritating seeing so much of Bryce’s experience filtered through this lens. We could’ve stayed with her for the majority of this section.
  
• I do wish there was a little more time spent on the romance between Hunt and Bryce given how long the book is, but that’s more on me, being a bigger fan of romance than fantasy. That said, I do wish it hadn’t taken 500 pages for anything to happen between them, and it’s absolutely infuriating that every time they started to get physically intimate, they were interrupted. Every. Damn. Time. We should’ve at least gotten one uninterrupted scene at the end of the book.