Book Review: Crescent City House of Sky & Breath

Last month I read and reviewed Crescent City: House of Earth & Blood and I just finished the second book in the series, House of Sky and Breath a couple days ago. It was just as amazing as everyone says it is and I’m still processing it all, but I wanted to get this review out.

I’m going to try to not spoil anything for HOSAB, but if you haven’t read HOEAB and don’t want any spoilers then I’d stop reading now!

The novel picks up shortly after the end of House of Earth and Blood. Bryce and Hunt are still living together and while they professed their feelings by the end of HOEAB we find out in this book that they’ve decided to not do anything physical until Winter Solstice. After everything they went through in HOEAB in such a short amount of time, they (more Bryce than Hunt) thought it was a good idea to slow down and spend time together before taking the next step. It leads to some pretty funny scenes because both of them hate that they made this promise.

While they are now finished with the Kristallos demons from the first book and Micah, things can’t remain peaceful for long, right? Micah needs to be replaced as the governor and the Asteri have sent Celestina, an archangel from a smaller area, to lead. The group aren’t sure what to make of her and while she seems much more friendly and fair, they don’t want to let their guards down and fall into a trap. Her presence creates some other issues as well causing some of Hunt’s enemies from when he was a slave for Sandriel to come to Crescent City for a visit.

The other main story to HOSAB is the introduction of the rebel organization, Ophion. Ophion want to bring down the Asteri. Hunt wants nothing to do with them, because he remembers what happened during the last war when he was the general in the rebellion, which led to his love Shahar being killed and his enslavement. He’s not only worried about his own well-being but he never wants to see Bryce suffer or any of their friends. Of course, you know they get sucked in to having to deal with Ophion!

I don’t want to give away what exactly happens that leads them to have to deal with Ophion or what happens because of it, but it’s full of action and twists and turns. There were one or two plot twists I did not see coming, but also one long running thread about someone’s identity (Agent Day) that had me debating between two characters of who she could be. All the clues Sarah J. Maas was dropping could have applied to the two candidates in my head, but eventually I was able to narrow it down (unless I was totally wrong with my 2 guesses) and was happy when I was right!

I’m not going to say what the ending of the book was, but oh my god, I was full of anxiety and felt distraught! There was one really cool part to the ending (if you know, you know) but what’s going on with the other characters at the end has me worried. I don’t know how I’m going to wait for another year or longer for book 3!!

I know this review is very vague, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers! Just know that I loved it. It’s definitely a typical book 2 in the sense that we’re not getting to know the main characters anymore and it’s a lot of build up and set up for what I’m sure will be an epic next installment. Hunt and Bryce have my heart still and if they don’t get their happy ending by the end of the series I will riot.

We also get more time with Ruhn, Ithan, Tharion, Flynn, and Declan in the book. Yes, Ithan is back in Bryce’s life! Sabine kicks him out of the pack after he helped Bryce out during the attack in the spring. Although, Sabine wasn’t upset about Bryce killing all those demons at the time. I guess in hindsight she didn’t like not being in control and punished Ithan for it. And we see some new characters such as Cormac (Ruhn’s cousin, Crown Prince of the Avallen Fae) who the Autumn King has said Bryce has to marry. We see more of the characters that were briefly seen and mentioned in the first book like The Hind, The Harpy, Pollux, Baxian. And Queen Hypaxia comes back as well as Isaiah and Naomi.

It feels weird to not have any more SJM books to read and I can’t wait for her next book!

Anyway, if you love fantasy/fantasy romance and haven’t started Crescent City yet, I highly recommend it. Though if you haven’t read A Court of Thorns and Roses yet, I’d recommend reading that before Crescent City.