Review: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)

Title: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.

Review:

Bryce Quinlan was a carefree party girl until her best friends were brutally murdered by a demon. Two years later, the investigation of her friends’ murders is reopened when some similar attacks happen. Hunt Athalar is a fallen angel, who is sent to assassinate the enemies of his boss. He’s given a deal to earn his freedom if he helps Bryce find the murderer. Bryce and Hunt butt heads a lot at first, but then they work together to uncover the dark secrets hidden within Crescent City.

I usually read books quickly, but I had to take my time with this one. I loved the world building of Crescent City. It was an urban city, filled with different fantasy creatures and a complex political system.

I went into this book blind and I’m so glad I did. There were some fantastic twists that I didn’t see coming. I fell in love with the characters instantly. Bryce was sassy and determined while dealing with a lot of trauma. I hope we learn more of Hunt’s past in the next book because he seemed complex too.

House of Earth and Blood is definitely worth the hype!

Other books in the series:

House of Sky and Breath

Have you read House of Earth and Blood? What did you think of it?

Author: jilljemmett

Jill lives in Toronto, Canada. She has studied English, Creative Writing, and Publishing. Jill is the creator and content producer of Jill’s Book Blog, where she has published a blog post every day for the last four years, including 5-7 book reviews a week. She can usually be found with her nose in a book. View all posts by jilljemmett

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