House of Flame and Shadow (International Edition)

Similar to another review I just read, this is the first book I've reviewed in the series (shame on me). I'll try to not re-hash the story line but perhaps offer a few different perspectives and only a humble recommendation or two. Like many other fans out there, SJM is one of my absolute favorite authors for a variety of reasons. I really appreciate her plots (across all her series) and the twists and turns she sends me down. She is one of the few authors that actually surprises me with her plot twists, and I love it. Her heroines are true heroines...and she makes room for more than one in her novels, which is how it should be. I also appreciate just how brilliant her heroines are. They have sass and always something up their sleeve. She also knows how to write well, which is actually not that easy to find these days. She may have a fantastic set of editors that help, but I'm just going to ignore that possibility for now and give her 100% of the credit. I mention that because even though this novel is close to 1000 pages, each page serves a purpose, and there isn't a whole lot of "extra". I never once sat back and wondered why 3 pages of material was written to describe something that could have been handled with a paragraph. That has been a frustration with some other favorite authors of mine lately....rush jobs to pump out novels to appease fans that have not been edited well. Anyway, moving on... Something I wanted to point out that I loved with this novel was this technique of switching back and forth between the action among different storylines within the same chapter. I can't recall if she did this with her other novels, but I loved this technique in this one. For example, one moment we would be reading about Hunt and the torture he and the boys were experiencing in the dungeon (or whatever we want to call it), and then it would switch to Tharion's situation in the Viper Queen's nest. The way she'd switch mid-chapter really kept the story moving along and interesting. There were times I'd be reading about the action in one place and wondering what was happening with a different set of characters and then...bam!....I was reading about them without having to wait for the next chapter. Or, alternatively, I think I would have just skimmed over an entire chapter about Tharion staying doped up and feeling sorry for himself when he was living in the Viper Queen's nest, but reading the little snippets here and there as we moved through that story line were perfect. Ok, so...enough on the great writing itself. :) Next, the crossover with ACOTAR....that was a present unto itself. Thank you Sarah J. Mass....seriously....thank you for that extra bit of joy you just gifted all of us. We knew it was coming, but I personally refused to acknowledge it after HOSAB because I knew I'd have to wait for the next book, and I couldn't get myself excited about it at that time knowing it would be a while before we'd have it in hand. I would have liked to see a bit more Rhysand and perhaps a Feyre appearance, but beggars can't be choosers, and I still loved it. I'm also looking forward to how some of this plays into the next ACOTAR novel that comes out! Next, the spice. No, it doesn't have as much in it as some of the other books, but that was completely fine by me because in this book I just wanted answers! I wanted it to all come together, I wanted the characters to get rid of the Asteri and save the world. The book did all of this. I can't believe I'm stating this (because I love some spice...4 peppers please), but if there had been no spice in this one, I'd have still given it 5 stars. hahahaha. Let's face it, it is hard to find a moment when you are constantly with your friends in the middle of saving the world for some private time. That's fair. (But, a few of them still managed to do it....so....let's not be too critical about it). If there was anything I might have tweaked, it would have been the process of getting rid of the Asteri. Something about it felt a bit too quick after Polaris was killed. At this point I've read two other novels and hundreds and hundreds of pages leading up to this moment, and I just felt like it was over a bit too quickly. (Maybe because Bryce is just such a good planner? :)) I liked the struggle described for Polaris. I think I was expecting one more twist or something to happen between that and getting rid of the others (outside of the kill-switch revelation). But, it's all good. Maybe at this point, we just want them gone.

Anyway, I really did enjoy this novel, and this series. It met, if not exceeded, all of my expectations, and I'm looking forward to her next book release. I wish we could get 2 books a year from her, but the complex storylines, character development, and world-building are well worth the wait. For me, the TOG and ACOTAR series are still in the lead, but this is an outstanding series. Her books are all at a whole other level, and I think we are very fortunate she discovered her talent and passion early on and pursued them.

I have only one recommendation, which I'm sure will never been seen, but I'm making it anyway! I am more than happy to wait a year or more for SJM's next book in a series. I'm all about quality over quantity. The challenge (for me at least) is that when that next book in a series comes out, I have, unfortunately, forgotten important details of the previous book(s), and I end up putting in a lot of extra time scouring the internet for synopsis, etc. (Thank goodness there is plenty out there). I wish I had the time to re-read previous books before a new one comes out, but that is not always possible with my schedule, and I read so many books each year that storylines can get a bit fuzzy. (I know...I know...there are some die-hards out there that can't believe I don't remember every detail, but it is what it is.). Anyway, I am a fan of what an author whose work I have read recently (Eliza Raine) has done to address this in one of her series, and I thought I'd put it out there as an example for consideration. She has added a short refresher/summary to the beginning of her books, and it is fantastic because it summarizes the details she thinks are most important from the previous books in the series. After reading this, you are locked in and ready to start the new book with no need to seek out summaries and play catch up. Anyway, just a humble recommendation for consideration.

I've sat with my feelings for a bit, and I'm finally ready to share.

This gets all the stars! I hear what others say regarding it not being her usual book, but as a fantasy lover, this was it. This was the high fantasy book that I was craving from SJM. I LOVED that it was more plot & world-building-focused compared to her other books. I feel like we learned so much about this world, but there's still so much more to learn. Do you have to read Throne of Glass to read this? Technically, no. But if you don't, you're doing yourself a HUGE disfavor. Having that knowledge makes some of the little details and one big plot twist so much more impactful! * * Spoilers below! * LOVED LOVED LOVED all the TOG references!! As a TOG girly through and through, I'm obsessed. SO many easter eggs that I ate up! I personally thought the amount of time spent in Prythian was perfect. Any more and it would have felt like a cash grab.

As someone who liked Lidia from the VERY beginning of book 2, I'm obsessed with her character arc in this book! I loved the little glimpses we got of her true self in book 2, but LOVED the full reveal of her true personality in this book! I said from the beginning that Lidia would burn the world for those she loves, and I was freaking right!

Ruhn. Sweet baby Ruhn, no longer crown prince of the Valbaran fae but instead stepdad to teenage boys. Can you IMAGINE?? If I had ovaries still, this would definitely affect them.

TBH Bryce annoyed me a bit. She was not kind to Hunt, and that made me sad. I get what she needed from him, but he was TRAUMATIZED from everyone he lost in the first war. Let him work through that, bestie.

Speaking of Hunt... I can admit when I'm wrong about a character, and I'm fine with that 🤣 Fine. He isn't evil. He isn't valg. BUT he is a prince of Hel's son, so I feel like I was onto something lol

I completely get why people hate that it was wrapped up in a pretty bow, but this is the end of Bryce & Hunt's books, and she did the same thing in ACOWAR, so to me it makes sense. Besides, SO MUCH was left unanswered!

Things that were left unanswered that I think we'll see in book 4:

• WHAT IS FURY -Who owns Ari? -What's going on between Ithan & Perry -Follow up: why is Perry's smell off to Ithan? (mating bond smell 👀) -Tharion is going to end up loving Sathia, right? -How huge will Sathia's power be after she takes the vaccine?? -What does the Ocean Queen want with Lidia, a fire wielder? Like what. -WHO IS RUHN'S MOM?? -WHERE IS THE COMM STONE THAT RUHN GAVE BRYCE??

Edited to add: THE BONUS CHAPTERS. ARE YOU KIDDING?? Tbh I have the indie one & it’s my least favorite 😂 It felt off that we had one random flashback scene from before the books even took place. But the rest? Chefs kiss. Perfection. Bawled my eyes out. AND FINALLY A SJM WEDDING & it was the one I wanted 😭😭😭 Those looking for more Velaris content need to read the Ember & Randall one and obviously the Nesta, Az, & Bryce one so good!! & the Hunt and Bryce one was just super cute and a good extended epilogue for them. But THE WEDDING?? I didn’t think I could love Lidia more, but I was wrong. Emulating her great whatever grandma in the best way 😂 Okay, that’s all. Thanks for reading!

It hit me when I was reading this book that this will be the first SJM book I have reviewed!! I was not actively reviewing books when I read her other books but am debating going back and re-reading them so that I can do a review. They are also just all so amazing so it wouldn't be to my detriment LOL.

This is the third book in the Crescent City series and was ALMOST everything I had hoped it would. We got a LOT of history. We got mates reuniting and confirming what we thought would happen. We got action in the final battle scene with the Asteri, and we got more of the Princes of Hel. One of the things I didn't like was the massive lack of spice. This felt a lot like ACOWAR to me- more depth of history and battle then spice, but man did I want that from Ruhn and Lidia. I also want to point out that I feel like the reuniting of Bryce and Hunt was disappointing to me. They are separated by universes. Hunt has been tortured and when she sees him she holds it together- not the Bryce I know. Other than those things though, we got it all.

This book picks up right where we left off. Bryce is being questioned by the ACOTAR bat boys (minus Cassian) about where she came from. She doesn't think she can trust them and so she pulls a Bryce and escapes. Nesta shows up as a guide in this underground cavern that as far as she knows has never been explored. One thing I will point out is that as much as there is a crossover- I think I thought there would be more BUT I also think that SJM was purposeful in pointing out that the next ACOTAR book will be about Azriel (at least I hope). Him and Nesta were the main people that Bryce interacts with. We learn A LOT about the Asteri, the Daglan, Helena and the people that went missing from the Dusk court. And then Bryce is back in Lunathion and ends up in her father's study of all places.

Meanwhile, Hunt, Baxian and Ruhn are being tortured by none other than the Hammer and sort of the Hind. Ugh hearing Lidia's POV during these scenes was gut wrenching. She was trying to put on this BA front but slowly breaking apart inside because Ruhn was acting SOOO cold towards her (which I totally get). She is able to bring in Declan, Flynn and the gang to help coordinate an escape. Yall the escape scene with Lidia was soo intense. She was willing to sacrifice herself and that is when Ruhn realized he wasn't ready to walk away from her yet. He didn't want to identify what he was feeling but knew he didn't want it to go away.

On the other side of the city, Tharion was being whiny about making a bad decision. Ithan (be still my heart) has an encounter with the lost Sabine alpha that rocks his world and leaves him willing to do almost anything to make him right. After everything with them, I am very excited to see where their stories go. SJM left the door open enough to where I would think the next book focuses on rebuilding with them.

About the time of Ruhn, Bax and Hunt's release- Bryce ends up back at the Ocean Queen's boat after gathering some good info from her daddy-o. This is when the reuniting SHOULD be but no not yet. We find out why Lidia has been playing the literal devil for these past several years and OMG did not see that one coming. Now the roles are reversed and she is pissed at Ruhn for giving up on them so soon.

The next part of the journey takes them to Avallen which is where a TON of things happen. Bryce and co get to go to the Starlight caves. Ruhn and Lidia connect on a deeper level. Ithan is working around the clock to get answers and resolutions. This is where they make their plan for the final stand against the Asteri. There is also a showdown with Bryce's dad and the King of the Fae which I LOVED. Side note- not sure how I missed Lidia's ancestry but when it was revealed just wow. SJM is a freaking mastermind.

The final showdown was as epic as I thought it would be. The Fallen got their due. Bryce made her self sacrificing move. Ruhn did too as a matter of fact. The Princes of Hel and their army appeared. Hypaxia created a solution that has MASSIVE implications. We got answers on the connections between the worlds. Now all that is left is rebuilding and what not.

This book was just fabulous. I can't say it enough that if you haven't read any of her books please do. They legit changed my life by introducing me to romantasy. Let me know your thoughts and theories for what is next! I am thinking Ithan and Perry. Can't wait to hear more about Tharion and his wife (who we have met but don't know a ton about) and then of course Flynn and Ariadne (fingers crossed). I also want MORE Ruhn and Lidia- I need to see this world's Shadow Daddy at work :)