REVIEW: House of Sky an Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Grab some serious protective gear and buckle up for a House of Sky an Breath; the second installment in Maas’ Crescent City series, because it delivers some king hits which you simply never see coming. Similarly to the first novel, the opening few chapters are a serious test of cognitive load -the density of characters and context become a challenge to even the most avid fans, wherein abundant world building and rich characterisation is super punchy and breathing becomes temporarily difficult

Beginning with an action-packed prologue however, despite it’s left of fieldness, sets the scene for the post ‘last-Spring’ reality that our heroes, Bryce and Hunt find themselves falling into. For both, their relationship is fragile; resulting from the role they played in the recent conflict that Bryce tumbled into when her best friend Danika was murdered, and yet, once again, the real mission is bigger than her grief, their relationship both critical and yet secondary to what lies ahead. Their compassion, their search for truth and anti-establishment values drive both to the brink of treason on multiple occasions, crossing enemy lines and flirting with the devil – quite literally – to the point where the events of last season are trumped time and time again. Most pleasing though, was the sauciness that ensues between our duo – a delicious next level relationship that builds appropriately from the previous tension and exceeds expectations in terms of romance, loyalty and love.

Unsurprisingly, the world building is abundant in detail and the characters we grew to love in the first book, their frailties and idiosyncrasies, return with fervour in the second to further their bonds and truly explore the trust established from saving lives and literally saving their world. Most notably though is their diversity – a Starborn Fae Princess, an Angelic instrument of death, a Wolf abandoned by his pack, an unassuming brother who denies his royal birthright, a river shifter and fighter, and a queen witch who becomes more ally than marriage promise. Throughout, every character is given time and care, and as a result it is difficult to not love every moment they experience and every struggle they have in terms of where they find themselves on the political side of the line, because quite simply, all are fighting the good fight.

From a quarter of the way in to end, this was an exceptional read that engaged, excited and challenged, and with the final twist which is a literal punch in the face – so unexpected that it took a triple take to believe such a knock out could exist, Maas delivers on a fantasy romance that demonstrates her growing maturity as a master of the genre. I simply can’t recommend this enough and likely won’t sleep until book three hits shelves.

Book Info:

Publication: 15th February 2022 | Bloomsbury Publishing | Crescent City #2

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.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.