Scan barcode
claire_f's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Too me ages to read but finally it caught me in the right heads pace!
mparz's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
heartscontent's review against another edition
5.0
You can find this review of House of Earth and Blood on my blog, Heart's Content!
Holy. Chocolate. Chip. On. A. Cracker.
One line review for anyone that doesn’t want to read the following emotional and barely rational rant: I loved this seven hundred and odd paged single book more than I loved the whole ACOTAR series. That’s saying something given how much I ended up enjoying the ACOTAR series. If I’ve offended you by saying that, I have only this to say to you: Read. This. Book.
*takes a deeeeeep breath*
Disclaimer: The following review might have lesser coherence and general sense of structure than is usual. I’m not even sure what I’m going to say given how much I feel right now paired with a major case of mind-twisting and emotional turmoil that has taken place inside me the last two days. Proceed at your own risk. I am not okay.
I had stayed away from this book for the longest time even thought when I’d read the small sample of House of Earth and Blood, that chapter stayed with me with this whole time and I think I protected myself from the heartbreak subconsciously then. Consciously however, I stayed away because everyone said it was hard to get past the first hundred pages because of the world building. I genuinely expected to find the book boring and difficult to get into.
However, I’m here to reveal to all those hesitating for all the exact above reasons as me that my experience was nothing like that. From the moment I started, I abandoned all other pursuits but the race to the end of this book. Also, on another episode of “Blame the Bestfriend”, we’re going to reveal the reason why I’ve been doing nothing but thinking of HoEaB since the moment that it entered my orbit of awareness: (refer to title of imaginary podcast for the answer).
Circling back, I will agree that the book has five billion new things that we need to grasp and understand about the world and its many characters. However, you quickly catch up. The book is definitely high fantasy, and there are many moments during the book where we understand something that happened on page 50 only in page 500 but that’s not an accident; it’s intentional. So the world building aids the style of writing and the nature of the genre. Also the world building happens in stages, the rules are explained, and then re-examined and explained again and then a whole new facet is revealed and finally everything is understood… (for now).
The writing follows a similar pattern. There are secrets upon layers of secrets all hidden within a box of secrets that’s missing. No no, not missing, but a box of secrets that we do not even know existed. The way SJM writes, in my eyes, has always been her strength. Even while I read Throne of Glass, I knew for sure that I didn’t particularly like the heroine: but the writing, the story and the set-up was so interesting, that it didn’t matter. Which is surprising, because most of us rarely continue reading if we didn’t enjoy the narrator’s voice/personality so much. HoEaB is the same, except I LOVED Bryce. The writing is so very strong and powerful that there’s nothing extra that’s required to hold you, but every other facet of this book was somehow just as good that we had no chance of surviving it.
A book that constantly promises pain, foreshadows heart-break and delivers?
Yes, please. I. Volunteer. Every minute of the 700 odd paged book, I volunteered for and I chased after all that heart-stomping the book promises.
The plot is something that you’ll never see coming. It’s practically impossible to, because like I mentioned earlier, the world building unravels right along with the plot, and the genre also slowly reveals its many elements. Also, surprise, this book is just the FOUNDATION to the actual plot which I realise now as I read book two, is actually bigger, scarier and just… more.
The heartbreak (yes this aspect has its own paragraph. I have been wrecked, excuse me while I rant about it.) in this book is U. N. P. A. R. A. L. L. E. L. E. D. UNPARALLELED, my friends. I thought Fourth Wing broke my heart, but noooo. HoEaB looked at the heartbreak I faced when I read FW in the face, laughed, swallowed it whole, chewed and spat it straight out at my feet. Then it trampled on my heart and walked away and all I could do while I watched was say “You missed a spot.” and point to said missed spot before me. This book just rewrites the definition of how to work a mystery and tangle it with so much emotion and then offer a solution that’s worse than anything you could think up. I’m still healing from the heartbreak from this book. (Also if you’re upset I said the heartbreak in FW isn’t as bad as this I have two things to say: 1. Read. This. Book! 2. Let’s see where IF is placed on the heartbreak ranking. I’m ready to admit I may have to realign my list come November 7th. Let’s see.)
The characters are MANYYYYY. So very many. Initially, I’ll admit, it sometimes took me a bit to make sense of who was referred to and who’s who and what are they etc etc. But believe me, believe me, you’ll catch up real quick. The heroine Bryce Quinlan, is one of the most interesting characters written. Simply because most authors attempt to fit their characters—especially their primary narrator—into a neat little box of relatability and they especially ensure that their FMCs come off as responsible and as worthy as possible from the very beginning. But initially Bryce comes off as someone that’s got no substance, who’s all air and no heart. BUT. I think she just might be my favourite FMC thus far. I loved that she was everything; she was a partier, a daughter, the most loyal friend, a smart-ass, a bad-ass, a dancer, a half human, all brains and all sass and curves. I enjoyed that she didn’t have to not be one to be the other. She can be all those things, without one taking away from the other.
I think SJM writes really really interesting dynamics and one of the most interesting is always the one that the FMC shares with the MMC (I’m pretty sure most everyone has read HoEaB, but just in case I’m not mentioning any names). Just like with the FMC, the MMC also represents a certain set of characteristics initially before slowly unravelling and showing himself to be more than just a typical male interest character in a fantasy world. Special mention to all the “alphahole” references, humour, borderline tiffs, negotiations, behaviour modifications that happen around that word.
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you’ll know that all I’ve saying is that I do not enjoy books that have more than one POV. That being said, you might have also noticed that nowadays books constantly seem to come in dual or multiple POVs. HoEaB follows the multiple POV style and as always I seem to enjoy everything SJM delivers. Do I still enjoy single POV? Yes. But did that stop me from devouring this book uncaring of whose mind we were in? Nup.
The secondary and tertiary characters are so wonderfully crafted that they’re engraved straight into our heart. Their pain is just as much your pain and the ones you hate you hate straight to the seven ring of hell. There are also characters that appear literally for two scenes but you know they’ve got monumental roles in the books to come. It’s so interesting the way SJM writes the idea of power and strength and shows what it really means and it’s represented in the most surprising characters. I also totally didn’t guess where this book was taking its revelations. I likely doubted everyone and trusted everyone and rinse and repeat. Which.. kudos.
The last two hundred pages of the book was the single most powerful, emotional, fast-paced experience of my life. I was in shock and then pain and then just BAWLING (which was so inconvenient given how I couldn’t read because I was crying but I couldn’t not cry the more I read and I had to read but I couldn’t cry and I had to cry but that meant I couldn’t read. I know I’m repeating myself but I went through a lot okay?!). God, I’m not over this book.
Having I finished ranting? Not sure I will ever be. It’s Saraswati Pooja today (the day I wrote this review it was) which means no reading (I shouldn’t even be writing this review technically, but I live dangerously) so I’m about one thirds into book two and I’m stressed about where this book and it’s sequel is going to take us. *holds out heart again* Trample away, SJM. I’m here for it.
I volunteer.
One hundred and fifty million thousand stars. Highly recommend. Highly highly highly highly. Please check trigger warnings this book is violent, graphic and definitely an adult fantasy.
Holy. Chocolate. Chip. On. A. Cracker.
One line review for anyone that doesn’t want to read the following emotional and barely rational rant: I loved this seven hundred and odd paged single book more than I loved the whole ACOTAR series. That’s saying something given how much I ended up enjoying the ACOTAR series. If I’ve offended you by saying that, I have only this to say to you: Read. This. Book.
*takes a deeeeeep breath*
Disclaimer: The following review might have lesser coherence and general sense of structure than is usual. I’m not even sure what I’m going to say given how much I feel right now paired with a major case of mind-twisting and emotional turmoil that has taken place inside me the last two days. Proceed at your own risk. I am not okay.
I had stayed away from this book for the longest time even thought when I’d read the small sample of House of Earth and Blood, that chapter stayed with me with this whole time and I think I protected myself from the heartbreak subconsciously then. Consciously however, I stayed away because everyone said it was hard to get past the first hundred pages because of the world building. I genuinely expected to find the book boring and difficult to get into.
However, I’m here to reveal to all those hesitating for all the exact above reasons as me that my experience was nothing like that. From the moment I started, I abandoned all other pursuits but the race to the end of this book. Also, on another episode of “Blame the Bestfriend”, we’re going to reveal the reason why I’ve been doing nothing but thinking of HoEaB since the moment that it entered my orbit of awareness: (refer to title of imaginary podcast for the answer).
Circling back, I will agree that the book has five billion new things that we need to grasp and understand about the world and its many characters. However, you quickly catch up. The book is definitely high fantasy, and there are many moments during the book where we understand something that happened on page 50 only in page 500 but that’s not an accident; it’s intentional. So the world building aids the style of writing and the nature of the genre. Also the world building happens in stages, the rules are explained, and then re-examined and explained again and then a whole new facet is revealed and finally everything is understood… (for now).
The writing follows a similar pattern. There are secrets upon layers of secrets all hidden within a box of secrets that’s missing. No no, not missing, but a box of secrets that we do not even know existed. The way SJM writes, in my eyes, has always been her strength. Even while I read Throne of Glass, I knew for sure that I didn’t particularly like the heroine: but the writing, the story and the set-up was so interesting, that it didn’t matter. Which is surprising, because most of us rarely continue reading if we didn’t enjoy the narrator’s voice/personality so much. HoEaB is the same, except I LOVED Bryce. The writing is so very strong and powerful that there’s nothing extra that’s required to hold you, but every other facet of this book was somehow just as good that we had no chance of surviving it.
A book that constantly promises pain, foreshadows heart-break and delivers?
Yes, please. I. Volunteer. Every minute of the 700 odd paged book, I volunteered for and I chased after all that heart-stomping the book promises.
The plot is something that you’ll never see coming. It’s practically impossible to, because like I mentioned earlier, the world building unravels right along with the plot, and the genre also slowly reveals its many elements. Also, surprise, this book is just the FOUNDATION to the actual plot which I realise now as I read book two, is actually bigger, scarier and just… more.
The heartbreak (yes this aspect has its own paragraph. I have been wrecked, excuse me while I rant about it.) in this book is U. N. P. A. R. A. L. L. E. L. E. D. UNPARALLELED, my friends. I thought Fourth Wing broke my heart, but noooo. HoEaB looked at the heartbreak I faced when I read FW in the face, laughed, swallowed it whole, chewed and spat it straight out at my feet. Then it trampled on my heart and walked away and all I could do while I watched was say “You missed a spot.” and point to said missed spot before me. This book just rewrites the definition of how to work a mystery and tangle it with so much emotion and then offer a solution that’s worse than anything you could think up. I’m still healing from the heartbreak from this book. (Also if you’re upset I said the heartbreak in FW isn’t as bad as this I have two things to say: 1. Read. This. Book! 2. Let’s see where IF is placed on the heartbreak ranking. I’m ready to admit I may have to realign my list come November 7th. Let’s see.)
The characters are MANYYYYY. So very many. Initially, I’ll admit, it sometimes took me a bit to make sense of who was referred to and who’s who and what are they etc etc. But believe me, believe me, you’ll catch up real quick. The heroine Bryce Quinlan, is one of the most interesting characters written. Simply because most authors attempt to fit their characters—especially their primary narrator—into a neat little box of relatability and they especially ensure that their FMCs come off as responsible and as worthy as possible from the very beginning. But initially Bryce comes off as someone that’s got no substance, who’s all air and no heart. BUT. I think she just might be my favourite FMC thus far. I loved that she was everything; she was a partier, a daughter, the most loyal friend, a smart-ass, a bad-ass, a dancer, a half human, all brains and all sass and curves. I enjoyed that she didn’t have to not be one to be the other. She can be all those things, without one taking away from the other.
I think SJM writes really really interesting dynamics and one of the most interesting is always the one that the FMC shares with the MMC (I’m pretty sure most everyone has read HoEaB, but just in case I’m not mentioning any names). Just like with the FMC, the MMC also represents a certain set of characteristics initially before slowly unravelling and showing himself to be more than just a typical male interest character in a fantasy world. Special mention to all the “alphahole” references, humour, borderline tiffs, negotiations, behaviour modifications that happen around that word.
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you’ll know that all I’ve saying is that I do not enjoy books that have more than one POV. That being said, you might have also noticed that nowadays books constantly seem to come in dual or multiple POVs. HoEaB follows the multiple POV style and as always I seem to enjoy everything SJM delivers. Do I still enjoy single POV? Yes. But did that stop me from devouring this book uncaring of whose mind we were in? Nup.
The secondary and tertiary characters are so wonderfully crafted that they’re engraved straight into our heart. Their pain is just as much your pain and the ones you hate you hate straight to the seven ring of hell. There are also characters that appear literally for two scenes but you know they’ve got monumental roles in the books to come. It’s so interesting the way SJM writes the idea of power and strength and shows what it really means and it’s represented in the most surprising characters. I also totally didn’t guess where this book was taking its revelations. I likely doubted everyone and trusted everyone and rinse and repeat. Which.. kudos.
The last two hundred pages of the book was the single most powerful, emotional, fast-paced experience of my life. I was in shock and then pain and then just BAWLING (which was so inconvenient given how I couldn’t read because I was crying but I couldn’t not cry the more I read and I had to read but I couldn’t cry and I had to cry but that meant I couldn’t read. I know I’m repeating myself but I went through a lot okay?!). God, I’m not over this book.
Having I finished ranting? Not sure I will ever be. It’s Saraswati Pooja today (the day I wrote this review it was) which means no reading (I shouldn’t even be writing this review technically, but I live dangerously) so I’m about one thirds into book two and I’m stressed about where this book and it’s sequel is going to take us. *holds out heart again* Trample away, SJM. I’m here for it.
I volunteer.
One hundred and fifty million thousand stars. Highly recommend. Highly highly highly highly. Please check trigger warnings this book is violent, graphic and definitely an adult fantasy.
juulisbad's review against another edition
2.0
The idea was okay. But I just didn’t feel anything while reading this. Just a nice distraction during commuting
snielsen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
marrydebi's review against another edition
5.0
O livro da Sarah que eu não esperava nada, estava super desanimada pra ler e entregou tudoooo! Nunca chorei tanto nos livros dela como nesse. Apaixonada pelo enredo
certainlychirpy's review against another edition
3.0
This book really took me on a roller-coaster, and not necessarily a good one—unfortunately, it started with scraping my brain with sandpaper before it got to the big leagues. The first half? A solid one-star slog. It felt like the author was riding high on her popularity wave, writing with a touch of arrogance. Pushing through 500 pages to get to the good stuff felt like a literary marathon—absolutely brutal!
The second half redeems itself, returning to the familiar territory that I love in her series, soaring up to a four-star thrill. While Bryce isn't my favourite main character, she is fun to read.
Still, the time commitment left me a bit miffed. I’d suggest tackling this series last in the Maasverse and consider speed-reading through chunks of the first half. (even skipping whole chapters)
The second half redeems itself, returning to the familiar territory that I love in her series, soaring up to a four-star thrill. While Bryce isn't my favourite main character, she is fun to read.
Still, the time commitment left me a bit miffed. I’d suggest tackling this series last in the Maasverse and consider speed-reading through chunks of the first half. (even skipping whole chapters)
jessj1996's review against another edition
5.0
I am a ruined mess. Of course Sarah had me sobbing for 250 pages wtf.