House of Sky and Breath - Crescent City #2 - by Sarah J Maas

 

          “Death is the only victor in war”

Book Summary

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

Review

Man, this was good! The sequel novel in the Crescent City series did not disappoint. It delivered more action, character development, complicated political and personal dynamics, and new plot twists and revelations. 

In searching for the body of a mysteriously powerful woman and her missing 13 year-old even more powerful brother, Bryce, Hunt, and their circle of allies find themselves embroiled in the war between the Asteri and a group of organized rebels called Ophion. The walking on eggshells and political maneuvering lends a thrilling air of suspense throughout the novel as each character digs themselves deeper into potential ruin and treason. 

This book also introduces new characters to the mix, including Cormac, Bryce and Ruhn's cousin from a rival Fae kingdom (who Bryce's sire also betrothes her to!), and the new Governor of Lunathion, Celestina, who seems way too nice and level-headed and reasonable to be true. 

“Males will always try to control the females who scare them. Marriage and breeding are their go-to methods.”

Ithan, a minor character in the first novel, is also given much more of a spotlight and character arc in this book as he is kicked out of his pack for defending Bryce against lies told by his Alpha, Sebine. His journey through loneliness, lack of purpose, and grief was an unexpected but wholeheartedly welcome addition.

Tharion is also given his own arc through this novel as he struggles with keeping himself in the good graces of the River Queen and her daughter (who he stupidly pledged himself to years ago in a fog of lust). Pulled between his mer allegiances Beneath and his friendships and allies Above, he must balance between two worlds. 

Other characters besides our main two get their own romantic arcs as well, which were very well done and added to the overall mystery, especially the one between Ruhn and his rebel double agent contact Agent Daybright."

           “You remind me that I am alive.”

    I both read this novel physically and via audiobook, and I loved what the narrator did with some of the characters' accents, specifically Cormac, Hypaxia, and Baxian. The snake-like slithering "s"-es were again a wonderful touch to the Viper Queen's narration. The performance of those characters added a great characterization essence to those characters I wouldn't have gotten if I had stayed strictly with the physical book. 

It may have been just from the novelty of this book with it being my first readthrough, but I found this sequel to be action packed, exciting, and easy to fly through. SJM sprinkled some great reveals and plot twists throughout (one of which I did figure out on my own). The world building got even deeper in this one, delving into the origins of Midgard, the mythology of their gods and ancestors, other worlds...

AND THAT ENDING???

Spoiler alert, but if you love her ACOTAR series..... You're going to want to get on this ride. Trust me. 

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“Hello, Bryce Quinlan. My name is Rhysand.”