Review By: Stephanie Kenific
Published: 2020
Series: Crescent City #1
Genre(s): Fantasy
Audience: Adult
Content Warnings: Sexual content, graphic violence, language
Goodreads Link: House of Earth and Blood
Publisher’s 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. With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.
Review:
House of Blood and Earth tells the story of half Fae, half human Bryce Quinlan, who lives with her best friend, a werewolf named Danika. Bryce and Danika are closer than sisters, but they are infamous as well for being party girls. After a night of heavy partying, Bryce returns to the apartment to find Danika and her squad of were shifters brutally murdered by an unknown entity. At the loss of her favorite person, Bryce falls into a deep depression.
Two years later, one of Bryce’s antique clients is murdered in the same manner, and the city government takes notice. Hunt Athalar, the governor’s top assassin and demon hunter, is assigned to help Bryce retrace Danika’s final steps to figure out who the killer is. But Bryce is not ready to delve into the murder, and Athalar is just as unwilling.
I was not sure if I would like House of Blood and Earth as much as I had loved A Court of Thorns and Roses. You can certainly tell that they are written by the same author, but there are marked differences. For one thing, this world has modern day technology such as phones and cameras. The book also takes place in one large city rather than several rural estates like ACOTAR. I thought the technologies, which have a unique source of energy, were seamlessly integrated into the story after completing it.
I also loved the female friendship at the heart of the novel and thought that the depiction of Bryce’s grief was really moving and well written. The romance between Bryce and Hunt was not as alluring, especially because of his notable betrayal and her quickness to forgive him. All in all, it is a complicated book with lots to hold onto and enjoy.
