A review by lauraanne
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

2nd read:
I enjoyed this so much more the second time round. I've been in a reading slump so was looking for something I knew to ease me back in and Maas is usually that author. I still stand by her writing not being all that great in terms of diversity but it's something I really hope she works on in the future because her books are so easy to read.

1st read:
I usually love Sarah J. Maas but this just didn't quite hit the mark for me. 

I've read so many great books recently that are inclusive and diverse in terms of characters so when I started reading this it felt like a bit of a step back for me. I don't think there should be any reason why all authors aren't including more diverse characters in their books.

Maas has this ability to make me cringe at sex like no one else, it's a talent. Although, she's changed the language from her YA fantasy it's still just way too much. 

I personally didn't like the addition of technology, I don't think it was done very well and it just made the world building more confusing. The way phones were a big part in the story felt cringey at times for me.

Having said all of that, I did fly through this. I find Maas' writing style easy to read so that always makes reading a breeze. I also found Bryce fairly relatable as a character as she wasn't this perfect heroine.

I'm still on the fence about reading the next book.