Review: House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3)

House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3)
By Sarah J Maas

Published By: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: January 30, 2024
Date Read: February 8, 2024
Genre: Adult – Fantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Hardback
Pages: 835

From Goodreads:
The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

NOTE: Spoilers from House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath are present in this review. If you have not finished the previous two books in this series, read on at your own risk!

House of Flame and Shadow has been a highly anticipated release for me for years. I read the second Crescent City book back when it first released, and was so excited to see where Sarah was going with the story next. I was so excited when I finally got this book in my hand. I was not disappointed. This book was amazing. While it wasn’t my favourite book by her (hello Throne of Glass series. Yes, the whole thing), it was such an amazing ride.

House of Flame and Shadow picks up directly where House of Sky and Breath left off, with Bryce disappearing through a portal right into the true world of the fae, our beloved Velaris. Everyone was so excited about the Crescent City and ACOTAR cross over, and I have seen a lot of people left really disappointed about it. I honestly enjoyed it. When I finished CC2 I was really worried as I love the Crescent City series as it’s own thing, and as ACOTAR is Sarah’s most popular series I was worried about it overshadowing the CC plot. I needn’t have worried, the crossover, which lasting for a while, is actually minimal to the plot. We don’t see all that many characters from ACOTAR and I was thrilled that the majority of it was my girl Nesta. Honestly it’s just made me want another Nesta book! I loved it, but I was honestly happy when Bryce went back to Midgard.

I feel like this book did an amazing job of finishing Bryce and Hunt’s story. I loved their journey in this book and it really did them justice. Alongside this we got to see my faves Lidia and Ruhn. Honestly I just need a whole book of them. Lidia was without a doubt my favourite character within this book. She was just absolutely amazing. One thing I think Sarah did very well was that while she was wrapping up all these ends for Bryce and Hunt, she was simultaneously unravelling some for other characters, in what was probably her building up to those characters having their own books. Some I enjoyed more than other. Ithan’s in particular was a struggle for me… mainly because of the idiotic choices he was making.

House of Flame and Shadow was truly a fantastic third instalment in the Crescent City series. I do think it was a good 150/200 pages longer than it needed to be and I started getting a bit bored in the second half, but the ending was phenomenal. This book made me laugh and cry… okay SOB in parts. It was so emotional and beautiful and I can’t wait to see what Sarah gets up to next. If you haven’t picked this one up, what are you waiting for? Go get it now.

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