House of Earth and Blood - Crescent City #1 - by Sarah J Maas

 

           “Through love, all is possible.”

Book Summary

    Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life -working hard all day and partying all night- until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it.

Review

    This was a re-read in preparation for book #3 of the Crescent City series releasing at the end of January. I had read this book for the first time in 2021 and though I remembered very little details and plot points, I did remember really liking it, giving it a 5 star rating on Goodreads.

    
    Upon this 2nd read, I found some parts more contrived and harder to ignore or gloss over - thus the 4 star rating this time. SJM goes hard on telling us just how much Bryce is a drop-dead gorgeous "party girl." Every male she comes into contact with seems to want her. She tells us how Bryce had to give up her dream of being a professional dancer because her body was too voluptuous. And her nails... we were told so much about her nails. What color they were, how much she tapped them on various objects..... It was way too heavy handed and I could not help but roll my eyes. 
    
    Despite some these issues, I did really enjoy the overall romance and worldbuilding of this first novel in the Crescent City series. It was interesting seeing SJM write an urban fantasy setting after loving her more traditional romantasy A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I loved the inter-species rivalries and political hierarchies between the all-powerfull and all-ruling Asteri and the four Houses. Each House has different legions of species that swear to it:
        House of Earth and Blood: Shifters, Witches, Humans, Fauns, Otters
        House of Sky and Breath: Malakim, Fae, Sprites (formerly), Sylphs, Elementals
        House of Flame and Shadow: Daemonaki, Reapers, Wraiths, Vampyrs, Draki, Dragons, Necromancers
        House of Many Waters: Mer, Nokk, River-Spirits, Nymphs, Kelpies, Water Beasts, Selkies
    

    Clearly a lot of thought and creativity went into fleshing out this world, which was probably my favorite aspect to the novel.
  

      The characters, despite some heavy handedness in characterization and some telling and not showing, we interesting in their own ways. Bryce's complicated relationship with her biological father and her half-brother plays a big role in the novel, as does her burgeoning relationship with the malakim assassin Hunt Athalar. Teamed up together by their bosses to investigate a shocking crime, Hunt and Bryce not only uncover secrets about those they thought they knew, but also discover commonalities and solace in each other. Watching their relationship develop and the sexual tension simmer was very fun and helped guide through some slower pacing in some sections.

    But the core of this novel has to be friendship. Bryce's friendship and love for Danika and her friends is the string that ties everything together. 

   “Light it up”

SJM is a powerhouse in the genre, and I'd say it's well-deserved. Her care for her characters and creativity in world-building is palpable.  This novel is a must for those seeking out popular romantasy, blending fantasy and modern elements with touching romance and relationships.