Reviews with content warning for Gore - House of Sky and Breath

Whatever I was expecting from this book...it was not THAT. The worldbuilding of this series is so far beyond anything else I ever read, even compared to other SJM books. I can't keep up with it, and just when I have it figured out, there's another layer to it that's peeled back and dives even deeper. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I cannot wait to read the next in the series!

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tiffanysmith's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I’ve had trouble deciding if I like this series or not. ACOTAR has been my favorite by far. In this second installment of the Crescent City series, the characters don’t feel particularly fleshed out and the plot is unorganized and random, as is the typical style of SJM. It’s challenging to read, because the majority of the story lacks good development and I admittedly grew bored. In typical SJM heroine fashion, Bryce was always just doing her own thing and new plot points sprung from nowhere without proper foreshadowing.

I also don’t enjoy the romance between Hunt and Bryce. Their relationship doesn’t feel genuine, as it’s more of a secondary subplot to the character development. Going into this series, I knew that it wasn’t as romantically based as ACOTAR, so I don’t mind that it’s not the main point of the story, but their relationship evolved so quickly and *surprise*

they’re mates

. I’ve grown weary of the amount of spice in this book because it was there just to be there. I found myself skipping sections of it because it became tiresome and not romantic or genuine.

The series does have some interesting quality. I’m captivated by SJM’s world that she has constructed. I only wish that it was executed better. If this book had been editing down and had the plot properly foreshadowed and fleshed out, it would have been really interesting! Alas, SJM leaves us with killer cliffhangers in the final pages. I was genuinely thinking of not continuing this series, but the curious part of me needs to know what happens next. So, I suppose I will read the third book and experience the same cycle of emotions of being annoyed at the writing and then stunned by the ending.

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