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Sarah J. Maas’s “House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City)” takes the reader on a journey through a high fantasy world with magic and cell phones along with constant surveillance and angels who rule the skies.
Bryce Quinlan, a half-elf, lives a lavish lifestyle with her best friend, Danika, the leader of her werewolf pack. Their lives are full of partying, taking substances, and fitting work into their schedules.
That is, until Danika and her pack are all murdered by a demon.
Two years pass by and Bryce Quinlan must reopen wounds when the killings begin again and the accused is still behind bars.
She is paired up with Hunt Athalar, a fallen rebel angel who is now slave to those he once revolted against, in order to not only stop the killings, but also solve the mystery of what happened to Danika and her pack that horrid night.
As the plot thickens and tensions rise, so does Bryce and Hunt’s attraction for one another.
This take on modern fantasy paired with modern technology is one that works well. The characters are not able to solve all of their problems through the use of technology but face the same difficulties readers do when technology fails. Signals are lost and computers are hacked.
Maas can create connections between her characters that are felt by the reader. Friendship and love, trauma and healing, comfort and fear. These dynamics are constantly at odds with one another and it all comes together page by page while Danika’s story becomes more complicated to understand and Bryce’s world is thrown upside down.
About the author
Sarah J. Maas uses her unique talent of creating intricate plot lines that keep the readers, and even the characters, in the dark until the last moment. Her focus on friendship and love that lasts even when someone passes is one that should be highly praised.
Maas has other series such as “A Court of Thorns and Roses”, “Throne of Glass” and “Catwoman: Soulstealer”.
The novel was published on March 3, 2020 and is the first of hopefully many. “House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City)” is available everywhere books are sold and it is also available at various libraries as well.
How many times were tears shed while reading?
Seven.
