hanna's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Growing up is learning that it's okay to rate SJM books less than 5 stars.
Okay, so this book was long and so full of plot and I'm sure I've already forgotten all of it but let's try this:
THE CHARACTERS:
I absolutely loved the cast in this sequel and while the first book was very much a "Bryce and Hunt" novel, this time the big amount of characters we got introduced to in the first book all got their moments to shine and either already had good storylines or we got hints to exciting ones in the future (Ithan, I'm looking at you).
In my opinion, this is the first time SJM has managed to write true morally grey characters (and not just misunderstood bad boys), mainly with Corman and Tharion, who make wild choices, whose purpose isn't solely to make this a better world. Same goes for so many of the female characters, my favourites being Lidia and Celestina. They have their own difficult past and present situations to work with and can't just accept anything that Bryce plans for them.
Bryce really isn't a perfect angel either — she makes really dumb choices in this book but they're also very human choices. She's just getting into this whole Chosen One thing and she really struggles with it and its consequences at times. But as I said, her choices are all understandable (to some degree), you can tell that she only means the best but sometimes we all fuck up and that's portrayed really well here.
Shoutout to Hunt here, who's always portrayed as this big alphahole, but man actually thinks from time to time and questions what Bryce and him are doing. Men in this fantasy thinking over their relationship? In this economy? More likely than you think.
Going against all expectations (mainly my own), I've chosen to break my streak of my favourite character in SJM books always being the bisexual blonde cousin. I really tried to love Cormac as much as I love Mor and Aedion but 1.) I don't love him that much (or at all) and 2.) Ruhn. That's all. But I have hopes of at least keeping the bisexual streak going, we've still got books left, after all.
THE PLOT:
Unpopular opinion but making the human rebellion with very understandable goals and wishes out to be the bad guys alongside the Asteri (who are just straight up villains) is a really dumb idea.
I already didn't understand why we were against this rebellion in the first book because, yes, a lot of our cast is non-human but Bryce at least is half-human and has human parents, and, as a fellow human, I find it hard to get invested in a plot that makes the oppressed humans out to be the bad ones.
Especially Pippa is such a cheap, two-dimensional character and I really had to suspend my beliefs and focus on the actually enjoyable parts of the book (mainly the characters) to accept all these plot points.
We do have some nice world building and it is something completely different to what SJM has done before and it's a nice mix of sci-fi and fantasy plots. We get a bit of a crossover with another series of hers and loads of hints towards ACOTAR and TOG and it was so fun reading those!
I'm thrilled to see how those more fantasy-ish plotlines will develop, so even if I didn't really like the rebellion plot, there were still other nice storylines.
THE REP:
I can't even be bothered with the SJM antis anymore because I know they'll complain no matter what she puts into her books or not. There's so much LGBT+ rep in this and also a lot of those couples have one or two characters that are POC. It isn't made into a big deal, there aren't any cringe coming out scenes, it's honestly so refreshing and nice to see and we finally get our sapphic witches rep. So please, just give her a chance, she's really come a long way since TOG and there's no reason to still keep hating on her when we're not criticising other authors of the era like Kiera Cass.
CONCL:
I rarely read long-ass fantasy novels anymore but I'm so glad I continued reading this series! It was way easier to get into it than it was with the first book and I really enjoyed the novel.
Of course, the last chapter was amazing (post-credit scene vibes) and I hope it won't take me another three years to get to the next book.
Okay, so this book was long and so full of plot and I'm sure I've already forgotten all of it but let's try this:
THE CHARACTERS:
I absolutely loved the cast in this sequel and while the first book was very much a "Bryce and Hunt" novel, this time the big amount of characters we got introduced to in the first book all got their moments to shine and either already had good storylines or we got hints to exciting ones in the future (Ithan, I'm looking at you).
In my opinion, this is the first time SJM has managed to write true morally grey characters (and not just misunderstood bad boys), mainly with Corman and Tharion, who make wild choices, whose purpose isn't solely to make this a better world. Same goes for so many of the female characters, my favourites being Lidia and Celestina. They have their own difficult past and present situations to work with and can't just accept anything that Bryce plans for them.
Bryce really isn't a perfect angel either — she makes really dumb choices in this book but they're also very human choices. She's just getting into this whole Chosen One thing and she really struggles with it and its consequences at times. But as I said, her choices are all understandable (to some degree), you can tell that she only means the best but sometimes we all fuck up and that's portrayed really well here.
Shoutout to Hunt here, who's always portrayed as this big alphahole, but man actually thinks from time to time and questions what Bryce and him are doing. Men in this fantasy thinking over their relationship? In this economy? More likely than you think.
Going against all expectations (mainly my own), I've chosen to break my streak of my favourite character in SJM books always being the bisexual blonde cousin. I really tried to love Cormac as much as I love Mor and Aedion but 1.) I don't love him that much (or at all) and 2.) Ruhn. That's all. But I have hopes of at least keeping the bisexual streak going, we've still got books left, after all.
THE PLOT:
Unpopular opinion but making the human rebellion with very understandable goals and wishes out to be the bad guys alongside the Asteri (who are just straight up villains) is a really dumb idea.
I already didn't understand why we were against this rebellion in the first book because, yes, a lot of our cast is non-human but Bryce at least is half-human and has human parents, and, as a fellow human, I find it hard to get invested in a plot that makes the oppressed humans out to be the bad ones.
Especially Pippa is such a cheap, two-dimensional character and I really had to suspend my beliefs and focus on the actually enjoyable parts of the book (mainly the characters) to accept all these plot points.
We do have some nice world building and it is something completely different to what SJM has done before and it's a nice mix of sci-fi and fantasy plots. We get a bit of a crossover with another series of hers and loads of hints towards ACOTAR and TOG and it was so fun reading those!
I'm thrilled to see how those more fantasy-ish plotlines will develop, so even if I didn't really like the rebellion plot, there were still other nice storylines.
THE REP:
I can't even be bothered with the SJM antis anymore because I know they'll complain no matter what she puts into her books or not. There's so much LGBT+ rep in this and also a lot of those couples have one or two characters that are POC. It isn't made into a big deal, there aren't any cringe coming out scenes, it's honestly so refreshing and nice to see and we finally get our sapphic witches rep. So please, just give her a chance, she's really come a long way since TOG and there's no reason to still keep hating on her when we're not criticising other authors of the era like Kiera Cass.
CONCL:
I rarely read long-ass fantasy novels anymore but I'm so glad I continued reading this series! It was way easier to get into it than it was with the first book and I really enjoyed the novel.
Of course, the last chapter was amazing (post-credit scene vibes) and I hope it won't take me another three years to get to the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Slavery, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and War
Minor: Xenophobia and Torture
cady_sass's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I need some time to process this. Holy shit. I’ve never read 700 pages so fast in my life. I have so many questions. My heart, in pieces. My brain, on the wall. My soul, well…
5 stars. Can’t wait for the next one. SJM if you fumble this as hard as ACOSF I will never recover.
5 stars. Can’t wait for the next one. SJM if you fumble this as hard as ACOSF I will never recover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, War, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, and Gaslighting
saramarinho's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Cursing, Gore, and Death
kittykatruin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
katbsc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
SARAH, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO US.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Violence, Death, Slavery, Trafficking, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
Minor: Body horror, Colonisation, Child abuse, and Child death
haleyneedsalife's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Cursing, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, and Infertility
ka_ke's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
When I tell you I screamed, I laughed, and I cried you have no choice to believe it. The last line on page 798 made me so excited. I am ready for the next CC book and the next . The spice is incredible, and I have definitely fallen into Maas destruction once again.
Spoiler
ACOTAR book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Blood, Classism, Violence, Slavery, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Mental illness, and War
lisa_m's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holy shit! I just finished this book and I don't know what to say. It was absolutely fantastic!
I truly don't know how she does it but Sarah J Maas always manages to capture me with her books. This one was no different. Throughout all 800 pages I never wanted to stop reading. I think this series is truly my favourite ever!
I am in love with the characters. I love love love them all so much. I like how we get to know even the side characters and none of them are flat. They all have a personality and history, wishes and doubts. The world is so clearly painted that I feel like I'm living there. In this book especially we get to know a lot about the history of Midgard and it's super interesting.
This book is so well thought out and so realistic while still being high fantasy, hella funny, without any information bombing and I just had a great time reading it. I mean I was going through a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least. One of my favourite things about the Cresent City books is how something horrible can happen but still the characters make you laugh. The story is just so captivating I can't really begin to explain my love for these books.
Okay I can't help it, I have to get into spoilery territory now.
WHATTHEFUCK was the ending???? I'm so excited for the next book I'm actually screaming.
I generally didn't like the idea of all of SJMs books being connected but somehow now I'm just excited. ACOTAR is my second favourite series ever and I just can't help being excited. This was a HUGE surprise but a great one for sure. As soon as she landed in 'Hel' I knew that was not where she was. She met Rhysand and Feyre and Azriel and all the others. It feels so weird like one favourite fictional character jumped into another world of my other favourite fictional characters and they get to meet and I'm just like I WANT TO BE THERE TOO!!!!
I'm so jealous of Bryce I can't help it hahah
But also I just really need to know what now happend with the others. I mean as much as I want Bryce to go on adventures with the ACOTAR inner circle I need Hunt and Ruhn to be okay. I really don't know what SJMs plan is now. Is the next book going to be A Court of... or House of... ? Are they even at the same time? I still don't quite understand everything going on there but it doesn't lessen my excitement.
Also THE HIND IS AGEND DAYBRIGHT? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK??? I was so surprised when I read this but also super happy beause it makes so much sense and it adds to the drama and I'm just so excited for the next book. I honestly wish I could just binge ACOTAR again and then binge all the Cresent City books. Idk I guess I should probably read Throne of Glass now since it is the only series by SJM I haven't read.. but I just think that there is no way these books can even be half as good as ACOTAR or Cresent City..
Okay so to finally come to and end here are my final thoughts (for now idk I might add something to this review in a few days - I doubt this will let go of my brain anytime soon)
This book was amazing. A great second part to HOEAB and I can't wait for the third book to come out. It is full of adventure and intrigue and love and friendship and loss and secrets and bad people and good people and bad people that are actually good. I don't think any series will ever be able to compare to this. It makes me quite sad actually because I love the characters and the story so much I don't want it to ever end.
I will happily wait a long time for the next books to come out and read them all. Who knows, maybe SJM will die after me and write until the day she dies. I truly hope that is the case because these books are a part of me now and I have to know how they end or I will be so absolutely upset!
I truly don't know how she does it but Sarah J Maas always manages to capture me with her books. This one was no different. Throughout all 800 pages I never wanted to stop reading. I think this series is truly my favourite ever!
I am in love with the characters. I love love love them all so much. I like how we get to know even the side characters and none of them are flat. They all have a personality and history, wishes and doubts. The world is so clearly painted that I feel like I'm living there. In this book especially we get to know a lot about the history of Midgard and it's super interesting.
This book is so well thought out and so realistic while still being high fantasy, hella funny, without any information bombing and I just had a great time reading it. I mean I was going through a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least. One of my favourite things about the Cresent City books is how something horrible can happen but still the characters make you laugh. The story is just so captivating I can't really begin to explain my love for these books.
Spoiler
WHATTHEFUCK was the ending???? I'm so excited for the next book I'm actually screaming.
I generally didn't like the idea of all of SJMs books being connected but somehow now I'm just excited. ACOTAR is my second favourite series ever and I just can't help being excited. This was a HUGE surprise but a great one for sure. As soon as she landed in 'Hel' I knew that was not where she was. She met Rhysand and Feyre and Azriel and all the others. It feels so weird like one favourite fictional character jumped into another world of my other favourite fictional characters and they get to meet and I'm just like I WANT TO BE THERE TOO!!!!
I'm so jealous of Bryce I can't help it hahah
But also I just really need to know what now happend with the others. I mean as much as I want Bryce to go on adventures with the ACOTAR inner circle I need Hunt and Ruhn to be okay. I really don't know what SJMs plan is now. Is the next book going to be A Court of... or House of... ? Are they even at the same time? I still don't quite understand everything going on there but it doesn't lessen my excitement.
Also THE HIND IS AGEND DAYBRIGHT? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK??? I was so surprised when I read this but also super happy beause it makes so much sense and it adds to the drama and I'm just so excited for the next book. I honestly wish I could just binge ACOTAR again and then binge all the Cresent City books. Idk I guess I should probably read Throne of Glass now since it is the only series by SJM I haven't read.. but I just think that there is no way these books can even be half as good as ACOTAR or Cresent City..
Okay so to finally come to and end here are my final thoughts (for now idk I might add something to this review in a few days - I doubt this will let go of my brain anytime soon)
This book was amazing. A great second part to HOEAB and I can't wait for the third book to come out. It is full of adventure and intrigue and love and friendship and loss and secrets and bad people and good people and bad people that are actually good. I don't think any series will ever be able to compare to this. It makes me quite sad actually because I love the characters and the story so much I don't want it to ever end.
I will happily wait a long time for the next books to come out and read them all. Who knows, maybe SJM will die after me and write until the day she dies. I truly hope that is the case because these books are a part of me now and I have to know how they end or I will be so absolutely upset!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Slavery, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, and Sexual violence
clairew97's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Colonisation, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Body horror, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Misogyny
kat1105's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Violence, War, Blood, Police brutality, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Torture, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Gore, and Trafficking
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, Child death, Cannibalism, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse